Dear Readers;
I have been steadily compiling my notes and thoughts for several posts about Virginia Wines, and other subjects of note, now that I am back from the East Coast. Before I strongly engage with all of that, however, I am taking a forced vacation for the next couple of weeks, hopefully no more, to have a necessary surgery.
As much as I would love to work from bed, I find it too difficult, so it will be several days of catchup time for films, news etc, without any wine! Boring, but necessary.
I hope to get back into the swing of things the second week of October if all goes well.
I do want to highlight an event upcoming in November which I definitely plan to attend, and so should you; the 2024 Grenache Festival in Walla Walla, WA, Nov. 8-9 2024.
Organized by Carrie Alexander and Winemaker Todd Alexander (Force Majeure, Holocene) this is going to be a delightful, deep dive program with seminars, grand tastings, local winemakers in attendance & music . I admit that for years, I have been less than a fan of this widely planted grape. IN recent years, however, after doing a report on Spanish Garnacha, tasting scads of Grenache from Sardinia and naturally, many of the great Grenache-based wines of the Southern Rhone, I have grown more appreciative of it. even more so with the advent of new producers here along the west coast crafting fine wines.
Washington increasingly is doing great things with the grape, while California has long been at it successfully. Even Oregon is getting into
the act, and this festival offers you a chance to get hip to the current beat, as there will be various music events co-ordinated with tastings.
Here again are the links to the Festival website where you can see the program and register, etc.
https://grenachefest.com/
https://grenachefest.com/events/list/
Joel
Good luck with the surgery and the recovery! Hoping for a speedy one, but take all the time you need. It always takes it out of you more than you want. It sounds like this is not your firt rodeo, since you already knew to announce an official sabbatical.
Best wishes, Joel, and hope to see you back soon.