Grape Liberation and South America

I'm working in the Tasting Room a couple of days a week until harvest starts, at which time I've been warned, war is on, long hours and possibly 7 days a week! On my first day as I'm getting ready for work, it strikes me that I should be presentable. For the first time in a couple of months I put on make up and decent clothes. As I'm applying mascara it occurs to me that this is such an odd thing we do. Really. Not trying to get all feminist here... wanting to look your best is completely natural. Animals spruce up all the time. But they don't "cover up". It's sad that we believe that a covered face is our best face. I don't think men actually look better than women as they age, we're just used to seeing their real face. So wrinkles and age spots are a normal part of who they are, not the totality. And certainly not something to be hidden or ashamed of.

Anyway I consider myself fairly low maintenance when it comes to this stuff. Not for any social-political reasons - I like my bras thank you very much. Plus they're too expensive to burn. Mostly I resent the time it steels from me, so I keep the morning routine pretty minimal. But lately all I have to do is wash my face and throw on a fresh t-shirt. Heaven! I swear I'm gonna shave my head one of these days. Ex Hare Krishna turned bald wine geek. (As if my name isn't ridiculous enough. I think the male version would be Mohammed Weinburg or something.)

Alright so like any woman, I enjoy getting sassed up every now and then. Pull out the sex me boots and the hair spray, and go freak the town. (Gay men aren't the only ones who enjoy being in drag honey, which is essentially what that is.) And experimenting with image is a cool way to check in with yourself, see what belief systems are at work and what you're invested in. But what I appreciate is that it's a choice. It's not required or prohibited. And I am grateful to be a woman in this country. With all of the issues surrounding the erosion of human rights under this administration, it feels good to be thankful for my right to walk out of the house without a head covering. Again not trying to take a political podium, just acknowledgment of a basic goodness that we are lucky enough to take for granted. When Eberardo sees me, he stops to look and notes that I "looking different." Gotta love a man who's observant.


I love being in the tasting room because it gives me an opportunity to talk to normal people about wine! And the majority who come to a winery really are interested in the topic (unless their name is Jack, they're chewing gum and traveling through wine country with Miles.) So it lets me tap into my 2 years of studying. Though most people who are out for an afternoon in wine country aren't really in the mood for the information on my piles of note cards, nor do they care that I memorized things like the villages of Burgundy from North to South, the difference between the pradikat levels in Germany and Austria, the 10 crus of Beaujolais or which year Barolo was granted DOC. And thank god, because I can't remember anyway!

However, it does help me answer people's questions with confidence and integrity. (There are SO MANY bullshitters in this business. I can't believe some of the ridiculous and horrid answers I've heard to questions in wine bars and wineries when the person doesn't know I'm slightly informed.) I've met super interesting characters and have had many cool conversations. On a given day I'll meet a retired executive of one of California's wine-growing associations, a sweet couple celebrating their anniversary, a slime ball trying to feel better about himself by acting like he and I are in the secret snobby wine club, another wine geek (that gets fun), or a twitchy seed farmer from the San Juan islands who's amped up on the concept of biodynamics and hasn't set foot on "the mainland" in 7 years. It's way better than working behind a bar!!

a group of friends who came with cheese and crackers to buy a couple bottles of wine and watch the sunset...


The question I've been asked the most is "what's a malbec?" since we import one and have it on our tasting flight. So I thought I'd write about it. (If you already know all this, too bad.) Alright a common misconception is that Malbec is from Argentina. The grape itself is actually from France (as any disgusted Frenchman will tell you), specifically Bordeaux. It is one of the five legally allowable grapes in the Bordeaux blend, used for softening and color pigment, because its dark tannins are lush and juicy with typical flavors of perfume and damson. It never made a full recovery from the severe frost of 1956 and plantings have gone from 12,000 acres to 1,000. Merlot has pretty much taken over the role of softener, in fact the two are very similar in flavor profile. So in France it's predominantly used as a blending agent, though in Cahors it must be at least 70%. (If you want to try something fun, buy a Cahors and an Argentine Malbec and taste them side by side.)

OK so where does Argentina come in. Cuttings from Bordeaux first came there in 1852, but it's only recently that they've done anything with it. A big reason was the political turmoil in that country, which resulted in a vine pull scheme for 10 years until 1993, during which they lost most of their plantings, some over 50 years old! Cheap high producing vines seemed the way forward at the time. Now it is planted on more than 50,000 acres and is Argentina's most important grape. A huge success. The warmer drier climate and Malbec seem to love each other. The two have put each other on the map so to speak. (Natalie get your ass over there and settled. I can't wait to visit wine country in Mendoza!!)

At the end of my first day, I've had a blast talking to people about what I love, being the geek behind the bar. I'm proud to have dirty man hands AND fancy wine vocab. The two seeming opposites sit well inside me, bringing a balance to each other. And they point out that I may not have figured out what I want to be when I grow up, but I've finally found a profession that's as multifaceted and fun as I am. It brings me in contact with some of the world's most interesting people. And most importantly, it can never be conquered - there is always more to learn. I walk out to my car and find this....