Nash-vegas, baby!

I worked Nashville last week.  Yes, yes I did.  Early flight at 7:50am Wednesday on AA direct to BNA and I was at the office and ready to go by 10am.  I got my rental car, which just happened to be this:

Yep, BRIGHT yellow Camero.  2010 model.  29 miles on the OD.  (That's cool speak for odometer)

The agent was sort of apologetic about it.  So was I.



I mean, honestly.  I drive a Honda Accord.  Does it get any frumpier?  It's fully loaded, but it ain't yellow and it doesn't go 0-60 in 10 seconds.  More like 2 minutes!

I worked two full days in the market, showing wine and making some new friends, while also visiting old customers I've worked with before.  Nashville is a good market and my distributor is full of good people.  The only downside was I happened to arrive in the middle of a major heat-wave.  At one point, temps soared to 108, but they hovered during the day typically around 100, plus or minus 5.  Not the best temperature for drinking Malbec, but we did our best to push some wine.

I stayed at the Hutton Hotel, which is a great little hotel on West End Avenue.  I like this place, not just because they pimp my wine, but the bartenders are lively, the food is thoughtful, and the shower has one of those awesome shower heads that looks like a giant sunflower coming directly down from the ceiling.  And they supply you with L'Occitane products.  (Sometimes I am shameful and pretend I need an extra set....shhhhhhh!)

The toilet experience is one of those water-conserving types too.  You know the kinds, where you push one for "#1" and the other for "#2" and from my travels abroad, I usually see one part of the flushing mechanism bigger than the other.  You know what to do.  But I have never seen it this obvious!

I usually hang out at the bar after the day is done and this is one of my favorite bars to hang out in.  Greg, the GREGarious bartender always makes me feel right at home.  He even remembers my name - as Meagan.  Close enough.  And he throws me a few free glasses here and there.  And he thinks I am a "shy, sweet little flower."  Love the delusion I get to live there!

I was joking one night at the bar with a songwriter, which by the way, is a very rare ambition in Nashville, about my yellow car.  Apparently I made quite an entrance in that thing.  I told him I expected royalties from Carrie Underwood's next big hit if she mentions a yellow Camero.

On Friday, I flew home.  No drama, everything was on time, and that is my favorite airline experience.  But I got to MIA and there were TSA agents everywhere.  On stilts.  I still have no idea why.  I swear to you they were on stilts.

And no, I didn't have a cocktail on my flight!  This woman was talking to travelers from a 5ft advantage!  Weird.....

Tasting in Tarpon Springs

Friday, I began the long trek to Tarpon Springs.  It is about 5 hours from my house to B-21, the account where I was to be pouring sake on Saturday, so I usually break up the trip with a stay at my mom's in Naples.  So Friday I stayed with my momma, and Saturday morning, headed up I75 towards Tampa (Tarpon Springs is about 25 minutes north of Tampa).

B-21 is a really cool account that has been in business since 1948.  They do a tremendous amount of business, with free delivery to residents of  South Florida.  They do seminars on a regular basis, and wine tastings every Saturday.  They publish a flyer each month called "The Buzz" and members of the staff contribute on various wine regions and wines to try.  It is a delight to work with this account! (www.b-21.com)

Anyway, so it is the dead of summer, so I expected the tasting to be rather slow.  People are on vacation, gearing up for school to start, etc. etc.... And I was pouring an array of 8 sakes and 1 plum wine.  Most people are still a little leery of sake, so it wasn't the biggest draw on a Saturday afternoon.  But we sold a few bottles and educated some newbies, and that was the best we could hope for.

The lineup

Chillin'

These are some of the best sakes my company offers, so it was fun to taste them in a lineup.  The flavors range from soft and delicate to bold, earthy, and rich, and the potential for pairing these with food is limitless.  I particularly liked the plum wine on this afternoon, made with Aodani Plums that have been soaked in sake for 3 months before going through fermentation.  Slightly sweet, clean dry finish and perfect for a hot, sticky, muggy Florida afternoon!

The view from my table

When things were really slow, some of us joked about Weeki Wachee, a state park about 30 minutes north of Tarpon Springs.  If you don't know about Weeki Wachee, I suggest you check it out:  www.weekiwachee.com

This has to be the tackiest AND coolest thing ever.  In 1946, Newton Perry, a former US Naval Officer who trained SEALS during WWII found this deep natural spring and decided to build a theater for underwater viewing.  Then he scouted a bunch of pretty girls and trained them to swim with air hoses.  They dressed as mermaids and performed a number of shows under water including synchronized ballet, magic shows, sporting events, picnics circus acts.... you name it.  the first show began in 1947, and it is still in operation today.  I really want to go, so on my next trek to Tarpon Springs, I'll take a detour and check this place out!  Stay tuned for photos......