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.

Unique Beauty Shines When You’re Single

March 21, 2012.Reading time 5 minutes.

There is a time in your life when you want to just blend in. You want to look like everyone else, dress like your peers, sound like your peers, and are mortified when the attention is all on you. Or maybe that was just me. But thank God, that time is short-lived. Sometimes, it takes the support of […]

An Ode to Vintners, Viticulturists, and lovers of the vine

March 12, 2012.Reading time 2 minutes.

In honor of today being March 12th, Deed Day at Gundlach Bundschu, I thought it was only appropriate that I dedicate this post to the Bundschu Family, other farmers of the vine, and all wine lovers in general. Although I have had an affinity for the product of the science, I had not done much digging into oenology until […]

A Sunny Saturday at Solaro

March 7, 2012.Reading time 5 minutes.

It is hard to beat Austin in March. The Mountain Laurels, with their grape scented clusters, are in full bloom. The landscape is painted with every green you can imagine. The sky, cerulean and vast, illuminates the rebirth. It is almost criminal to stay inside. So when my parents offered us a date this past weekend, there […]

OTBN- A Gift from Gundlach Bundschu

February 28, 2012.Reading time 5 minutes.

If you are on Twitter and a wine lover, you are probably aware that Saturday was Open That Bottle Night. One of many Twitter-born events that encourages readers to go ahead and open that bottle that you are saving for a special occasion. The bottle IS the special occasion so enjoy it now. Being awarded […]

A Taste of Home-Lamoreaux Landing

February 21, 2012.Reading time 5 minutes.

A few weeks ago, I had my first weekend away since becoming a mom four years ago. When the possibility of a weekend jaunt arose, it was clear where I wanted, no needed, to go-home. Well, not quite home, but close. Although I have been in Austin for nearly half of my life, Upstate New York will always be home. So […]

Riesling Goes With Everything, and Sixteen Other Rules for Pairing Wine with Food.

February 16, 2012.Reading time 1 minute.

Riesling Goes With Everything, and Sixteen Other Rules for Pairing Wine with Food. Meg Houston Maker is a food and wine blogger and recently posted this piece in Palate Press. I thought I would pass it along since I feel she gives some really good tips for beginners. As I said in my bio, trial and error […]

Playing Catch Up

February 13, 2012.Reading time 4 minutes.

So, I have a back log of wine pairings/tastings/reviews from recent weeks and rather than inundate with several posts, I am consolidating. Short and sweet. Then I can finally move on to the Lamoreaux Landing winery review from two weeks ago. Here we go- Date Night dinner-Chicken Parmesan with ZD Rosa Lee Barbera(25). This is […]

Mosaics in the Making-non-potable thoughts

February 8, 2012.Reading time 4 minutes.

As a mother, I have often felt as if my sensory receptors are short circuiting. It usually happens at about the time I am pretty sure I just stepped on a Lego that I already picked up twice on my way to referee a squall that has most certainly awakened the dead. In a few brief […]

The Brew-Top 25 Beers of 2011

February 1, 2012.Reading time 1 minute.

Since this is Superbowl week, it only seemed appropriate to dedicate this week’s post to the brew. Wine Enthusiast Magazine recently compiled a list of the top 25 craft brews of 2011. The number one, Don de Dieu, is from Unibroue, the makers of one of my personal favorites, La Fin du Monde. I am […]