Being back in the Finger Lakes for the holidays means a reluctant return to dialup. So this event actually occurred several days ago (the 20th to be exact).
I stopped into the ghost town-like winery the other day to inquire about gainful employment that would fuel a couple more weeks in Boston, but quickly learned that no hours were available. Dammit!
However, several days later, I, along with my friend Brittney were given the chance to bottle--something that I have always enjoyed. These days start at 7:30...am(!) and can last about 7 hours. Bottling is tiring, but I have fun working alongside a different group of people, and doing winery chores.
As a result, there is an increasingly larger part of me that wants to incorporate wine into my career.
We got off to a slow start since the bottling line was being its typical self...broken. I passed the time by sweeping the floor, while Brittney cleaned the garage doors.
Bottling itself was uneventful, and eventually the much anticipated 'lunch wrench' (a sister to the magic stick) was put into place. Brittney and I didn't immediately head down to the tasting room for lunch, but instead opted to taste wine with Peter (the winemaker) and his apprentice, Trish. We tasted the 2006 stainless steel Chardonnay, 2006 Dry Riesling, 2006 Gewürztraminer, 2005 Reserve Cabernet Franc, 2005 Meritage, and the 2006 Cabernet Franc.
Being able to taste wines in different stages of the process, as well as with the winemaker made this my most interesting tasting experience. The Chardonnay was still on lees, so it was very cloudy. The Dry Riesling smelled sweet, and had characteristics of tropical fruit that can best be summarized as tangerine. According to Peter (and I would concur), the finish was orange sherbet.
The 2005 Meritage was the most interesting of them all. Unlike your typical Meritage, it wasn’t in your face, but instead, this wine was so fine-tuned that everyone who drinks it should give Peter Bell a kow-tow! His hard work (and Trish's) was evident in every aspect. I was thoroughly impressed and will surely be purchasing as many bottles as my budget can sustain.
After a half hour of tasting, we had lunch, which was delicious as always.
As I look forward to the new year, I realize that my schedule is going to be hectic (but exciting and full of opportunities)--which means that my days at Fox Run are limited. If 12/20/2006 was my last day as a ‘regular’ employee, I have left satisfied and content. I'm grateful for this opportunity because it has truly been a rewarding experience and the best job that I have had thus far!
Merry Christmas!
I stopped into the ghost town-like winery the other day to inquire about gainful employment that would fuel a couple more weeks in Boston, but quickly learned that no hours were available. Dammit!
However, several days later, I, along with my friend Brittney were given the chance to bottle--something that I have always enjoyed. These days start at 7:30...am(!) and can last about 7 hours. Bottling is tiring, but I have fun working alongside a different group of people, and doing winery chores.
As a result, there is an increasingly larger part of me that wants to incorporate wine into my career.
We got off to a slow start since the bottling line was being its typical self...broken. I passed the time by sweeping the floor, while Brittney cleaned the garage doors.
Bottling itself was uneventful, and eventually the much anticipated 'lunch wrench' (a sister to the magic stick) was put into place. Brittney and I didn't immediately head down to the tasting room for lunch, but instead opted to taste wine with Peter (the winemaker) and his apprentice, Trish. We tasted the 2006 stainless steel Chardonnay, 2006 Dry Riesling, 2006 Gewürztraminer, 2005 Reserve Cabernet Franc, 2005 Meritage, and the 2006 Cabernet Franc.
Being able to taste wines in different stages of the process, as well as with the winemaker made this my most interesting tasting experience. The Chardonnay was still on lees, so it was very cloudy. The Dry Riesling smelled sweet, and had characteristics of tropical fruit that can best be summarized as tangerine. According to Peter (and I would concur), the finish was orange sherbet.
The 2005 Meritage was the most interesting of them all. Unlike your typical Meritage, it wasn’t in your face, but instead, this wine was so fine-tuned that everyone who drinks it should give Peter Bell a kow-tow! His hard work (and Trish's) was evident in every aspect. I was thoroughly impressed and will surely be purchasing as many bottles as my budget can sustain.
After a half hour of tasting, we had lunch, which was delicious as always.
As I look forward to the new year, I realize that my schedule is going to be hectic (but exciting and full of opportunities)--which means that my days at Fox Run are limited. If 12/20/2006 was my last day as a ‘regular’ employee, I have left satisfied and content. I'm grateful for this opportunity because it has truly been a rewarding experience and the best job that I have had thus far!
Merry Christmas!
