Author: SAHMmelier

Being a stay- at-home mom can leave one thirsting for a taste of the outside world, a world in which sentences are composed of more than three words. Being an educator means one is always seeking an opportunity to explore and learn. Being a woman with a need to connect can be a challenge when adult conversations are rare. In wine, I find the marriage of art and science, agriculture and storytelling provides limitless areas to explore. But it is the people that keep me engaged. The tenacity needed to keep the family dream alive, the risk to start anew, the trials and principles. I love the history of the vine, the impact of a season, the sentiment in the bottle. That is why I write. I write to tell their stories, to share a piece of mine. I write to learn as I teach others. I write to connect with new friends, to disconnect from the world. I write to celebrate what makes each of us unique, and that which ties us together.

I Blinked and She’s Gone

August 22, 2014.Reading time less than 1 minute.

Originally posted on SAHMmelier:
I sent my baby to Kindergarten on Monday. I sent my little girl to Kindergarten. I sent THIS little bundle of love to Kindergarten. How is that possible? It was a blink ago, I promise. It’s not that she is really “gone,” obviously, but it is the first of many steps…

A Practical Girl’s Ferrari

August 18, 2014.Reading time 2 minutes.

In my preteen years, we spent hours playing the game MASH. We fantasized about Ferraris, mansions in Malibu, and our passionate relationship traveling the world with Simon Le Bon. We let the spiral of fate determine our career path and number of children. Gratefully, my life looks very little like the best or worst of […]

Real Writers of SB County-WBC14

July 24, 2014.Reading time 9 minutes.

It was one part Survivor, two parts American Idol. Throw in a little Top Chef, a splash of Amazing Race, and a dash of The Bachelor and you have the Wine Bloggers Conference 2014. I returned nearly a week ago, and although I have yet to process fully, as I was reflecting on the weekend, […]

Strong Silver in Solvang #rsv25

July 11, 2014.Reading time 5 minutes.

It is 6am and I am sitting in the hotel lobby at the Marriott in Santa Barbara. which means three things. 1. I made it to #WBC14! 2. I had so much to say that I couldn’t lay in bed anymore. 3. I had so much self-control last night with the great wine flowing that […]

Training for #WBC14

July 9, 2014.Reading time 1 minute.

Tomorrow is the day! I’m so excited to be heading out to Santa Barbara county to meet and learn from some of the top wine writers. But, I’ve got to say, I’ve been feeling a little out of my league. So what is a girl to do? Well, some training, of course. And how does […]

S.T.A.R. Wars-Sunday Samples

July 7, 2014.Reading time 4 minutes.

This was a banner weekend in our household. We introduced our children to the wonders of Star Wars. I wish I could’ve captured my son’s face better last night, wide-eyed wonder, a glow stick light saber. Completely enthralled, completely happy. A parenting high-point, for sure. Of course, we had to continue with a little teaser of Empire today. […]

Forming a Theory with Help from Mia Wines

June 18, 2014.Reading time 6 minutes.

I may have a cure for the Texas Hill Country drought. It requires wine, food, wonderful people, and a great deal of planning, but if we work together, I think we can pull this off. So far, I am two for two on the Wine event:Torrential rainstorm ratio. Last month, after the Dry Creek event, I […]

Off the Beaten Path: Dry Creek Valley

June 10, 2014.Reading time 6 minutes.

If you’ve ever been to the wine country in Northern California, you’ve likely driven along the Silverado Trail in Napa or up Highway 12 in Sonoma. You’ve probably recognized many of the names as ones you’ve seen on store shelves, interspersed with new names, smaller producers. But if you head further north, beyond the Russian River […]

“Congratulations, You’ve Been…”

May 28, 2014.Reading time 4 minutes.

This morning I heard the news that we lost a woman of incredible valor. I’ve absorbed her words, envied her confidence, and admired the grace with which she conducted herself. I had intended to share some news today, but it somehow felt inappropriate. And then I read this quote shared on Oprah Winfrey’s site. She […]