Wine, Romantic Encounters, and WSET

I think Frank is having an affair. He mutters her name constantly – sometimes lovingly, sometimes not so much so. Her picture appears in books on the coffee table, on the dashboard in the truck, even pinned on the bathroom mirror with some unintelligible scribbles and notations below it. I know he sometimes even takes her to bed.

Like all relationships, there is a definite up and down cycle to his infatuation with this woman. As his WSET exam gets closer he finds her more frustrating. At other times, he finds her charming, witty, and distinctly sexy. But he relies on her totally and without reservation. “I just can’t be without her,” he’ll sometimes confess.

I suspect that if Frank ever actually met her face to face and in person, he would give her the traditional European greeting – three kisses on alternating cheeks – right, left, right. He might even hug her.

Tonight Frank writes the vinticulture portion of his WSET Diploma exam. Perhaps when he’s done and the marks are tallied, he will close the Oxford Companion to Wine and Jancis Robinson will be forgotten for a short while. Perhaps. At least until it’s time for the next exam.

Missing in Action?

I know Frank is still alive. At least, I’m pretty positive he is. We’ve even managed to have a few semi-conversations over the past few weeks – mostly punctuated by a look that’s a cross between shell shock and “oh my god, I can’t believe this is happening.”

The question is more, where is he? A couple of weeks ago he was in Spain. Prior to that, it was Germany, and now I think he’s somewhere in Greece – or was that the Land of Oz?

He’s also become obsessed with spirits – of the high alcohol kind rather than the mythic variety – and sometimes mumbles numbers like mantras. New oak, old oak, residual sugar, time in the barrel, cases produced, altitudes, acres cultivated – numbers spew from his mouth with but a few words of encouragement from me or anyone else for that matter. It’s probably a good thing he usually locks himself in the living room, because some folk’s sanity has come into question for less.

Now okay, I confess Frank isn’t actually in all those countries physically, but as his WSET exam gets closer –like 11 days away, although who’s counting – he might as well be. Every study session he focuses on a different area of the world, flipping back and forth between reference books at a speed that makes my head spin. I admit his “homework” often makes for some fascinating wine tastings and comparisons but pretty limited conversation. I’ve temporarily given up hope of prolonged philosophical discussions and resigned myself to two-hour dinners being a thing of the past. And lunch… well, who needs to eat when there’s Jancis Robinson to keep you company? (She does have a delightfully wicked sense of humour though.)

So if our postings get somewhat erratic over the next few weeks – please hang in there with us. And while Frank is still in shock over the fact that the past 22 week of this advanced level have flown by so fast, two hours ago he found out what’s involved in the diploma level. One hundred and four weeks plus days of exams. Think I’ll stick with helping out with the homework side of things.