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.

A Carnivore’s Dream

February 27, 2013.Reading time 1 minute.

Sunday afternoon I had the pleasure of volunteering with the Wine and Food Foundation at Cowboys and Gauchos. These people know how to put on a fabulous event. Picture flamenco dancers, fire pits, clinking glasses, and smiling faces and you kind of get an idea of the day. The event was held out at the Salt […]

Need a ‘Rita?

February 22, 2013.Reading time 4 minutes.

Today is National Margarita Day, a holiday which I am sure you will not mind celebrating. If you live here in Texas, I am sure you are well-versed in all things agave. Before I moved here I had only experienced very harsh, very gold, and very dangerous tequila. I had not yet had a Mexican […]

My Apologies

February 19, 2013.Reading time less than 1 minute.

I wanted to write a quick note to apologize for my lack of participation on here and in other forms of social media. I have been totally consumed in a family medical emergnecy for the past two weeks. I am so very grateful that we are on the other side of it and will try […]

Romanza for Your Valentine-Bocelli Wines

February 14, 2013.Reading time 3 minutes.

A few years ago for Valentine’s Day, we decided we would open one of our special occasion wines. I wanted a perfect pairing so I referenced the website and decided to make gnocchi and marinara from scratch. After hours in the kitchen, we were almost ready to cook the dumplings when I decided to put everything […]

Classic and Elegant-Franciscan Estates

February 4, 2013.Reading time 5 minutes.

When reviewing a wine, I like to come to it with a clear palate and a clear mind. When I have had sufficient time with the wine, I like to go back and read the winemaker’s notes and the history of the vineyard. Each piece of information paints a picture and build my understanding of the industry, the winemaker, and the wine itself. It also serves as a means for self-examination. Did I pick up on that nuance? Did it remind me of another wine from the same AVA? Do I have a good understanding of how that variety typically shows? And did the pairing I chose work or not with all of this in mind? Then I go back to the wine with this knowledge and continue to learn.
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Poetry in Motion- Part 3

January 29, 2013.Reading time 4 minutes.

I was asked today about how I began writing about wine, and was going to refer her to this post. A post I began over a year ago and just now realized I never finished or published. So, you may be saying, part 3? What happened to part 1 and part 2? Lucky for you, […]

Branching Out on the Trail

January 22, 2013.Reading time 2 minutes.

This month a new online magazine launches which aims at promoting the Texas wine industry, Texas Wine and Trail. I was honored to be asked to contribute and my first piece is now available on their site. When I was approached about doing a piece in November, I began brainstorming about something I could do […]

A Tale of Two Cabs

January 14, 2013.Reading time 5 minutes.

It was the best of wines, it was the…well, it was another great wine. But I kind of had to start a piece with this title like that, right? I recently requested my first sample. Writing a test piece for an online golf magazine, I wanted to tie into the World Challenge tournament, so I […]

Greatest Hits of 2012

January 5, 2013.Reading time 3 minutes.

At the end of the year, WordPress sent me a summary of my year. Sort of a year in review for the writer. How many visitors, which posts were the most viewed, et cetera. They invite you to share the information with your readers. At first, I thought, “How Silly. That is like Justin Bieber releasing […]