On this anniversary of 9/11, we all reflect back to where we were, and what we were doing. For Kevin Zraly, proprietor of Windows on the World, there are no degrees of separation, as he lost his entire staff. For those of us who lost a loved one, we know the gut wrenching pain that this day brings.
For Kevin there were no degrees, and the magnitude of losing an entire staff cannot be understood, except by those who were off-duty or on vacation;? but for Kevin, and those like him that day, they lost an entire corps, which was their entire core.
Here we all are… lost in a day of unified sadness of such an immense proportion that the world will never be the same again. The irony that it was in the name of God further complicates this day.
Click here to visit Kevin Zraly’s Web site for Kevin’s Windows on the World Wine School
So, how does one go on?
Ask Kevin Zraly. As he inscribed his book to me, we talked about the fact that I had a loss in my family, and he lost his entire family. The quiet of his gentle, sweet nature counter balanced the evil of those who participated in this paradigm shift upon humanity.
Kevin wrote, “Wishing you peace.” That bespeaks how he’s moved forward, one kind step at a time. Kevin’s book now has sold over 2 million copies, and is the number one best-selling wine book of all time. This would mean that we’re all learning a lot about wine from this gentle giant of wine knowledge.
Elliot Mackey of San Francisco’s Wine Appreciation Guild invited me to attend a wine tasting and book signing (by Kevin Zraly) in April of 2006. Kevin’s book had just been printed, and was being released. (He was also being honored with their prestigious 2006 Wine Literary Award author.)
In his book, Kevin Zraly’s American Wine Guide, Kevin explains the process of wine beginning where it all does begin, with the grape, and follows through to the winemaking process.
Its appeal is that it’s written well that anyone from a beginner to an expert will still glean something from his infinite knowledge on the subject of wine. I really enjoyed “The 60-Second Wine Expert.” In this process, Kevin tells you what wine is doing to your palate in stages; what you taste from beginning to end, and why. Everyone is an expert, as your palate belongs to only you, and you know best what works for you, and what doesn’t. Kevin respects your ability to become knowledgeable in your own process, and in your own time, by asking you questions along the way. Every step of the way, he’s educating your experience.
It’s an exceptional book. In this edition, Kevin’s American Wine Guide covers wineries from all 50 states, and includes his personal wine picks. (Sidebar: Don’t scoff at Hawaii’s pineapple wine, as it’s fermented dry, and is a lovely complement to an Easter ham, if you celebrate that holiday.)
Today’s journal toasts the man who was so intrinsically part of the Twin Towers and his Windows on the World restaurant, that this day will always bring me back to him, as well as Robert Adrian Jalbert, my own personal loss in the plane that hit the second tower.
So many people wined and dined in Kevin’s presence. Today, I stop to remember the man who has taught us all so much, and who continues his course of education and writing.
A purchase of this book for your wine library is a statement that we’re moving forward, regardless of those whose souls need a major attitude adjustment.
Three cheers for Kevin Zraly!
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