The Good News: the wine shop I mentioned a week or so ago? I like it even more now.
I was in the neighborhood (seriously!), so I popped in to the shop yesterday afternoon. I wandered around for a while, picking up another bottle of the Washington Gewurztraminer that was popular at the party, an Austrian Gruner Veltliner (which I've had and liked at Seasons 52), an Australian Viognier, a French Vouvray, a French Syrah Rose, and I was contemplating a sparkling Shiraz (which I did not get) and a late-harvest Semillon (which I did) when an employee came by and asked me whether I was finding everything I needed. I joked that I had found what I came in for and was now just looking for anything else I had to have. He handed me his card (regional manager) and explained that the shop conducts tastings every weekend. Cool. And then he continued; the shop is conducting a class for employees back in the classroom, and he'd love to have a customer come in and give them some real-life practice. For a ten-dollar gift card, would I be interested? Uh, yes! [The fact that the shop has a classroom wins it some points.] So he led me back to the classroom, where there's 40-some employees. I'm led to the front of the room and asked what I want. What are my choices? Chardonnay (eh), Pinot Noir (okay), or an Italian. Hm - let's try the Italian. So a tasting glass is poured and I gave it a try. Yipes, it's tart! I chat it up with the employee who's up at the front, on the spot with me, asking after the kinds of grapes in it and some food pairings. Other folks chimed in from the rest of the room. And that was it. (I'd have happily done more to earn my ten bucks!) Maybe it was a marketing ploy, but they have a satisfied customer. I definitely dig this shop. All of the employees have been very helpful and knowledgeable - which is necessary, because it's a big shop and it could easily come off as impersonal. The cashiers never card me, though - a bit of a blow to the self-esteem. :) And I've been in there wearing a t-shirt and shorts, no makeup, and messy hair - thinking I look pretty young - but maybe it has the opposite effect...
The Bad News: my previously-mentioned Kitchenaid mixer on backorder. Until December! :-( I'm hoping a ton of people cancel their orders, so I might get mine faster. Because if Thanksgiving really does take place in Florida this year, it would be a handy appliance to have for Cookie-Baking Day.
I was in the neighborhood (seriously!), so I popped in to the shop yesterday afternoon. I wandered around for a while, picking up another bottle of the Washington Gewurztraminer that was popular at the party, an Austrian Gruner Veltliner (which I've had and liked at Seasons 52), an Australian Viognier, a French Vouvray, a French Syrah Rose, and I was contemplating a sparkling Shiraz (which I did not get) and a late-harvest Semillon (which I did) when an employee came by and asked me whether I was finding everything I needed. I joked that I had found what I came in for and was now just looking for anything else I had to have. He handed me his card (regional manager) and explained that the shop conducts tastings every weekend. Cool. And then he continued; the shop is conducting a class for employees back in the classroom, and he'd love to have a customer come in and give them some real-life practice. For a ten-dollar gift card, would I be interested? Uh, yes! [The fact that the shop has a classroom wins it some points.] So he led me back to the classroom, where there's 40-some employees. I'm led to the front of the room and asked what I want. What are my choices? Chardonnay (eh), Pinot Noir (okay), or an Italian. Hm - let's try the Italian. So a tasting glass is poured and I gave it a try. Yipes, it's tart! I chat it up with the employee who's up at the front, on the spot with me, asking after the kinds of grapes in it and some food pairings. Other folks chimed in from the rest of the room. And that was it. (I'd have happily done more to earn my ten bucks!) Maybe it was a marketing ploy, but they have a satisfied customer. I definitely dig this shop. All of the employees have been very helpful and knowledgeable - which is necessary, because it's a big shop and it could easily come off as impersonal. The cashiers never card me, though - a bit of a blow to the self-esteem. :) And I've been in there wearing a t-shirt and shorts, no makeup, and messy hair - thinking I look pretty young - but maybe it has the opposite effect...
The Bad News: my previously-mentioned Kitchenaid mixer on backorder. Until December! :-( I'm hoping a ton of people cancel their orders, so I might get mine faster. Because if Thanksgiving really does take place in Florida this year, it would be a handy appliance to have for Cookie-Baking Day.
Where'd summer go? We go back for inservices at the end of next week. I'm not ready!
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