AH-HA Moment:

I got thrown into wine.. literally. I was working in coffee and my boss (fav boss ever) threw windows of the world at me and told me to study. But my a-ha moment was when he sent me to go to a wine tasting and I tried a small production Pinot noir from the lower Willamette valley (Brigadoon Wine) which changed my mind on Oregon pinots (before I had only had king estate... Which I still don't love). Also the kindness of the winemaker really inspired me to keep the door open to all those who were new and inspiring to get into the industry. I love Brigadoon. Chris and Matt are the best.

Jean-Marc Brocard Les Clos. My manager was trying to teach me about wine so I could move up from backwaiter to captain. He started inviting me to taste with him when reps would come by, and once that meant the full Brocard portfolio. Hitting the grand cru at the end of the line-up totally blew my mind.

Ah, Kunin! Love them! My ah-ha moment was when I tasted the Rinaldi Brunate La Coste 1999 Barolo that I was selling at the time. It was it's own food group! And, I was hooked!

I think when I knew wine had super powers was when I had Dandelion Vineyards 30 year old Pedro Jimenez from Barossa Valley. Not expensive. No frills. It was the depth and concentration of flavor that melted my heart... the caramel, the toasted nuts, the spice, dried fruit...Christmas morning in a bottle....It was a full body experience. I most definitely cried. :)

Jean-Marc Brocard Les Clos could be considered mine as well; however, I wouldn't say I had an AH-HA moment but rather an AH-HA class. I had the privilege to attend 'Introduction to Wine' with Stephen Kolpan at the CIA campus in Hyde Park. It was utterly captivating. Every class, I learned more and more about the world of wine and since then I have not been able to see myself doing anything else.

My ah-ha moment with wine happened earlier this year when a guest ordered both the "Krug Rose Champagne" and "1985 Petrus" from the restaurant I was a sommelier at. Both textbook wines, and I had read so much about both and to be able to taste them both and to experience them was a surreal moment. The limited production of these wines matched with the price make them both extremely expensive and rare. I will never forget how incredibly complex the Petrus was, but it remained structured and elegant and extremely rich. It was 35 years old but it was so lively. I kept the bottle too- yeah I am one of those people. The Krug was everything I imagine when I think of luxury champagne. Fresh, rich, complex. It was a pretty exciting Thursday evening for me!