If you've ever worked in a tasting room, I'm certain that you can attest that there are some interesting folks that come into your establishment. Shoot, if you've ever been in a tasting room, I'm sure you've tasted along side some pretty interesting folks. Maybe you're reading this, and you ARE that interesting character that I'm referring to!
Here, at Hansen, we have even encountered a handful of special days that seems to host a 'theme' of individuals. You know..."Canoodling Couple" day, where every guest that stops by to visit seems to be on their second honeymoon, or "Wine Expert" day, where our guests seem very certain that they know more than you, or "Just Tasting" day, where ne'er a bottle of wine is sold (and you'd swear that after the third encounter like this, you're either on candid camera, the worst salesperson on the planet, or that there is a large group of folks congregating up in the upper parking lot, sending select members in, on the hour, from their large tour group titled "We JUST taste." Not that just tasting is a bad thing. It's certainly permissible and acceptable just to taste, however, when you get an entire day of folks that are just tasting, it really starts to mess with your mind! I could go on about this subject, but that, my friends, is for another post!
Anyway...theme days...you get the picture.
Well, here just yesterday, we had the pleasure of hosting "Wandering Wineaux" day. What do I mean by this, exactly? Let me set the scene. It was a slower day. Likely because we're sandwiched in between the Holidays and the first three day weekend of the New Year. Everyone is tapped out from Thanksgiving feasts and Christmas shopping. I'm in the back doing computer work (ie. setting up our new blog), when I hear this sweet little, "hello?"
I walk out to find this darling little gal, and set out a menu and a glass for her. I explain that we will be starting with our Cabernet Rose', which, if you know anything about Rose', you know that you could search the world over, and would be very hard pressed to find ten bottles of this style wine made from this varietal. "Interesting choice of grape!" she muses. Cool. This gal knows her stuff.
We proceed to chit chat, and she begins to tell her story. She was a Master of Wine student who grew up a stone throw away from the Napa and Sonoma wine country. When her studies lent all of a paragraph dedicated to California, Oregon and Washington wine regions combined, she decided to take her education and palate on the road. Renting out her apartment in the city, she spends a month at a time at one of the smaller, lesser known, California wine regions and blogs about her experiences there. A self-professed wine gypsy. How fascinating! (You can follow her experiences at drinkthosewords.com).
A second pair enters the tasting room, and my new friend slides over. I start them on the Rose' as well, and before they are two sips in, a third pair and then a forth pair meander in...the "when it rains, it pours" phenomenon in a tasting room. (I'ts an unspoken rule that on a slow day, all of your traffic will come in at once. Not spaced out, so that you get a really nice opportunity to leisurely chat with each of the folks coming in. Nope. All. At. Once.)
Immediately, I call for backup (which entails putting a call in to our beloved owner and winemaker who is enjoying a much needed siesta). "Hey Bruce, sorry to bother you. We've got lots of lovely folks in here and you asked me holler when we had visitors." "Oh goodie!" he exclaims. "I'll be right down."
I get all of the guest situated and tasting, making small talk with each. In my short assessment, I learn that one of my couples is celebrating the husband's new retirement and that, as such, they are travelling the California coast with the sole intent to taste as much wine as possible. My third set of folks has made it their life mission to taste wine in all 50 states. California was number 17 on their list. They were headed to Hawaii next (pineapple wine?!). My last set of folks just got back from a European wine cruise, where they enjoyed wines from 7 countries, and are voraciously planning their next wine filled excursion.
All ages.
All backgrounds.
All walks of life.
All with one common thread.
Each and every one of these folks were Wandering Wineauxs, with a unique mission to travel the state, states, or world over in search of more of their favorite elixir!
Bruce walks in, and does a quick job of making new friends and it doesn't take long for him to realize, as well, that we are in the midst of a fabulous theme day.
When all of our guests leave, we pour a little toast and smile.
"Interesting day," I say. He agrees. Interesting day, indeed.
To good times and good people and to Wandering Wineaux's everywhere!
Cheers!
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