421, the life changing time

So after a late night, I awoke at 7 this morning to Jungle fever being blasted 9 inches from my resting head and a kid learning how to sand cabinets. Given there is a wall in-between my headache and this ruckus, I’m over it. And laughing about it too. I bet a million dollhairs this will not happen in Napa. Not in a million dollhairs. Nor, however, do I think I will get to wake up with a blister on my thumb every Friday from playing rockband karaoke in a bar full of my three favorite Mexican lads: Henry, Carlos, and Chester. All in one room! Well, it was a good last night out of freedom. I don’t think I’ll have a day off for a few months. Not one day.

So I start my job in Napa on Monday morning. So many emotions. And after a couple requests for an updated blog, I’m going to jump on that train and write about the experience. Since it might be tough keeping sane, a clear perspective, and in touch with loved ones while working so much.

So a few weeks ago my job was winding down at the county, I had gotten a job bartending, but wasn’t getting many shifts (okay, not really any at all), and I hadn’t heard back from Sac State if I was accepted to start graduate school in the fall. And when this girl thinks she isn’t challenged, isn’t taking steps in a direction to provide growth and advancement, isn’t providing a useful service…she gets a crazy notion. And when I get an idea in my head, well, its there, not really going anywhere, and I act on it.

The idea of chasing the job in the wine industry did not arise from thin air, however. And my family and friends would surely second that. I love wine. I love wine tasting. I went wine tasting for my 16th birthday and have never been the same. While in school at Tacoma, I spoke with wine reps during evening tastings and envied their work. I traveled to Spain and France and stared out the windows of trains at the beautiful countrysides terraced with vines. While in Mexico, I emailed every winery in the Grass Valley vicinity to see if I could come do any work with them upon my arrival back to the states.

There is something about wine tasting that resonates within my entire being. You often taste with people you respect and love. If you taste alone, you more often than not make a respected friend during the experience. While tasting, you quiet your mind and let your senses do the speaking. You eyes note the color of the wine: is it a rich yellow? A crisp, youthful red? An autumn burgundy that fades to brown? You feel the wine, carefully spinning, allowing air to penetrate its juices, noting its weight and consistency. You immerse your nose in your glass, slowly smelling its beauty as if it were a soft flower. And you listen to its sent: does it speak of tropical pineapple? Cinnamon? Mocha? Sweet plums? Then finally, you bring it to your lips and taste. And every moment it is in your mouth its personality evolves. Its sweetness flirts with the tip of my tongue. It’s acids tease the edges where my tongue touches my teeth. As I move it around my mouth, making sure no part of my senses feels left out, I breath once more through my lips and out through my nose as I swallow. Does it leave me with a lingering message or does it quickly disappear, leaving me wanting more?

Wine is beautiful. It is a modern developing science. It is a history. It is a world united by a fine art. It is connecting with the soils of the earth. And I am excited to learn and be involved with every aspect I can.

So a couple weeks ago, I sent out my resume to about 15 wineries. I developed a cover letter specific to each. They ranged from international, bubble-producing, large scale tasting rooms, to family-run, appointment only, removed estate wineries. I drove down to Napa shortly after, had interview after interview, sometimes second interviews, some offers, some more resume send outs, and finally, I got an offer from the winery I was holding out for.

I will be doing reserve room pouring and food pairings for Whitehall lane Winery. The road that borders the renowned winery shares its name. It lays right off the 29 heading from Napa to St. Helena . Its wines got named by Wine Spectator top five in the world, 3 out of the past 5 years. The owner works there 4 days a week, which I guess is unheard of. Most owners are big business men living an hour away in san Francisco who buy a winery to add to their list of accomplishments. Our owner was this man but fell so in love with the winery that he got his hands into the mess. Literally. And so did his family. So its small and family run, yet busy due to its location and name it has built for itself. It has a long history of growing grapes on the soil it now cultivates, but is fairly new, really developing in the 70s. And there are a lot of changes going on, which I am excited to be a part of.

I was scared during the process. I still am too. I had moments of feeling inadequit. I blew an interview, didn’t hear back from a few wineries. Completely guessed during a blind tasting. Got offers and turned them down with no backup yet. Felt alone, floundering in a new place. Wondered what I was getting myself into.

But I had moments of greatness too. It feels right when I am there. I've already met some amazing new people. i had great interviews that lasted 2 hours then ended in wine tasting. A winemaker told me I have the best palate of any young woman he has ever met (though I don't know what to take from that).

But I got myself into something great. So I’ll be working full time, Wednesday to Sunday, and hopefully also at a restaurant/wine merchant downtown Sunday-Tuesday. I worked there already one evening and met 3 winemakers in 2 hours who offer insight to the growing year, free tastings and tours at their estates with wine to take home, and an energy that is comparable to no other place in the world I am sure.
Napa is a world of its own, I must say. The food, the scenery, the people: from the tourists to the locals to the transplants who love wine and moved just to work with it. It’s an hour from my brother and friends in SF, an hour to family and friends in sacto, 2 to the foothills, and 3 to skiing. Not too bad.

That being said, the afternoon I got offered a job at Whitehall I checked my email and got an acceptance to sac state in the fall. I looked at the clock and it was 4:21. My life-changing time.

So, I have 3 more days of freedom before jumping into that other world. I spent yesterday wrapping up things with the county, having dinner with friends, playing with others. I need to spend sometime packing, though I will be house-sitting a house out on a beautiful garden for the next couple months, so wont bring much. Friday dinner with the folks tonight. Saturday a good day at the river, listing to blues and drinking beers at the Coloma Blues fest.
But I better go. I have a lot to get done on 4 hours of sleep and this cabinet making is a bit much to handle.