Capitalism gets sweeter with time

I saw Mark Levin on TV last night, promoting his new book. One item he discussed in his appearance was the extreme liberal bias in most news media sources. He asked a wise question: "When was the last time we saw a story about the greatness of capitalism?"

And tonight I'm writing from San Diego, at the tail end of a trip that has allowed me to learn something about myself. I used to be a casual and inexpensive wine drinker, a purchaser of only Yellow Tail or cheaper. But whilst here I (to my benefit, I've since learned) visited a few wineries. The Schwaesdall Winery in Romona and the Orfila Winery in Escondido, especially, grabbed my attention.

The Schwaesdall Winery is owned by a married couple who spend their weekends working in their tasting room (which looks a lot like a shed near their house). It's a tiny winery that sells just a few thousand cases a year. But its product (as near as I can tell) is superb.

Here, two Americans had some resources and put them to work. Through their own hard work, ingenuity and sense of purpose, the couple makes a living for themselves. And in doing so they don't piggy-back on the good graces of someone productive — they are productive.

The Orfila Vineyards and Winery was built by Alejandro Orfila, who moved to the United States after retiring from a post as Argentina's ambassador to this country. Mr. Orfila grew up in a different land but his life's work showed him how good Americans have it. He moved to southern California and took to wine-making. Orfila wines have won more than 1,300 awards.

Here, one South American man saw the glory of free enterprise and — like all of us, or our ancestors — came to America to find a better life. While here, he created something truly glorious.

California boasts more than 1,200 wineries and wine from the golden state is the best in the world — and don't take my word for it, believe the French judges at the 1976 Judgment of Paris, where American vintages were chosen in blind taste-tests over their French counterparts.

For years, government has stayed off Americans' backs, and they've grown grapes in low-water areas of southern California and percolated, brewed and bottled their product into a huge industrial accomplishment.

California's wines are of great quality and quantity. They became great, not because the government passed a "wine stimulus bill" to name them so. Greatness cannot be legislated. It takes too much hard work and people are disinclined to do hard work unless they will benefit from it.

California wines became great because skilled, industrious people desired to sell their products at a profit, so they made their products better.

And they made their products pretty darn good. But you don't have to take my word for it — you can visit a winery or liquor store and taste the sweetness of freedom for yourself.