Wine certifications and goodbye to work

I continue to debate whether it is worth continuing to pursue wine designations when I have never worked in the wine industry, yet here I am, signed up for two additional certifications and still wondering if I should have done so. In addition to the diploma, which I am pursuing, I’ve also signed up for the Certified Specialist of Wine through the Society of Wine Educators, AND I have signed up for the Introductory Sommelier course through the Court of Master Sommeliers, Americas. One of the main reasons I signed up for the introductory course is because it is in Vail. Yes, of course I could have just gone to Vail but, I don’t know, it just seemed like it would be fun to take the course there. It is held at the Vail, Four Seasons hotel, so that should be lovely. When I checked the hotel website I saw that they had a Colorado resident rate so I decided to see if that would be beneficial and let me tell you it was a surprisingly good rate, so I jumped on it. If you are Colorado resident always check the hotel websites to see if there are resident rates. They are usually in the off season, but since we live here it’s easy to take advantage of those rates when they are offered.

As I have continued to debate myself as to whether to pursue these various designations, I’ve realized that I am the type of person who enjoys learning so always seem to have something waiting for me to study. And, so I will continue with these courses for the time being all the while trying to figure out how I can apply my knowledge.

I have all of this free time now because I have officially left full time work. I continue to do some consulting but have a lot more time now than before so need to fill it with something. To celebrate my ending work, Jim took me to Shanahan’s steakhouse. The place was buzzing when we got there at 6:30 on Tuesday evening, and our server told us that it was always busy, no matter what the day. Our server was kind enough to let us take our time, and we first enjoyed the Oysters Rockefeller along with a Tanqueray martini. We followed our starter with a filet mignon for me and a wagyu filet for Jim and shared a side order of potatoes au gratin. Everything was outstanding.

Of course since I’m so focused on wine now I had to scour the online wine menu to find a few options before we went to the restaurant. The first few I had found were no longer offered but finally, I found my fourth choice, a Chateau des Laurets, Puisseguin Saint-Emilion, 2016 priced very reasonably at $75. The chateau was built in 1860 and acquired by Baron Benjamin de Rothschild in 2003. Because it is a Bordeaux wine from the Right Bank, the predominant grape is Merlot at 80% with the remaining 20% a cabernet franc. On the nose were black fruits and cedar. On the palate, were the same black fruits, light tannin and mild licorice. It paired perfectly with the steak and potatoes, but I could see that it could benefit from a few more years aging.

It was a delightful evening and a wonderful start to the next chapter of my life.