Well, how's everyone hanging in out there? For me, I've been in quarantine since Mar 13th, when things started to get real here in New Mexico...at least for me. I didn't talk about it because not much was really known at that time and the craziness hadn't struck, but I had been in NYC...at an event with 300+ people...I shook ALL of their hands, even hugged some...even shared glasses with them (a la "here taste mine!"). At that point they had something like 10 cases reported in the city, wow, can you believe it? With numbers they way they are now?
Anyway, I got home from that trip completely beat. I had been in CA for a wine competition and then in TX for another prior to the NYC trip and was going straight there from a conference so it made sense I was tired. I bounced immediately into work though because my calendar was already full of events and meetings. I gave a wine class at the old folks home in Taos, I touched all of the glasses, stood over them while lecturing, hugged excited patrons after the class, things that made sense then, but are alarming now.
After that I had back to back meetings with people to design the summer's activities, however I was slapped in the face somewhat suddenly with total exhaustion. I needed to pull back, I was wearing myself out...or wait, was it??? Another day went by and suddenly I had a sore throat and an ear infection (tell tale signs for hardcore sickness for me). I could feel something was taking me down. My always amazing Doctor started to monitor me with regular check ins, I was told to stay home and report ANY changes. Quickly things had changed and he requested a Covid19 test for me. At this point I was getting scared, I was deeply ill and the idea that I could have this insane virus was giving me PTSD from the time in my life previously where I was told 'you should have a will in place'.
The way the hospital had to handle the possible threat was straight out of the Twilight Zone. They met me at the car in a hazmat suit, taking me to a private area and then not allowing me to leave until several tests were done. All were an invasive shoving of swabs up my nose so far up I thought they were trying to operate on my brain...I might get that surgery I escaped a few years back after all. Then I had to wait...for days for results. During this waiting period is when things got real over here in NM and I started to panic that I may have single-handedly killed the entire population of the old folks home from that class. Here I was trying to give my grandma and her friends something special and fun to experience...and I might off 40 of them...nice move! Schools closed and businesses followed. We scrambled to figure out how to keep money rolling in, customers and employees safe... while absolute awe drifted over us as we watched this strange movie like plot unfold before us.
Thank God, my test came back negative and I just had some weird horrible bug, but it also means I've been in quarantine longer than some of you. I can't say I'm going stir crazy because I live on a gorgeous farm in the countryside...of course it is in the country, where else would it be? I don't know of big farms in the middle of a city, do you? Anything called a "farm" in the city is like a rooftop garden really...I think. OK maybe I am going a little crazy, but anyway, we have plenty of wine and space, really not that bad.
What has surprised me however, as I try to find projects and distractions, is that I am struck with an emotional slap at the oddest times. Waiting in line at the grocery store, no not to pay like we used to, outside waiting to go in, all of us cloaked in masks, and I suddenly couldn't stop the hot tears from streaming down my face. Or wondering if I should watch another episode of Tiger King even though it's 2:00am, then realizing that it absolutely does not matter because there is nothing to do tomorrow... absolutely nothing...and suddenly my wine holding hand starts to shake with silent sobs. Or taking my clothes off to finally shower and seeing that my already plump body is getting plumper and that I have to put the bag of cookies down in order to actually get IN the shower... a deeply depressing moment.
I hope you all are weathering the storm alright. I look forward to the time when we can enjoy wine in each other's presence again, probably not going to let people drink out of my glass or excessively hug people anymore and that does make me super sad, but I'll take the win to leave home and see you face to face. After all, I never want to wonder if I just killed all the old people ever again.
* For entertainment during lockdown, please tune in to "A Fern Between Us: Emotional Sanitizer Wine Show" from Vivac Winery's Facebook Live, Thursdays at 5:00pm. It's a little wine tasting, a little Q&A and a whole lot of fun!
Don't forget, no matter how weird this world gets, Wine First!
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Monday, April 13, 2020
Wednesday, February 12, 2020
Complaining With Purpose
I have decided not to post the recent blog I wrote while sitting in yet another airport bar on my way to yet another wine competition because I sound like a whinny little bi*ch. I mean I know you guys already expect me to be whining about something, but I found myself whining about flying off to another cool place to be treated like royalty and to do what I love most... taste wine. This time it wasn't the nerves that had me in the dumps since I've been to this competition before and know what to expect, but rather it was about leaving my husband and daughter for 4 days. I know most couples and or parents relish the opportunity to escape and have solo time, but my family has had so much intense crap happen over the last few years that in the current time, we are happy and enjoying each other and I don't want to miss a second of this quite, luxuriously simple time.
Anyway, we are going to skip ahead and do a 'what I have learned' blog moment. As I spent the past week with some of my favorite people in my new wine family, all certified insane level vino geeks. What I started to notice was that we are all in the world in the same way. Here are some sample conversations, lets see if you can find the theme...
Convo 1:
P1 "Hey, are you cold in here?"
P2 "I'm a little chilled, but it doesn't bother me, however if it were any colder, I would definitely have a problem with it"
P3 "I'm cold. I think it is too cold to be tolerated"
P1 "Interesting, so I guess it's passable, but not stellar temperature."
P2 "Yes, this place is great!"
everyone nods in agreement.
Convo 2:
P1 "Do you think the turkey salad has been properly refrigerated? Seems like it's been out. Taste it and see if the mayo has turned too tangy"
P2 "This coffee is lukewarm"
P1 "That's a good thing, we don't want to destroy our palates"
P2 "Well yes, but a touch warmer would be nice"
P3 "I don't see any tea, I only do tea when I'm judging"
P1 "I guess I'll just eat the bread and cheese"
P3 "What a wonderful lunch!
everyone nods in agreement.
Convo 3:
P1 "Finally done judging and we can get a drink to actually drink!"
P2 "Yes! These are some interesting wines they have out for us."
P3 "Let's all start with a glass of _____"
P4 "Ahhhh I needed this."
P3 "Hmmm... are you getting hints of VA?"
P1 "Yes, and it's killing the fruit"
P2 "Dump that out and lets see about this other one."
P3 "This is better."
P4 "I feel like the fruit is tired."
P1 "It is an older vintage, that is totally within range"
everyone switches to enjoyment mode and sips the wine with smiles.
Complain much?!? Yes, all the time! Only we don't see it as complaining and we don't see a gripe with something as the end all of what we think. We want to address every single flaw in the environment, idea, concept, trip, food or experience and then filter back in positives and weigh them out for the end score. We are people with heightened sensitivities and awareness that results in excellent wine judges and maybe slightly annoying people to the rest of the world. I know for a fact that I can drive my loved ones crazy with my natural inclination to do this.
I have to say it was an ah-ha moment and sharing this with my husband shed new light on how I am in the world for him. And maybe if I share this with all of you, you guys will understand that those of us that are hyper aware are not being critical, but are assessing everything in order to categorize it. One thing I know for sure is that these trips do give me perspective on my relationships and life and that I currently have a Double Gold in both.
*This wine was brought to you by an adequate white wine that has nice fruit, good acid and pretty aromas, but has gotten too warm in my glass.
Remember, no matter what you do, Wine First!
Anyway, we are going to skip ahead and do a 'what I have learned' blog moment. As I spent the past week with some of my favorite people in my new wine family, all certified insane level vino geeks. What I started to notice was that we are all in the world in the same way. Here are some sample conversations, lets see if you can find the theme...
Convo 1:
P1 "Hey, are you cold in here?"
P2 "I'm a little chilled, but it doesn't bother me, however if it were any colder, I would definitely have a problem with it"
P3 "I'm cold. I think it is too cold to be tolerated"
P1 "Interesting, so I guess it's passable, but not stellar temperature."
P2 "Yes, this place is great!"
everyone nods in agreement.
Convo 2:
P1 "Do you think the turkey salad has been properly refrigerated? Seems like it's been out. Taste it and see if the mayo has turned too tangy"
P2 "This coffee is lukewarm"
P1 "That's a good thing, we don't want to destroy our palates"
P2 "Well yes, but a touch warmer would be nice"
P3 "I don't see any tea, I only do tea when I'm judging"
P1 "I guess I'll just eat the bread and cheese"
P3 "What a wonderful lunch!
everyone nods in agreement.
Convo 3:
P1 "Finally done judging and we can get a drink to actually drink!"
P2 "Yes! These are some interesting wines they have out for us."
P3 "Let's all start with a glass of _____"
P4 "Ahhhh I needed this."
P3 "Hmmm... are you getting hints of VA?"
P1 "Yes, and it's killing the fruit"
P2 "Dump that out and lets see about this other one."
P3 "This is better."
P4 "I feel like the fruit is tired."
P1 "It is an older vintage, that is totally within range"
everyone switches to enjoyment mode and sips the wine with smiles.
Complain much?!? Yes, all the time! Only we don't see it as complaining and we don't see a gripe with something as the end all of what we think. We want to address every single flaw in the environment, idea, concept, trip, food or experience and then filter back in positives and weigh them out for the end score. We are people with heightened sensitivities and awareness that results in excellent wine judges and maybe slightly annoying people to the rest of the world. I know for a fact that I can drive my loved ones crazy with my natural inclination to do this.
I have to say it was an ah-ha moment and sharing this with my husband shed new light on how I am in the world for him. And maybe if I share this with all of you, you guys will understand that those of us that are hyper aware are not being critical, but are assessing everything in order to categorize it. One thing I know for sure is that these trips do give me perspective on my relationships and life and that I currently have a Double Gold in both.
*This wine was brought to you by an adequate white wine that has nice fruit, good acid and pretty aromas, but has gotten too warm in my glass.
Remember, no matter what you do, Wine First!
Thursday, February 6, 2020
I Left My Spoiled Heart in San Francisco
It is a bright and sunny day in Cloverdale, CA. The air is crisp and bitterly cold, but I am snug as a bug in my new San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition Judge's jacket. I have found a charming place called "Sawmill Saloon" that looks like it should be on movie set; complete with beautiful intricate metal tile ceiling and carved wood bar. The woman tending bar is the redheaded version of Dolly Parten which has made this, officially, my favorite bar EVER. It's completely empty, but the big sun filled windows make it bright and cheery in here...also makes me feel like less of a loser for sitting in a bar at noon on a Friday.
I have just spent 4 days at the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition. The largest North American Wine Competition with 6,800 entries from Mexico, USA and Canada. It is notoriously difficult to get a seat as a judge at this competition so I'm honored to have been included. Having now judged at some of the most prestigious competitions across the globe, I submitted my resume...with the hand delivery of a new found friend who happens to know the president of the competition and crossed my fingers. I got the response that they'd welcome me in 2021, but this being the 20th anniversary, they were re-inviting many big names back. I was thrilled at the possibility for next year, like I said, it is notoriously difficult to get into, pretty much someone has to die to get a place to open up. Then, suddenly I got an email welcoming me to THIS year! I read the email in dismay to my husband, surely they meant NEXT year and this was a mistake, but no, they had a spot for me and asked I book my flight ASAP. My eyes were the size of silver dollars.
The way these competitions work is that most of them lavish judges, they pay for travel, room and board, take you to fancy dinners and give you gifts. Berliner Wein Trophy actually encourages you to explore the city with reimbursement for sightseeing. I assumed SFCWC would be similar. 1st note of change was that Scott, the founder's son and VP for the competition, called me personal on the phone to see if I had questions or needed anything. Uhhhhh COOL move! I landed in Oakland and rented a car (yes paid for by them) and drove to Sonoma... that part could be an entire blog about the horrors of driving highways in CA, but I'll tackle that some other time. We were put up in a charming hotel, and met for breakfast each morning (which is catered) at the Citrus Fair grounds. Our panels were small groups of 3 with a coordinator that took notes and babied us making sure every little thing we could possibly need was supplied and paperwork was filed for us (rather than the usual head judge doing that job for the group). They also have almost a 2 to 1 ratio of volunteers that bus glasses in and out, washes/ polishes and delivers samples to us in precision timing. It is well organized and professional.
Day one, they literally greeted us with Sparkling wine and a red carpet, no really, a red carpet was rolled out and a glass of bubbles was placed in our hands as we arrived. When we got to our panel, a large box with a sensational bow tied on it sat at each place setting. I'm talking one of those satin, black ribbon bows that hugs the box and lays perfectly flat, yet perky and plump on top, tied by hand. What happen to be inside was the most incredible gourmet picnic one could ask for! Excellent bottle of specialty wine, beautiful logo corkscrew, tons of exceptional high quality snacks and even a glass that would make drinking in my room soooooo much better; a very classy wine Judging gift.
Unfortunately, day one judging was a hot mess and my panel couldn't seem to agree, I couldn't seem to grasp the very different style of judging than what I was used to and I started to feel confused and insecure, frustrated and unhappy. In these times, I reach out to my Wine God Father, he gave me a pep-talk and I immediately felt calmer. The next day they made changes to our panel and a classy woman that has been judging for so many years my jaw hit the floor, took another judge's place. I felt she'd been put in as a secret agent to check me out, watch my judging and see if I needed to be removed. This would have had me flustered had I not talked with my Wine God Father, he is a wine badass and he knows my ability, which oddly means more than my own belief in my personal ability...I know, I know, I am working on this. Anyway, I refused to feel shaken and settled into this new system and took his advice, I DO have this, I DO know what I'm doing. Have I mentioned how grateful I am for him???
Anyway, long story short, day 2 went great and this seasoned judge repeatedly mentioned how much she enjoyed judging with me and assured me that I'd done very well that day. That said, by the end of the entire competition, the 3rd judge on my panel told me "I would be terrified if I were a wine being judged by you" ... uhhhhh... hmmmm... ok I guess?
Another element I can't gloss over was the extra events. A VIP tasting with the best wineries of the area, owners in tow and circulating apps was super nice. We were wined and dined at a wonderful local restaurant and pretty much the whole town seemed to bow at our feet. THEN, on another night, we were bused to the new Peju family winery in Carneros called 'Calmere'. The bus hit standstill traffic and turned the trip into 3 1/2 hours... which will also need to be another story, BUT the wine tasting and follow up dinner was incredible! Not only was the food unbelievable (and they had to hold it for all of us for hours!), the wines were wonderful, and we left with an exceptional goody bag of high quality gifts and the bag itself was a SF Chronicle insulated wine bag. I was feeling fully pampered, and then on the final day, they gave me photos of myself at the competition in a matte frame (which showed I had not mastered my hairdresser's styling technique and that no lipstick is a terrible look for me) and a jacket. A JACKET! This is a thinsulate, legit, baller jacket with the competition logo on the breast. I've been given lots of nice gifts doing this gig, but this takes the cake.
So now I understand how this competition is so hard to enter, if you get the invite GO! It's been a beautiful experience, wonderful wines, professionally run, and the people... WOW, the people are so welcoming and friendly and fantastic. I am deeply sorry to say that there were in fact deaths and illness that opened spots and allowed me to step in, that is never the way you want to win a spot and I can see that all of the judges have created bonds that have lasted many years, the loss of these judges weighed heavy for the entire group. My heart goes out to those families and the entire SFCWC group that felt the loss.
With another competition in my pocket, I wonder what will be next. Another glass of wine for sure.
With another competition in my pocket, I wonder what will be next. Another glass of wine for sure.
Sunday, December 29, 2019
Alright, Alright, Alright Y'all!
I'm working on my use of "y'all" as I accept the invitation to return to the Austin area as a judge at the Texas International Wine Competition in February! Airline tickets are purchased and details are coming together. Now to tweak for weeks over what to pack.
I'm excited to return to this competition, it is small (about 40 judges), but well run and they treat the judges like royalty. Small, doesn't mean unimpressive by-the-way, this is 3 days of tasting and rating some of the top wines from around the world. Another one of my favorite things about this comeptition is that they are set-up to donate proceeds to The Whole Planet Foundation: their mission is to empower the poorest people in the world with a micro-credit to set up a home based business to support their families. Many of these people are women that receive a small loan, I'm talking $100 or less, and buy a sewing machine or similar tool. They learn how to create some kind of commodity by sewing items or crafting something and selling these items. The stories are incredible and heartwarming and I love being a part of a competition that thinks about how to help the world become a better place.
What I love most about this competition is the people. This competition, crafted by an expert wine judge, has gathered some of the best professionals from around the world including a Count who was the 20th person in the world to receive the prestigious Master of Wine title...ever, as in he's a big deal. He has been living and teaching in Bordeaux for most of his life, but flies to Buda, Texas for this competition. There is also the editor-in-chief of Sommelier Magazine from the Czech Republic who became my 'Wine Godfather' last January when we met at this same competition and he deemed me worthy of his great kindness, generosity and professional sway with some of the best competitions in the world. And then there is a surgeon and wine educator who is responsible for the non-profit charity Intervol that collects unused medical supplies and sends them to countries in dire need via 'Raise a Glass Foundation' which is affiliated with The Great American International Wine Competition in NY that I also have had the honor of judging at. These are only three incredible people out of a room full of greats that I now proudly call my friends.
To fully appreciate just how cool this little competition is, imagine you are half way around the world and bump into one of your favorite people you met at the Texas International! In the mysterious hills of a small town in the Czech Republic at a small International Wine Competition called Vinnex (thank you Wine Godfather!), I found myself hugging one of my favorite judges. Talk about random right? In the wine judging world, not so much. My 1st year judging at Great American International, I was fresh and new and in a sea of unfamiliar faces at that very large competition. I met some lovely people and enjoyed my experience very much, but it wasn't until this past year when I made connections at Texas, that my experience at Great American really wowed, they seem to build on each other. In a beautiful stroke of luck, I was invited into the inner circle of wine judges and part of a private tasting at the Doctor's room. He brought some of his special wines he has collected in his private cellar to share with a small group including the Count. You might be picturing a stodgy group of wine geeks all trying to impress each other and be snooty about what the greatest wines of the world are, but I assure you, this is a group of exceptional people that are appreciative of what each of us bring to the table, LOVE wine and want to share that love, appreciate the hard work winemakers have put into their product and a group of hilariously funny people! The Doctor and the Count have a rapport after many years of friendship, that is so entertaining that it makes you want to pull up a chair and just watch them interact. The Doctor has a delightful Irish accent and sharp wit mixed with a youthful carriage that makes his age difficult to determine, The Count has an English accent and is a dapper, wisecracking older man with white hair and beard that looks very distinguished. Between them they have a heavy arsenal of wine knowledge and experience, but it is the jolly sing song of the dueling accents as they verbally jab at each other that is so fabulous. Needless to say, I was excited to spend an evening with them.
Now, most hardcore wine geeks have had a wine MOMENT, a special A-Ha experience where tasting a particular wine was so thrilling an experience that that became the beginning of the end for losing themselves to the world of wine. Remember that scene in the movie 'Sideways' where Miles has just met Maya and they chat in the Kitchen asking each other what their moment was? They then name wines and ooh and ahh over each others answers. Well, my wine I had that night with the Doctor and the Count sitting along side a handful of other lucky judges. Having been in the wine biz now for 17+ years, you would have expected that I would have already had that experience, and while I did have exciting moments of tasting spectacular wines, tasted wines that inspired me or meant a great deal to me, nothing compared to my MOMENT in NY. Clearly my love of wine runs deep, after all I didn't need an a-ha experience to dedicate my entire adult life to the industry.
Back to NY; a small group of us circled around the Doctor (the TX competition organizer was one of them) as he opened the 6 magnificent wines he'd set out. The Count and his stunningly elegant wife, sat stretched out on the bed, fittingly like the King and Queen of the room. It was somewhat like the excitement a child has waiting to be handed that first gift Christmas morning, the room was quiet, full of anticipation. Of the epic wines we tasted, each more amazing than the last, was a 1978 Saint-Julian (my birth year), a 1986 Margaux and a 1964 Spanna from Italy. I was in heaven, these wines showed why they are revered, still stunningly brilliant after decades. But it was the 1964 Spanna that was my MOMENT, the wine was still so epically beautiful! "Epically" is that a word? See? The wine was so amazing, the only way to describe it is to make up words! Seriously though, after 55 years, this wine managed to have intense character, layered complexity, depth, perfect elegance and delicate aromas. I was so struck by the capability of a winemaker to create a wine that could last this long and stand up so exquisitely that it blew my mind and seized my heart in a fist's grip. I sat, in my own little world, savoring each perfect sip, while silent tears streamed down my face. I was truly overwhelmed and in awe of this wine, a treasure held in my hand that in an instant reminded me of how breathtaking the world can be. The Count's wife touched my arm and broke me from the wine's spell, I looked up surprised and she asked if I was OK, my tear stained cheeks having caused her and the Count concern. I smiled a giant, wine stained smile and said "it is the most beautiful thing I have ever encountered. I'm brought to tears over the idea that someone created this 55 yrs ago". The room full of purple teeth smiled back at me, they knew they had witnessed my A-Ha wine moment and everyone was genuinely touched to be a part of it; all friends from Texas International Wine Competition.
Once again, across the world, this time at the prestigious Berliner Wein Trophy International Wine Competition in Germany this past summer, I met a wine judge that after talking a bit said "Oh wow, you are the judge the Count was talking about! He said he had seen a wine, when tasted was so beautiful, it made a Sommelier cry!", I've since heard other stories of how the Count and the Doctor share the story of my wine moment, little old me, at wine competitions, both touched by having been witness to a moment of true awe.
And so, with great excitement to see my wine judging family, meet new judges and tour Texas wineries, I ready myself for 3 days of intense wine competition analysis and beautiful new wine memories to be made. Wish me luck y'all!
Remember, no matter where the world takes you, Wine First!
Click here to visit my website for more about me, my writing & events!
I'm excited to return to this competition, it is small (about 40 judges), but well run and they treat the judges like royalty. Small, doesn't mean unimpressive by-the-way, this is 3 days of tasting and rating some of the top wines from around the world. Another one of my favorite things about this comeptition is that they are set-up to donate proceeds to The Whole Planet Foundation: their mission is to empower the poorest people in the world with a micro-credit to set up a home based business to support their families. Many of these people are women that receive a small loan, I'm talking $100 or less, and buy a sewing machine or similar tool. They learn how to create some kind of commodity by sewing items or crafting something and selling these items. The stories are incredible and heartwarming and I love being a part of a competition that thinks about how to help the world become a better place.
What I love most about this competition is the people. This competition, crafted by an expert wine judge, has gathered some of the best professionals from around the world including a Count who was the 20th person in the world to receive the prestigious Master of Wine title...ever, as in he's a big deal. He has been living and teaching in Bordeaux for most of his life, but flies to Buda, Texas for this competition. There is also the editor-in-chief of Sommelier Magazine from the Czech Republic who became my 'Wine Godfather' last January when we met at this same competition and he deemed me worthy of his great kindness, generosity and professional sway with some of the best competitions in the world. And then there is a surgeon and wine educator who is responsible for the non-profit charity Intervol that collects unused medical supplies and sends them to countries in dire need via 'Raise a Glass Foundation' which is affiliated with The Great American International Wine Competition in NY that I also have had the honor of judging at. These are only three incredible people out of a room full of greats that I now proudly call my friends.
To fully appreciate just how cool this little competition is, imagine you are half way around the world and bump into one of your favorite people you met at the Texas International! In the mysterious hills of a small town in the Czech Republic at a small International Wine Competition called Vinnex (thank you Wine Godfather!), I found myself hugging one of my favorite judges. Talk about random right? In the wine judging world, not so much. My 1st year judging at Great American International, I was fresh and new and in a sea of unfamiliar faces at that very large competition. I met some lovely people and enjoyed my experience very much, but it wasn't until this past year when I made connections at Texas, that my experience at Great American really wowed, they seem to build on each other. In a beautiful stroke of luck, I was invited into the inner circle of wine judges and part of a private tasting at the Doctor's room. He brought some of his special wines he has collected in his private cellar to share with a small group including the Count. You might be picturing a stodgy group of wine geeks all trying to impress each other and be snooty about what the greatest wines of the world are, but I assure you, this is a group of exceptional people that are appreciative of what each of us bring to the table, LOVE wine and want to share that love, appreciate the hard work winemakers have put into their product and a group of hilariously funny people! The Doctor and the Count have a rapport after many years of friendship, that is so entertaining that it makes you want to pull up a chair and just watch them interact. The Doctor has a delightful Irish accent and sharp wit mixed with a youthful carriage that makes his age difficult to determine, The Count has an English accent and is a dapper, wisecracking older man with white hair and beard that looks very distinguished. Between them they have a heavy arsenal of wine knowledge and experience, but it is the jolly sing song of the dueling accents as they verbally jab at each other that is so fabulous. Needless to say, I was excited to spend an evening with them.
Now, most hardcore wine geeks have had a wine MOMENT, a special A-Ha experience where tasting a particular wine was so thrilling an experience that that became the beginning of the end for losing themselves to the world of wine. Remember that scene in the movie 'Sideways' where Miles has just met Maya and they chat in the Kitchen asking each other what their moment was? They then name wines and ooh and ahh over each others answers. Well, my wine I had that night with the Doctor and the Count sitting along side a handful of other lucky judges. Having been in the wine biz now for 17+ years, you would have expected that I would have already had that experience, and while I did have exciting moments of tasting spectacular wines, tasted wines that inspired me or meant a great deal to me, nothing compared to my MOMENT in NY. Clearly my love of wine runs deep, after all I didn't need an a-ha experience to dedicate my entire adult life to the industry.
Back to NY; a small group of us circled around the Doctor (the TX competition organizer was one of them) as he opened the 6 magnificent wines he'd set out. The Count and his stunningly elegant wife, sat stretched out on the bed, fittingly like the King and Queen of the room. It was somewhat like the excitement a child has waiting to be handed that first gift Christmas morning, the room was quiet, full of anticipation. Of the epic wines we tasted, each more amazing than the last, was a 1978 Saint-Julian (my birth year), a 1986 Margaux and a 1964 Spanna from Italy. I was in heaven, these wines showed why they are revered, still stunningly brilliant after decades. But it was the 1964 Spanna that was my MOMENT, the wine was still so epically beautiful! "Epically" is that a word? See? The wine was so amazing, the only way to describe it is to make up words! Seriously though, after 55 years, this wine managed to have intense character, layered complexity, depth, perfect elegance and delicate aromas. I was so struck by the capability of a winemaker to create a wine that could last this long and stand up so exquisitely that it blew my mind and seized my heart in a fist's grip. I sat, in my own little world, savoring each perfect sip, while silent tears streamed down my face. I was truly overwhelmed and in awe of this wine, a treasure held in my hand that in an instant reminded me of how breathtaking the world can be. The Count's wife touched my arm and broke me from the wine's spell, I looked up surprised and she asked if I was OK, my tear stained cheeks having caused her and the Count concern. I smiled a giant, wine stained smile and said "it is the most beautiful thing I have ever encountered. I'm brought to tears over the idea that someone created this 55 yrs ago". The room full of purple teeth smiled back at me, they knew they had witnessed my A-Ha wine moment and everyone was genuinely touched to be a part of it; all friends from Texas International Wine Competition.
Once again, across the world, this time at the prestigious Berliner Wein Trophy International Wine Competition in Germany this past summer, I met a wine judge that after talking a bit said "Oh wow, you are the judge the Count was talking about! He said he had seen a wine, when tasted was so beautiful, it made a Sommelier cry!", I've since heard other stories of how the Count and the Doctor share the story of my wine moment, little old me, at wine competitions, both touched by having been witness to a moment of true awe.
And so, with great excitement to see my wine judging family, meet new judges and tour Texas wineries, I ready myself for 3 days of intense wine competition analysis and beautiful new wine memories to be made. Wish me luck y'all!
Remember, no matter where the world takes you, Wine First!
Click here to visit my website for more about me, my writing & events!
Thursday, December 19, 2019
Time to Celebrate!
I wanted to write about our adventure in Santa Fe, a staycation mixed with work at the International Food, Wine and Travel Writers Association (IFWTWA). I wanted to tell you about the incredible contacts we made, but everything has been obliterated by my recent MRI.
Here is where the sappy me floods the page with how meaningful life is. I can feel my teenage daughter rolling her eyes even as I type, but it is true! My struggle with a pituitary tumor (that's located in your head people. Don't worry I didn't know that in the beginning either) started a little over 4 years ago when symptoms riddled my body and sent my doctor on a wild goose chase trying to figure out what was wrong with me. Most people would panic when the news came that they had a brain tumor, and believe me there were a lot of tears, but I was also so relieved that we found the cause, that I exclaimed "Great! When can we pluck that baby out?!?". I know, a surprising reaction, you should have seen my doctor's jaw hit the floor.
Cut to (hahaha that is unfortunate language to use there) months and months of specialists and brain surgeons and the 'We need to wait till it gets bigger to ensure a successful surgery' while my symptoms were getting worse and worse and worse until I was spending more time in bed than I was on my feet, managing the pain with medical marijuana card benefits, and preparing for the worst, and then a miracle happened. My doctor urged me to go see a specialist that doesn't take my insurance and pay out of pocket, a big ask with me hardly working. I stepped into her office and she instantly got it. She consoled me as I explained the agony I was in and that the surgeons weren't moving fast enough. She understood how dire this was and she suggested we try something extremely out of the ordinary, a drug that they administer to people for a horrible fungal infection, but that has the side effect of greatly lowering cortisol levels. Cortisol is the mega beast you know of as the "stress hormone" and while we usually ignore it, this tumor had my body creating insane amounts of it...and that created all my symptoms. She explained the risks, we would need to monitor my liver and other organ functions every couple of weeks and I wouldn't be able to drink even a drop of alcohol during the 4 months we'd attempt this wacky treatment.
I'll let that sink in for a moment. I, me, the wine obsessed woman writing this. The woman who's job it is, is to drink, would not have even a sip for 4 months. I said yes before she could finish her sentence. I needed help in a bad way and this was a life line.
Within only a few weeks, I was able to better manage my pain levels. I had nausea, but wasn't constantly on the verge of vomiting (that was with my CBD/ THC tincture, without it, I was on the bathroom floor), and within a couple months, I was even getting my life back! Another unfortunate side effect of having massive levels of cortisol saturating my body for so long was that it greatly compromised all the tendons and ligaments in my body. That meant that seemingly banal actions resulted in a catastrophic ankle sprain followed by a dislocated shoulder. Side note: why do they call any level of ankle sprain a 'sprain'? Doesn't it sound like something small, insignificant? Well this should have been called a sprake, cause it would have been easier if I'd broken my ankle than 'sprained' it. 2 ligaments blown completely out, 2 tendons badly torn and the muscle up my calf that attaches to the shin pulling away...evidently that is the true site of the 'sprain' and the rest was gravy. My husband actually managed to pop my shoulder back in himself, after watching YouTube videos, while I moaned in pain, but there was damage to the tendons and ligaments as well as muscle there too. Amazingly, I didn't complain, I happily limped my way to activities and soaked in the feeling that the rest of my body was on the mend. I outline those injuries in order to give you an idea of just how intense it was to be feeling better finally. I could cry right now just writing those words, but I will try not to create a scene in the coffee shop.
So where are we at now? Well, that drug, or maybe the continued use of cannabis (they have studied the positive effects of cannabis on brain tumors), caused the tumor to spontaneously shrink! Something they never see, these tumors become inactive and they grow, but they don't shrink. As of this newest MRI, it was gone. Getting that news was truly powerful. I didn't realize how much stress and worry I had been living with, the fear it would all come back. But now, I feel like I can relax, take a deep breath and pour a giant glass of wine. I'm grateful to everyone that road along with me on that crazy journey, I hope to have this be the last of the "brain" blogs I write.
Cheers and no matter what life brings you...Wine First!
Here is where the sappy me floods the page with how meaningful life is. I can feel my teenage daughter rolling her eyes even as I type, but it is true! My struggle with a pituitary tumor (that's located in your head people. Don't worry I didn't know that in the beginning either) started a little over 4 years ago when symptoms riddled my body and sent my doctor on a wild goose chase trying to figure out what was wrong with me. Most people would panic when the news came that they had a brain tumor, and believe me there were a lot of tears, but I was also so relieved that we found the cause, that I exclaimed "Great! When can we pluck that baby out?!?". I know, a surprising reaction, you should have seen my doctor's jaw hit the floor.
Cut to (hahaha that is unfortunate language to use there) months and months of specialists and brain surgeons and the 'We need to wait till it gets bigger to ensure a successful surgery' while my symptoms were getting worse and worse and worse until I was spending more time in bed than I was on my feet, managing the pain with medical marijuana card benefits, and preparing for the worst, and then a miracle happened. My doctor urged me to go see a specialist that doesn't take my insurance and pay out of pocket, a big ask with me hardly working. I stepped into her office and she instantly got it. She consoled me as I explained the agony I was in and that the surgeons weren't moving fast enough. She understood how dire this was and she suggested we try something extremely out of the ordinary, a drug that they administer to people for a horrible fungal infection, but that has the side effect of greatly lowering cortisol levels. Cortisol is the mega beast you know of as the "stress hormone" and while we usually ignore it, this tumor had my body creating insane amounts of it...and that created all my symptoms. She explained the risks, we would need to monitor my liver and other organ functions every couple of weeks and I wouldn't be able to drink even a drop of alcohol during the 4 months we'd attempt this wacky treatment.
I'll let that sink in for a moment. I, me, the wine obsessed woman writing this. The woman who's job it is, is to drink, would not have even a sip for 4 months. I said yes before she could finish her sentence. I needed help in a bad way and this was a life line.
Within only a few weeks, I was able to better manage my pain levels. I had nausea, but wasn't constantly on the verge of vomiting (that was with my CBD/ THC tincture, without it, I was on the bathroom floor), and within a couple months, I was even getting my life back! Another unfortunate side effect of having massive levels of cortisol saturating my body for so long was that it greatly compromised all the tendons and ligaments in my body. That meant that seemingly banal actions resulted in a catastrophic ankle sprain followed by a dislocated shoulder. Side note: why do they call any level of ankle sprain a 'sprain'? Doesn't it sound like something small, insignificant? Well this should have been called a sprake, cause it would have been easier if I'd broken my ankle than 'sprained' it. 2 ligaments blown completely out, 2 tendons badly torn and the muscle up my calf that attaches to the shin pulling away...evidently that is the true site of the 'sprain' and the rest was gravy. My husband actually managed to pop my shoulder back in himself, after watching YouTube videos, while I moaned in pain, but there was damage to the tendons and ligaments as well as muscle there too. Amazingly, I didn't complain, I happily limped my way to activities and soaked in the feeling that the rest of my body was on the mend. I outline those injuries in order to give you an idea of just how intense it was to be feeling better finally. I could cry right now just writing those words, but I will try not to create a scene in the coffee shop.
So where are we at now? Well, that drug, or maybe the continued use of cannabis (they have studied the positive effects of cannabis on brain tumors), caused the tumor to spontaneously shrink! Something they never see, these tumors become inactive and they grow, but they don't shrink. As of this newest MRI, it was gone. Getting that news was truly powerful. I didn't realize how much stress and worry I had been living with, the fear it would all come back. But now, I feel like I can relax, take a deep breath and pour a giant glass of wine. I'm grateful to everyone that road along with me on that crazy journey, I hope to have this be the last of the "brain" blogs I write.
Cheers and no matter what life brings you...Wine First!
Thursday, November 21, 2019
Ouch My Liver! A Story About Visiting NYC
It has been a literal whirlwind of travel and drinking lately! Shhhhh...don't tell my doctor, but I have NOT cut back like he told me to. I really do think one glass a day is a ridiculous number for anyone much less if your entire job is to be drinking. I also wonder if more people would be drinking more on a daily basis if they could afford to. In my business it is constantly at my fingertips and often given to me for free without my asking. This is starting to sound like the ravings of an alcoholic, and I don't want you to worry, there are plenty of times I go days without drinking at all and for health reasons while on a a mediation, I didn't drink even a drop for 4 months. Anyway, what I'm trying to say here, is there was a considerable amount of drinking that accompanied me on these work trips.
It started with flying to New York City alongside my adorable husband. I'm not gonna lie, it was pretty exciting to get to have him all to myself, even if the reason was centered around work. I love NYC, always have. I have even attempted to live there a couple of times, but each time was thwarted and I ended up on another journey... one of those journeys being to help open Vivac Winery, clearly a wise decision. Each time I visit, the city shows change, this time the city has gotten more and more charming and discovering the Lower East Side was fantastic! We stayed at Hotel Indigo which I did book on Priceline (the winery may be getting a lot of press, but we are still tight on cash), I'm a total Priceline junky, I use it for all my travel needs and if you use the app, you actually get even better deals; you are welcome. This hotel was epic! The entry is not the lobby, but is still impressive with a cool, industrial, hip vibe ...and a doorman. I don't know why, but I love the idea of having a doorman. The lobby is on the 15th floor and has the most incredible view of the city, various inviting seating areas (also love clusters of seating areas. Am I weird?) and a bar. Did someone say bar? Our room wasn't quite ready so they apologized with free drink vouchers, nice move Hotel Indigo, nice move. We happily turned them in for a perfectly pink French Rose and nestled into a bistro table for two...with a view, not of the NYC skyline, but of the adorable clusters of seating areas that stretched the length of the lobby. Now I'm thinking I am weird.
Our focus was on a very important wine media presentation, but being that we love great food, every spare moment was spent eating. My clever husband, Jesse, had researched restaurants we should try to hit so we had a few targeted, and then we let happy finds fall in our laps. Being from New Mexico, we don't get a lot of Asian cuisine so that was a focus, but first thing is first, we needed a deli for a NYC sandwich! I have no idea why but my family is all about sandwiches, so much so that when Jesse and I were first dating, he asked "what is the deal with your family and sandwiches?" I was dumbstruck, I had no idea what he was talking about. Then I started to notice, every meal could be turned into a sandwich and any quick stop by the parents' house was greeted with 'can I make you a sandwich?'. Needless to say, it became a on going joke. As luck would have it, our hotel was next door to Katz Deli, you'll know it as the place in When Harry Met Sally "I'll have what she's having" scene. It was outstanding! And I'm not just saying that because I am a sandwich fiend. As a side note, anyone that knows me, knows I detest Mayo. I believe mayonnaise has a purpose in some recipes, but is not supposed to be a condiment, it is a vile and disgusting addition to smear on bread and if you are one of those sickos that dips french fries in it, we can not be friends. This rant comes into play here in a sec. I also love pickles, some of you might be disowning me with that statement, I know, they aren't everyone's cup of ...vinegar? So imagine my delight when sitting down at this crowded deli, they immediately brought us a plate of house-made pickles! I knew I had found something amazing. Next was to order, of course we got Pastrami sandwiches, we aren't stupid. Also the waiter did yell at us to order Pastrami. Then Jesse tried to order mayo on his and was just about flung out of the restaurant onto the street for it. This made my day. The sandwich was insanely delicious and I almost recreated the When Harry Met Sally scene over it. Oh, and we had a local beer, you gotta know your drinkin places and that deli is a beer place, not a wine place. I'm sorry to say I was so obsessed with the sandwich that I can't tell you the name of the beer. Oops.
Next, directly after dinner, was to hit China Town to get steamed...weird dough balls. Tasty and strange, but interesting enough to have us share four different flavors, my personal fave was the egg custard. I figured we got to eat at multiple places in a row because we walked there and lets face it, that's more exercise than my fat butt is used to these days. We got back to the hotel room walking in the dark, passing so many people out, shops open and fitness centers packed, it was strange that so late at night, the city was so lively. We climbed into bed with our nightcap poured (a lovely Italian Nebbiolo) and realized it was only 6:30pm, OMG! We are getting old and lame, but we agreed we couldn't go to bed at 6:30, that would be just ridiculous even though we had been up since 3:00am to catch our flight that morning. Instead we rallied and started to watch a movie... and then passed out...at 8:00pm, clearly we didn't have our city stamina in check.
Peking duck, $1 pizza and fabulous NYC style Italian food were all devoured with glee over the next few days. I was starting to have flashbacks to our time in Central Europe this past spring where we ate our way through 4 countries. Now you know why my butt is so big. Also, they should have a slogan over there "cake, it's what's for dinner!" and NYC's could be 'Pizza its what you eat in between meals!'. Maybe I missed my calling as a slogan writer? Los Angeles could be "Kale, we think it is a food" and Napa could be 'Wine, it is the only food group'. Sorry, I got way off topic.
Now you are all wondering how the big event went (unless you also read the Fueled by Vivac blog I write, then you already know. LOL!), it was fantastic! Our ballsy move to show 4 vintages of Cabernet not only wowed with how beautiful they held up, but made us stand apart from the other 6 wineries showcased. We enjoyed getting to taste the wines from AZ, TX and our friends from NM, it was a beautiful intimate event with some of the most influential people in the wine world. I do have to admit that the 4 courses for the wine lunch were not what I was expecting. Course 1: beets, course 2: beans, course 3: pork fat, course 4: one slice of cheese. I'm pretty sure there have been tongue-in-cheek movies made about meals like this set in NYC and Paris, they've gotten so chic, they don't feed you. I mean did you miss the 'I'm fat and like to eat' sections here? Anyway, after a day of drinking, we all needed more drinking. The group of winemakers and a couple writers hit a bar around the corner for fresh oysters (see, it wasn't just me! Everyone was like where is the food?) and some oddly chosen French wines. Evidenally, NYC is embracing "natural wines" that often are riddled with VA (volatile acid). I had the displeasure of ordering 2 back to back. Then back to the hotel for a nap, and to wash out my mouth from the molesting it had just had. Later that night, somehow our old people bodies mustered enough energy to hit The Blue Note, an iconic jazz club that is one of my favorite places in the world. And of course there, we would have more drinks. Turns out a lemoncello, cardamom, prosecco and vodka drink pairs perfectly with jazz rap.
Our last day in the city we had to ourselves. It was so delicious to have this time with Jesse. We've been married for 15yrs, together for 18 and known each other for 26. I still just can't get enough of him and the city, packed with people, restaurants crammed tight with other foodies, somehow makes for the most romantic setting. Every street corner brings a photo op, and nestled in corners of top spots gave us the ability to be in our own little two person bubble.
We returned home invigorated and deeply exhausted. We rung out our livers and prepared for round two... a food and wine travel writers convention in the nearby city of Santa Fe. Stay tuned for how we drank our way through that event!
Cheers! And remember, no matter what you do, Wine First!
It started with flying to New York City alongside my adorable husband. I'm not gonna lie, it was pretty exciting to get to have him all to myself, even if the reason was centered around work. I love NYC, always have. I have even attempted to live there a couple of times, but each time was thwarted and I ended up on another journey... one of those journeys being to help open Vivac Winery, clearly a wise decision. Each time I visit, the city shows change, this time the city has gotten more and more charming and discovering the Lower East Side was fantastic! We stayed at Hotel Indigo which I did book on Priceline (the winery may be getting a lot of press, but we are still tight on cash), I'm a total Priceline junky, I use it for all my travel needs and if you use the app, you actually get even better deals; you are welcome. This hotel was epic! The entry is not the lobby, but is still impressive with a cool, industrial, hip vibe ...and a doorman. I don't know why, but I love the idea of having a doorman. The lobby is on the 15th floor and has the most incredible view of the city, various inviting seating areas (also love clusters of seating areas. Am I weird?) and a bar. Did someone say bar? Our room wasn't quite ready so they apologized with free drink vouchers, nice move Hotel Indigo, nice move. We happily turned them in for a perfectly pink French Rose and nestled into a bistro table for two...with a view, not of the NYC skyline, but of the adorable clusters of seating areas that stretched the length of the lobby. Now I'm thinking I am weird.
Our focus was on a very important wine media presentation, but being that we love great food, every spare moment was spent eating. My clever husband, Jesse, had researched restaurants we should try to hit so we had a few targeted, and then we let happy finds fall in our laps. Being from New Mexico, we don't get a lot of Asian cuisine so that was a focus, but first thing is first, we needed a deli for a NYC sandwich! I have no idea why but my family is all about sandwiches, so much so that when Jesse and I were first dating, he asked "what is the deal with your family and sandwiches?" I was dumbstruck, I had no idea what he was talking about. Then I started to notice, every meal could be turned into a sandwich and any quick stop by the parents' house was greeted with 'can I make you a sandwich?'. Needless to say, it became a on going joke. As luck would have it, our hotel was next door to Katz Deli, you'll know it as the place in When Harry Met Sally "I'll have what she's having" scene. It was outstanding! And I'm not just saying that because I am a sandwich fiend. As a side note, anyone that knows me, knows I detest Mayo. I believe mayonnaise has a purpose in some recipes, but is not supposed to be a condiment, it is a vile and disgusting addition to smear on bread and if you are one of those sickos that dips french fries in it, we can not be friends. This rant comes into play here in a sec. I also love pickles, some of you might be disowning me with that statement, I know, they aren't everyone's cup of ...vinegar? So imagine my delight when sitting down at this crowded deli, they immediately brought us a plate of house-made pickles! I knew I had found something amazing. Next was to order, of course we got Pastrami sandwiches, we aren't stupid. Also the waiter did yell at us to order Pastrami. Then Jesse tried to order mayo on his and was just about flung out of the restaurant onto the street for it. This made my day. The sandwich was insanely delicious and I almost recreated the When Harry Met Sally scene over it. Oh, and we had a local beer, you gotta know your drinkin places and that deli is a beer place, not a wine place. I'm sorry to say I was so obsessed with the sandwich that I can't tell you the name of the beer. Oops.
Next, directly after dinner, was to hit China Town to get steamed...weird dough balls. Tasty and strange, but interesting enough to have us share four different flavors, my personal fave was the egg custard. I figured we got to eat at multiple places in a row because we walked there and lets face it, that's more exercise than my fat butt is used to these days. We got back to the hotel room walking in the dark, passing so many people out, shops open and fitness centers packed, it was strange that so late at night, the city was so lively. We climbed into bed with our nightcap poured (a lovely Italian Nebbiolo) and realized it was only 6:30pm, OMG! We are getting old and lame, but we agreed we couldn't go to bed at 6:30, that would be just ridiculous even though we had been up since 3:00am to catch our flight that morning. Instead we rallied and started to watch a movie... and then passed out...at 8:00pm, clearly we didn't have our city stamina in check.
Peking duck, $1 pizza and fabulous NYC style Italian food were all devoured with glee over the next few days. I was starting to have flashbacks to our time in Central Europe this past spring where we ate our way through 4 countries. Now you know why my butt is so big. Also, they should have a slogan over there "cake, it's what's for dinner!" and NYC's could be 'Pizza its what you eat in between meals!'. Maybe I missed my calling as a slogan writer? Los Angeles could be "Kale, we think it is a food" and Napa could be 'Wine, it is the only food group'. Sorry, I got way off topic.
Now you are all wondering how the big event went (unless you also read the Fueled by Vivac blog I write, then you already know. LOL!), it was fantastic! Our ballsy move to show 4 vintages of Cabernet not only wowed with how beautiful they held up, but made us stand apart from the other 6 wineries showcased. We enjoyed getting to taste the wines from AZ, TX and our friends from NM, it was a beautiful intimate event with some of the most influential people in the wine world. I do have to admit that the 4 courses for the wine lunch were not what I was expecting. Course 1: beets, course 2: beans, course 3: pork fat, course 4: one slice of cheese. I'm pretty sure there have been tongue-in-cheek movies made about meals like this set in NYC and Paris, they've gotten so chic, they don't feed you. I mean did you miss the 'I'm fat and like to eat' sections here? Anyway, after a day of drinking, we all needed more drinking. The group of winemakers and a couple writers hit a bar around the corner for fresh oysters (see, it wasn't just me! Everyone was like where is the food?) and some oddly chosen French wines. Evidenally, NYC is embracing "natural wines" that often are riddled with VA (volatile acid). I had the displeasure of ordering 2 back to back. Then back to the hotel for a nap, and to wash out my mouth from the molesting it had just had. Later that night, somehow our old people bodies mustered enough energy to hit The Blue Note, an iconic jazz club that is one of my favorite places in the world. And of course there, we would have more drinks. Turns out a lemoncello, cardamom, prosecco and vodka drink pairs perfectly with jazz rap.
Our last day in the city we had to ourselves. It was so delicious to have this time with Jesse. We've been married for 15yrs, together for 18 and known each other for 26. I still just can't get enough of him and the city, packed with people, restaurants crammed tight with other foodies, somehow makes for the most romantic setting. Every street corner brings a photo op, and nestled in corners of top spots gave us the ability to be in our own little two person bubble.
We returned home invigorated and deeply exhausted. We rung out our livers and prepared for round two... a food and wine travel writers convention in the nearby city of Santa Fe. Stay tuned for how we drank our way through that event!
Cheers! And remember, no matter what you do, Wine First!
Thursday, August 22, 2019
To Berlin, With Love
WHOA where did the summer go?!? So much has happened and I just left you all with me stuck in the Paris Airport. How rude of me. Let's start from there, I was headed to Berlin.
Berlin was fantastic, other than flying with Delta Airlines who managed to screw up at every step including losing our luggage and submerging it in water in some sadistic hoax? OK it was probably left out in a hurricane and not done on purpose, but the end result was literally soaking wet clothing that had started to rot so when the luggage did arrive finally it also had to be laundered repeatedly; luckily I brought my mother on this trip. You think I'm joking, but she literally did my laundry while I went to work... it was AWESOME. We also had no other choice but to go shopping. I had the Wine Competition after all and my ripped jeans and cool band t-shirt would not work (I put that in there for my husband, I HAD TO SHOP). What was working (on overdrive) was my usual stress issues. But did I lose all sense of smell and make an ass out of myself as my panic attack would have had me believe prior to the competition? Nope, I managed to scare myself to death for nothing. Again.
The 1st day we woke up in Berlin, we pulled the heavy curtains to the sides of the large window in our lovely apartment and saw, across the square, draped drown the front of the building, was the biggest rainbow Pride flag I've ever seen. Instantly we knew we were going to like Berlin, it was the perfect welcome for my daughter's 1st, fully out as her beautiful self, experience. Oh and I might mention that I had thought I was bringing a son on the trip, but had recently found out that I have a daughter when she came out to me as transgender a month previous. Now she was out to the world and Berlin had its arms wide for a giant embrace.
We walked to the cute cafe just around the corner and tried to focus our jet lagged eyes on our new surroundings. Is she seriously going to drop the bomb about her kid and then go back to talking about coffee?!? I can't focus! This was a first for all of us (myself, my parents and my transgender daughter) to be in Germany. Oh my gawd she just did it again! Just throws it out there like it's nothing! And while Central Europe and Austria had shared much of the same history, it was fascinating to behold Berlin and how uniquely different it was.
I'm not sure what I expected to see, maybe more desolation? But the huge trees that shaded you in the immense heat all over the city were gorgeous and the mix of old historical buildings and modern swirling architecture was breathtaking. Each area we explored was charming in its own way and quickly we fell into step with the laid back, easy atmosphere. She really isn't going to give us the back story is she? Throw us a bone!
The delays we suffered getting to Berlin resulted in me having no time to play tourist before I had to shuttle over to my hotel in West Berlin for the competition and say goodbye to my family who stayed in East Berlin. Ya, her transgender daughter! There are so many questions, we need details! I settled into judging, being extremely well taken care of and the family hit the sites! At breaks I'd see excited texts of their adventures and hear how much they loved the city.
The competition was extraordinary! Judges from all parts of the world, and over 6,200 wines to sample as well. It was well run and they even gave us the afternoons off to go explore on their dime! I'd jaunt off to meet up with my family and see a museum or do a city tour, then return to my hotel for the evening. It afforded me the ability to focus on work and still play. As always the worry that I am a fraud was a waste of time and a topic to bookmark for my next therapy session. Oh good she's in therapy. I wonder if her daughter is? Probably since she is. Man it's weird that she isn't talking about this. I managed to pull a couple of my parlor tricks out of the bag and identify odd grapes or pinpoint a winemaking practice by smelling a wine, blind to any details, it's an awesome occurrence when it happens and makes some of the really influential people take note. That's how I got the Berlin gig in the first place! So note to self, stop freaking out!
The time in Berlin went far too fast. It's a city you want to spend hours absorbing, exploring each spot with no hurry. It reminded me of the West Coast of the USA, a casual, relaxed glide to the happenings of each day. The LGBTQ+ community filled the streets as Pride week unfolded and the sweet smell of happiness filled every atom of my body as I saw my daughter smile in a way I've never seen before. Berlin, thank you.
* The bravery and courage, the transformation from sullen and angry into happy and delightful have been what guide us through this journey. I'm not going into details here, because it isn't necessary. This is a beautiful young person that doesn't need to be poked and prodded for entertainment. We ask that you love and support our family, if it is uncomfortable for you, then please keep it to yourself. I am fiercely protective of her, so if you do have questions, educate yourself on what it means to be trans. Here are a couple good articles:
And as always, no matter what is happening in your world, Wine First! It'll make you feel better.
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