Hello!

Welcome to my blog site.

If you’re viewing this then you know me and you know I like wine. Yes, it's true. Every aspect of it! And, as you know, David and I have taken many trips over the years but some of our most memorable and absolute favorites have been to the Northern California wine country. (Phrase most often heard, "You're going back to Napa again???") We've visited at different times of year; spring, summer, and even winter but have yet to visit during the dreaded fall. Fall in the wine world of Northern California is a crazy time of year. That is when everything happens. Previous vintages are put in bottles, grapes are harvested in the vineyards and brought into wineries and the work of turning grapes into wine begins.

We've avoided this time of year by the suggestion of other "winos" that have warned, "Don't even think of going during harvest if you want to see anyone!" Everyone, except the lowly tasting room sales person, is busy with harvest. So, we've avoided it.

With each visit, we've met with different people at all involvement levels. Sales/marketing staff, tasting room personnel, winemakers, winery owners, etc. I've enjoy listening to each of them tell me their stories on how they got started, why they do what they do, and the excitement of harvest. On our trip in January I mentioned to David that I thought it would be so cool to visit during harvest and see it all happen, even joking about how I'd love to find a place that might actually let me work. So, after more discussions on whether I wanted to "see" it happen or actually "do" it, I made a few phone calls to some of the people we have met and lined up a "job" at a winery in California to be their cellar rat! I will be working at AP Vin which is actually located in San Francisco and is focused on producing Pinot Noir. The grapes come from Central Coast as well as Sonoma Coast so I’ll be doing a lot of traveling to check out the vineyards and hauling in the grapes, literally, as I've been told.

This site will be a way for me to keep you posted on my adventures as a cellar rat. I'll do my best to keep you all updated and I'll even try to post a pic or 2!

Cheers for now,
Kim a.k.a. "Wine Chick"