Oh hey! The quicker you understand the pun, the higher chance that you’re pronouncing “Riesling” wrong. But it’s all good. Sucka.

There’s something about August that ends up being too busy. You’d think that it would be the summer void-hole month of boredom that makes me crave the September Issue newness of my life, but it’s more like a crescendo. The same thing happened last year. I guess that happens when you decide to do things during the summer.

I’ve since completed the lecture portions of Unit 4 (Spirits of the World) for the WSET Diploma. Interesting as hell, but equally as tough. Arguably, the world of spirits is a little bit more focussed, which in turn, which makes it easier to learn. But this is the first time I’ve been exposed to a lot of the spirits we tasted (another disadvantage to my little-to-no seasoning), and so my blind tasting guesses were way off. WAY off. As an example, I guessed that a French brandy (of acceptable-level quality) was reposado tequila. You’d think I’d have a handle on tequila at this point in life, but maybe I suck at partying too.

But I’m doing well on the theory portion. Thanks, flash cards!

I’m beginning to prepare for the big Unit 1 assignments, which include the coursework assignment and the case study that I plan to take this November and this April, respectively. My study plan for this month consists of setting up a knowledge foundation for the business side of wine-related things along with studying spirits stuff on the side, since the exam is also in November.

I also found out that I received the top mark for the Unit 2 (Wine Production) exam in my class. Super stoked! Fluke or not, at least it’s an empirical sign that I’m doing something right. And I’m not even apologetic about this paragraph of brag, because alcohol seems to be the only thing I’m good at right now. Sucka.

It was Orientation Day last week at UBC – and much like the moody Vancouver weather had illustrated at the time, it was a bittersweet day. Although I find UBC Imagine Day school spirit both super amazing and sometimes slightly sickening, lots of students showed interest in the club. Not needing to advertise much was great – students see certain words and flock. It was a good day, and here’s hoping for a fantastic year.

And on that subject, I also held a tasting at my place with the UBC Wine Club executives where we had some wine, planned out the year, and had fun. It was a swell time.

Wine itself – I keep writing down tasting notes on scraps of paper or flash cards to type up later, along with their matching empty bottles lying around the room just waiting to be photographed. I’m going to safely say they aren’t going to be typed up soon, but there is the self-convincing fact that I should be focussing on spirits, anyways. This same mind has a theoretical rubber arm because I’m totally opening up a bottle of wine tonight, with matching tasting-note-scrap-o’-paper and a spot somewhere on the floor for the depressing remains. Woo!

We had a staff shindig (mostly dessert wine-themed) maybe around a month ago. I got to taste d’Yquem. The whole moment was meticulous and almost weirdly silencing, but dare I say that it wasn’t mind-blowing? Maybe I’m just an alcoholic devil’s advocate, or maybe I feel subconsciously guilty that I knocked over my boss’s half-finished glass. God. I’m surprised I wasn’t smacked upside the head. Besides my villainous ass that ended up breaking a glass of precious liquid, work is swell.

And we also called Silver Sage’s “The Flame” the BDSM of wines. So literally painful but so good.