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
