Good Morning!

This morning I watched all the neighborhood kids load up on the bus for their first day of school. It made me so happy because I remember how excited I was to go to school each year and each day for that matter. I remember getting new clothes and shoes and supplies and heading to school with a sense of excitement each year, and thinking this year I could make good grades or be in the band or swim on the swim team or whatever I was dreaming about, I thought I could do it with renewed spirit only a summer break can provide.

Honestly, I was not the best student, but I rarely missed any school because I loved being around other people and I really liked learning stuff. I remember as an adult when I would start a new job or be sent on a business trip having the same excitement too. All of my jobs over the past 15 years have been recruiting/sales positions. I would make the decision that each firm I chose to work for would lead me to the level of success I had hoped for as well. I did pretty good in my career but I still love that since of “new” that a new season or fresh start can provide.

So to create that “Back to School” excitement for wine, I went shopping this weekend and reloaded my personal cellar (ok it’s a really nice shelf in the living closet that stays really cool). I bought 2 cases of wine, a total of 48 wines and no 2 bottles are the same wine or the same producer/winemaker. I dropped some serious cash, but I figure since our kid is in college and we were not buying jeans, underwear (he loved the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles when he was little), I could use the money I would have spent on his clothes to get some new wines for me to expand my knowledge and taste buds.

I don’t remember ever going back to school before Labor day. I remember getting out of school the Thursday before Memorial day and starting school on Tuesday after Labor day and seemed that in Central Indiana it soon became cool after school started. So I was looking for wines that I would really enjoy after the weather cools off. I went to two places Central Market and Joe Saglimbenis’. Both have an amazing selection of wines. Joe’s place is really special and he has wines you will never see on grocery store shelves. I bought all reds at Joe’s. I bought Carmenere from Chile, Syrah from France, Cabernet from California, Pinot’s from Washington and Oregon and some exciting blends from Paso Robles.

Next, I hit up Central Market and I did add to my red wine selections there too, but I hit a vein of whites I am really excited to start trying. Sauvignon Blanc’s, Viogener, Vinho Verde, Chardonnay’s from all over the world. I am getting ready to go back to California in a few weeks to work harvest and I am 100% sure I will also, load up on many more wines before all the grapes reach their final tank or barrel (of course they will not still be grapes by then, but you get what I’m saying). I am filled with the same exuberance today that I hope the kids were this morning. I love to learn about wines, and wine making styles and terrior and the only way to really learn is to taste, write and ask questions.

So they might be learning algebra, state history, driver’s ed, Spanish or a million other life lessons this year in school, but I will be learning about my 48 new wines and when I find the ones who teach me the most, I will share them with you!

Much LOVE and wine,

Tammi