The Write Alley

I’m writing to you from Walla Walla Roastery, located not in the cute Main Street downtown of Walla Walla but out at the airport, home to a multitude of wineries! I spent the morning at Dunham Cellars interviewing winemaker Eric Dunham for my Wine Predator blog and a bigger wine writing project about family and sustainability.

I’d like to say that I’d planned on talking with Eric but it just happened that way. I’d actually gone out there to talk to an assistant winemaker, Dan Wampfler whose wife Amy is winemaker at Sinclair Estate Cellars. I thought talking with a husband and wife team of winemakers for “competing” wineries would make an interesting story. But Dan was too busy and Eric had time so I interviewed him. Now to find time to write it up!

Which leads me to this blog post on synchronicity. Instead of being disappointed that I didn’t get to talk to Dan, I embraced the opportunity to talk with Eric.

And learned another important lesson: do what you love.

Here’s the story of how Eric became a winemaker: he and his dad were on a fishing trip on the Mackenzie River. Eric had just been certified for a “vocational” job and his dad asked him what his plans were. Eric replied that he would go work in the field and then when he had enough money, he wanted to go be a winemaker.

What did his dad say? “Then go be a winemaker!”

Which is what he did. A family friend got him an internship at Hogue then when he was done working wheat fields one summer he went to harvest grapes and now 19 years later, he’s an award winning winemaker.

In fact, this whole trip is one of being in the moment, the flow, taking advantage of opportunities as they present themselves and going with it!

And speaking of that, it’s time to get the show on the road: I have two more wineries on my Walla Walla agenda before we head to Oregon!

Hope you’re having a wonderful summer! And remember, embrace synchronicity! Carpe Diem! (and all that!)