As you might have noticed, I’ve been laying low for the past week or so, studying for my Certified Specialist of Wine (CSW) exam in September. Just to set the record straight, I don’t feel like any of these fancy certifications are necessary to enjoy wine, but I was fortunate enough to earn a CSW scholarship when I took the top prize at the 2009 “Battle of the Palates,” a blind tasting competition sponsored by the Napa Valley Vintners back in May. So even though I would’ve probably never signed up for this coursework on my own, I have been giving the CSW my best effort nonetheless.
As it turns out, I must admit that studying for the CSW has actually been quite beneficial, since it has forced me to shift my focus beyond California. It’s extremely easy to become myopic when you live smack-dab in the middle of one particular wine region, and I’ve always been a big proponent of drinking locally and supporting the community. No doubt, I’m certain that my zeal for the local juice is something that helped me score well at “Battle of the Palates” in the first place. I love California wine, and I’m looking forward to revisiting some of my favorite wineries in the very near future, but first I have to deal with the CSW exam, which is just around the corner.
Since I’ve been studying the exam materials, my head has been swimming with all kinds of weird foreign terms, like beerenauslese and débourbage. Luckily, some of these words have been somewhat familiar, since my three-week wine course at chef school was fairly rigorous, although not nearly as comprehensive as the CSW. Preparing for the exam has really helped to underscore the idea that the world of wine can be endlessly academic, which can always keep things interesting. But even as I attempt to join the ranks as a “certified” wine professional, it’s important that I keep one thing abundantly clear: it’s just wine.
sell out