October 29, 2014; game seven of the World Series between the San Francisco Giants and the Kansas City Royals.  In the bottom of the fifth inning Giants pitcher Madison Bumgarner enters the game with the score tied 2-2.  In the remaining five innings of the game the Giants would only score one more run; the Royals wouldn’t score again.  In a performance for the ages Baumgarner completely shut out the powerful Kansas City offense giving up only two hits in five innings.  Just the night before the potent Royals lineup had blanked the Giants 10-0.   But for the third time in the series Baumgarner shut down the Royals and in doing so got the save giving the Giants the series and earning MVP honors in the process (All due sympathies to good friend Doug Frost). 

Beyond the fact that it was a great series one could easily argue that the Giants didn’t beat Kansas City—Madison Bumgarner did all by himself.  He won both of his starts in the World Series dropping his earned run average for the entire playoffs to an unheard of 0.25 while allowing just one run in five total starts covering 36 innings.  Although those numbers may be Greek to you, Bumgarner’s pitching performance is unmatched in the history of the playoffs/World Series and not likely to be bettered for a long time.

What was especially impressive to watch was Mad Bum’s (as he’s called by teammates) focus and ferocious concentration between pitches and how he was able to completely reset after making each pitch regardless of what had just happened.  At the post-game press conference he told the immense horde of reporters that he was out there just trying to make pitches, hit his locations, and get hitters out.  It sounds simple but remember this was on the biggest sports stage of all—game seven of the World Series--and against the hottest hitting team in the major leagues during the playoffs.

What does Madison Bumgarner’s pitching in the World Series have to do with this blog?  Plenty—it’s huge.  For the last two months I’ve been involved in a new project with a group of Advanced and Master’s level students having to do with testing anxiety.  The purpose of the project is twofold: first, to find the best strategies to deal with test anxiety.  Second, to find best strategies for bringing one’s “A” game in the moment whenever needed.  One of the most crucial aspects of successful testing is to be able to control your mind and emotions.  It goes without saying that nerves will always be part of the exam process.  But nerves during an exam can quickly cause one’s thoughts to start racing faster and faster perhaps even getting out of control. 

The technique outlined below is the most recent of three strategies on which I’ve worked with the students in the project. It’s called “Clearing the Mechanism,” and it’s all about taking back control of your thinking during an exam by quickly clearing your mind whenever needed even to the point of installing a much-needed “reset” button.  

Why is “Clearing the Mechanism” so valuable? Think about Bumgarner’s ability to only focus on making the next pitch even though he was under immense pressure.  I can’t think of a more valuable tool than being able to clear your mind quickly on the go enabling you to refocus intensely in the moment.  Here’s the strategy:

I. The 15 Second Challenge

To begin I have a simple task for you.  It’s called the “15 Second Challenge.” The task is quite simple—but deceptively challenging. First, find a quiet place where you won’t be interrupted.  Then choose one of your very favorite life memories.  Pick an experience that was incredible—something that was really fun, enjoyable, even positively life-changing.  Once you have that great memory do the following:

Think about it in detail for 15 seconds. 

That’s right; that’s all.  Hold the memory for 15 seconds.  Time yourself with your phone.  Go for it!

Welcome back.  How did you do?  Odds are you may not have made it for the entire 15 seconds before something else crept in.  I didn’t make it the first several times I tried it.  I wasn’t even close.  But if you did get to 15 seconds, congratulations.  However, if you didn’t get there reset your clock and try again.  Do it now!

How did it go?  If you still didn’t get to 15 seconds before other stuff started creeping into your brain there’s a trick to it.  Try the following:

· Go back to your amazing memory and with your eyes open really get into it. 

· Now freeze the memory and be aware of EXACTLY where your eyes are looking while in the memory.

· Note the exact eye position by pointing precisely to the spot where you’re looking while thinking about the memory.  Really get the exact location—this is important!

· Now clear your head of the memory by looking around and thinking about anything else—what you had for breakfast, for example.

· Then go back to the exact eye position/location for the memory and when you get there bring up the memory as completely as you can.  Do it quickly!

· Once you’re in the memory soften the focus of your eyes and DON’T move them; focus on your breathing and the memory in as much detail as possible, seeing what you saw at the time, hearing what you heard, feeling what you felt. Hold your eye position.

· AVOID holding your eyes in a hard stare.  It will probably put you in a trance and might result in your head hurting.  Soft focus!

· Et voila! You’ll find you can really stay with the memory for a long time—even beyond 30 seconds--by finding the eye position for it and not moving your eyes. 

II. Practice!

The goal here is to get where you can—on command and at any time—hold a memory/thought for at least 15 seconds. Then increase it to 30 seconds; this is where your eyes—as in not moving them—will really come into play.

Next expand your repertoire to different kinds of memories.  As before, choose a great memory having to do with the following:

· Confidence: pick a time when you were unstoppable; when—for lack of a better way to put it—you kicked the world’s ass.  Don’t screw around!

· Focus: a time when you noticed everything in high definition clarity—even peripherally.

· Calm and peace: find that memory when you were really centered, calm, and quiet inside. This one’s especially important.

· Determination: when the going was tough but you got something done—and felt really good about accomplishing it.  Note that when you focus on the two physical points just below your eyes the feeling of determination gets even stronger.

· Fun: a zany, kid-like memory with lots of laughter involved.  FUN!

***Remember to find the exact eye position for each one.  Work with these and get so you can hold any and all of them for at least 30 seconds, if not longer. 

III. Getting to No Mind

Once you can hold a memory for 15-30 seconds there are two more steps: the first one is being able to quickly clear your head when you need to.  For lack of a better term I’m calling it “no mind” as in being able to clear and silence everything going on inside.  How? Go back to your calm and peace memory.  Practice getting there as quickly as possible.  Practice until you can get there in 1-5 seconds.  Again, knowing the eye position is huge for being able to do this.  Do this dozens—if not hundreds—of times until it’s easy and you can do it whenever you want. 

IV. Installing a “Reset Button”

The final step: picture a big button in front of you between chest and eye level.  Make it red or blue or whatever color you fancy.  Then in bold letters write the word “RESET” or “EASY” on it.  Then mentally reach out and PUNCH the button and when you do so immediately go to your “no mind” state and clear your head completely while taking a deep, relaxed breath.  Do it now!  See how fast you can get there after pushing the easy/reset button.  The goal is to get there within five seconds.  Practice!

V. Using “Clearing the Mechanism”

You may think the above strategies are strange and not worth the trouble.  But stop for a moment and think of how many different ways you can use them.  Here are some potential uses just for MS exams:

Theory:

· In a written exam you can stop and reset your brain before tackling a hard question.

· In an oral exam like the Master’s Exam you can quickly reset your brain every time you’re asked a question allowing you to bring a fresh focus to the next question—and the entire exam.  Resetting is especially important after tough questions you can’t answer so you don’t lose your confidence for the next question.

Tasting:

· Reset after finishing up with each wine: clear the mechanism!  Start each wine fresh and intensely focused REGARDLESS of what just happened with the previous wine.

· In the middle of a wine: reset after each section in terms of the sight, nose, and palate.  I think it’s especially valuable to reset and re-taste when you go to assess the structure.  Rushing the structural call on a wine is usually disastrous. 

· Before the conclusion: reset your brain and take 5-10 seconds to go over all the makers.  In particular, pay attention to the non-fruit and structure. 

Service:

· Before each table: especially valuable if something has just gone wrong at the previous table.  The more egregious the mistake the more you need to clear your head for the next task or next table.

· Before you set up your mise-en-place: take a moment, take a deep breath, clear your mind, and then set up the gueridon for decanting or whatever equipment you need for the required task. 

· Interrupts: reset quickly if there is a service interruption during your time at a table. 

· With a difficult guest: reset brain, soft eyes, and focused listening to the guest.

I hope you can see the value of these simple strategies.  I will tell you that personally as I get older my thinking can easily go into set patterns which I find incredibly frustrating.  Clearing the mechanism is an amazing tool and hugely beneficial for just that—and much, much more.

Cheers! 

                     “The map is not the territory.”

                                                                         Alford Korzybski

Behavioral scientists tell us that we are bombarded by over a billion bits of sensory information every second.  To cope with this constant overload our brains act as filters keeping only what is absolutely necessary to help us function successfully.  So we constantly delete, distort, and/or generalize incoming information as a survival mechanism.  Of the three generalizing is perhaps the most powerful and effective tool in that it allows us to take a one-time learning experience and map it across to multiple future experiences that are hopefully similar—or not.  In short, generalizing prevents us from having to re-learn how to open every door we encounter or how to respond to each new person who extends their hand to us to be shaken when first meeting them. 

That’s the good news. But there’s a downside to generalization as well that ranges from the odd clueless assumption to full-on phobias at the deep end. Consider the phobia for a moment: a powerful one-time learning experience that may traumatize someone for a lifetime unless treated.  Pretty remarkable if you think about it.  Once locked in, a powerful generalization like a phobia can create a set of beliefs/behaviors that affect anything even remotely connected to the original experience.

On a much lesser scale we as wine professionals all too often create brainiac short cuts by generalizing to make our lives easier. I call them deception points.  I’ve been guilty of them from time to time.  So have you. It’s always the moment when you say to yourself four very dangerous words: “I already know it.” And in saying or thinking we already know something we then shut ourselves off from the possibility of learning anything new.  Sound familiar?  Then you’ve probably also heard variations of the following accompanied by my not-so-patient commentary:

“All California wines have too much alcohol.”
Sonoma Coast Pinot and Chardonnay? Corison Cabernet?

“Any wine with over 14.5% alcohol is imbalanced and flawed.”
One word: ludicrous.

“All Bordeaux is too expensive.”
Yes, classified growth is hideously expensive but there are literally hundreds of other chateaux making excellent and very affordable wines.

“All German wines are cheap and sweet.”

For the record, don’t ever say this around me.  I might get dangerously excited—at your peril. Grosses Gewächs, anyone? Spätburgunder? No further questions, your honor.

“All Mendoza Malbec is commercial and tastes the same.”
Catena Zapata Nicasia? It’s brilliant stuff.

“All Chianti is rustic dreck.”
This one is truly galling.  No other region on earth has improved their wines in the last decade more than Chianti Classico.  Not convinced?  Then you don’t know about the Chianti Classico 2000 project and/or haven’t tasted the wines.  The 2012 vintage in particular is superb.

Why do we in the industry tend to generalize so often and on such a grand scale?  There’s a simple reason and one that is rarely mentioned or written about:

Wine is not easy.  

(FLASH!  This just in …)

There is so much to know about wine on so many different levels that no one human being can possibly keep up with it.  Combine that with how the wine world continues to change at a blinding pace and we’re almost forced to generalize just to survive and function in our profession.  No mention of the fact that the attention span of the major influencers—as in the wine press at large--is incredibly short.  I’m almost sort of sympathetic to their plight. But not really.  Maybe it’s the Sunday e-mails I get asking for a hell of a lot of information (and time) from someone I didn’t even know existed so they can meet their Monday noon deadline.  Seriously?  But this pressure to come up with the newest, latest, greatest on a non-stop basis puts everything into a constant crisis mode without much context.  It reminds me of SpongeBob when he hyperventilates. It’s also about as useful. 

Here’s the deal.  As professionals it’s all too easy and tempting for us to write a place off, especially if said place becomes massively popular and commercial in terms of style. We need to constantly remind ourselves to revisit classic places and wines to avoid making sweeping generalizations lest we become irrelevant in our industry. The operative phrase to all this is, “you never know.” And what we don’t know is that inevitably there will be someone out there, especially in the remotest reaches of the wine galaxy, who is usually young, half-crazed, and possessed with doing everything as differently as possible often to the extent of what we consider in our previous experience as “wrong.” And the wines they make may end up turning the model for their specific appellation on its head or at the very least offer a style that could take the region in a new direction. 

Given all that I am particularly astounded—and equally annoyed--that Australia has seemingly gone away from the short attention span time-space-continuum that seems to define the wine industry, press, and even the public.  Certainly the timing with the global financial crisis in 2008 had something to do with it not to mention the masses losing interest in the above mentioned mass-produced fruity plonk.   But it’s as if once the wave of animal wines crested a multitude of the country’s best producers were left high and dry with no traction in the market. Many of these wineries are located in cooler climates and make small lots of outstanding even world-class wines.  They’ve been pushing the rock uphill since and it’s a very steep hill at that.

It’s time to revisit Australia.  Here’s a list of wines you should know.  I am not including Grange or Hill of Grace because those are a given.  But if you don’t know these wines or haven’t tasted them recently you need to.  They belong on the best lists, on top retail shelves, and in cellars everywhere. 

Whites:

Pewsey Vale Riesling, “Contours,” Eden Valley
Grosset Riesling Polish Hill, Clare Valley

No surprise that Riesling tops the list of white wines given my loving addiction to the grape.  But perish the thought of anything insipid and sweet here. Tasting either the Contours or the Polish Hill for the first time is much like not-so-mild electric shock.  Both are bone dry and fiercely concentrated with searing acidity and astounding minerality.  So much for the Old World minerality New World fruit thing.

Tyrell’s Semillon “Vat 1,” Hunter Valley

Truly one of the free electrons of the entire wine universe.  How can it be possible that a wine with such concentration, high acidity, and intensity be made in a sub-tropical climate?  And be under 12% alcohol? Early picking, old vines, and an insane selection process have to be among the many answers to this complex riddle.  Know that Vat 1 isn’t released until after its fifth birthday and like the Rieslings above has the potential to age for decades.  It’s long been one of Australia’s wine icons.

Vasse Felix Chardonnay “Heytesbury,” Margaret River

Every time I hear someone complain/whine that all Australian Chardonnay tastes the same I think of this wine.  Put it in a flight of White Burgundy and everyone will peg it as a top Meursault 1er Cru. Tasting the Heytesbury is also guaranteed to open the big can of worms/Pandora’s box called “minerality.” It makes us scratch our heads and think that maybe, for just an instant, we really don’t know everything.  By the way, and this shouldn’t surprise you, winemaker Virginia Willcock is one of those people mentioned above.   

Yalumba Viognier “Virgilius,” Eden Valley

Confession: I am not usually a big Viognier fan.  Maybe it was an LA Wine Competition several years ago where my panel got stuck with tasting 65 California Viogniers under $15 first thing in the morning. By the end of it I felt like I’d been held hostage overnight behind a Walgreen’s perfume counter and force fed Fruit Loops. That said I will happily make an exception for any of the three Yalumba Viogniers because the winery has more of the grape planted than practically anywhere and winemaker Louisa Rose is as good as anyone making it.  Her top end wine is called “Virgilius.” It’s gorgeously perfumed, impeccably balanced, and simply delicious.  Tasting it restores my faith in Viognier--and humanity as well.

Tahbilk Marsanne “1927 Vines,” Nagambie Lakes

Perhaps the best kept wine secret about Australia is how good the white Rhône varieties are.  In fact I’m convinced the best wines are on a collision course to match and even exceed anything in the Old World at some point in the not-so-distant future. Exhibit “A” is Tahbilk’s 1927 Marsanne.  Unlike most varietally-bottled Marsanne which so often resembles a massive unfinished wooden bedroom set, the 1927 is sleek and laser-focused offering an almost alarming level of minerality.  And like all the above whites it’s known for its ability to age long term. 

Reds:

Yabby Lake Pinot Noir Block V, Mornington Peninsula

 Small winery, minuscule production, and very difficult to find but well worth it.  If there was such a thing as a New World Ponsot Bonnes-Mares this would be it. Enough said.

Mount Mary Quintet, Yarra Valley

Mount Mary wines define the phrase “against the grain.” Their Quintet is a starkly etched cool climate Cabernet blend with bright, piercing red fruit, overt herb and vegetal notes, and a dusty/smoky texture.  They make no style apologies to anyone here as the Quintet is as far from Les Pavots as the Dog Star.

Yalumba Cabernet-Shiraz “The Signature,” Barossa

Yalumba’s Signature is the best of all worlds: the structure of Cabernet meets the shameless hedonism of Shiraz.  What more could you want? More people should make this style of wine—and make it this well.

Parker Coonawarra Estate “First Growth,” South Australia

Parker’s “First Growth” is yet another Aussie wine that’s nearly impossible to find but well worth any effort.  It’s easily one of the New World’s great Cabernet wines from Terra Rosa--one of the top Cabernet terroirs on the planet. It’s also a fraction of the price of anything from Napa remotely in its quality tier.

Henschke Shiraz “Mount Edelstone,” Eden Valley

My tasting at the Henschke winery in October of 2010 was nothing short of a revelation; easily one of the top producer tastings I’ve ever experienced (think Sigalas on Santorini; Weil, Egon Müller, and Zilliken in Germany; and LeFlaive in Burgundy).  What was so impressive? The perfect, seamless and shimmering texture of all the Henschke wines regardless of their varietal make up (yes, including the Hill of Grace).  I asked Stephen Henschke about it and he shrugged it off as no big deal saying that his wife Prue, who oversees all the vineyards, was pretty much responsible.  I didn’t buy it then and I’m not buying it now.  At their best, Aussie winemakers do texture and tannin management better than anyone else—and there's no better example than the Mount Edelstone.

Langmeil Shiraz "Freedom," Barossa (1843)

Another superb expression of old vines Shiraz—as in 170 years-plus old.  Very dense, concentrated and yet not heavy—seemingly weightless.  A remarkably complex wine from ancient vines; quintessential Barossa Shiraz.

A happy belated New Year to everyone.  After taking most of January off, it’s back to it and this post is geared primarily for students in the MS program—particularly those who will be taking the Master’s theory exam at the beginning of March.  Know that these souls are, as we speak, hitting the books hard trying to cram as much vinous data into their weary craniums as possible.  Hopefully a lot of it will stick.  The exam—which is oral, lasts approximately 45 minutes, and encompasses over 70 questions—is extremely difficult--a monumental understatement. Below are some strategies for students prepping for exam day.  And before all the non-MS community readers out there hit the back button you might stay on to take a peek at some of the strategies.  Most have a wide range of application for learning practically anything.  Read on!

Rule #1: Give Yourself Permission NOT to Know Everything 

It’s impossible for any one person to know everything there is about wine.  To even momentarily entertain that thought is a hallucination—and not a useful one at all.  So take a deep breath and realize that you will never know everything there is to know about wine.  At the same time realize that with a lot of work you can know a hell of a lot—and more than enough to pass the exam.

Rule #2: Visual Memory is Not Good Enough

Flash cards alone will not do the trick in preparing for an oral exam. That’s simply because visual memory and stress do not mix.  You absolutely must use multi-sensory strategies when studying so you can access information in the exam when you will almost certainly be under stress.  More below.

Rule #3: Geography Matters

Be able to go to any wine place on the globe and quickly find major geographical features such as rivers, lakes, oceans, and especially mountain ranges.  Be able to speak to how these help shape their respective climates and ultimately how that affects wine quality.  Remember that there are two things that influence wine style as much or more than anything else--bodies of water and elevation.

Rule #4: the Golden Rule

If you can’t explain it you don’t really know it.  A major goal of your studies should be to able to teach whatever it is you’re learning even to the extent of being able to explain it to a non-industry person.  That includes winemaking terms and wine laws. If you had to explain the VDP classification to Uncle Louie after dinner, could you do it?  Could you explain biodynamics to your football buddies?  If you can’t then you don’t really know it. Reading may be learning but only explaining and teaching is actually knowing. 

Rule #5: Clear the Mechanism

One of the most valuable things you can do for the theory exam—or any exam for that matter—is to install a “reset” button in your head. That simply means you can either close your eyes momentarily or look to a certain location in space in order to completely empty your mind so you can reset and start again.  I can’t place enough emphasis on the value of installing a reset button—it’s literally a make or break strategy and frankly one of the most valuable tools any adult can have.  The best athletes have mastered it.

Rule #6: Memory and Eye Accessing Cues 

Know that most of the human race looks up and to the left when retrieving visual information such as the color of your mother’s eyes, the house where last you lived, or an old phone number.  (Note that that up/left is not universal as a much smaller percentage of people look up and to the right for visual memory) Alternately, most of us look up and to the right when imagining things; you know, when we make s**t up.  All this is the result of what psychologists call “vertical and lateral eye movements” or “eye accessing cues.” It’s important that you become aware of what you do in terms of eye position in relation to remembering visual information.  Why? Because if visual memory for you is up-left and you look up and to the right during the exam when asked a question trying desperately to remember faint scribbling on a tattered yellow 3 X 5 card you are, in short, completely screwed.  You’re going against brain function, mi compadre, and you will be out of luck.  One more thought: once you find that visual memory location (be it either up left or up right) shamelessly and consciously use it by loading information on a billboard positioned in just that space.  Make the billboard huge and put lots of info on it in the form of images, maps, and words in brightly colored letters.  Then put glitter on it.  After all, it’s your own personal iMax theatre. And we can’t see it.

Rule #6: Study for Shorter Periods of Time

When you study hit it hard but only for 45-60 minutes at a time.  Otherwise you run the risk of reading and skimming over data but not retaining anything.  Also, with so much information to cover the temptation will be to read as fast as possible.  Do that and the amount of information you actually retain will hover somewhere around zero.  If in doubt, cover less material but make it count; focus, read, and remember.

Rule #7: Theory Categories as Pull-Down Menus

The good news: this is not the bar exam and sommelier theory only has so many “kinds” of information.  I call these categories “pull-down” menus and these menus include geographical features (as mentioned above); geography itself in the form of countries, regions, and appellations (even vineyards if appropriate); grape varieties; wine laws and classifications; winemaking and grape growing terms; important producers.  That’s it, friends.  So take comfort in being able to easily sort wine information into one of these pull-down menus. It will help you make sense of it all and you’ll also quickly start to cross associate similar or same terms and concepts in different languages.  

Rule #8: Maps are Your Friends

Use maps in your studies.  A lot.  The merest mention of a wine place/region and you should immediately see a map in your mind’s eye and then do a google earth zoom-in to the location.  Then point to the location either internally or actually physically point to it.  The combination of pointing and the movement of zooming in should then start a sequence of information about a region and its wine beginning with general information and ending up with alcohol by volume numbers, yields if relevant, and any other important minutia.  Talk about it all and do so out loud if possible; be able to explain it.  

Rule#9: There’s No Crying in Baseball and there’s No Cramming in Wine

If you think you can wait until a couple of months before the exam to “fit” the theory in, think again.  While there may not be that many pull-down menus in wine as mentioned above, the variations in menus is staggering when considering the number of countries that produce wine which are fair game for the exam.  Start early and start often.  Come up with a study plan early on and stick to it. Remember to review your study plan every couple of weeks to see if it’s working.  Adjust as needed.

Rule #10: Warm Up!

Treat your study sessions like a physical work out. Begin any session by reviewing things you already know.  Avoid at all costs starting a session by trying to memorize all the premier cru villages in Burgundy or the four strains of saccharomyces yeast in Sherry flor.  Warm your brain up for at least 15 minutes by reviewing—as in talking out loud—what you’ve recently studied. Then get into the more difficult info that you’re in the process of learning.  Remember 45-60 minutes for a session only.  Take frequent breaks and do something completely unrelated to reading for about 15 minutes.  I know students who took up juggling and practiced during their study breaks.  It’s actually a very useful strategy because of the eye-hand coordination required in addition to using a different part of the brain vs. reading and memorizing.  

Finally, and this is important: make the distinction between “reviewing” what you already know vs. “learning” something new.  If you don’t then your brain will always be tempted to massively generalize and be in crisis mode because there is so much to “know.”

Rule #11: Chunk it Down: Use the Rule of Three

Our brains like the number three because it’s an easy number of things to remember.  Connect bits of information about a wine in threes; then chain together several threes of information.

Rule #12: Your Study Environment is Important

Try to study in the morning when your brain is fresh and hopefully rested.  Find a relatively quiet place away from constant interruptions. Place your iPhone in a distant location where you can’t hear it much less see it.  At the very least, resist the temptation to look at it every five minutes.  I know it may seem hard to believe, but the world can actually live without you for 45 minutes.  Strange, but true.

There was hope in the form of the Ghitallas.  Mundy and Pauline were incredibly generous in feeding the droves of trumpet students who regularly showed up at their house around 5:00 in the afternoon.  Dinner at the Ghitallas always began with Mundy shoving a large tumbler filled with Johnny Walker Red and ice into your hand.  Friends, this is where I learned to drink Scotch.  But Mundy was also an outstanding cook in his own right as well as huge wine fan. So there was always copious quantities of wine with dinner.  Mind you it wasn’t great wine, but it didn’t have to be.

Back to that cold Christmas night.  The other dinner guests that included H. Robert Reynolds, director of bands at the music school, and his wife.  Some weeks before my good friend Bob Reyen (who would go on to be my daughter Maria’s godfather) had given Carla and me a bottle of ’76 Silver Oak Alexander Valley Cabernet.  I’d never even heard of the winery much less tasted the wine but he assured me that it was outstanding.  The bottle became our donation to Christmas dinner. With the soup course served and cleared, Mundy and Pauline disappeared into the kitchen to carve the roast beast.  Carla and I were left to make small talk with H. Bob (as he was called) and his wife.  I opted to open and pour the bottle of Silver Oak.

 What happened next is not easy to describe. After serving the wine I sat down and picked up my glass. Reynolds, who had just been extolling the virtues of the bottles of ’61 Bordeaux in his collection (totally meaningless to me at the time), smelled the Cabernet in his glass and then immediately said a quiet but very emphatic, “Wow!” Almost simultaneously Carla said that the room smelled like flowers. I quickly put my nose in the glass only to be assaulted by a tsunami of blackberry jam and spice box.  I had never experienced anything remotely like it before with any glass of wine.  It was the very first time wine didn’t smell just like wine, it smelled like something—something I recognized.  In that moment everything changed and wine would never be the same.  I would never be the same.  The bright lights shined and the angels sang—the whole enchilada.  I finally got it.  I finally knew what everyone was talking about.  In short, I had my first wine epiphany.  From then on whenever I put my nose in a glass wine would for evermore smell like “things” instead of just wine.

What happened on that Christmas night with the glass of Silver Oak? What changed inside my brain in the moment that allowed me to smell a single aroma in wine vs. the entire mass of aromatics that I could only previously describe as “red wine”?  Was it a wine epiphany? If so, what happens when someone has one of these so-called epiphanies? Are these moments some sort of miraculous event that can’t be predicted or controlled?  Or are there circumstances that can help to create them? 

I have a theory.  

Fast forward to November 2009. I’m tasting wine in front of a film crew with Tim Hallbom, a behavioral scientist. We would spend the better part of four hours over two sessions tasting together.  At several points during the filming when I was describing a wine Tim would stop me, have me hold my eye position as precisely as I could, and then ask one of several simple questions:

“How do you know?”

And –

“If I were you, what would I experience?  What would I internally see, hear, or feel?”
 
Inevitably within 10-15 seconds of holding my eye position an image would appear—the image of whatever I was smelling.  In short order it became clear that smelling and tasting—at least for me—was an intensely visual experience internally.  In fact, if I couldn’t “see” an image of whatever I was smelling in the glass I couldn’t recognize it.  From there we discovered that not only did I create images for everything I smelled in a wine but the images had structural qualities.  Once I created these images they didn’t just go away--they arranged themselves in a very consistent grid with the various kinds of images/aromas living specific locations.

Since those initial film sessions I’ve interviewed dozens colleagues and students about their internal strategies for smell and taste memory.  I’ve come to the conclusion that the first threshold of sorts that anyone just getting into wine must cross is becoming aware of that olfactory-image connection, even if it’s at the unconscious level.  If not, then wine is destined to always smell like “wine” for them.  So the image/olfactory connection could be the main piece of the wine epiphany puzzle. But there has to be more.  I say that because if that’s all it took, then you could make someone aware of the inner smell—picture thing, hand them a glass of wine, and the combination of the two should light them up like a--you guessed it--Christmas tree. 

Perhaps context is another necessary ingredient in the wine epiphany recipe. Context—as in who, what, when, where, why, and how a wine is consumed--is arguably the most important part of any wine experience other than the actual taster.  The event, setting, and people with whom a wine is shared may have more influence than anything in lining up the stars for that magic vinous moment to occur.  Taste any decent wine with the love of your life during a gorgeous sunset and it could happen. Taste an old vintage from a prestigious domain with the winemaker in the winery’s ancient cellar and it could definitely happen.  Which brings me to the last and certainly not least ingredient of the epiphany recipe: feelings. 

Music: Led Zeppelin I-V

"Ah, music," said Dumbledore wiping his eyes. "A magic far beyond all we do here!”

J.K. Rowling from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone

This past year marked the release of digitally remastered versions of the first five Led Zeppelin albums.  Rumor has it that guitarist Jimmy Page spent the better part of six years meticulously going through studio and live tracks for the new releases. The results are well worth it as the music has never sounded better.  Personal favorites are Led Zeppelin I—one of the greatest debut albums of all time—and Houses of the Holy.  I was fortunate enough to hear the band on tour doing Houses of the Holy in 1973.  The concert was so loud I was deaf for three days afterwards.  It was delightful. 

Non-wine books:

Good Manners for Nice People who Sometimes say F*ck, Amy Alkon

Advice Goddess Amy Alkon is today’s Emily Post—with an edge. Her column and books seek to instill manners and civility in a world gone mad with social media and technology.  Alkon's new book Good Manners is filled with witty and pertinent advice on manners for any and all occasions—from dealing with irritating neighbors to dating to that ubiquitous loud person on their cell phone next to you in a café.  A delightful and very funny read--and imminently practical too. 

Holiday Survival Kit

Finally, here’s a quick gift suggestion for you and your loved ones that shows how much you care.  


Happy Holidays! 

Most of the time this blog is about wine or wine-related things. But it’s Thanksgiving which is always a good time to stop and offer appreciation and gratitude to the people in your life who make a difference.  So this post is not about wine, it’s about my family, specifically my son Patrick and the group of extraordinary people who have helped him on his journey—and ours.

Patrick Owen Gaiser was born on June 27th, 1993.  His due date was October 9th.  He was a premie born at 26 weeks and weighed one pound, eleven ounces at birth.  He spent the first 110 days of his life in the neonatal intensive care unit of what was then Children’s Hospital in San Francisco. In those first few challenging months Patrick managed to pass each premie hurdle in terms of the proper development of his heart, lungs and eyes with flying colors.  He was released from the hospital in October after his original due date weighing just over five pounds.

Patrick turned 21 last June.  He’s a young adult with disabilities and though very high functioning he will never drive or take public transportation by himself.  He will always live with us or near us.  But Patrick is also a remarkable young man who touches everyone who comes into contact with him.

Patrick processes the world through the movies of Disney, Dreamworks, and Pixar. It goes without saying that we—his family—have watched the movies with him countless times and like him have become walking lexicons of all things animated.  He constantly refers to the films in everyday conversation flitting from movie to movie making points about various characters’ personalities, habits, and behaviors as well as the seemingly constant theme of protagonist vs. antagonist.  Further, he draws--almost compulsively--characters from the movies and his artwork can only be described as one of a kind (see below).

Beyond Disney there has been another constant in Patrick’s life over the last two decades; his care givers, special education teachers, and paraprofessionals. Beginning with his nurses in neonatal intensive care a steady progression of the most caring and talented people have been part of his life over the last 21 years.  Here are some of the men and women who have been a part of his journey.  During this time of Thanksgiving we send them our love, appreciation, and gratitude.  They made a huge impact on Patrick’s life and on our lives as well.

Children’s Hospital: Jacqueline Jessen RN

Day Care: Cindy Hampton

After school: Leslie Zwemmer

Alvarado Elementary School: Darcy Estes and Stacey Cadigan; after school program: Yury Hurtado

A.P. Giannini Middle School: Cindy Sawchuck and Stephen Talsky

Beacon after School Program: David Allen as well as Rena, Cole, and Christine

Mission High School: Tanya Derkash and Rami Aweti

Best Buddies: Paulina Avila Martinez

ARC: Lance Scott

Pomeroy Center:  Allen Player and Victor Ha

Angels among Us: Special Education Teachers

Teaching has long been called one of the most noble and valuable of all professions.  I couldn’t agree more. Unfortunately, teaching as a profession is also for the most part undervalued, underserved, and most of all underpaid. But beyond mainstream teachers are the individuals who choose to work with kids and adults with disabilities. Special ed teachers are a rare breed with skills far beyond what’s required for mainstream teaching. For them establishing rapport to successfully communicate with students--always a priority for any teacher—can be an immense challenge as those they teach have challenges ranging from non-verbal to permanent physical impairment. The men and women who teach our kids and adults with disabilities are my heroes. They are truly angels among us. 

As for Patrick’s teachers, I’ve saved the best for last.  For the past two years he’s been part of a program called Access offered through the San Francisco Unified School District at the ARC Center. Access is a unique program offering young adults with disabilities life and vocational experiences using the community as a classroom.  It’s the brainchild of program director and special education teacher Heidi Seretan.  Working with her are Jen Kabbabe, special education transition teacher, and Ashley Saks, paraprofessional.

Recently I sat down with the three of them because I wanted to know more about the program and about them. What led them to become special ed teachers? How did a unique program like Access come about? How do they teach students with such a wide range of disabilities? Finally, what do they want the world to know about young adults with disabilities?  Here is our conversation.

The cast:

· Heidi Seretan, Program Director and Special Education Transition Teacher

· Jen Kabbabe, Special Education Transition Teacher

· Ashley Saks, Paraprofessional

The interview: 

TG: How did the Access program start?

Heidi: Access started as a transition program at the Ruth Asawa School of the Arts (SOTA) at the McAteer campus in San Francisco. It’s a program designed to be community based, serving students with disabilities between the ages of 18 and 22.  Three years ago in 2012 we moved next to the Arc of San Francisco. We really wanted to have the students somewhere that would be a natural transition for them into the adult world.  With the Access program being based here and not on a traditional high school campus we don’t have passing periods, cafeteria-lunch hour or all those exterior things that can over-stimulate students.

TG: Heidi, where are you from originally and what was your path to becoming a special needs teacher?

Heidi: I’m from Huntington Beach, California. My background is in German linguistics for undergraduate and my master’s degree and special ed credential are in moderate to severe disabilities.

TG: What was the impetus to get that particular graduate degree?

Heidi: When I was in high school my swimming and water polo coach was the teacher for students with very significant multiple disabilities. So when I was a freshman I began as a student aide working with students with disabilities and I really enjoyed it. From there I started at U.C. Irvine where I had a full scholarship for a pre-med degree. But I hated it.  I made no friends and I make friends at the airport (laughs). I really didn’t like it. But I liked working with people with disabilities.

TG: Was there someone in your immediate family with special needs?

Heidi: No, nobody in my family or no personal story; it just happened to be that I enjoyed it. It was really fun and a great pay off to see the small successes like seeing students learning to communicate with eye movements. I also got frustrated in high school with people who took things for granted. Students complained about having to run a mile and then I would see other students with disabilities who would do anything just to be able to walk much less run. I saw a genuiness in these students that I didn’t see with the average student. They were the kind of people I wanted to be around at that time.  

TG: Ashley, what about you?

Ashley: I’m from Columbia, Maryland. I grew up in the suburbs. My first memory of students with disabilities is from elementary school. I think subconsciously I was really influenced by a program we had called DAP Days—Disability Awareness Program. Once a year, individuals with disabilities came to our school and did workshops with all the students that showcased their abilities.  I remember there was a wheelchair basketball team that showed off their skills and they were just amazing.

TG: What about your degrees? What did you study?

Ashley: I have a bachelor’s of fine arts in photography from the University of Miami. After that, I became more interested in the moving image and video, so got a master’s in media arts from the California College of Arts. That’s why I moved here to San Francisco. Through that network, I discovered my love and passion for working with individuals with disabilities. Long story short, a colleague of mine from CCA was starting a media arts class geared towards transition students and he asked me to teach the class. I had no experience working with individuals with disabilities but I really wanted to teach and expand my knowledge.  So he, another colleague, and I developed a curriculum for a class that taught video and production skills as well as different methods of using technology to learn and communicate. That first semester, we made our first music video and the students were involved with each step of the collaboration. Through that introduction to Transition and special education, I discovered my love for working with young adults with disabilities. There were a lot less restrictions working with that age group.  We were able to help them express themselves and communicate in different ways that work for each individual. I was able to see them blossom and shine when using technology. They could see themselves instantaneously, learn from their mistakes, and most importantly be proud of their accomplishments. Turns out that my career made a full circle because my Mom was a special ed teacher.  I was definitely influenced by her but I didn’t realize it until later on.

After teaching that class it was important for me to continue working with transition students.  I was talking to Alyson Furnback who taught the transition students in my media class, and she told me about Heidi and said that she would probably love to bring some of her students to my program.  They got on board and it was a huge success.  Heidi and I really connected and she encouraged me to pursue this full time by getting a special education teaching credential. So that’s what I’m in the process of doing this year. Hopefully in May I’ll complete the credential program at SF State.

TG: Jen, your turn.

Jen: I went to a tiny private liberal arts school in Santa Barbara, and entered the world of special ed in a roundabout, un-inspirational way. I used to do a lot of babysitting to get myself through school and help pay the bills. When I graduated I was looking for something more full time.  I started working in an elementary school in their after school program because I already had experience working with kids. At the end of the school year I was told that they were not going to have the funding to hire me back next year, and someone at the school recommended that I apply to be a para-professional for students with disabilities because they always needed someone. I didn’t have any experience but I interviewed and got the job.  I started working at a middle school in Santa Barbara.  On day one I was so blown away by the students and their personalities, their character, and their genuiness, as Heidi put it. They are who they are and they’re not trying to impress anyone. I was attracted to that because part of being at my small private liberal arts school was that everyone was trying to impress everyone else.  So I was para-professional at that middle school for three years and then started applying for credential programs. I now have my credential in moderate-to-severe disabilities. I’m finishing up my master’s this year if all goes according to plan. I love it and really feel like I’ve found a career for myself.

Tim: How did you find Heidi?

Jen: Through someone at San Francisco State, Kathy Doering, whom the three of us all know really well. She supervises student teaching at SF State and told me about this amazing transition program.  She set me up to do my student teaching here.

Tim: Access in all of Patrick’s academic career is one of a kind.  There’s never been anything remotely like it. Is the program unique for the unified school district?

Heidi: Transition programs exist across the country and are federally funded but programs look different in different cities. San Francisco has a good public transportation system and programs here are very community-based whereas in other more remote places you’ll see sheltered workshops or activities only going on in the classroom. But I personally feel that Access is very unique compared to other transition programs.

Ashley: The move off of the high a school campus alone is setting a pathway in helping these young adults become more independent. They’re out in the community more and we partner with adult programs like The Arc instead of being stuck on a high school campus.

Heidi: Our focus here at Access is self-advocacy, self-determination, and increasing independence. The community and jobs become our teachers too.  It’s not us just going out and using their sites.  The community is our classroom and our motto has become, “San Francisco is our campus.”  I think a lot of other programs are less focused on getting students involved in the community and increasing independence. We also really try to work with students’ strengths, hopes, dreams, and goals. We’re constantly expanding the experiences we can provide for them. So we have opportunities for meaningful things in the community as well as experiences in the arts, hobbies, and also ways to self-express.

Jen: I think transition is really unique because it has that flexibility.  There’s no federal or state-based curriculum for transition. There aren’t even any research-based curriculums for transition so it provides an opportunity for programs like ours to be really creative and have a lot of freedom.

Tim: But then the onus is really on you three to create the curriculum for the program.  With that, Patrick always seems to be doing an amazing mix of different things here.  What is your vision for the Access curriculum?

Heidi: I think our goal is to create a program that doesn’t exist solely on the fact that we are here. That it will continue on and be strong without us. We don’t want something that’s only successful based on the teachers that implement it.

Ashley: We’re also providing really well-rounded options for students.  We’re taking their interests into consideration. But we’re also encouraging them to explore things they haven’t experienced before or that they may not know they’re interested in. For that we’re providing many different types of job experiences and classes in the community.  Even on a week to week basis the student choice option gives them the opportunity to go somewhere they’ve never been before or to take a leadership role and take their peers on a tour of their neighborhood. 

Heidi: I think we really try to highlight our students. They’re not always able to advocate for themselves as successful, competent, and contributing members of society in the community. So experiences like having them speak at the school board meeting, being on YouTube, and being at the SFMTA meetings (San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency) makes them more visible in the community. Just by doing that last thing we got all the bus passes for transition students paid for.  It really makes a difference because it’s a skill that our students probably wouldn’t gain on their own. But they can do it with support.

Jen: It also makes them really proud and builds up their self-esteem. 

Tim: Part of what I do in the Master Sommelier program is coach and mentor students. I think that what you first have to do in coaching someone is to establish rapport with them. How do you three do that with your students who have such a wide range of challenges? To me that’s one of the most amazing things you and your staff do.

Heidi: I think what really helps us is having the students take the lead.  At the end of each school year we have all the returning students and their families come together with new students and families and in that way we build a community of respect and a family environment.  But I also know that I have a strong, loud personality and not everyone is going to like 100%-full on Heidi around them. With some students that doesn’t work. But by listening and observing I find what works best. I was a waitress and a bartender for many years and I think that helps me be a strong teacher by playing to students’ strengths and interests.  They’re sort of a customer and the question is, what kind of service am I going to give them so they have a happy experience?

We also try to pair students with peers they enjoy being with as well as with the staff of their choice attempting to get as much of their personal choice into their schedule. I comes down to looking for opportunities for students to become leaders, to become highlighted, and celebrate their successes. That builds their confidence and improves relationships all around.

Ashley: I think it’s also about observing and feeling out their comfort level, their communication style, and trying to be as understanding about all that as possible. One thing we do is take students to social events and try to engage them in social opportunities. That might look different for different students.  Maybe a quiet student might not be dancing at an ARC dance but they’ll be the photographer. That way they can still be part of that environment but they don’t have to have a chatty, expressive personality. Ultimately I think all of us try to be ourselves as much as possible.  We try to maintain a positive energy and it helps to make everyone feel as comfortable as possible no matter what their disability is or their communication style.

Jen: That’s part of the reason I like transition so much--it levels the playing field. I don’t feel like I’m a teacher in a classroom forcing students to do their algebra homework. Instead, I feel like we’re in a place where we can listen to the students and get to know what they like, what they’re interested in, and then shape the program around that. I also think students automatically feel more respected here.  They want to have relationships with us because they know they’ll be heard. We listen and try to make a learning experience for them that’s valuable. But it’s different for every student and it does take time. When we show respect to a student they will respect us in turn, or at least that’s the goal. I also believe this is a really safe place for them to learn and have new experiences.

Ashley: It is really interesting when students are coming into our program straight from high school who haven’t necessarily been given the opportunity to make decisions for themselves.  We’ll ask if they have a Facebook account and sometimes they’re not allowed to have one at home.  But we’re trying to help them understand that they are adults and though they aren’t on Facebook at home, when they’re here at school it’s part of socializing and what others their age are doing. So we help them to make those kinds of decisions for themselves.

Tim: It’s like Patrick learning how to use e-mail.

Heidi: Right and it opens up so much.  I get an e-mail from Patrick almost every day and also from Kacey, another student in his class. It’s great to see how much it has increased his socialization and communication with staff and his friends.

Tim: What’s the toughest part of the job?

Heidi: I say 100% it’s not the students.

Ansley: Definitely not the students.

Jen: It’s my first year full-time teaching, so right now there’s a lot of things that are challenging. But I agree with Ashley and Heidi that it’s not the students. We’re all in this field because we want to work with students who have these types of challenges. We know what we’re getting into. But I think a lot of the administrative stuff is challenging; the communication as well as feeling supported.  For the last five days Heidi and I have been trying to get our transportation passes on time and every month it’s an issue. I think a lot of the logistical things are hard - trying to make sure everything is in the right place at the right time and ready to go. Because we’re in the community dealing with ten different job sites and six different volunteer sites, there’s a lot of collaboration going on. We have ten total staff right now with eight paras so there has to be a lot of communication making sure that everyone understands what students should be doing and working on, as well as collaborating with the families.  For me that’s the most energy-draining thing—making sure all those things are in place. But it’s also necessary for having a good, well-structured program.

Ashley: It’s hard to see students struggle. Ultimately we’re here to support them but when students are having a hard time communicating their frustration it’s difficult. I think it’s important to establish with them--and ourselves--that every day is a new day.  Just because you had a hard day or something didn’t go right for you today doesn’t mean that tomorrow is going to be the same. Also that none of us will take anything personally. I think about that a lot; even if someone had a hard day tomorrow’s a new day and we’re here to help them.

Jen: It’s also hard for me to see students who really excel here, but knowing that those opportunities might not be available to them after they leave our program. It’s difficult to see students whose family life is not really set up to help them socially or financially.

Heidi: For me one of the most challenging things about moving away from a high school site is that we don’t have as many structural supports whether it be a security guard or office staff.  Last year we had six staff turnover and sometimes we had three staff out on a day with no substitutes.  Or one substitute would come and not know anything about our program.  It’s really hard to give quality instruction to our students when there’s no consistency. Because we have an array of nine or ten job sites that means there’s one person per site. So if more than one staff are out then we don’t have enough people to take students out to their community sites and it throws everyone’s schedule off.

There’s also consistency of administration. In the six years I’ve been in transition we’ve had four different supervisors of secondary special education. You take so much time explaining your program to someone and they finally become invested but then they’re gone.  We have a new person now and none of us has met her. It’s like constantly starting over from scratch having to constantly explain what transition is and to validate that we’re here and what we’re doing is worth it. I don’t like to be the person who’s the exception to the rule but transition really is just that.  We don’t follow state standards. And though we do data tracking through IEP goals (Individualized Education Program) we don’t have math standards to adhere to or things like that.

I think for other transition teachers trying to find a way to be part of the community is a challenge. We’re very fortunate in that we’ve created our own identity here at Access with our own logo. I feel like I’m part of something. I think that’s where a lot of transition programs struggle. But we’ve struggled as well just in advocating what we need while also being resourceful.  All our furniture is hand-me-down from the ARC. It’s interesting that Ashley comes from the non-profit world where they have a budget and can get reimbursed for things. That doesn’t exist for public schools. So we have to be creative in doing that like the coffee cart program that Patrick was part of at the MUNI office.  That made us a bit of money that we could then use to create a claymation class or buy some props for a dance video.  

Tim: What’s the best part of the job?

All three: The students!

Jen: I love being with students at lunch, chatting with them, and finding out what they do in their free time.  I also love the goofy things they do and their quirky personalities; seeing them come out of their shells and be really successful and finding passions, things they love, and making relationships with each other.  We see them become adults here. They come in from high school and they’re really quiet, shy, and keep to themselves.  By the time they leave here they’ve become these really huge personalities and they’re well-rounded, amazing people.  It’s great to see that transformation.

Ashley: They’re not only learning from us but they’re learning from each other. We can be ourselves with the students and they can be themselves with us; it’s just a really powerful place to work. 

Heidi: A lot of my favorite things have to do with bridging the gap.  I feel that transition is so unique.  We’re not just teachers, we’re case managers and helping to bridge the transition from public school to adult life. That’s unique compared to any other teaching job. We’re able to be closer to families than a regular fifth grade teacher could ever be. We’re also able to be much more invested as part of the IEP team. Transition is the first time that IEP feels like a team and not just teacher, family, student.  But I think my favorite things are seeing the students grow socially outside of school and discovering who they are; things like going to dinner, going to plays, and the Arc dances.  Also in seeing the students having proud moments like speaking at San Francisco State or in front of the school board of directors meeting; seeing them do something they didn’t think they could do.

Tim: Where do you see your careers taking you in the future?

Jen: I feel like this is a very new career for me so I plan on staying for as long as I can. It’s hard for me to imagine teaching outside of San Francisco now that I’ve taught here. Our program is so ingrained in the city and the community that for me to go to some isolated school in a suburb would feel very boring.  I really like being in San Francisco and think this is a great place, where students have a lot of opportunities. I definitely would like to continue teaching here for as long as I can. From there we’ll see where it takes me.

Ashley: I love working with transition students; I love seeing them grow and blossom and be able to express themselves through performance, dance, music and all the creative arts.  I’m hoping to expand my media arts curriculum and to be able to work with more programs around San Francisco. I think Access is the ultimate school and community to be a part of; it’s a pilot for the successes that could be happening in other schools and programs.  I’m not sure if that would mean a partnership with Access and other programs or if it would be an inclusive media experience for more schools and other non-profits. But I definitely want to continue to work with special ed and hope this curriculum can reach out to more young adults.

Heidi: Your question is something I’ve been toying/struggling with over the last two years.  I firmly believe that people should never go into administration or teaching people how to teach unless they have a firm foundation as a teacher.  In the past couple of years I’ve thought a lot about going back to get a PhD or going to an administrative program. But then I think about what gives me the most joy and it’s the students. I think it’s a shame when someone’s doing really well and the general thought is, “what’s next?”

I feel really happy where I’m at right now while I’m doing the Master Teacher program through San Francisco Unified providing me with some additional funding to some creative projects in creating district-wide transition materials.  Jen is one of the teachers on my team and we’re working on getting things vetted by the legal department so all the transition programs will have a common syllabus and everyone will have access to the same things.  My goal in the next four years is to really be a part of strengthening transition district-wide.  Next year we have two openings in our program and we’ve already had four families visit and have three more scheduled.  That’s a lot of people we don’t say no to but placement does.  I think it’s a good thing we have all this interest because it shows the district that people want these experiences for their sons and daughters that aren’t in a high school setting.  They want the Access-type experience.  I hope to be part of that process in making more and more transition programs community-based. 

Tim: Last question: if there’s anything you’d want people reading this to know about young adults with disabilities what would it be?

Heidi: I want people to take the time to get to get to know our students and find ways to have them become more involved in their community--whether it be at their job site or  Being active with our Access community.

Ashley: I would also want readers to understand that all behaviors are meant to communicate something. Our students may need some extra help interpreting what it is they are trying to communicate. This might take extra thought and time. Things may not necessarily be how they appear on the outside. All individuals have strengths and feelings that should be valued.  Hopefully we can all take the time to discover what those strengths and talents are.  Everyone has the right to have meaningful experiences, no matter who we are or where we come from. That’s what we try to provide here at Access—meaningful experiences for everyone.

Jen: Along the same line, just to know that these individuals are complete people.  They’re not just people with disabilities, but they’re complex human beings and they have experiences and stories, likes and dislikes, and strengths and weaknesses. Don’t put them in a box or look at them with a label, but explore them as a person--value them as a whole person that has a lot to offer and a lot to contribute. They might need a bit of support to find their right place in the world, but they’re incredible people that are worth spending the time to get to know.

Heidi: Jen said it really well; seeing the person and not their disability.  We always do things to show that we have much more in common than we’re different.  I think that’s really important for people to know; that you have more in common with these people than differences.  But also knowing that there is so much potential in all these students to be involved in the community.  How do we bridge that gap? There’s an amazing quote from Ike Kwon, the human resources director for the Academy of Sciences. He said that, “To connect with our community we have to reflect our community.” I think that’s well said; that this is not our community and then here are people with disabilities—we’re all part of the same community. 

Tim: Thank you for everything you do.  You three are rock stars. 

For more information about the Access program look for Access SFUSD on Facebook

There are two countries that instill fear in the hearts and minds of MS students; countries that can inspire panic in even the most confident candidate: Italy and Germany.  With Italy a primal response is appropriate given that it’s a pastiche of 20 small countries with over a thousand registered grapes (most of which you’ve never heard of) and is home to over 900,000-plus vineyards. I’m not even sure Sicily has a completed agricultural census at this point. Thus studying Italian wine requires more than a healthy dose of the “fear of god” factor.  But Germany? Not remotely the same. Perhaps it’s the language that’s challenging or the labels, many of which used to look like a Young Frankenstein poster (note past tense).  But in reality the only thing challenging about the Germany beyond the language is the fact that there are are two—yes two—sets of wine laws to deal with: the actual German laws that apply to every wine made in country and the classification of the VDP or quality growers association.  Believe it or not, all this can be made easy. So if the mere thought of studying German wine makes you queasy this post is for you.  And if you’re avoiding studying Germany like putting off cleaning out the garage or doing last year’s taxes, this post is definitely for you.  Take a deep breath--it’s going to be OK.  And remember, as there’s no crying in baseball there’s no freaking out in wine—even with Germany.

The Baggage

Before we get started it’s probably best to deal with the various myths surrounding German wine.  Here are the most common ones and the facts.

Myth: all German wine is white, fruity, innocuous, and cloyingly sweet.

Reality: thank you, Blue Nun.  In fact, over 90% of the wine consumed in Germany is dry and a more than a bit of it red.  Best examples of the old school fruity styled wine with residual sugar are largely exported to countries like Switzerland, the U.S., Japan and others. While there is still a great deal of mass-produced schlock that finds its way on to foreign retail shelves it’s easy to navigate around it.  How? Start by looking for the VDP logo on the label or capsule.

Myth: the German language is soooo difficult to pronounce.

Reality: Seriously? If you can say Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh or Vino Nobile di Montepulciano you can say anything in German.  Yes, it takes a bit of practice but with few exceptions (most notably the “ei” “ie” combinations) the Germans pronounce every vowel and consonant making the language fairly straight forward. However, if you don’t practice and completely mispronounce something tableside to a guest or during an exam you’ll sound just as much like a dolt as if you were mispronouncing something in any other language.  But take heed and comfort because there are pronunciation guides for all the major German terms on the Guild site (guildsomm.com) and other online resources as well.  Practice!

Myth: the labels are impossible to read much less understand.

Reality: true once upon a time but generally not the case now.  Most of the top producers have gone a long way to simplify their labels for the international, largely English-speaking market.  However, regardless of the design the fact is that German labels contain more information than wine from most other countries.  That means it takes some effort on your part to decipher what’s there.

Myth: in terms of climate Germany is a cold place.

Reality: once true but much less so now.  For the better part of two millennia getting grapes ripe has been a constant struggle in Germany because most of the major vineyard areas are right at 50° latitude.  But that seems to have changed since 1990 and proof can be seen in the number of outstanding vintages in the last 25 years.  Know that climate change has affected Germany as a wine producing country more than any other and that’s because top quality wines are categorized not by place of origin but how ripe the grapes are at the time of harvest. More on this later. 

Background: What You Need to Know

Acreage under vine: as a country Germany has approximately 252K acres of vineyards—far less than the region of Bordeaux.

Scale of production: Germany’s entire annual production is only 25% that of France.

White vs. red wines: just over 60% of German wine produced is white. That’s down almost 20% in the last 25 years due partly to climate change but also because plantings of red grapes such as Pinot Noir (Spätburgunder in German) have increased significantly. 

Grape Varieties: the Major Players

There are hundreds of different grapes grown throughout Germany and a majority of them are white.  Here are the important ones:

Whites

Riesling: gets my votes as the world's greatest white grape. Riesling is the most widely planted grape in Germany accounting for over 22% all acreage under vine. In Germany Riesling displays an extraordinarily wide range of aromatics and flavors and can be made in a wide range of styles, from the dry Grosses Gewächs bottlings to the ultra-sweet and rare Trockenbeerenauslesen.

Müller-Thurgau: once the most widely planted grape in country now usually destined for blends or jug wines. Some good single varietal bottlings are also made.

Silvaner: originally from Alsace, plantings of Silvaner (note the spelling vs. Alsace) are concentrated in Franconia.  Here the grape excels under the guidance of producers like Hans Wirsching.

Scheurebe: a Riesling-Silvaner cross that resembles part Gewürztraminer-part Riesling. Plantings of Scheurebe are on the decrease.

Weissburgunder (Pinot Blanc): increasingly popular in the post-sweet wine era of Germany. Plantings have increased by over 80% in the last 15 years.

Grauburgunder (Pinot Gris): focused in warner southern regions such as the Rheinhessen and the Pfalz.  Plantings of Grauburgunder (literally “gray Burgundy”) have increased by over 90% in the last 15 years.

Red

Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir): there are dozens of red grapes commercially planted in Germany but Pinot Noir is by far the most important.  Perhaps the true litmus test of climate change for Germany is the fact that the country now ranks third in plantings of the grape worldwide.  The learning curve for quality is steep as well with a Spätburgunder from Ahr Valley producer Meyer-Näkel winning Decanter Magazine’s Pinot Noir of the year award in 2009.

Concepts You Should Know

The öchsle scale: the system used in Germany to measure the amount of grape sugar at harvest. Here the specific gravity or density of grape juice is compared to a similar amount of water.  The difference—as in grape sugar and solids—is measured in degrees öchsle.  Every quality level of German wine—from lowest to highest—has minimum öchsle requirements.

Village-Vineyard wine names: like Burgundy top German wines are labeled by both the village and vineyard of their origin.  For example, with a wine such as Bernkasteler Doctor from the Mosel, Bernkastel is the name of the village and Doctor the name of the vineyard. Note that the Germans usually add “er” to the name of the village like we would say New Yorkers are from New York.  Remember, it’s just like Burgundy.

AMP number: every German quality wine must undergo Government tasting panel approval before commercial release.  After approval each wine is assigned an 11 digit tracking number of sorts called an AMP number (amtliche prüfungsnummer).  The numbers identify the bottler’s village, individual code, application number, and year of application. All very precise—and very German.

Appellations: from Smallest to Largest

Einzellage (2,715): a single vineyard.  Ein is the German word for “one” and—this is so completely German—there are as of last count 2,715 of them.  Yes, unlike the Italians the Germans can tell you exactly how many vineyards there are in country.  I like that about them.

Grosslage (163): a collection of vineyards. Grosslage as an appellation dates from the 1971 changes to German wine law. It’s also arguably the Achilles heel, the major loophole, in German wine law because there is little, if any way, for a consumer to tell the difference between a wine bottled from one of the world’s great vineyards (i.e. einzellage) vs. a bottle of dreck made from a blend of less than stellar vineyard sources.

Bereich (34): a district made up of villages and vineyards.  Also dates from the ’71 wine laws.

Anbaugebiet (13): a major region and there are 13 of them.  Anbaugebieten can easily be compared to the likes of Tuscany, Champagne, the Douro, and Priorat in their respective countries.  The Mosel and the Rheingau are the two most historic and important anbaugebieten.  More on these later.

The 1971 Laws and the VDP Classification

A quick check of the six prädikate concept and entire German system where quality is based on grape sugar at harvest quickly reveals some troubling conclusions: great historic vineyard sources became irrelevant overnight and potential was created for making TBA from a secondary grape that still could find its way into the top tier of quality wine. To the latter point I remember the very first German wine I tasted in the late 1970’s.  It was a 1976 BA made from the not-so-world famous Ortega grape from a producer in the Pfalz.  The wine was syrupy sweet and somewhere between a Glade plug-in air freshener and Aqua Velva.  World class it definitely was not.

Enter the VDP, or Verband Deutscher Prädikatsweingüter, an association of Germany’s best producers founded in 1910.  Today the VDP has just 200 members from all 13 regions.  Given that over 30,000 entities grow grapes and make wine in Germany it can easily be argued that the organization is the best of its kind in the world. It also goes without saying that the VDP’s regulations and classification are far more stringent that Germany’s laws.

Originally the VDP promoted sustainable agricultural practices and un-chaptalized wines from member producers that were featured at an annual auction.  But with the passing of the ’71 laws its mission expanded and the organization fought to return the Germany’s great vineyards to their former prominence as well as the reputation of the country’s great dry wines. Over time the organization created its own classification that would seek to accomplish both.  In 2002 the VDP published the first version of their classification which was updated in 2006 and again in 2012.  As it now stands the classification, called “Grosse Lage” (not to be confused with the grosslage described previously), is based on the Burgundian system of Grand Cru and Premier Cru vineyards. The four tiered system is as follows:

• Grosse Lage: Grand Cru vineyards

• Erste Lage: Premier Cru vineyards

• Ortsweine: village level wines

• Gutsweine: traditional estate wines

The best dry wines from top vineyard sites are called “Grosses Gewächs,” roughly translated as Grand Cru.  Wines designated as such carry a “GG” embossing on the bottle and only the name of the vineyard vs. the traditional village-vineyard combination noted above.  GG wines follow far stricter regulations than typical German wines including mandatory hand harvesting, minimum must weights (Spätlese level), and lower yields (50 hectoliters per hectare).

Each regional VDP association is now in the process of reviewing sites in its own area to determine if they will be classified at the grosse lage or erste lage levels. It’s also important to note that not all 13 regions signed off on the four tiered classification vs. the previous three tiered version from 2006. Not a surprise given the fact that the VDP is a very political organization. It’s really no different than expecting the consorzios from Chianti Classico and Cerasuolo di Vittoria to agree on anything. 

Wine Classifications: from Least to Greatest

Tafelwein: table wine as in any wine bottled in Germany from grapes grown on planet earth.

Deutscher Tafelwein: wine bottled in Germany from German grapes.

Landwein: land wine.  The equivalent of the French Vin de Pays. There are Landwein regions and requirements you can look up later but for now just know this category exists.

Qualitätswein bestimmter Anbaugebiete (QbA): this is where everyone’s hard drive starts to freeze up because of the long words. Stay with me! As always a quick examination of the language reveals quite a lot.  In this case Qualitätswein, or quality wine, bestimmter which means “from,” and Anbaugebiete—as in quality wine from one of those 13 designated regions.  

QbA wines are important to us in the U.S. market.  Estate wines (especially Rieslings) and Pinot Noirs from top producers are almost always designated QbA because—this is important—they can legally be chaptalized.  FYI chaptalization is also legal for the other three previous classifications as well.

Prädikatswein: quality wine with “attributes” or confirmed by the degree of ripeness at harvest. As I alluded to above, German wine laws are completely different from the French AOC/AOP model in that grape ripeness instead of place of origin is used as the sole arbiter for quality.  Most of the top German wines we see in the U.S. are designated as Prädikatswein which means they cannot be chaptalized.  Many are also produced from single vineyards.

Here in ascending order of ripeness--NOT residual sugar—are the six prädikate:

Kabinett: delicate and off-dry in style; made from fruit harvested early in the season.

Spätlese (late-harvest): slightly sweet in style. A Spätlese Riesling from a top vintage/producer/vineyard is capable of aging for decades. In fact, the oldest unfortified white wine I’ve ever tasted was a half-bottle of 80-year-old Spätlese from Rheinhold Haart in the Mosel. The magic combination of residual sugar, high acid, and low alcohol (7-9%) makes it one of the most versatile food-pairing wines as well.

Auslese (to select out): medium-sweet in style. Here is where botrytis often enters the picture and that means Auslesen Rieslings are a fantastic match for a wide range of cheeses.  They also pair well with spicy cuisines such as Thai food.  One of the great food and wine moments for me was an Erdener Prälat Auslese Riesling from Dr. Loosen paired with chili crab at the No-Signboard Restaurant in Singapore.  Cosmic!

***WARNING! The three above prädikate can--by German law--be made into dry wines.  Thus a wine with the required must weight—the amount of grape sugar at harvest—designated as Spätlese can be fermented dry and called “Spätlese Trocken (dry).”  Leave it to the Germans to take a not-so-simple concept and make it exponentially more complex.  Also note that members of the VDP (see below) are prohibited from using a prädikat and the term trocken on their labels because they have their own classification for dry wines.  At least they have some sense.

Now for the rest.  The other three prädikate are often referred to as “noble sweet wines.” Two of the three are botrytis-influenced while the third is not. 

Beerenauslese: to select out single grapes or berries. BA’s are they are called are always botrytis, luscious, and dessert sweet in style with tart balancing acidity. They’re also known for their great complexity and age-worthiness. 

Eiswein: ice wine; as the name implies a wine made from partially frozen grapes harvested late in the season as in December or even January of the following year. By law Eisweins must have the same must weight—amount of grape sugar—as Beerenauslesen hence their positioning in the prädikate hierarchy. But Eisweins are a completely different animal from BA’s or TBA’s simply because of the lack of botrytis influence. Eisweins also often display remarkably high levels of acidity and like BA’s can age for a very long period of time as in multiple decades—even in half-bottles.

Trockenbeerenauslese: the pinnacle of German quality wine. TBA’s are very rare vinous creatures only made in exceptional vintages. Intensely concentrated, lusciously sweet, and incredibly complex, they are labor-intensive to produce and accordingly very expensive.  A winemaker in the Mosel once told me that it takes a person 8-10 hours a day to pick enough single, moldy, botrytis-infected grapes to make a 750ml bottle of BA and a 375ml bottle of TBA. 

One last point that needs to be addressed: why does the word trocken, as in the term for dry, appear in the name of the sweetest wine? Simple answer: the fruit is so raisinated from botrytis that there is little, if any, juice in the grapes to press. 

Major Producing Regions

Mosel

The Mosel is easily one of the most beautiful places in the world of wine.  In particular, the Middle Mosel is a steep protected valley with vineyards of crumbling slate some of which are steeper than a black diamond ski slope. Riesling is king here and the wines combine purity of fruit, delicacy, high acidity and the unmistakable terroir of the vineyard.

Top vineyards: Erdener Prälat, Ürziger Würzgarten, Wehlener Sonnenuhr, Bernkasteler Doctor, Brauneberger Juffer Sonnenuhr, Piesporter Goldtröpchen

Producers: Dr. Loosen, J.J. Prüm, Wegeler, Frtiz Haag, Rheinhold Haart

Rheingau

The Rheingau is considered by most to be Germany’s most historic and important region. Here the Rhein River turns east/northeast offering the vineyards a perfect southerly exposure.  Like the Mosel, Riesling is by far the most important grape here but the relatively warmer climate makes for riper grapes, a richer wine style, and proliferation of outstanding dry wines—as in Grosses Gewächs—from top vineyard sites. There are also two places in the Rheingau—Assmanshausen and Hochheim—where Pinot Noir ripens successfully every year.

Top vineyards: Rüdesheim Berg Schlossberg, Schloss Johannisberg, Schloss Vollrads, Erbacher Marcobrunn, Kiedricher Gräfenberg, Hochheimer Hölle

Producers: Robert Weil, Schloss Vollrads, Schloss Schönborn, Langwerth von Simmern, Franz Künstler

Rheinhessen

The Rheinhessen is literally just across the river from the Rheingau and the largest of Germany’s 13 regions.  The region is also a land of extremes being at once the home of Liebfraumilch as well as the Nackenheimer Rothenberg, one of Germany’s great vineyards.  Riesling is not as widely planted here but the style of Rheinhessen Rieslings is opulent, powerful, and racy.  The best vineyards are concentrated in three villages bordering the Rhein in the northeast of the region near the beautiful medieval city of Mainz. 

Top vineyards: Nackenheimer Rothenberg, Niersteiner Hipping, Niersteiner Pettenthal, Oppenheimer Sackträger, Westhofener Morstein

Producers: Gunderloch, Keller, Wittmann, Wagner-Stempel

Pfalz

Called the Rheinpfalz until 1992, the Pfalz region is located near Alsace in southern Germany.  Like Alsace, the Haardt Mountains in the Pfalz create a rain shadow effect making it the warmest, driest place in the entire country. The range of grape varieties grown here is more varied compared to more northerly growing areas. Pfalz Rieslings, many of them top quality dry wines, are among the most opulent, powerful, and complex whites in Germany. Also worth seeking out are excellent Weissburgunders, Grauburgunders, and Spätburgunders.

Top vineyards: Forster Kirchenstück, Forster Ungeheuer, Forster Jesuitengarten, Deidesheimer Langenmorgen, Deidesheimer Hohenmorgen, Ruppertsberger Reiterpfad, Kallstader Saumagen

Producers: Basserman-Jordan, Bürklin-Wolf, von Buhl, Müller-Catoir

Nahe

The Nahe is located due west of the Rheingau and considered by many to be the most beautiful part of Germany. Here Riesling is the most important grape and the wine style often described as combining the delicacy of Mosel wines with the power and elegance of the Rheingau.

Top vineyards: Niederhauser Hermannshöhle, Oberhauser Brücke, Schlossböckelheimer Kupfergrube, Schlossböckelheimer Felsenberg

Producers: Dönnhoff, Schlossgut Diel, Emrich Schönleber

Ahr Valley

The tiny Ahr Valley in north-central Germany is one of the anomalies—free electrons—of the wine world. Located at 50° latitude at the very outer limit where Vitis vinifera can be grown, over 80% of the grapes planted here are red and Pinot Noir by far the most important. Oddly enough the Ahr is actually warmer overall than the Mosel because it’s protected by the Eifel Mountains and its steep slopes of volcanic and slate soils face south and southwest acting as a sun trap. Meyer-Näkel and Kreuzberg are the two top producers of Spätburgunder here and their wines fetch considerable sums in Europe and abroad.

Franken

Franken or Franconia lies due east of Hochheim on the Main River. Although the region is known for its outstanding beer some excellent wines are made particularly from Silvaner.  In fact, many argue the best examples of the Silvaner grape come the Franken region. In the spring during spargel season (white asparagus) Silvaner is the go to wine.  Some Riesling is also grown here but the grape is challenged by the region’s cooler, wetter climate.  Generally the wine styles produced in Franken are dry.

Top vineyards: Würzburger Stein, Iphofener Julius Echter Berg, Bürgstadter Centgrafenberg

Producers: Hans Wirsching, Horst Sauer

Wrapping Up

That’s the basics of German wine.  If you still think Germany is difficult think again.  Stop for a moment and consider France and how different the 1855 Classification in Bordeaux is from the Échelle des Crus in Champagne and how different both are from the vineyard classifications in Burgundy.  In other words, France--the so-called easy country--has multiple classifications for each different regional AOC/AOP compared to Germany with one classification for all the country’s 13 regions and a further quality classification for the VDP.  Not so bad after all. Prost!

And drink more German Riesling.

Always.