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+--- Thread: I'm back (/thread-20105.html)
- joeyz6 - 06-04-2003
Well, I'm back from France. I haven't been able to post for the past couple of months because my schedule was so busy there (mainly traveling, I admit), but it was really a great experience. I learned a bunch about wine and realized that I want to give it a go as a career, too. Anyway, I'm glad to be back with you fellas and ladies.
- wondersofwine - 06-04-2003
Welcome back. I think you'll have a head start on a career in wines. Good luck!
- winoweenie - 06-04-2003
A hearty HI-THERE Joeyz6 and could tell you were having a ball. Glad you've decided on a career of crime...OOPPS, I mean wine. Catch us up on your travels. WW
- Bucko - 06-04-2003
Hey, we only have one go in this life -- go for your dreams......
- Thomas - 06-04-2003
Which branch of the wine business interests you?
- dananne - 06-04-2003
Welcome back, Joey!
I see you're on the North Side in Evanston. I don't know if I mentioned that I split time growing up in Wisc. and in suburban Chicago -- Palatine, to be exact. Leaving Fr. must have been hard, but you're returning to a real nice city, too.
Also, good luck with your new career pursuits.
- hotwine - 06-05-2003
Welcome back, Joe. And don't overlook Foodie's question...
- ShortWiner - 06-05-2003
Welcome home--congrats on the exciting realization!
- joeyz6 - 06-05-2003
I'm most interested in being a sommelier or maybe owning a wine bar someday.
- joeyz6 - 06-05-2003
Dananne, that's cool that you are familiar with the area. I've actually never been to Palatine but I think we played against them in some sporting events in high school.
As for my travels, WW, during the last two or three months I was in Southern Italy (Rome, Naples, Capri, Pompei, etc.), London, Brussels, and Paris. I made wine-tasting trips to Epernay, Beaune and Sancerre.
- wondersofwine - 06-05-2003
Can't wait to hear more about the travels. You could post in wine touring or under varietal such as Burgundy for Beaune. I think sommelier would be a neat job after seeing them at work in some of NYC restaurants. I've got to work on the local wine list at Trio Restaurant here in Fayettevile. I want them to offer better by the glass or half bottle choices of white wines.
- joeyz6 - 07-13-2003
Well, I thought I would post a little update. I got a job which I'm very happy with and I think will provide me with a good foundation for my future wine pursuits. I'm a waiter at a very nice, avant-garde French restaurant here in Evanston. Coincedentally, Wondersofwine, it's called Trio. Some of you might have heard of it. The chef, Grant Achatz, has won quite a few awards in the past couple of years, including the 2002 James Beard Award.
My duties don't include wine service yet, but I have more than enough on my plate (no pun intended) just trying to get a grasp on the food creations we serve. Grant's dishes are really amazing and creative. Sooner or later I hope to get more involved with the wine service. And as I said, I think this is a step in the right direction for my long-term goals.
If any of you are in Chicago anytime, you should come in to the restaurant. I guarantee you'll enjoy your evening. We have wine pairings that are quite interesting, as well.
- winoweenie - 07-14-2003
Super Joey. Sounds like the perfect vehicle to furthur your goal. Have read about your Chef/owner. Pay close attention. This is worth more than a 4 year culinary institute degree. WW
- Kcwhippet - 07-14-2003
Joey,
Grant Achatz should be able to help a lot with your wine education, assuming he has the time. He took a year off from working at the French Laundry to work at La Jota Winery. You should be in for quite an experience.
- wondersofwine - 07-14-2003
Congrats on your job. "Faking It" on TLC had an episode last night about a Chicago beer drinker (captain of the U.S.A. beer drinking team!) who knew nothing about wines. In three weeks of mentoring by sommeliers from San Francisco Ritz Carlton, he was prepped to fool professionals in a sommelier competition. He probably could have passed if at the end of the evening the judges weren't told that one was "faking it." He fooled the professional sommelier (!) but was picked out as the inexperienced one by a Zagat food/wine reporter and a restauranteur with 20 years in the business.
It made for an interesting and tense tv program.
P.S. I like reality tv when it meshes with my interests--this episode on learning about wines, or "Amazing Race" where teams travel around the world to interesting and exotic locales (Austria, India, Thailand, Alaska, etc.).
[This message has been edited by wondersofwine (edited 07-14-2003).]
- Thomas - 07-14-2003
JoeyZ, good luck. Of course you know that a waiter makes a lot more money than a chef [img]http://www.wines.com/ubb2/eek.gif[/img]
Do keep at it--you will learn scores at that place with that chef.
- dananne - 07-14-2003
Joey -- I wish I had seen this sooner. I just got back this afternoon from Chicago. I went up for my brother's wedding.
Wonders -- I saw that episode, too, and it was very entertaining. He sure got steamed at times, didn't he? I somewhat disagree with his feelings about wine snobbery. He seemed to feel like wine people were all stuffy noses, but in my experience for every true wine snob are 3 wine folks that are very down-to-earth and just enjoy it. And, the world of beer certainly isn't snob free -- I know many beer drinkers that are downright obnoxious about what they drink and what is "good." Anyway, the show was good fun and very interesting. On a related note, I get a program on one of my obscure cable stations called Wine TV, which can be interesting. Also, the magazine Wine X is currently developing a wine show for, I believe, Food Network.