Where Did All the Wine Go?

Killer, Killer; See Something, Say Something; Weight Matters; Stage Management Excitement

Brief break in the wine stuff. Not that I’ve gotten that far just yet. Hey! It’s a new project! While I’ve taken a break from wine writing, I have not taken a break from wine. In fact I tried a new Pinot Grigio at the cast party for the show I was working on.

That’s where the break comes from, by the way. I was stage managing for Orlando’s Playwrights’ Round Table’s Goring One-Act Festival. Which was fun. Met some great people, had a bunch of laughs. Good times. But it doesn’t leave a lot of time for writing. Mostly you have time to go work and keep doing laundry so you don’t run out of stage blacks to wear. I don’t think I’ve worn that much black since that brief goth phase of mine back in early high school. And there was Halloween Horror Nights to go play at. Halloween. I admit it. I was a wee bit distracted.

But the festival is bittersweetly over. Back to a normal routine and my projects. There will be wine writing to come, promise. I did have someone recently ask me what wine I’d have for the Hogwarts Express. For those not in the Central Florida area or who do not keep up with Harry Potter stuff, Universal Orlando will be opening Diagon Alley next year and the Hogwarts Express will run between Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure. Hence, the question of wine for the train.

All the walkers!

But I digress. Actually admitting to digression brings me back to my point. I figured out two things recently: Where my writing voice comes from and why I have no problem writing in second person. My grandmother.

I’ve always loved stories, but I loved hers best. And she always told them to me and my brother—never read them, but just told them from memory. She’d tell them very conversationally, directly to me and my brother. It made for a very casual, telling-how-you-speak voice and it made us feel included in the story.  She was also infamous for “rabbit trails” or going off topic and digressing a lot. Apparently I inherited that too.

About a week ago I was talking with a friend at work and somehow the topic of my writing points of view came up. My undergraduate thesis contains stories written in a four points of view: first, second, third limited and third omniscient.  According to my thesis director, writers usually only stick with one or two POVs. They don’t usually bounce around. But not only did I write in them all, I successfully wrote in second person.

Fast forward six years to that aforementioned conversation. I realized that’s where I get it from. Being able to write in second person. Actually I’m kind of doing it now—I’m writing to you as if I were talking you. Like you’re not on the other side of some screen. That’s how I write best—telling and talking to you as if you were sitting in room with me like how my grandmother told stories to me. I can honestly say I got my voice from her. Well, the basis of it. Writing how I speak, writing to you. It was a really fantastic revelation for me. She died ten years ago and I miss her a lot. Now I have a means that brings her closer to me than I ever thought.

Blackberry wine; Frozen S’mores; Eiffel Sour; Dessert Trio

And I’ll continue to share like I’m talking directly to you. …Because I am. Next time I promise wine writing. There was that new Pinot Grigio. And then that blackberry wine—which is divine by the way. Great after a bad day at work. And the holidays are coming and that means cranberry wine! There will also be closing thoughts on this year’s Food and Wine Festival.

Also? You’ll be meeting Sam soon. Sam is only just beginning his exploration of wine, beer and more. He’s funny. I promise. So be on the lookout for videos as we work to cultivate Sam’s tastes.