Holy cow, where does the time go?!? Most of you were tracking with me as I did the "Fueled by Vivac: Emotional Sanitizer Wine Show" with our winery Vivac Winery through the pandemic and subsequent years later. That allowed me to be super lazy on the blog front. Realizing, mostly because people keep asking where I've been, I need to start writing again.
Speaking of writing, I have been lucky enough to have regular pieces being published in Edible Magazine the last couple years spotlighting wineries around New Mexico, my favorite travel spots, and fun pairings. I have enjoyed teaching a variety of wine classes and lectures at big conferences, beautiful homes, our winery, over zoom and over seas! I have also had the incredible honor of being chosen to join the prestigious Association of Wine Educators membership.
Judging has continued to take me on fantastic adventures, the most recent was a coveted seat at the International Wine Challenge in London, England. It was an intense experience and I hope I impressed them with my skills enough to be invited back, fingers crossed! I took my family with me on that trip and we definitely made the most out of it. 12 days touring London, a jaunt to Scotland and one to Ireland rounded out our 6 weeks in the UK. We even got down to the incredible wine region of Sussex which was filled with astoundingly good wines and the most glorious fields of bluebells.
In between the work and travel, I had a hysterectomy. It was the best thing in the world for me and I still celebrate every month that I am without that angry beast of a uterus. My RA is still a thing. I did have some of my meds reduced so that is a great direction to go, but I still need to be careful with myself. Too much stress, over working or pushing my body will result in a full blown flareup. Those that don't know what an RA flareup is, imagine you have the beginning signs of the flu. Exhausted, chills, aches, headache, feel sick to your stomach, then add INSIDE your joints it hurts really really bad and there is no way to alleviate it. The other part is that RA is an auto immune disease meaning my body thinks it should attack itself instead of any virus or bug I come in contact with so if someone has a cold (or covid) near me, I have a greater probability of catching it. Also the drugs that help the RA tell my body to stop attacking itself... by stopping my immune reaction... that means I'm doubling down on the 'I'll catch that' part of this. Anyway, I am grateful I am doing as well as I am and I will leave it at that.
The winery continues to grow and do fabulously. We had a great review recently in an article written by a wine critic who has a reputation for being hard to please. We put in a new section of vineyard, 3 acres in front of my house so I am almost living my dream, I just need the big black wide brimmed hat and someone to bring me martinis. Denali turned 18 which has a whole set of complicated emotions for mom. She is finishing the full length film she took a gap year to create and starts at UNM Taos as a Film Major in just 2 weeks! Jess had his 30 year high school reunion, has been biking as much as possible and hasn't broken ribs, sliced open his hand or fallen off anything in weeks! oh, wait, he did just fall hard trying to unload the truck. What can I say, crush crushes him every year.
Next up is being a panel speaker at the CAB Symposium in Paso Robles, CA at the end of October/ early November! I am thrilled to have been asked to speak along side Master Somm Michael Jordan (no not that one, the wine guy) at this conference dedicated to Bordeaux varietals. After that, we shall see. I have a couple things in the works that I am hoping work out, if they do, it will be big news, if they don't, well... I might have to change my name and move to Antartica.
Have a subject you want me to write about? Message me @winefirst / @winefirstsomm on social media!
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