What the hell was I thinking? Glad you asked.
My friend Russell shamed me into it. He worked the 2008 harvest at Ramey Wine Cellars! He did it with a mortgage and a wife and a newborn son.
I have made numerous trips out to Napa, Sonoma, The Willamette Valley in Oregon and Walla Walla and Woodinville in Washington. I have toured and tasted at literally hundreds of wineries up and down the West Coast. I never tire of the visits. But...the more I go, the more I want to learn and to actually be involved. The idea of looking back one day and being able to say "I was a part of that," "...we made that," really appeals to me. Even if it means just being one of the grunts who scrubs the floors at the end of the day.
Yes. I am aware of the fact that this is probably some sort of mid-life crisis. Hopefully the bubble-headed bleach blond and the sports car are soon to follow.
This blog is my journal leading up to my 2009 winery internship at Ramey Wine Cellars in Healdsburg, CA and the 13 week program of being a cellar rat for them.
I started the process way back in late November 2008, after having dinner with Russell and April. Russell wanted to show off some of his pictures and share his experience of the 2008 Harvest. I was glad to oblige and to partake in the meatball subs and great wines he brought back to Dallas. (Frostwatch was one to remember). The day started as a pleasant way to spend some time with friends, drink some wine and celebrate Russell's harvest adventure and the evening finished with me more determined than ever to follow through on this internship.
Now, some 9 months later, the trip is fast approaching. I'm excited for sure, but there is some anxiety. Failure. What if I can't handle it? What if they have to put me on remedial chores...the horror. The shame of it all. I wear a tie to work for Pete's sake. A city boy trying to do hardcore blue-collar winery duty. I can't remember the last time I broke a sweat actually working (the Dallas heat makes me sweat just walking to the car but that doesn't count).
I will try to post as often as possible but only when I feel the content is relevant and interesting. The posts will become more frequent as the internship approaches and, time permitting, daily during the actual harvest. I hope you will check in from time to time and see what it is like to be a cellar rat. I'll try to do Dallas proud. I'm going to go pump some iron now!
