Welcome back to Cairo....

It's me again. Back from my fabulous, although way too short, holiday in Amsterdam. I must say that I truly love that part of Europe. All the canals, and the cute little bicycles, the food and the people. It is all just fantastic! I know one day, Jeff and I will go there and never return. If we could just get these little munchkins of ours to go off to boarding school.

So, it's the beginning of September and in the wine industry that can mean only one thing. IT'S HARVEST TIME!!! Our amazing winemaker, Jarrod, has been giving me some updates. I know that the Sauvignon Blanc is already off the vine and doing fine. He has just completed the blends on the last of the '06 reds and I believe some of the '07's as well. I think these two vintages are producing some of our most incredible wines yet. I understand that the vineyard, Destiny Ridge, looks amazing and is in it's full glory. Although, I wouldn't know because not one person in the entire crew can seem to take a snap shot and send it to me. So, I will take their word for it. I guess they are too busy, picking and thinning and sorting and punching things down. Boy am I jealous of that. Sincerely.

The next big Wine Club members only release party is next week. I can't believe I am missing another one. Well, only 8 months and 9 days left and then I will happily reclaim my home in the winery. We also just had the new VinoTech machines installed. (Not sure if that is the real name) They are super shiny and really cool. It allows us, as a small production winery, to open very limited and specail bottles of wine to share with our members and guests. It keeps the bottles fresh and perfect for up to 28 days, I believe. So now, at anytime, you can come in and get a little something specail. I can't wait to see it in December.

So until I hear back from the big guy, JB, that is all the news I have on the wine side. So as for life in Cairo... Well, I have to say that you go through a certain kind of a funk whenever you return from holiday. But, my boys are back in school and adjusting really well. They are making lots of friends and think being two of only 12 Americans in the entire school (KG1-12th) is pretty cool. I have signed up for tennis lessons and golf. All starting at the end of Ramadan. That is a whole other story. I am now volunteering a couple days a week at a community center for ex-pat's. It gives me something to do and they would like my help with event planning. That is what I was helping with at ANC. I love that. So hopefully I will keep myself so busy that time will just fly by!

So just a note about life during Ramadan. Starting from Sept. 1 until the 30th. All the Muslims around the world celebrate their holy month of Ramadan. Which basically means that almost the entire country (including the 18 million in Cairo) are fasting from sun up 5am, until sundown 6pm. No drinking (even water), no eating (NOTHING!), no smoking (my favorite part) and praying all day. Then at night, after the Iftar (6:17 pm) prayer, they break their fast and party all night. Even the small little children who have to go to school the next day. So, sounds really beautiful, right? Well, what this means to a little Catholic girl from the west is that, nothing opens up early or at all during the day. The drivers and maids are in horribly pissy moods (except for my Ms. Kowsa, she's Coptic) from starving & dehydration. Oh yeah, and most importantly, you can't get a freakin' drink anywhere!!! Can you believe this? My birthday is in less than 3 weeks and I was really hoping to drink it away. But no such luck! Jeff and I smuggled in Mango Daquiries to the club last weekend, I felt like the police were going to pounce on us at any moment. but a girls gotta do what a girls gotta do. For crying out loud, it's harvest time!!!

So I was hoping to enclose pictures from the vineyard or the new tasting rooms. But since I am lacking those, here are a couple of pictures from my recent holiday. Me with my first glass of really good wine in way too long. and the other is a shot that we took on our last day. We met up with a friend that my husband and I haven't seen since high school. How funny to meet in Amsterdam. Did I tell you that Amsterdam is the land of boots? really, hot boots??? Oh yeah! More later. Hope you are all enjoying the Harvest in some specail way.

As Always, Kristine

Harvest is coming!!!!

Hello again dear friends,

Well another week has gone by and I am only 10 months and 2 days from my return to Alexandria Nicole Cellars, Destiny Ridge Vineyards, and my sanity. Life here in the African desert is just creeping by at a snails pace. But enough of that. I first want to tell you all about my 2nd and 3rd tries at Egyptian wine. Well, number 2 had an interesting start. My husband and I went to a very nice Italian restaurant on the Nile river last week. I couldn't wait for the wine list. It took me 30 minutes to make a decision, but I came up with a 2007 Cape Bay, Merlot. I guess the Egyptians don't barrel their wines too much. They should definitly consdier it. Anyhow, the wine came in a dirty spotted glass. Then they brought me another glass and just poured my wine into the new glass and wiped the spill with their fingers. I almost got sick. But wine is alcohol and alcohol kills germs so I tell my self, forge ahead. I have to admit I was pleasantly surprised about the nose. Full of cherry, it even felt heavy in the nose. Then I looked at the color. kind of reminded me of Rasberry Ice Crystal Light. I let that pass and took a sip. No way! Not again. vinegar!!!! I swear, its a pattern here. I asked the waiter if I could see the bottle. That was a major ordeal. then when he brought me a new, uncorked bottle, I asked, what happened to the one you poured me? Do you know what he said??? That bottle was old and that was the last glass. OK, note to self. NO MORE WINE OUT! Good grief.

So on to wine #3. Now I have to say, after the previous two, I was being a bit pessimistic. but to my surprise, the 2006 bottle of Shahrazade, Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot blend was quite remarkable. Especially once we made sangria out of it! Ok, to be honest, it was nice and mellow. If you like that. It's very young. So hard to tell what it could be. the Egyptians seem to prefer a sweeter, lighter style to their wine. I had high hopes for this particular bottle because supposedly it is bottled and produced here in Cairo, but under the "supervision" of Christophe Olivier, from the Bordeax region in France. I guess they still have to produce a wine that will be consumed locally, though. It wasn't bad. But at 12.5% alcohol, it just doesn't have the full body and bite that those rich Washington cab's carry. Call me crazy, but I like it a little hotter. Anyhow, I enjoyed my glass and then quickly turned it over to my husband who in turn made the most fabulous Sangria out of it. We smuggled into the club and drank it all day. You can see the picture attatched. We were feeling no pain.

The Sharazade Winery is an estate winery. their vineyard is not too far from where I live on the Cairo/Alexandria Rd. It's called Karm el Nada. I think it might be a good choice for a day trip. I'll let you know how that goes.

Other than that, all is well here in the middle of nowhere. but you have to love technology.

Everyday, my family packs up our beach bags and computers and we head down to the "club"/pool. They have wireless now, so I can get tan and work at the same time. This really is living.

So long for now, I'll check in again soon. I just love hearing from all of you and I look forward to getting some updates on the vineyard from our dear winemaker, Jarrod, very soon. By the way, I hear the new 2006 Merlot is out of this freaking world!! Yahoo, can't wait to get me some of that!

Keeping the faith!

Alright, I have to share this with you all. Living in Egypt means that you have to have a strong disposition. One, because the water or food will get you. Two, because the people will inevitably bring you to your knees. And three, because if the previous two don't get you, the traffic will certainly do you in. This is a perfect example of the mind-set of the locals. Yesterday, my family and I were at our "Club". It is a wonderful facility that we belong to right around the corner from our house. There is a big resort style pool, a beautiful playground, a very nice restaurant, tennis courts, etc, etc. You get the idea. we go there everyday, almost all day. It's Egypt, It's hot, and there is water there. Since most Egyptians don't rise before 12noon. We always have the entire pool to ourselves. So at the pool there are these "cabana boys". Their only job is to open up our umbrellas when we arrive. But they hate doing their job, and insist on hiding from every single person who comes to the pool. They can see you struggling with the huge canopy. they watch you jump up and down like a maniac trying to get their attention. they just don't care to move. Everyday I have to summon a waiter or a lifegaurd or a manger to go and get them out of their hiding place. It's ridiculous. So yesterday, my kids and husband are flipping and diving off of the diving board and my favorite little nemisis comes over to the lifegaurd and tells him that there is electric wires under the diving board and that my family were making a huge problem and going to electrocute everyone. REALLY!!! Wires under a diving board. I don't even see that happening in Egypt. After we had to call two managers and the property manager, we came to find out that the little "cabana boy" just didn't feel like sweeping up anymore water for the day. Pity for him! You should have seen the commotion. The manager was so embarrassed, the lifegaurd felt like an idiot for listening to this guy, and now, This little nemisis of mine is really avoiding me like the plague.

I miss Washington.......

Here are some pics to go along with the last message..

Hi all. It's me again. It's been quite a busy couple of weeks. Still getting settled in, but I am definitley learning my way around Cairo, AGAIN. My dear friend and partner in crime, Kathie, made a fantastic suggestion. I am going to make it my new mission to learn all about Egyptian wine making. I know, I know, I know. I said it was awful and not worth passing my lips. But you know what? Beggars cannot be choosers and after all, they have been doing it for thousands of years, right? So, today I bought my first two bottles.

The first one, Chateau des Reves. a 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon-Merlot blend. the label claims that it is a product of Egypt, but closer evaluation shows that it is a Lebanese wine. this gave me great comfort. I have heard that the Lebanese do a very nice job. At first, I looked at it in my glass and saw the lighter than I'm use to, ruddy color. Oh please, just a little body... The nose was abit rough. I swear I thought I smelt balsamic vinegar. But I think that was just my nose being fussy. anyhow. I gave it a good chance, and maybe it was just because I have longed for a sip of wine for what seems like eternity, but it wasn't all that horrible. It was pretty smooth for such a youngling. I can't really see a lot of oak in it, but definitley some red berry fruit and a little spice. Not real earthy or aggressive by any means, but it's a start. the alcohol was listed at 13%. God, I miss Washington wines. how much of this do you think I will have to drink in order to get drunk and truly enjoy it??? I bought this wine (51LE, that is roughly $10US) at a famous Pizza shop in Zamalek. It's called Maison Thomas, and it is 1 of only 2 pizza shops in Cairo where you can get real pork products on you pie. I must say that I loved the pizza, enjoyed the mushroom salad and tolerated the wine faily well.

So tomorrow, we will try bottle # 2. Wish me luck.

Up and Running!!

Hi all! Kristine here. I can't believe I finally figured out how to get my browser off Arabic and back in English. As we say here in Egypt, Al' Hamdu'allah. Thanks be to God. I've been here just over a month now and I am starting to settle back into the Cairo Groove. Dealing with the traffic is a daily chore (for my driver, that is), but I don't let it keep me home.
What I am missing most of all, though, is all my dear friends at ANC. My co-workers, my friends, the wine club members. Just all of it. I hope in some little way that you are missing me as well.

Welcome