Among our group of friends, Ajay is the one we all look to when we need advice – the “group leader,” as we like to call him. He never asked for the title, but he just grew into it. Quietly, and reliably, just like the way his father once did for him.
Being the lone son among three sisters meant that he and his dad carved out a special kind of closeness. There were early morning fishing trips, competitive basketball games after team practice, and Sunday afternoons fixing the old truck that somehow still runs after all these years.
These father-son hobbies were actually small lessons in patience, problem-solving, and perseverance. While his sisters had their own unique bond with their father, it was clear that Ajay was walking in his dad’s footsteps in a different way.
As Ajay grew up, his father knew how to meet him at the edge of the next stage of his life. He would share a small sip of beer when Ajay would curiously ask what it tastes like. As he grew older, they’d share a glass of Canadian wine while eating the barbeque they’d prepared together. Then, when Ajay graduated from college, the two of them opened a special bottle of wine, becoming a quiet, meaningful rite of passage that stayed with him. To this day, opening a wine gift remains a way they celebrate milestones and share time together.
Years later, Ajay joined his dad’s business. What began as a simple way to make money, evolved into a recognition of how much his father had shaped him.
Working side by side, Ajay started to see his father not only as “Dad,” but as a mentor, a friend, and a man of deep wisdom. He realized that his dad wasn’t just teaching him how to cast a line or change a tire. Instead, he’d shown him how to be strong and steady, and even how to listen before speaking. But most importantly, he taught him how to respect others, love generously, and lead without ego.
This Father’s Day is special – it’s the first where Ajay is starting to welcome his own child into the world. Tradition has a special way of setting in, and in this family, gifts for dad have become extremely meaningful. For them, it’s a hand-selected bottle of Canadian wine that they’ll open together when Ajay officially becomes a father. Some of the best Father’s Day gifts are wrapped in memory, gratitude, and in the recognition that mentorship is one of the most lasting gifts a father can give.
If you’re looking for something thoughtful this year, consider a bottle from our curated wine gifts for Dad collection, featuring some of the best wines for Father’s Day – for sharing stories, laughter, and a toast to the human who helped shape you.
