I’ve been studying.
…
OK, perhaps more explanation is in order. Yesterday morning I sat for the Certified Specialist of Wine exam administered by the Society of Wine Educators. I’ve spent the last nearly two months studying for the damn thing, and that has left me with less time to drink and write about wine.
Kind of amazing… studying for a wine exam kept me away from wine. Granted, the CSW exam (unlike more difficult exams like the Certified Wine Educator or Advanced WSET tests) does not include a sensory component; no tasting and identifying wine. 100 multiple-choice questions in 60 minutes, on topics as varied as US label laws, the serving temperature of rose, the Austrian system of must weights, Sherry production, fining, and a little geography (I hope you memorized a map of South Africa!).
So that’s that. Now, after a brief respite where I probably won’t think much about wine at all for a little while, I will get back to it. I still have some great tasting notes to flesh out (including some excellent stuff from Hess, Orin Swift, Ceretto, Ravenswood, and Bonny Doon) along with a crapload of bottles just screaming at me from the cellar to be tasted and tested. Plus, the final two installments of Pairing Wine With 1980s Action TV Shows, and then its sequel, which will share the same spirit, but shift both the decade and genre.
Thanks for sticking around.