Women in Wine: The Three Graces

Recently I decided to conquer a great fear in my very storied and bizarre life — the dreaded Wine List. As a fashion designer, writer, and man about town I’m very fortunate to be invited to fancy and swanky restaurants, soirees and events. Therefore to put it plainly, I spend a fair amount of time inhaling great food and swigging fine wine. I know – don’t cry for me Argentina. However, not until recently did I truly realize I wasn’t fully appreciating the art, process and tradition of fine dining and particularly, the crafstmanship of great wine. But all of this about to change — and when Mister GoLightly decides to make a change, he brings everyone along for the ride.
The first thing I knew I would need to begin my transformation from vino novice to wine connoisseur was a team of experts. Yes experts, as I plan on taking my wine consumption very seriously from this point forward. Therefore I will require a trio of professionals to guide me in the right direction. So I decided to seek assistance from the people closest to me. I telephoned, emailed, and met with almost every person I knew that had anything to do with the wine business. However, what I found a little strange was that most of the people I knew in the wine biz were all men. While most of the men I spoke with were all very passionate and educated about wine, there was just something about their approach that didn’t quite fit with what I was trying to get at in my quest. I really wanted to know more about the sense of reverence that seems to surround the art of wine tasting and making. In essence, I really wanted to be educated on the beauty, charm and creativity of fine wine. Somehow, this got me to wondering, “Are there many women in the wine business?” I didn’t have very long to ponder the question as it was magically answered one fateful afternoon while having lunch at the Four Seasons in New York City. I started yammering on and on about my need to connect to people in the wine business when a dear friend said to me, “You should meet one of the owner’s daughter, Keiko. She knows all about wine.”
BEAUTY: The strikingly gorgeous and modelesque Keiko Niccolini was born into the charmed world of restaurants and fine dining — the venerable Four Seasons Restaurant to be exact. Legend has it that Keiko could filet a Dover sole and saber a bottle of champagne before she could ride a bike. As a young girl she could be found on any given day running through the hallowed halls of the family business. However, as an adult she now travels the world in search of new dishes and wines to bring to the tables of the Four Season as well as her wine consulting firm AMEDEO. Keiko as you can imagine, was destined for a life in food and wine.
And now, Keiko Niccolini has agreed to be my guru, my personal guide as I embark on a mysterious journey into and beyond Wine Tasting 101.
Under Ms. Niccolini’s tutelage and through the course of our adventures, I am hoping to come out on the other end a lot more knowledgeable and a little less afraid of sampling and experiencing new wines and spirits. It is also my desire to finally retire my catch phrase when it comes to choosing or drinking wine, “It doesn’t matter what I drink — I only drink to get drunk.” Which is only partly true. Who cares if every time I repeat it Keiko reacts as if someone has taken their well manicured fingernails and scratched them down a freshly wiped chalkboard. Well I care — and hopefully somewhere along the way, this juvenile retort will be retired and replaced with language that describes delicious wine with the respect and grace it rightfully deserves.
Needless to say, Keiko and I have become fast friends. Recently after attending a not-so-fabulous and actually quite boring soiree, she thought that it would be the perfect time for a surprise crash course in wine tasting — total emergence in wine culture. So she decided to introduce me to a real-life Master Sommelier, Ms. Laura Maniec.
CHARM: Laura Maniec is a Native New Yorker and the charismatic owner of Corkbuzz Wine Studio. During the course of our evening I learned that Laura actually discovered her true enthusiasm for wine through an 18-week sommelier certification class at Windows of the World. It was through this experience that she was inspired, motivated and excited to pursue a career in wine.
A girl after my own heart, just as Laura was legally able to drink she became a sommelier at Blue Fin in New York City. Progressing quickly, she was made a partner as well as wine and spirits director for the entire B.R. Guest Restaurant Group of 20 restaurants across the country. At only 25 years old, she was managing the wine list as well as educating the entire front-of-house team on wine.
It turns out the charming and personable Ms. Maniec earned her Master Sommelier designation in 2009 and is currently the youngest in the world. Not to mention she is one of only 18 women to have achieved this highest accreditation given to wine professionals. And on this night she too agreed to join the team and proceeded to give me a VIP guided tour through their intense and intimidating wine list. But for the first time in being presented a normally daunting wine list, I wasn’t afraid. I was almost downright giddy. What did I have to fear? I was now armed with not only a wine guru but also a master sommelier. Take that 33- or 72-page wine list! Okay, in all honesty, I may be exaggerating the personal attention given just to me by our master sommelier. You see Laura seems to possess the uncanny ability to give everyone that enters the doors of CorkBuzz the same level of attention and graciousness — an ability rarely found in New York City eateries these days.
To attempt description of the champagnes, reds, whites and rosés that danced and dazzled in my mouth on this evening would do CorkBuzz and Ms. Maniec a grave injustice. I don’t possess the eloquence to characterize the pas de deux that took place between the exquisite wine list and the culinary masterpieces prepared by their Executive Chef, Hayan Yi. I don’t dare attempt to formulate adequate prose to depict the near religious experience that visitors share in this tastefully decorated restaurant and wine bar. To try and fail would be borderline blasphemy. However after almost closing down the joint accompanied by a magnificent high that had no resemblance at all to being drunk, I felt as if I had to rush home and immediately repent, “Our Mother, Full of Grace…”
Which brings me to the most recent introduction to form my dream team, my trilogy, my Three Graces…
For several weeks during our tastings and outings, Keiko kept saying to me, “You have to meet my mentor in all things wine. You will love her.” I will admit, in my experience whenever someone says to me “You will love him or her,” this has rarely ever been the case. But this was coming from my guru — my liege, and she hadn’t steered me wrong thus far. So off I went the other afternoon, in the pouring New York City rain, to The Modern restaurant located at the Museum of Modern Art to meet Ms. Joy Sterling.
CREATIVITY: The inventive and visionary Joy Sterling represents the second generation of wine making at Iron Horse Vineyards. She is the CEO of the winery and the author of four books on the art of wine. Although she was born in America, Joy grew up in Paris, attended a French school, and speaks fluent French. Living in Europe and traveling extensively, Ms. Sterling received an extraordinary education in the appreciation of food and wine as well as a love of quality wherever it is found in the world.
Joy returned to the United States to attend Yale University where she studied history and economics. After her studies she went into journalism, first for United Press International, followed by local television, and ultimately, network TV news. At the age of 29, Joy was Deputy Bureau Chief for ABC Network News in Los Angeles. She was given numerous special assignments including coverage of the first Space Shuttle landings in California, coordinating producer for several Presidential trips, and the high point of her career, Assignment Editor for ABC’s 1984 Olympic coverage.
In 1985, Joy left ABC’s hierarchy to join her family’s business. Thus, a new sort of woman was recruited into California’s wine industry. Significantly, she made news headlines for the winery with her first achievement at Iron Horse. In November, 1985, the White House selected Iron Horse Sparkling Wine for the President’s toast to peace at the first summit meeting with Mikhail Gorbachev in Geneva.
Joy quietly took up the reins at Iron Horse at the start of 2006, having spent 20 years traveling on behalf of the winery, personally introducing the wines to an impressive list of customers from Spago in Beverly Hills to the Four Seasons in New York.
She is an adventurer, having climbed Kilimanjaro, run white water rapids on the Bio-Bio River in Chile and the upper reaches of the Yank Sing River in China, trekked in Tibet and Bhutan, and completed a road trip to Timbuktu.
Joy joined the prestigious Board of Trustees of The Leakey Foundation in 2007. One of her major initiatives is hosting an annual fundraising and awareness raising event in partnership with National Geographic celebrating Earth Day held at Iron Horse.
Now I ask you — What is there not to love about Joy a.k.a. @JoyBubbles? From the moment we made eye contact as I shuffled in from the pouring rain, looking more disheveled like Ms. GoLightly’s wet cat than the intended flawlessness of Holly off to visit Sally Tomato at Sing-Sing, I innately knew that I would be captivated and bewitched by the accomplished Joy Sterling.
Joy is earth-mother, rainmaker and wine whisperer wrapped into one stylish, hot-mama of a package. Did I mention she was also wearing a navy vintage Dior dress? I almost died and went to heaven at the sight of this magnificent being. The one thing you quickly learn about Joy within five minutes of being in her presence is that she is filled with love, life and passion. As we shared a bottle of her world famous Iron Horse Wedding Cuvee I found out that she is also a hugger, a great thinker, a visionary, a powerhouse, and just an awesome down-to-earth gal.
During the entire afternoon my eyes kept darting from Keiko to Joy, my mind was racing, but my mouth couldn’t keep up with all the thoughts bursting through my brain. I must have come across as a complete crazy person but what I couldn’t explain to either of these incredible women was how I was finally beginning to understand it all. How I understood there was more than just wine they had in common. How I could see the ancestral sisterhood, the kinship, an indigo hued spiritual camaraderie void of competition or pettiness. But mostly, I was in complete and utter awe. I found myself in an absolute state of humbled gratitude. Grateful that I had been allowed to bare witness to their sublime and noble grace.
As I finally sat down to write this piece, I couldn’t believe that in only a few short weeks I had already begun to develop a true appreciation for wines produced in Napa Valley as well as grapes grown in the Vittoria region of Sicily. I discovered that my preference for all things “pink and bubbly” had very little to do with my flamboyance and sexual orientation and much more to do with the various techniques and processes utilized to achieve just the right shade, smell and taste of Rosé. And while I am still at the very beginning stages of my wine adventures, I doubt very seriously if I will be drinking with the goal of getting drunk in mind (wink-wink). Instead, I envision buckling up and bracing myself for the long and meandering roads of wine country under the watchful gaze, generosity and guidance of my divine Three Graces.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/malcolm-harris/women-in-wine-the-three-g_b_1537812.html

As Clark becomes a popular holiday and vacation destination for Manila residents as well as tourists from nearby Asian cities, Clearwater Resort welcomes more and more guests to enjoy its outdoor facilities where family bonding takes place frequently. This is one of the good hotels in Pampanga that Manila residents choose to spend their holidays and vacations simply to relax and unwind away from the stress of living and working in a city like Manila. Clearwater appears frequently on the top of a list of the best hotels in Pampanga. This hotel in Clark is regarded by many Manila residents to be one of the best resorts in Pampanga for family bonding, retreats, vacation and holidays. This hotel in Clark is also a favorite holiday destination near Manila during Holy Week, Easter, Christmas and New Year holidays.

The best getaway destination vacation spot near Manila convenient safe and accessible is Clearwater Beach Resort in Clark Pampanga.

Highly recommended by travel guides as the best private resort in Pampanga, Clearwater Resort in Clark Philippines also offers beach and lake venues for company outings and family picnics. This outdoor resort hotel also offers several beautiful venues for beach wedding and garden receptions. No wonder this private resort in Angeles City Clark Pampanga is frequently visited by wedding couples for prenuptial photo shoot.

Travelers going north to Clark Pampanga frequently look for enjoyable hotel for family bonding during summer vacation in the Philippines. Many visitors to Angeles City, Pampanga Clark Philippines prefer to stay in private resorts located in a secure and safe destination. Staying in a private place makes it possible to enjoy a peaceful holiday with no stress. No wonder many tourists rate Clearwater Resort as the best day-trip destination for a summer getaway, a vacation and a place to celebrate special occasion also.

Wedding couples travel to the north to have their prenuptial pictorial photo-shoot at Clearwater Resort. Within this beautiful resort in Pampanga there are many scenic spots by the lake, beach and picnic grounds, perfect for prenuptial pictorials outside of Manila.

Travel guides and tourists destination listings unveil top picks for best resorts and hotels near Manila in the north. The most popular and frequently visited top pick destination for visitors to unwind and relax is Clearwater Resort located in Pampanga Angeles City, Clark Philippines. This famous hotel resort best getaway destination vacation spot near Manila convenient safe and accessible is Clearwater Beach Resort in Clark Pampanga. This beach and lake resort is frequently visited by Manila families with children on a getaway to go swimming and camping, or a picnic, fishing and some quality time for family bonding. Golf is one of the most popular sports in Clark Philippines because here one can find some of the best golf courses in Pampanga.

Quiet place for rest and relaxation near Manila, in Subic, Angeles City Pampanga and Clark Philippines is something that residents of Manila travelling to the north for a short getaway are looking for. Clearwater is one of the best hotel in Clark and the resort is a very popular venue for rest and relaxation especially for golfers after a round of golf at one of the best golf courses near Manila. Clark is home to some of the best golf courses in Pampanga.

For inquiries and bookings, Please click here to contact Clearwater Resort for inquiries and reservations now

Clearwater Resort and Country Club, Clark Pampanga
Creekside Road near Centennial Expo,
Clark Freeport, Pampanga Philippines 2023
(045) 889-5151 0917-520-4403 0922-870-5177
Joanne or Jeremy or Loydha

Getting to this lake and beach resort in Pampanga Angeles City Clark Philippines

After entering Clark Freeport from Dau and Angeles City, proceed straight along the main highway MA Roxas, passing the stand-along wine shop called Clark Wine Center on the right, continue to bear right making no turns at all, go past Mimosa Leisure Estate on the opposite side of the road, one will hit a major intersection. Go straight and the road becomes Creekside Road. YATS Clearwater Resort and Country Club is on the right just 200m down.

Family Bonding by the famous lake of Clark Pampanga

http://www.ClearwaterPhilippines.com

Manila Sales Office
3003C East Tower, Phil Stock Exchange Center,
Exchange Rd Ortigas Metro Manila, Philippines 1605
(632) 637-5019 0917-520-4393 Rea or Chay

Email: Inquiry@ClearwaterPhilippines.com

Please click here to contact Clearwater Resort to reserve a venue for your upcoming event now

Wedding couples looking for wedding reception venues and beach wedding venues can log on to this Philippines Wedding Venue web site for free information and assistance:

http://www.PhilippinesWeddingVenue.com

While in Clark, it might be a good idea to enjoy an evening of wine-and-dine in the fine dining Yats Restaurant and Wine Bar that features an award winning 2700-line wine list. It is located in Mimosa Leisure Estate of Clark Freeport Zone. For more information, visit http://www.YatsRestaurant.com

YATS Leisure Philippines is a developer and operator of clubs, resorts and high-class restaurants and wine shops in Clark Angeles Philippines http://www.YatsLeisure.com

While in Clark, one might as well add to the itinerary a visit to the famous Clark Wine Center, the largest wine shop in Philippines which offers over 2000 selections of fine vintage wine from all wine regions, vintages spanning over 50 years covering all price ranges.
http://www.ClarkWineCenter.com

Looking for famous tourists spots, places to visit and see, relax and unwind in Clark, Pampanga, Philippines? You may want to check out these sites also:

http://www.LondonPubClark.com

http://www.HotelClarkPhilippines.com

http://www.ClarkPhilippines.com

http://www.YatsWineCellars.com

For jobs and business investment opportunities in the Philippines please visit http://www.yilp.com

Hot Line for what’s happening in Clark: 045 889-5151 or 0927-940-2669 ask for Loydha

0915-542-6250 (Jeramie)