 I retired from the Canadian Forces May, 2008 after 28 years of service. My decision to retire now and start my own vineyard in central Virginia came about as a direct result of my experience in the Sommelier program coupled with familiarity with the area (I worked at the Canadian Embassy in Washington DC). I started my first course at Algonquin in May, 2007, and finished the entire certificate in May, 2008. I am planning on starting the WSET Level 4 program in the near future. Ultimately, I feel extremely confident in tackling the WSET exams because of the solid grounding I got from Algonquin College. More importantly, my certificate from Algonquin College also helped get me accepted into the online programs in viticulture and enology at both the University of California at Davis and Washington State University at Prosser - which I start in September, 2008, and January, 2009, respectively.
My longer term plans are to continue to expand Sagebrook Vineyards to concentrate on producing Bordeaux varietals for other Virginia producers. My business model is to produce Malbec and Petit Verdot to fill a niche. Currently, I have year-old Malbec vines in the ground and in 2009 I am putting in some Petit Verdot for first crush in 2011 or 2012. In the end, I believed in the conventional wisdom that you have to find your passion. In my case, my passion for wine found me through the great courses and fantastic instructors in the Sommelier program at Algonquin. Would love to hear from my colleagues and friends - I can be reached at
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Last Updated on Friday, 13 March 2009 16:49 |
