2007 Hope & Grace Pinot Noir

People ask me all the time, when did I know that I wanted to pursue a career in the wine industry? To be honest, I never had one true seminal moment which triggered my interest in wine. I say it developed when I was living overseas during college, first in Italy and then in London, which is why my "favorite" wines are Italian reds from Piemonte (I use the term "favorite" loosely - I have so many "favorites").

Yet, I don't have the memory of one specific moment when someone opened a bottle of wine, when I swirled it in my glass, took in the aromas, had a sip and said, "I want to be a part of this." Rather, it happened gradually over time - a number of those experiences, time spent working in wine shops, taking classes...and drinking, of course.

However, I had one of those "aha!" moments on Wednesday night, when Leah and I went to dinner at Cook in St. Helena. We ordered a bottle of the 2007 Pinot Noir from Hope & Grace, a producer in the Santa Lucia Highlands.

While I like Pinots, I can't say that they have ever been a favorite. I prefer something with a little more body, with a little less fruit and a little more tannin. Sometimes Pinots can be a bit light for me, and the cherry fruit can have a medicine-like aftertaste. All in all, I like them, but I don't love them.

Oh, but I fell in love on Wednesday night! This Pinot was so perfectly balanced, despite being quite high in alcohol. It had the right amount of fruit, without that medicine flavor, and even had a hint of chocolate, I thought. It changed my mind about Pinot and was one of the best wines I've tasted since I came out to California.

And it left a good taste in my mouth when I shared a bottle of the 2009 Nobilo Icon Pinot Noir from Marlborough, New Zealand with my friend, Christine, on Thursday night.

It was my first of two trips to San Francisco in the last three days. Christine, a good friend of mine from Cornell, was in town for law firm interviews and her boyfriend had thoughtfully sent a bottle to her hotel room (awww!), which we enjoyed over take-away pizza from a nearby restaurant, and then in plastic cups in the hotel's hot tub, as we caught each other up on the last two years of lives.

Having felt a little unsettled since I had returned from New York, it was so comforting to see a friendly face, and to know that true friendships can withstand time, distance and anything else that gets in the way. I will now associate the Nobilo Pinot Noir with the memory of plastic cups in the hot tub at the W Hotel, while catching up with a good friend.

An experience like that couldn't have come at a more appropriate time, as I came back from a trip home and began the new year, at least by the lunar calendar. This Saturday was Yom Kippur, the day of repentance, when Jews ask for forgiveness for their sins of the previous year. Part of that means a 24-hour fast - no food and, worse, no water.

It's surprisingly cleansing, though going a day without water is one of the most difficult things I've ever had to do (and I've had to do it many times now). It's one of the few things I do out of tradition to my upbringing and I feel unusually bound by it, despite not being a religious person. There's something cathartic about thinking about all the things you've done "wrong" over the past year and owning up to them. Judaism aside, it's a healthy thing to do.

I can't say a night out in San Francisco is equally healthy, especially after a day without food or water, but sometimes you need to let go and just enjoy the moment, whether it's healthy or not (or so I'm learning). Once again, it's a step in the right direction towards finding a balance.

And, I'm working on that. A relaxing Sunday after a cleanse and a night out is certainly a step in the right direction, right?