July 28, 2021
Day 15
My first job at 17 was in a fine dining restaurant working in the kitchen making salads and desserts. Then when I proved myself, the cooks had me prep sauces and garnishes, and taught me how to debone and stuff ducks. I learned how to make baked Alaska, and more. At 18 I moved to the floor and learned about wines, and cocktails. I learned the correct way to decant wine after doing it the wrong way the first time (long story for another time). I learned how to pair wines with food, about aperitifs, dessert wines, cordials, and champagne. I continued to work in restaurants through my 20’s including full time at the Helmsley Palace in New York, and into my early 30’s even when I had a “real job”. I devoured Kevin Zraly’s Window’s on the World Complete Wine Course book, dined at Window’s on the World, and visited wineries on weekends and when traveling to learn more. I just loved everything about wine – the glamorous restaurants, the glassware, the ritual of swirling the glass and identifying the tasting notes, the growing of the grapes in the fields, the elegant production at the vineyard, and understanding the bottle labels, regions, and names of grapes. I guess you could say wine is a hobby.
For this no processed or added sugar year adventure, going 15 days without a sip of wine is pretty new for me. I’m sticking to it though. Drinking water all the time is a bit boring, so I’m adding in some sparkling mineral water, and iced herbal tea both of which really quench any thirst and feel a bit more special than filtered tap. Going super clean with sugar including alcohol is something I’ve been thinking about for a long time, for my overall health.
Thanks for hanging in there with me.
#mysugarfreeyear
#winelover
#sugarfree
#healthcoachmaryellen