What I Hope My Children Inherit

When people think about inheritance, they usually think of assets such as a business, a home, an investment portfolio, or a piece of land. Usually material things

Those things matter. They represent years of work, sacrifice, and discipline. But the older I get, the more I realize that the most valuable things we leave behind cannot be measured on a balance sheet.

As a father, I often think about what I hope my children will inherit one day. And surprisingly, wealth is not at the top of the list.

I hope they inherit perspective.

The ability to see beyond immediate circumstances and understand that every challenge, every setback, and every success is temporary. Perspective allows us to make better decisions, remain humble in victory, and be resilient in adversity.

I hope they inherit curiosity.

The world changes faster than any generation expects. Technologies evolve. Industries transform. Entire markets emerge and disappear. The people who thrive are not necessarily the smartest or the strongest - they are the ones who never stop learning.

Curiosity has been one of the greatest gifts in my own journey. It has taken me from technology to investing, from entrepreneurship to winemaking, and from building companies to supporting philanthropic initiatives. Every meaningful chapter in my life began with a simple question: "What can I learn here?"

I hope they inherit discipline.

Talent is useful. Opportunity is valuable. But discipline is what turns potential into achievement.

Most people see the outcomes. They see the company, the investment, the vineyard, or the recognition. What they don't see are the thousands of small decisions made consistently over time. Discipline is rarely celebrated at the moment, but it is responsible for nearly every meaningful accomplishment.

I hope they inherit integrity.

There will always be opportunities to take shortcuts. To choose convenience over principle. To prioritize immediate gain over long-term trust.

But reputation is built over decades and can be lost in a moment.

I want my children to understand that character is not something you demonstrate when conditions are easy. Character reveals itself when the right decision is also the difficult one.

I hope they inherit patience.

Living in a world obsessed with speed, we often forget that the most valuable things take time.

Companies take time. Relationships take time. Reputations take time. Wine takes time.

At Alexandrea, every vintage reminds me that nature cannot be rushed. The same is true for life. Some of the most important outcomes require patience long before they provide rewards.

Perhaps that is one of the reasons Alexandrea is so personal to me.

The winery carries the names of my children. It was never intended to be simply a business. It was intended to be a lesson. A reminder that meaningful things are built slowly, carefully, and with future generations in mind.

One day, they may inherit the winery.

I hope they do.

But more importantly, I hope they inherit the mindset that built it.

The belief that stewardship matters more than ownership.

That institutions are more important than individuals.

That success is not measured by what we accumulate, but by what continues because we were here.

The greatest inheritance is not what we leave to our children.

It is what we leave within them.

And if I succeed in passing on curiosity, discipline, integrity, patience, and responsibility, then I will consider that my most important legacy of all.