Wowza, time flies

Can't believe it's literally been months (and I wouldn't be able to count how many wine bottles) since I last wrote.

Quick updates on life:

• working full-time is exhausting
• sales is... different
• I have actually been drinking more since graduating (I blame the recession)
• I am now living on the beach!

More to come on all those topics.

New Job Celebration

With unemployment becoming a "national emergency," I am so grateful to have a job waiting for me out of college. Although I'll admit it's rather quick (I graduated two days ago and I start my new job on Monday) I have absolutely no room to complain.

Say hello to Norwegian Cruise Line's newest Personal Cruise Consultant!

Sadly, I gave my last bottle of Pinot Noir to a friend planning a romantic date (how Cupid-esque, I know) so for a celebration, I turned to a scrumptious alternative which I happened to have in my fridge - Amstel Light.

Now I know I promised this would not become a beer blog, but lately I've been leaning toward the bitter, bubbly stuff. I've seen a fair share of sour reviews of Amstel Light, but when I look at the calorie to taste ratio, I'll stand up for it:

Blue Moon 171 calories (sad times)
Heineken Light 99 calories
Amstel Light 93 calories
Becks Light 60 calories (still must try)

I'll keep exploring the world of beer, and maybe become knowledgeable enough in the hops culture that I can see why all these beer aficionados are turning up their noses on a beer that I can dig.

PS - Call me if you plan on cruising!

I could use a glass

There's no time for drinking wine when you're graduating college in a recession.

My to do list: Find a job.

I may have gotten a sales position with Norwegian Cruise Lines, which would be sweet. The amount of wine consumed on cruises is astronomical.

Speaking of cruises, wine vlogger Gary Vaynerchuck of Wine Library TV is setting sail this weekend on his annual Thunder Cruise.

I'm more than a little jealous of everyone going, even the crew.

But before I start booking any cruises, I'm going to have to sell some. Or find another way to satisfy the only objective on my to do list.

To everyone enjoying this weekend's Thunder Cruise - bon voyage.

Wine at Chili's, is that so bad?

I'm sitting at a Chili's restaurant with a small group for my best friend's twenty-first bday. We're carousing the drink menu, chatting a bit. I make a comment about a wine I'd like, and one friend turns to me and says, "You aren't seriously going to order wine at Chili's!"

And I thought, Where the heck are you drinking wine, the Ritz?

OK, I'll admit that I've ordered wine at the Ale House before, and that turned out to be a disaster.

But should the dining venue really dictate the quality of wine? I am witness that it is perfectly possible to get an excellent bottle of wine at the supermarket for $10 or less. Those same $10 bottles are being sold by the glass at fine dining establishments like Chili's.

When you're a student, or just on a tight budget (which is the case for most of us today), chances are you don't have big bills to throw down on a fancy steak dinner. There's no reason you shouldn't enjoy a glass of pinot with your fajita quesadillas.

Home Sweet Home

Just got back from Thai-to-the-Land.

What a trip.

This was a dry trip since it was school-sponsored, so there was no drinking of any Thai wine. Although it would have been a mission to find any in the first place. We took a few trips to the local Carrefour (which is like a Wal-Mart throughout Asia and Europe) and the wine aisle carried only foreign labels, to my disappointment. It would have been neat at least to see some Thai wine.

Still, the flavors of Thailand did not disappoint. From fresh coconut ice cream (above) to fermented guava, my palate still enjoyed the non-alcoholic fruits of life. Most dishes were complex, mixing spices and sweets. Favs included the curry rice, iced cocoa, and especially Thai donuts (mmm).

Now I'm back on U.S. soil, and I am ready to get back into the swig of things (pun fully intended). I definitely see a trip to Total Wine somewhere in my near future.

Halfway 'round the world

In just hours I depart from Miami to beautiful, tropical Bangkok (with two stops - Chicago and Seoul, S. Korea).

This is my second year participating in the Alternative Breaks program at FIU, where students travel to volunteer during their breaks from school.

Since the trip is school-sponsored and service-based, there's a strict no alcohol policy. Still, that doesn't mean I can't do my research.

First question: Does Thailand even make their own wine?
Answer: Yes! The Thai wine association was formed in 2004.

Five years? Whoa that's young, considering that most countries started their wine associations before the 1800s.

Second question: What are the most popular grape varietals/growing regions?
Answer: Varietals are a mystery. Vineyards seem to be generally in the southern area of the country.

Google is doing me no good. It seems to be a more popular choice within the vino community to pair wine with Thai food than to drink Thai wine. I'll see what info I can get from the locals.

Be back on the 24th!

Once in a Blue Moon

I'm not a beer fanatic by any stretch of the imagination. To be honest, most carbonated beverages just don't do it for me. Beers have a tendency to leave me more thirsty (and bloated) than I started.

There is one beer, though (wine bottles, cover your ears) that almost makes me swoon.

Blue Moooooon.

It's classified as a "White Belgian-style" beer (which I read an entire page about on wikipedia, and still don't quite understand). The beer is a creation of the Coors company, which is interesting because I really don't like Coors or Coors light; but the two labels maintain their distance for a reason.

Blue Moon isn't the type of beer you wanna be pumping at a kegger. It's a sipping beer. Think more... summer BBQ, day at the pool, casual dinner party. It's light, airy, refreshing. Typically served with an orange slice, helping to pronounce spicy citrus notes. It tastes like sunshine, really.

It's good stuff, but don't fret. This blog is not about to turn into the Beer Nut anytime soon.