Dream of the 90s

Sometimes I find something that has nothing to do with the theme of this blog that I still want to share. The 90's were the decade of my teens and early 20's, this video sums up what life was like for me back then.

#$!@%?

Back from the Washington Association of Wine Grape Growers. During my trip, I decided for some reason to eliminate diet soda from my diet. I love Diet Coke and Diet Pepsi! Never was a big fan of the regular stuff, but really loved the zero calorie varieties. And now my love is gone (or at least limited to one single 12 oz can a day). No longer am I greeted in the morning by that wonderful carbonated beverage. No more 44oz ice cold love dispensed from the fountain machine. In its place is water. Mmmmm, plain, old water. Very similar to the tear I am crying thinking about my lost love. I must be strong! The reason for running a marathon is to get my health in check, and I do not think a 100 gallon a day diet coke habit was good for me. Wish me luck, but you might be wise to stay clear for a few days, or at least until the withdraw shakes have subsided to a little less then a paint shaker.

In other tidbits, here is a final list of all the pens and SWAG (stuff we all get) I collected at this year's WAWGG Conference:

37 pens (35 not including the two I grabbed from my hotel room)

1 stuffed bear

1 golf ball

3 magazines (all of which I already had subscriptions too and found the current copies waiting for me on my desk when I got home)

4 reusable shopping bags

7 sticky note pads

1 calendar all in French

A lot of candy, which I limited my intake to a single piece, after an eight mile run!

And a few items that my wife and I are stilling trying to figure out.

Day One Summary From WAWGG

What better way to kick-off the annual gathering of wine grape growers in Washington State then with a social hour reception and drink BEER! I guess we all must learn to pace ourselves and not go to wine crazy with another three days of everything wine. It has been said that a lot of good beer is needed in order to create great wine. After tonight, there should be a lot of good wine being created in Washington State.

For the bit about marathon training. I woke up early and got in an hour training session before I left to attend this years conference. My shoes are all ready to go. I drove passed my running route on the way into town, and I have blocked out a time tomorrow when I will be running. My training is starting to become a daily business appointment for me. It takes a mental change of focus to not always be willing to sacrifice workout time in order to perform some task at the winery. The ability to say "I will get to that as soon as I am done with this appointment (i.e. workout)" is a valuable tool. In the past, shelving the workout to be ready to always perform the needed task immediately was my modus operandi.

Check back often as I give updates to all the action at the 2011 WAWGG Conference.

Off to WAWGG

All this week I will be attending the Washington Association of Wine Grape Growers. This is our industries yearly get together. There will be seminars, a trade show, and lots of wine! One of my favorite hobbies, and as a little game to keep myself entertained, is I try and see how many pens I can collect. My record is 28. It is also the first time I will be away from home and having to keep up my training for the marathon in June. One of the greatest things about the internet is the ability to research and find local information about a city before your arrival. A few miles from my hotel is a running/walking trail along the river. My shoes are packed and I will be sending updates to the blog about what is going on in the world of wine production.

Whitestone's Current Newsletter

We would like to welcome you to a special round table discussion on current issues in and around Whitestone Vineyard and Winery with me, myself and I.

We now rejoin the panel discussion already in progress:

I:  “…and so there I was, knee deep in mud and my pant leg torn. I pulled the trigger one last time only to hear “click.” Lucky for me, all the rattlesnakes were dead.”

Moderator: Thank you I for your perspective on wine export to France. Moving on, I would like to talk about current affairs in the vineyard. Myself, would you like to lead off?”

Myself : “2010 ended up being one of the coldest growing years in history. Our merlot and cabernet sauvignon were harvested fully ripe, but with lower sugar than usual. I and myself are excited about what we taste in the barrel, a lot of big flavors with lower alcohol. The season ended with a dramatic cold snap, but, thanks to the incredible lake effect, the vines seem to be doing well. Me, myself and I will know more on the 15^th of February when we start winter pruning.”

Me: “To add to what myself was saying, we are also excited to be bringing on Sara Grant to help manage the vineyard this season. She brings with her over a decade of horticultural experience.”

Moderator: “Is it true me that you are training to run in your first marathon?”

Me: “Yes moderator, the rumors are true. I have signed up to participate in the Seattle Rock and Roll Marathon on June 25^th. To document my progress, and to have a general forum on wine, vines and running, me and myself have started a blog called “Chaotic Wine Theory.” You can find it by clicking here.

Moderator: “I, are you not participating?”

I: “No, I think the whole idea is crazy.”

Moderator: “Ok, moving on. Myself, any new releases the public should know about?”

Myself: “This week we are releasing our annual Valentine’s Day wine to our club members. This special wine is the perfect gift for your sweet heart. Non-club members can buy it only for the next few weeks. It is available to club members as long as supplies last.”

Me: “We also are having a lot of great events at the Spokane Tasting Room over the next few weeks. Including a release party for “Love,” First Friday and Top Gear Tuesday.”

I: “Hey, me. Do not forget to tell everyone that in the first ever voting for Best First Friday location, we won.”

Me: “I, I think you just did.”

I: “Did what?”

Me: “Tell everyone that we won for best First Friday.”

I: “No, I want you to tell everyone.”

Me: “It’s an open mic, they just heard you I.”

Myself: “Will you two knock it off and focus.”

I: “Like on running a marathon.”

Me: “Why do you have to bring that up now?”

Moderator: “And on that note, we are going to take a quick commercial break. This special round table is being brought to you by the following upcoming Whitestone Events.”

Thursday, February 3^rd from 6 to 9 pm. “Love You to Pieces” wine club pick-up and release party at the Spokane Tasting Room

Friday, February 4^th from 2 to 6 pm. Jewelry Party at the Spokane Tasting Room. Make sure to come in a check out one of a kind, hand crafted jewelry for your loved one. A bottle of wine and a nice necklace will make you the V-day all-star for your significant other.

Friday, February 4^th from 6 to 9 pm. First Friday Spokane! Come and find out why we were named the #1 location in all of Spokane.  Kick off your weekend right with food, music, friends, laughter and, of course, WINE!

Saturday and Sunday, February 12^th and 13^th from 11 am to 5 pm each day. The first Valenwine Weekend. Join us as we, along with all of the other Spokane Area Wineries open our doors to two days of wine and chocolate pairings.

Tuesday, February 15^th from 5:30 to 8:30 pm. TOP GEAR TUESDAY!!! Back, for the second month we bring you wine, nachos and the #1 TV show in the world. If you know nothing or everything about Top Gear, wine or nachos, this is the event for you. Last month, we saw both neophytes and veterans transfixed by our heroes’ efforts to get out of a rain forest in old beater 4x4s (or in one case 2x4). This month, we will be watching while our fearless presenters travel to Vietnam. A few months back, 60 minutes did a profile on the show, to watch, click here.

And much more coming through out the month! Make sure to visit us online at www.whitestonewinery.com, facebook.com/whitestonewinery, or ChaoticWineTheory.com.

For general information please call 411.  For Whitestone specific questions, please call 509-838-2427 or email info@whitestonewinery.com.

Michael Haig

P.S. Do to unseasonably cold weather, we are holding all wine ships for the next few days as a precaution against cold damage. Your wine is safe and basking in 55-degree storage and will be making its way to you shortly.

 Teddy says “Please do not forget to bring in your reusable bags and boxes.”

Baby It's Cold Outside!

It's cold out! I mean, it is really cold out! I have read that one should dress for 20 degrees warmer then they expect when running, because the body will heat up. But what does one do when 20 degrees warmer is still below freezing! Instead of getting mentally down or avoiding running during this current arctic blast (I mean, the sun is out and it looks like perfect running weather) I am using it as a training tool.

Once one gets moving and starts to build up a little sweat, you can't stop or pure misery as the sweat on your body instantly freezes. So on really cold days I am pushing myself faster and longer. Its amazing how much more energy and power reserves the body has in it. The fear of freezing works almost as good as a big dog chasing (which I experienced on this past Sunday, both the dog and the fear of freezing).