#4: Alcohol

"Shaken, not stirred."
It's an iconic line, and after working in the wine industry for almost five years, I know what it means!

James Bond is fussy about his alcohol, but not too fussy. His preferred Champagne changes every few years (it's currently Bollinger), as well as his Vodka (Brosnan's Bond drank Smirnoff), but his Martini style is always the same--with the exception of some of Ian Fleming's original books, which feature a Bond who asks for a stirred Martini. (NB: Some Vodka enthusiasts prefer to stir, as they insist shaking bruises the spirit.)

When I was looking for a job the summer after my sophomore year of college, I somehow happened upon the Washington Wine Commission website. Out of the blue, I emailed the communications director, and asked if she needed an intern. She said that she had just decided to find an intern, and that I should come in for an interview. I was offered an unpaid internship--which I really couldn't afford. However, I realized that wine was something I needed to know about as one of my James Bond skills. I accepted the position. To make a long story short, the unpaid internship turned into two paid positions, which turned in to a job as event assistant for the Auction of Washington Wines, which in turn became a full time post-college position of communications manager, which led to a job as communications manager at WineAmerica (a national wine trade organization in DC). I was introduced to many fine wines (100 point Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon, for one), and was able to take regular tasting classes with a master sommelier. The photo above is from the 2007 Auction of Washington Wines--always a fine event, and a great opportunity to test my alcohol tolerance while hobnobbing with Seattle's elite.

Not only did I get to drink a lot of great wine, the Washington Wine Commission staff also made some! The photo at right is of me immediately before I added the malolactic bacteria to our Syrah to start the secondary fermentation process. Good times. I can almost speak intelligently about the winemaking process!

Of course, a girl needs more than wine. When I was at Oxford, I needed a part time job. I was lucky enough to get a job as a bartender at the St. Hilda's College bar. The photo below is of me pulling a pint. I also learned how to make Long Island Iced Tea (beware), Sex on the Beach, and many other mixed drinks, as well as simple classics like G&T and rum and Coke.

Although I'll never be able to drink Bond under the table, at least now I'd be able to identify the wine in the glass.