Wine101 The Students' Blog
Written By: Anonymous on Thu, Nov 8th 2007
Meet our new Academic Contributor - Michael Keba...
There was a day about thirteen years ago when a noxious odor of rotten eggs radiated from the garage of our small suburban home in the outskirts of Los Angeles. The smell was sucked through the air conditioning so that a homogenous stench blanketed everything inside our house. The only thing more terrifying than the smell was the scowl on my mother's face.
In order to better understand this situation, one must understand my father. My father is an engineer; a man whose ideas manifest in the form of elaborate projects. More often than not, these projects progress by trial and error. The source of the unpleasant aroma was my father's latest project: making champagne from the Thompson seedless grapes that grew in our backyard. The unfortunate combination of fluctuating high temperatures in the garage, little experience, and perhaps a small amount of neglect ended with the eruption of this sulfurous smell. This particular vintage of champagne didn't win any awards (especially from my mother), but left an impression in me that would resurface in a big way.
I have grown quite a bit since this incident and have developed many other interests. My father's projects introduced me to the practicalities of basic chemistry, physics, mechanics, and mathematics. Among numerous things, I've fixed cars, poured concrete slabs, built electronic circuits, and transformed our bare attic into a room. He encouraged me to figure out and understand the way things work, and because of this I always figured I'd become some kind of scientist. I like exploring the world around me and can't stand being idle. I have been interested in exercise and nutrition science since my days of high school football. If you asked my friends, they'd tell you I'm known to disappear on various adventures ranging from hiking and scuba diving to wandering solo around downtown Los Angeles by bus. Also, I just finished an EMT class and had the experience of working a few shifts on an ambulance.
However, I discovered that my true calling is the age-old beverage known as wine. I don't believe any other household substance is surrounded by such a rich blend of tradition, science, and artistry. At first glance, it seems to be such a simple drink. The birth of wine will occur naturally if crushed grapes are left to nature's device. Yet, there exist an infinite number of variables that can be manipulated in order to change a wine's character. Perhaps what I find so interesting about wine is how complex and intricate each step of the ancient process has become. My parents had no idea that their failed attempt at making wine would eventually influence my decision to study wine science.
Truth be told, I'd be lying if I said I knew much about wine. My only real experience is the job I had this summer moving bottles in a boutique wine store and observing the grapes that grew in the backyard of my first home. Tomorrow, I begin my second year at UC Davis as a Viticulture and Enology student. This blog will document my journey to a career in the wine industry and aim to capture and entertain a wide audience of viewers along the way. There are many topics I hope to write about, which depending on feedback will include:
-Making wine in my apartment
-Interactions with my professors
-Interviews
-Jobs/internships/research (which I will hopefully get soon)
-Commentary on current affairs in the wine industry
-Book reviews
-Trips to vineyards/wineries
-Unique experiences
I am very excited to share my experience with the world online. I found a nearby vineyard on Craiglist.com that is selling small amounts of Syrah grapes. Hopefully, for the sake of my roommates, there won't be any noxious explosions coming from the closet.
