|
My job was delivering orders, so I rode a
sturdy bike with a big wooden box in front about 17 hours each weekend,
taking orders to customers’ homes. By the time I turned l6, I was the
senior employee in the store and was responsible for training all new
full-time employees. I also began answering customer questions about what
liquor, beer and wines they should purchase.
Leaving behind my
delivery job after graduating from Fairleigh Dickinson University, I
joined the U. S. Army and was fortunate to be sent to Germany where I
learned about European culture and the enjoyment of wine. On my “cruise”
to Europe, I even managed to visit my first winery: Gonzalez-Byass in
Jerez de la Frontera, Spain. Then, while in Germany, I visited Henkell, a
Sekt producer.
On returning home from
Europe, I took up a career in banking and equipment leasing which got me
working in New York City, Richmond and finally Winston-Salem. While I
always drank different wines, I didn’t really get deeply involved until I
moved to Richmond and developed a friendship with the owner of Chez
Edward, a wine shop and café. I would visit the shop frequently, tasting
wines and also attending many of their structured wine tastings.
Upon moving to
Winston-Salem my involvement with the wine scene expanded. I poured wine
at the WFDD fundraising wine-tastings, helped organize the annual
winetasting events for Piedmont Opera Theatre, and became associated with
the Wine Merchants retail store, pouring at their periodic tastings. By
2000 I had decided that I wanted to focus my efforts on the wine business
and began to intensely study the various aspects of every wine region
around the world. I was offered the opportunity to teach a wine
appreciation class at Salem College in the fall semester of 2000. The
class sold out in 4 days. So I began adding new classes to my repertoire
and now have a total of l0 different wine classes or about 60 hours of
instruction.
The teaching
experience directly led me into writing wine-related articles for several
regional magazines, consulting with restaurants on their wine lists, and
pouring at numerous wine events in the area.
With about 600
participants having taken my wine classes and hundreds of other consumers
having participated with me at tastings, I have become very familiar with
the consumer’s interests, and the styles of wine that appeal to both the
new and the experienced consumer. It is amazing how many questions I get
about wine from people I have met over the years.
|
Other things that I
have done have added to my being a well rounded “Wine Guy”. I have been a
wine judge at several East Coast competitions which has greatly expanded
my knowledge of regional and international wines. As a member of the North
Carolina Winegrowers Association since 1996 I’ve met with many of our
state’s winemakers and winery owners, which help develop my expertise on
this rapidly growing business in North Carolina. Since that first trip to Europe--paid
for at taxpayer’s expense, I might add--I have taken 14 additional trips
to Europe. Of course, each time I’ve added to my knowledge of their wines
and have visited the wineries in the regions of Germany, France, Spain,
Portugal, Italy, Austria, Switzerland, and the Czech Republic. With two
grandchildren living in London, more frequent trips are in the offing.
Combining the European trips with East Coast and California travel, I have
visited about 100 different wineries and met with many different
professionals in the wine industry. Having tasted more than 100 different
wine varietals, I have qualified for the international Wine Century Club,
which is based in London and New York with only 260 members around the
globe.
My visit to Schloss Vollrads
in Germany was my best day ever in wine country since my son and I
got to spend much of the day and evening with Graf Erwein
Matuschka-Greiffenclau. |
I look forward to
continuing my travels both domestically and internationally and further
expanding my knowledge of wine.
Back to Top |
