I clean my fingernails regularly now. I shudder when my waiter slams the wine down on the table or pops the champagne with explosive celebration. My class had a dinner a few weeks after the test, and we had a wonderful time. I’m sure the others noticed the waiters wine skills sucked a little. I haven’t yet worn my Sommelier pin outside of PCI, though I understand it can be impressive to some. My wife is planning the mileage we can get out of it, at least some discount wine. The beard is back on but the head stays shaven. The moobs had faded, for now.
I will likely never drink another glass of wine without thinking about the earth that brought it forth. I will want to see into each bottle the brightness of the sun, the ease of the day, and how tortured for water the vines were. For our pre-science ancestors wine must have seemed like an incredibly bounteous gift born forth from the mystery of life itself. Imagine a naturally occurring liquid that made food taste better and everyone happier. If it were discovered today we’d probably outlaw it – too much damned fun. As it stands wine is an ancient dance that romances humanity, requiring us to never deny the beauty that makes up our existence. The least I can say of what PCI gave me, was the desire to be a life long student of this wondrous gift.
Nancy
September 2, 2009 - 6:01 am ·Hi Tim, Thank you for writing about your PCI experience. Your essays were delightful to read, and made me a bit giddy and anxious at the same time – I start the same course end of September. 🙂 Any tips you might have as I embark on this journey would be greatly appreciated! ngaeden@gmail.comCheers,Nancy
Tim Flynn
September 2, 2009 - 2:38 pm ·I responded to Nancy by email. My advice to her below: * Make room for this process. Give yourself extra time to study and prepare if possible. * Buy note cards now. It took me a while to figure out how to memorize again – having not been in school for quite some time. Get your note cards rolling now. * Keep a special area in your notes for food pairings. As you may recall from my essay you will be tested on food pairings – its good to cultivate this process early on. * David really knows what he’s doing with regards to testing. If you pay attention to the lectures you’ll pass the tests. He always stresses the important content in a way that is totally obvious. * Professionalism points can really help. They can actually save you from failing a course. Don’t be late, always help out, always pay attention and always dress impeccably. * This is a somewhat stressful process – the goal is to pass – not get straight A’s. If everyone were getting A’s David would just make the courses harder. He wants you to sweat – thats part of the process. * Enjoy the wine – you’ll taste some really amazing stuff.