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A Bit of Personal History

Written By: Romany Reagan on Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Before we get too intimate, allow me to introduce myself.

Hello fellow oenophiles - welcome to my column! My name is Romany, I live in NYC & I like to drink wine. A lot. So right there we have something in common. It has been a rather crazy past few months for me, embarking on the world of wine took me out of the city to northern California, from Davis, to Napa, to San Francisco - & now back again.

I was in rather a slump over here in New York. I was bartending, which was oodles of fun, but the schedule left little time for auditioning for plays or movies or truly getting much done at all.

I left the city to go back to school for my second baccalaureate in Viticulture & Enology at UC Davis. I was all fired up on visions of lush Napa vineyards & sultry Italian imports working at harvest & teaching me the meaning of ripe fruit. However, the reality was rather dull. Actually, extremely dull for someone who is more interested in the social aspects of wine than the lonely process it takes to make it. (Not to mention the four-year commitment this second degree would have required.)

There is a lot satisfaction in the growing & fermenting of wine, but it is very hard work; that side of it has to be a true love for you for it to keep its luster. I reassured Napa it was not it, it was me was me & we left on friendly terms. I swore we'd meet again someday, however it was simply too much to live together.

After meeting with the department head of UC Davis’ V & E program, we discovered their certificate program Winemaking for Distance was more suited to my needs. You can take this course from anywhere in the country as the lectures are on DVD, then have a local teacher or public librarian proctor your midterms & finals.

With my options flung suddenly wide open, it was back to the drawing board (or rather keyboard) searching the Internet to find what sort of position I should be holding - hopefully in a locale with a 24hr Apple store. I toyed with San Francisco, there are simply bushels of opportunities there for the urban-wine-minded - but ultimately anything less then New York just didn't sit right. So I lined up some interviews & jetted back to NYC as fast as my over-stuffed Samsonite would let me.

The day after my landing I landed something else - my new job as Assistant Manager of Vintage New York, Soho! I was very excited. I consider it a sign, a little welcome home gift from New York to me. I've held my new position at for a little over a week now. It's a very unique store, selling exclusively local wines, meats & cheeses from New York State. The adjacent Wine Bar @ Vintage New York is also committed to using local products, something I really believe in.

I am so excited about this new chapter in my life, there is so much I will have the opportunity to learn & be a part of - & trust me, I will be passing it all on to you.

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Tagged Under: California, New York, UC Davis

Posted In: Wine And The City

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bmorse
Mays Landing, NJ
Posted on 11/14/07

Great article. Looking forward to reading more from you.

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