A Day of Wine Smelling

Saturday at Broad Summit was all about wine tasting, wine pairings and wineries. For the pregnant people (there were 3 of us) and the Mormon people (there were 2 of us), it was all about wine smelling. And being the designated drivers.

Regardless, the day could not have been more gorgeous. The grape harvest was at its peak and the landscape was idyllic. I've been missing the New York fall this year — the apple picking, the pumpkin patches, the fall leaves — and this trip went a long way in filling my autumn-nature-well.




We started with a wine education session by Leslie Sbrocco. We learned how and why we should swirl our wine. How to recognize clarity. What we should be sniffing for. And why a wine taster might spit vs. swallow. Plates of salty and spicy snacks were brought out so we could try different food and wine pairings. I asked a question about how long an open bottle of wine will last before going bad and the answer turned into a discussion about how to make your own vinegar, which I would totally love to try. (Holiday neighbor gifts, anyone?)





Then it was off to the Moshin Vineyards. Which is apparently a major wine processing center. Tons of huge, shiny equipment. Big stacks of barrels. Lots of contrast between old tradition, and new processes. And we ate lunch right there in the stacks of barrels. How cool is that?



During our wine class, we learned that corks are going out of style. It made me a little sad. Because aren't they so pretty?



Our hosts brought out special snacks and interesting non-alcoholic beverages for the designated drivers throughout the day. I loved this Juniper Berry soda by Dry.

At lunch I sat next to Evany Thomas. She is really funny and wore a fantastic braided updo. And I want to buy her book, The Secret Language of Sleep. Other people that were really entertaining to sit next to: Alice Bradley and Jenny Lawson, who are both hilarious. Plus also Maggie because she tells great stories.




After lunch there was another winery visit to Arista. This one much less industrial and more picturesque. While there I traded camera lenses with Heather Champ. She didn't even make fun of me when I didn't know how to take my lens off.



Our last visit was to the Hop Kiln Winery. It looked very old school. The perfect picturesque place for our cheese tasting which was presented by Cheesewhizzes — a self organized group of cheese-tasting women. I think you should totally start a branch in your area.

When I saw the schedule, I wasn't sure what to think of a day of wine tasting that I couldn't really participate in, but I needn't have worried. There was plenty for me to learn and see and do. What a beautiful day.

Sidenote: At the end of the trip, I was feeling really good about how I'd kept my nausea at bay during the whole summit — I hadn't even thrown up once! But within seconds of Ben picking me up at the airport I was retching into an empty cup and within minutes of making it home I had a full-on puke session (surprise!) at the kitchen sink. Basically, as soon as I was home, and could fully relax, there was my trusty nausea.

I've concluded that I must have had a hefty portion my mental energy focused on keeping myself together till the end of the trip. I really didn't want to get sick in front of this lovely group of ladies. And I think I did pretty well — although occasionally someone would look at me like I was a bit green in the face and I would wonder if I was fooling anyone. Ah well. What's done is done.