Hey There!

In 2009, I reconnected with an old friend from childhood. We had gone our separate ways, but when she reached out, we rekindled our friendship. She was living and working in Napa and invited Rich and me to visit and experience wine tasting. At the time, I didn't even like wine. I had tried drinking a glass a day for my health, as recommended by my doctor, but I couldn't find anything I enjoyed enough to drink daily. That health venture didn't last long.

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Since we were coming up on our 21st wedding anniversary, we decided to make this an anniversary trip. What an amazing experience we had! My friend worked for a large company that owned many properties in Napa. We tasted wine, laughed, tasted some more, and met wonderful people. While I didn't fall in love with wine on this trip, I loved the beautiful scenery, the stories of Napa Valley's development, the winemaking process, and especially the smell. (I also remember liking the smell of coffee before actually liking coffee.) The people were so nice, friendly, and happy. It was such a great experience that we started going back every year for our anniversary. Over the years, we visited many vineyards. Rich's palate developed much faster than mine. My first favorite was a Port produced by Moon Mountain. It was thick, sweet, and delicious. I still have a bottle of it to this day. Moon Mountain was eventually sold, but not before creating some amazing memories. My dear friend coordinated a girls' trip with our high school group, and we stayed in the vineyard house on the property. We had a fantastic time and another wonderful experience. My second favorite wine was a Muscat from Beaulieu Vineyards. Again, sweet and delicious. In 2009, we had a 2-hour private tour of Beaulieu Vineyards (known as BV). Little did I know that I would be working at BV in their tasting room 14 years later.

On our 25th anniversary trip to Napa, four years after our first adventure, I started to enjoy the flavors of wine. My first favorite varietal was a Cab Franc. From there, my appreciation for wine grew. On this trip, we brought home 25 bottles of wine. We bought 27 we gifted to our gracious host and one we drank at our anniversary dinner. I don't usually count how many we buy, but I did for this memory.

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Over the years, we have joined several wine clubs. I realized that when we liked a particular place, it was worth joining to save money. Plus, we'd make our yearly trip back up there and have a free tasting. We were members at Moon Mountain, Beringer, Chimney Rock, Clif Lede, Provenance, Hewitt, Paradigm, and Ehlers. There were a few others, but they didn't last. I have strict rules for my wine clubs: don't send me grocery store wines!

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Years have gone by, and my palate has evolved. I can sadly say that since I learned from amazing wine, I have and probably always will have dedication to Napa Valley big bold wines.

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In 2023, I decided to apply for a job in Napa Valley. My current job was stressful and demanding, and it was changing my heart. I needed a change. I applied and was turned down for lack of experience. Fair enough! I have learned that customer service in the dental field is not the same as in the service industry. We made a trip to the very winery where I was turned down (we were wine club members, so we didn't want to pass up a free tasting). The manager who interviewed me ended up sitting with us at our tasting. We, as always, had a great time. The following week, she called and offered me a job. It was a weird and scary thought, but after some serious praying, I decided to give it a shot. My current boss didn't want me to quit and allowed me to work remotely for that year. I would fly home once a month to go into the office and check in. At the time, I also did some consulting work in a dental office in Davis, California. I had been doing this job for a few years but would only fly up there every few months. So, when I got to Napa, I was working three jobs, which helped because Napa was very expensive to live and eat. I loved the tasting room job so much that it was worth it. I met amazing people, was invited to visit guests all over the United States and learned a lot about the wine industry. I figured out that the reason I love it so much is that I love nature, art, and science. The wine world is exactly a mixture of science and nature that produces beautiful art: wine! I know it's cheesy, but I love it. During that year, I studied the WSET (Wine & Spirit Education Trust). I took the WSET 1 and passed with 100%. I thought, why not go for the 2? So, I did. I don't want to brag about that score, but I passed. I have since been halfheartedly studying for the WSET 3. This one is much more intense and requires a lot of time invested in studying, which is not something I have with the demands of my surgery center job.

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Rich and I have been wanting to relocate out of California, and I have been actively searching for where to go with the idea of opening a wine lounge. But one day, I realized that if we moved, I wouldn't get to see my grandbabies very often. Even though my kids wanted to move too, there was no guarantee they would follow. So, I told Rich that if we stayed, I wanted to open a wine tasting room. He said, "Do it." He knew how happy this environment made me. He has his own full-time job, but he has worked so hard in helping me put this idea into reality.

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I don't claim to be a wine expert. I know enough, but wine is also a personal preference. I can guide you through the process, but it's up to you to decide what you like. I just want to help you with your process. When I can quit my stressful job and work at "The Wine Lady" full-time, I may go back to studying for the WSET 3. Just because!

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I hope when you come to see me, I will be able to give you the same experience, education and memories I have had in this industry. ​

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Cheers!