Finding Joy at the Wine Writers Symposium
My first published piece was a poem I composed on a typewriter, glued onto thick blue cardboard, and put on display in our classroom. Mum read it out loud to Dad over Sunday dinner:
Lights in the windows,
Robbers are about.
You need a Kambrook sound switch
You have to keep them out.
~ Rebecca, age 7.
Decades later, I still remember how vulnerable I felt to have the words read out, and how it left me feeling open to judgement and criticism.
When I was accepted to the Wine Writers Symposium, I told nobody, because I felt that same fear. But on Monday, as all the new and familiar faces started filling up the Zoom screen, I realized that it was happening.
I was terrified.
Many of the attendees were people I have worked with professionally over the last 15 years in my day job as a wine publicist, and here they were on screen. Now, though, I occupied a chair alongside these people, rather than across the desk.
And the perspective was frighteningly foreign.
Terms, phrases, and processes that felt like a foreign language had me scribbling words and quotes to refer back to, as I picked up the specks of literary gold being dropped in quick succession.
Each panel built upon the last, leaving me inspired and overwhelmed, and I found myself drinking remnants of lukewarm tea, for fear of missing out on the next jewel. For me, the sessions were a practical way to help hone my writing for A Balanced Glass, but I found myself in a true master class in the session, The Art of the Written Word, where wine authors Karen MacNeill Dorothy Gaiter and Eric Asimov read and reviewed passages from each other’s published works.
Dorothy Gaiter’s feature story, Being Black in the White World of Wine, narrated by the New York Times’ Eric Asimov, was arresting. A personal essay of brutal honesty, it was deeply uncomfortable for the reader. When handled by a fellow wine author, and read aloud, became even more poignant and powerful.
Dorothy’s recital of Karen MacNeil’s piece, Being A Woman in Wine in the Time of Reckoning, reminded the audience of how deeply insidious the issues of sexual harassment and attack were, well before major news outlets broke the story. When read by another woman it carried even more gravitas.
Observing great writers read and tease apart each other’s work with admiration and curiosity was thrilling. In spoken form, the stories came alive, in their aching honesty and beautiful detail.
The session left me dumbstruck and hope-filled, willing to work harder to improve, willing to do more to develop the skills, and hopeful that if they ever read my words, they wouldn’t laugh them off the page.
Many of us write. Every day. But the opportunity to sit and listen and observe great writing of honesty, pain and brilliance, is joyful. It’s created a heart-space I that has eluded me of late.
Despite my early poem, I didn’t grow up to be a writer or study journalism or English. Instead, I studied wine.
Thank you to the Wine Writers Symposium for the opportunity to join wine writer “Grad School.” The opportunity has re-ignited a desire to use language more carefully, and to spend more time reading and appreciating the beauty of great words and stories.
I promise to become a better reader, so that I can become a better writer. And maybe someone I admire and respect will find it worthy to read out loud.
Namaste,
Beck
What We're Reading:
Here's what has piqued our interest this week in the world of wine and mindfulness.
Kris from The Burnt Chef Project on Drinking and Hospitality - Club Soda.com
The hospitality is rife with mental health issues. UK’s Club Soda speaks to Kris from The Burnt Chef Project about the work he does to tackle this.
Stop Telling Women They Have Imposter Syndrome - Harvard Business Review
For many women, feeling like an outsider isn’t an illusion — it’s the result of systemic bias and exclusion.
Resist Old Routines When Returning to the Office - Harvard Business Review
Take the opportunity to identify what’s worked for your organization in the last year — and hang on to those practices.
People Aren’t ‘Addicted’ to Wearing Masks, They’re Traumatized – Vice.com
There’s a glaring omission from the discussion about why some “can’t quit” pandemic behaviors: the mental and emotional toll of the last year.
Meet the Community!
Here we meet some of the talented folks who make our community and profession so dynamic.
Alisha Sommer, Director of Marketing and Ecommerce, Trois Noix (California, USA)
Years in Industry:
While I am relatively new to the wine industry in this capacity, my journey in wine began ten years ago when my husband took a position as a food and beverage director for a country club in Kansas City, Missouri. It was there that I experienced my very first wine dinner and started to appreciate fine wine. As my husband moved into distributor and supplier roles, my exposure and access to wine and the wine industry grew. While I was a stay-at-home mom to my three children, I started a freelance marketing company for entrepreneurs in the food, wine, and wellness spaces.
My husband and I made a five-year plan to relocate our family from the Chicago suburbs to Saint Helena, California. In 2018, I decided to transfer those freelance marketing skills and experiences to a more traditional marketing role within the wine industry. So, in 2018, I started in the tasting room at Wente Vineyards, under some great leadership, and then quickly moved to a role under the marketing department before becoming the Director of Marketing for Ruby Hill and Rubino Estates in Livermore. Now, we're in year five of the five-year plan, and I've landed in a great marketing role for Trois Noix.
My Top Three Challenges to Wellness
Since I've started working full-time, prioritizing wellness has been a struggle. For that reason, I'm really grateful for the ability to work from home. The time that was once used for commuting, I can now use it in different ways. However, that doesn't mean that I'm knocking it out of the park every week. In this season of life, my top three challenges are:
1. Children. Though I always make sure to give myself enough time to enjoy one cup of coffee and a journaling session before the kids wake up, once they're up, it's time for me to make sure everyone gets out of the house on time. Now that baseball and softball season is in full swing, the afternoons are spent chauffering them to and from the baseball fields for practices and games.
2. Overworking. Though I have a full-time job, I also tend to overextend myself for outside projects that feed my interests and passions. Sometimes that means taking on additional marketing clients, portrait sessions and other photography projects, and writing assignments for various publications.
3. Managing schedules. (See numbers 1 and 2). The fullness of my schedule means that I oftentimes neglect to keep up with the habits that I know will support me throughout the week. Whether that's meal planning and grocery shopping, blocking out a few hours around lunchtime to decompress, eat a full meal away from my desk, or not take calls, I sometimes struggle with keeping those boundaries around my time.
How I Keep It Together to Stay Well
I have a few non-negotiable practices that sustain me. The first is that I journal every day. It helps me sort out my thoughts and organize the day ahead. I also decided to invest in private yoga instruction at my home. During the closures, I was fortunate to find a woman who comes to my home for one hour every Friday. It is the best hour of my week; that time set aside to ground myself and clear my mind helps me go into the weekend feeling more rested and rooted.
What Inspires Me
I'm most inspired by the natural environment around me. I am also inspired by my children. They help me to see where I still need to grow.
A Quote I Love
"A woman must be careful to not allow over-responsibility (or over-respectabilty) to steal her necessary creative rests, riffs, and raptures. She simply must put her foot down and say no to half of what she believes she "should" be doing. Art is not meant to be created in stolen moments only.” - Women Who Run With the Wolves
You can connect with Alisha on Instagram @alisha_sommer Facebook and online at www.sommersalt.com
This Week's Reminder:
A short meditation reminder when you need to get a quick break.
A Meditation on Grief - Jack Kornfield
"The grief we carry is part of the grief of the world. Hold it gently. Let it be honored. You do not have to keep it in anymore. You can let it go into the heart of compassion; you can weep."
