I was just reading a couple of posts from two of my colleagues; one had just returned from a wine trip to Italy and the other will be along with me on a trip to France in May. Paul Quaglini, who returned from Italy, remarked that however fun and romantic a wine trip would seem to be, it is still work. Spending all day tasting wine sounds like a day in heaven, but believe me, it can be a bit hellish. And though I have not been to this same event, I have spent days on end being driven around in a mini-bus from winery to winery tasting some good…and some not so good...wines all day long. Now, don’t get me wrong, this is not coal-mining, but as Paul said, it is also not a vacation. I can tell you that what we learn on these trips is invaluable to us as wine educators, teaching what we learn from books goes a long way, but standing in the vineyard gives you a much different perspective that truly resonates with our students.

A trip to Italy a couple of years ago started at Orlando airport at eight a.m. Eastern time and that day ended as we checked into our hotel at midnight Italy time…a very long day. We were on the bus at seven the next morning on the way to our first stop and even though we kept a frenetic pace throughout, we did visit some wonderful wineries like Poggio Castellare, La Tancia, the town of Montalcino and others that made the travel was well worth it.

Oh, and we were also stranded for an extra week in Florence when the volcano blew in Iceland.

Now that can be taken a couple of ways. For me it was quite inconvenient, but for those on the trip who hadn’t been to Italy before, it was a winning lotto ticket. And while we did have to “suffer” in a nice hotel in downtown Florence,  many and I do mean many people, young and old, had to live on a cot in a number of European Airports until the ash-cloud blew away and air traffic was restored. You never know what may happen when you travel or if you and your luggage have the same itinerary.

   Long days, too much wine…is there such a thing?? Volcanoes, lost luggage…the exchange rate, all of that seems insignificant  when you’re have an “al fresco” lunch in a vineyard, on a beautiful Tuscan afternoon with those who share your love of wine, food and the Italian culture. All in all not a bad trade.

   I will be leaving on my first wine trip in a couple of years and look forward to visiting the French wine regions of the Rhone Valley and Burgundy. My first time in both, so regardless of the schedule, the travel, the too much food and wine…is there such a thing?? I will go and suffer through, only so I can bring back the knowledge and experience to share with my students.

Ken Amendola, Wine Supervisor, North Florida

 Follow me on Twitter @abcwinekena