Organizing this wine and food event reminds me of the days when I was the Androscoggin Girl Scout Day Camp director. I chose to be a stay-at-home mother, after I put two columns on a piece of paper. One column was income, the other was expenses I’d have as a result of working outside of my home. It didn’t add up, because it was break even and that meant someone else would have all of the joy of raising my children. I was too selfish with that one.
As a result, I had skills that I enjoyed using during that time, as a volunteer. (Okay, truth be told, the Girl Scout Council paid me $200 as a director in the 1980s.) We’d meet at the Cape Elizabeth Lighthouse grounds for director meetings. These volunteer activities set me up for what I’m doing today, but I didn’t realize it at the time.
After the first year of being a volunteer unit leader, our director quit and she gave me the job. I wasn’t sure I wanted it, but I had also been the director of a school by the age of 24, so how hard could a day camp be? I’d start in January; and by July, I had a camp set up with 50 volunteer adults to handle 200 kids, and eight encampments to manage. (When I took the camp over, we were 40 people combined… leaders and scouts, so – yes – I can grow things, too, going from 40 to 250 in two years.)
This skill set, unbeknownst to me because I was a stay at home mom, was setting me up for when I reentered the job market. (Try doing the paper work for a Girl Scout Day Camp, and you’ll know what I mean.)
Now, I’m still setting up events, and instead of finding a pond location, I have to find a barn big enough for us all. Instead of calling in the National Guard to erect tents and dig latrines, I just hire companies to bring in much of the same kind of accoutrements and amenities. Also, whenever available, the same children I raised in the stay at home girl scout environment are helping me to pull it all off now. They, too, as stay-at-home mothers, are being set up for the future, when they return full time to the job market.
- If you have any curiosity about Petite Sirah, this event is for you.
- If you love this variety, this event is for you.
- If you love wine and food events, this event is for you.
If you’re a wine writer, where else can you taste about 70 Petite Sirahs in one location?
- Email me for your pass: jo@diaz-communications.com
If you’re in the trade, this year we’ll be having more room, so I’m happy to comp you tickets… first year ever for trade.
- Email me for your pass: jo@diaz-communications.com
For only $63/person, where else can you wine and dine for three hours straight, have free parking, and not have to tip anyone?
To purchase tickets, go to Brown Paper Tickets.
| Wineries Debuting | Wineries Returning |
|---|---|
| Andis Wines | Gustafson Family Vineyards |
| Aratas Wines | Harney Lane Winery |
| Christian Lazo Wines | Lava Cap |
| Guglielmo Winery | Line 39 |
| Handal Denier | Line Shack + Lido Bay Winery |
| J. Baldwin Wines | McCay Cellars |
| J. Rickard Wines | Mettler Family Wines |
| Odonata Winery | Michael~David Winery |
| Ridge Vineyards | Miro Cellars (with Trentadue) |
| Shadowbrook Winery | Mounts Family Winery |
| Trueheart Vineyard | Nottingham Cellars |
| Turkovich Family Winery | Occasio Winery |
| Page Mill Winery | |
| Parducci Wine Cellars | |
| Wineries Returning | Wineries Returning (cont.) |
| Artezin (Hess Collection) | R&B Cellars |
| Aver Family Vineyards | Robert Biale Winery |
| Ballentine Vineyards | Rock Wall Wine Company |
| Berryessa Gap Winery | Rosenblum Winery |
| Bogle Vineyards and Winery | Rutherford Grove |
| Clayhouse Wines | Silkwood Wines |
| Concannon Vineyard | Stage Left Cellars |
| David Fulton Winery | Stags’ Leap Winery |
| Diamond Ridge Vineyards | Stanton Vineyards |
| Don Sebastiani & Sons | Tercero Wines |
| Estrella Creek Wines | Trentadue Winery |
| F. Teldeschi | Tres Sabores |
| Field Stone | Twisted Oak |
| Foppiano Vineyards | Vezér Family Vineyards |
| Grizzly Republic | Vina Robles |
| Wilson Vineyards |
Debuting and Returning Foodies:
Here’s a video to show you what it’s become… the Sixth Annual Petite Sirah Wine and Food Event: Dark & Delicious.
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