winnow.

win-oh; verb:

To separate or distinguish valuable from worthless parts.

We must know how to winnow while working on this vineyard and garden in Napa. John, the host and vintner, has been doing the pruning as we clean up the vine full of tendrils.

I said, “I should probably know, but what do you call this plant that has all of the color to it? It’s beautiful like fall foliage.” I thought he was going to name some native California plant that is known for turning fire orange and candy apple red in the winter, but instead he said, “Those are what I call dying weeds.”

To winnow the worthless is tough when it’s distinguishly beautiful.