Grand Crus: Bordeaux under Napleon introduced the classification system based on grand crus or growths in 1855. It’s one of the most well known systems with Premier Cru being the holy grail of wines. There’s beauty in many of the Bordeaux wines regardless of their growth, but many ignore it to chase what they are to believe are the best wines of the world.
When the shop closed, Graham texted me that it was very sudden and huge discounts would be given to staff as well as the general public. I showed up and was dumbfounded. They announced the discounts to the public before I think they even let the manager who ran the shop by himself got lunch. He hadn’t had time to go to the bathroom for hours. Ali and I came in, grabbed some bottles and such for ourselves and took over the register. It allowed Graham time to kind of clear his head as he was losing his full time job.
We closed the shop that evening and just chatted. I think the disarray and vibes finally hit me. The shop was closing and leaving me before I could leave it. I had failed again.
I grabbed a bottle of wine that was incredibly expensive. The general manager let us know we didn’t have to buy it and could simply enjoy it. Luckily, Graham was feeling magnanimous and we opened it up and he pulled out his wine book. He wrote down tasting notes and thoughts. That wine was Bond Estate Pluribus (I forget the vintage because I am the worst).
I had been eyeing that bottle of Bond Estate bottles. I had a feeling the likelihood they would ever be purchased was slim to none. It was going to have to be a really special buyer with tons of money. These wines were hundreds of dollars. They sat precariously in this gorgeous golden wood box label “BOND.” I would occasionally dust and polish the bottles. Every time, I held my breath as my greatest fear was smashing a bottle of wine that cost me more than a day’s work.
We opened the wine and everyone’s eyes lit up. Bond is known as preeminent Cab Sauvignon producer in Napa (where there are an absurd amount of rock stars at this point). They follow the first growth of Bordeaux model and market their wines as Grand Crus. The sites and selections are carefully maintained producing a world class wine.
Graham began to lecture me about this important wine and his thoughts. Again, someone spouted tasting notes at me. What I tasted coincided to my feelings. I tasted excitement at trying a once in a lifetime wine. I tasted fear as where would I find my next part time job to cobble together full time money.
Natural wines – So hard to defined and again a trend at one point. Is it still trendy? That’s for you to decide. I found natural wines that shared a story and others that made me want to recoil. There’s no legal definition, but it’s minimal intervention. Some think somehow natural wines will cure them and not cause a hang over forgetting that they are still consuming alcohol.
Around this time, I launched my blog and began studying wine as I was encouraged by friends. I struggled to come up with a name. There’s so many fun and cheeky ways to discuss and mention wine. I wanted my personality to shine through. I was on the bus and mulling over the many ideas and settled on “Just the Bottle.” I texted various friends: “Thoughts? Is this too stupid or sassy?” They all agreed that it was perfect.
I studied for the Certification of Wine Specialist after receiving a scholarship. It was much, much tougher than expected. The focus on geography threw me off. I need to know all the rivers in this portion of Germany? What the fuck? Who cares? No, seriously… do you care? I studied, attended more classes than I did my senior year of college, and yet…I failed. I was again a failure and frustrated. I stole a scholarship from someone who could have passed.
After kicking myself for a bit, I moved on. I figured I could try again or not. I still could work in wine. I could still write about wine. The certification didn’t make me better.
Ali again proved to be the best referral for wine work. In June 2012, I found another wine shop to work while I was figuring out what was next. This wine shop was completely different from the other shops. The other shops were jewel box shops that were incredibly small with a limited curated wine list. This shop was a beast that was sandwiched between a strip club and cigar bar. It constantly smelled of mildew and the owner refused to upgrade it or improve it. I also worked with several young men who all joined the same fraternity at GW.
My boss, Destin, was a beautiful woman who was incredibly hard working and trying to improve the dismal shop. I enjoyed working with her, but knew I needed a short tenure at this spot to not completely give up. Luckily, within a few months, I found full-time work and continued to pour tastings occasionally.
I kept writing and applying for blogging opportunities. Tanisha told me about a wine conference and wine media trip to Spain. I applied thinking, “Fuck it. I probably don’t have the metrics they want, but can’t hurt.” I was waitlisted for Spain and approved for the wine conference in Tbilisi, Georgia. I freaked the fuck out. Within a few weeks, I was approved for the Spain trip.
I had just started a job at a university having worked at a wonderful developmental disability nonprofit for almost a year. I approached my boss, Anne, “Umm…so…I’ve been here a month, but I can go to Spain and Georgia for free for wine. Can I go?” She replied, “I’ll do everything I can because I wish I could go to Spain myself.”
