After months of planning the wheels are finally up on the plane that will ferry us across the pond to la France. Actually, the first leg is just across lake Erie to Detroit, but we are at least in route. Detroit is French for something? Right?
It seems like only a few months ago I had the “Learn French In Your Car” tape cranked up in the cab of my vineyard tractor as I picked up the last few grape totes of harvest. Now I am a night flight away from the vineyards of France and a month of learning and sharing.
I am writing not only as the vintner of Troutman and Wolf Creek winery, but as a member of the 2010 GSE team from Rotary district 6650. Rotary is a service organization established in almost every community in the United States and abroad. For the next 25 plus days myself and four other members of the team will be staying with families, visiting new people and places, spreading good cheer, and hopefully stomping around some of the greatest vineyards of France. Then in April and May we will host four members of a French team who will travel around our district in Ohio.
Ultimately, I hope we learn something that will help us make better wine in Ohio. Stay tuned. Tomorrow we will arrive in Paris and drive to Auxerre near Chablis.
