In the Beginning…
There was wine. At dinner tables, in movies, in romantic pop songs, on the covers of books in the library, high on shelves in grocery stores, at the end of a long line in church on Sunday morning to the tune of soft piano and violin music.
Wine has always been a part of my life, in one shape or another. I had my first taste in second grade wearing a frilly white frock during my First Communion ceremony at my family's Catholic Church. It didn't taste unpleasant, but it was something mysterious that adults were nervous to talk to children about. For good reason, but to a seven year old, it only fuels a certain curiosity.
As a young adult moving away from home for the first time, I was overwhelmed by wine. All the varieties, the countries, labels, history; I felt like I was standing on the precipice of a mountain staring in awe at the whole world at my feet. When you're in such a position, what is one expected to do except for seize it?
Once I was legally able to drink, I was unsure how to proceed with the enormity of the task before me. Where do you even begin? I started by searching for inspiration while doom scrolling for something to watch late one evening on Hulu. There was this fantastic movie many an aspiring wine snob has watched, "Somm," which sparked in me a similar desire: to become one of a select few masters in the world. Having some distance from when I first watched the movie at the beginning of the COVID-19 epidemic to the present day, I don't know that I want to go that far, but I'm getting ahead of myself.
Suitably inspired by Jason Wise's movie, I marched forward in pursuit of my own education. Previously I had studied history and culinary arts at my local community college with some field experience as a pastry chef. Mid-pandemic I decided I was ready for a change as I was getting burnt out in the back of house without a voice and no customer contact. The best part of working in a restaurant is getting to meet all the lovely guests who come to dine with us, hear their stories, and personally see to their needs, something that wasn't satisfied from the back of the house. Starting my foray into wine satiated my craving for more humanity, and has only deepened my thirst for knowledge.
Today, I'm studying for my Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET) Level 3 exam this upcoming spring. I'm taking my exam in Napa, and excited to visit several wineries that my store represents. Following that, I'm eager to get started on my Certified Specialist of Wine (CSW) certification. By the end of the year, I would like to complete my Court of Master Sommelier's Introductory Sommelier Course and Examination. As far as educational goals go, these seem big enough to keep me motivated, and achievable enough that I don't give up.
I'm one of those people who loves the concept of being a jack of all trades: independently capable of answering many questions, accomplishing a variety of goals, and helping anyone I meet. It's an audacious goal, and one I know I'll never come close to achieving. However, the desire keeps me focused. As a sommelier, knowing the grapes and major regions alone doesn't satiate me. Knowing the laws dictating the wine making methods and the overall economy, understanding the chemical processes that occur in the fermenting vessel that creates certain flavors when you pair wine with certain foods: it's all the tip of the iceberg to me. And I'm hungry to find out how deep it goes.