Late Spring skies over the Yarra Valley in 2007 during my semester research project in NMIT vineyards.
I've started revising this week, all the things I learnt in my course in Canada. Most of the stuff in my assessment will be things I covered 5 years ago in those courses I did, the big sacrifice of my 'work holiday' fun time. I remember how much I studied.
I had every night at work, standing at the front desk after check in was done, and I would type up my notes. Then I studied evey morning when I woke up and of course I dated a guy who was in my course and we were obsessed by wine and would spend hours in wine stores in Banff looking at the labels. I had things stuck on the walls all over my room and would write down the 7 Grand Cru of Chablis in my bored moments, in case I had somehow forgotten them.
I am getting a little scared. I have about 2.5 months to refresh everything I learnt over 18 weeks and then all the stuff in my 3 years of degree studies (yes they do ask viti and vini questions).
When I was studying earlier this week, I noticed how much stuff has become integrated in my general knowledge, that is, it has become part of things I take for granted.
An example, one of the the things on my flash cards said "site selection - flat compared to hills". The answer I gave now (in my head) was - it just isn't as good because..., I know that, everyone knows that. I just knew that there are places and sites that just wont work. I used to drive around, on the way to uni and look at the paddocks on either side and decide where I would plant a vineyard if I owned that land. 5 years ago my answer would have been very precise and rote: chance of bad drainage, higher fertility soil, basically great for vegies, not for wine vines. These days I just know that stuff and if pressed for an answer I would struggle, even though I know that stuff. It has just become way more instinctive.
In a way this is much harder, because there is no tutor, there is no weekly tasting, there is no support network or living a life filled with people on the same wavelength. My knowledge has gone underground - it is there, but to put it into words is much harder because it is part of the way I think now, but on the other hand I am reassured that the knowledge is in there and it is no longer just theory on page or concepts that I can spell let alone see.
The funny thing is that I learnt all the French terms for wine making, years ago, just like I learnt to climb in French Canadian. Now, to think in English about these things is still quite foreign.
The absolute scary part is remembering all the names of things I cannot afford to drink (most things). However I am expected to know by rote all the chateau of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Growths of Medoc, the other major Chateau of Bordeaux (fair enough), all of the Grand Cru of Burgundy, the regions of Italy (who on earth can comprehend Italy's wine regions?), the Grand Cru of Chablis (easy) the Cru of Beaujolais (easy), the major grapes of Spain, Portugal (tricky, as lots of common grapes but with names 10 miles long that often mean the same variety). Its hard. But now I am freaking out. I'm sure its like riding a bike The good news is the rep from Fine Wine Partners said I can open anything reasonably priced (ie under 100 bucks, given that they supply our Hill of Grace, I am lucky). for free, for practice, if I provide a tutored taste to our staff when I open it. Nice work.
It is as you say in your blog. Your learning has become generalised and hence a part of your fabric in the way you think. I recall that you had training wheels when you learnt to ride your bike. Your memory of your prior wine learning will seek past studies and very soon you'll surprise yourself and leave the training prompts (wheels) behind. You will remember.
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