How We Met

Jeff and I have set a wedding date, May 22, 2011. I can't tell you what kind of anxiety this creates, as well as, anticipation and excitement. Marriage. Again for me. For the first time for him. For the last time for both of us, God willing. If the 15 months are any indication, I think we're going to be more than fine. 


My daughters are very excited. I think the idea of wearing a J. Crew bridesmaid's dress to their own mother's wedding fulfills a couple different fantasies. One, they're the Maids of Honor for me, and two, it's J.Crew Bridal. What can I say? Caitlin tells me this makes her happy on many levels. Personally, what would make me happy would be wearing jeans and a leather jacket but I'm pretty confident that won't fly. I can tell you with certainty, though, that my dress, should I wear one, will not be white. Anyone who knows me knows I wear only one color. Would that be too maudlin? Black on my wedding day? Sarah Jessica Parker wore black. I'd still be smiling, and probably bigger than ever. Black is slimming. White requires more make up and anyone who's seen me in my sister's wedding pictures knows that pale colors and tons of make up are not a good combo for me.


Since this is a blog about wine, for the most part, I thought I'd tell you how Jeff and I met. I was working for Bill Taibe at leFarm, helping the restaurant open and creating a wine list with the team. The restaurant is small and we were wearing all the hats initially. I was hostess, sommelier, busgirl, server, whatever there was to do. It was the most fun I've ever had in my life and the best job I've ever had, to date. Bill is an amazing boss and an even more talented chef. So, we were hopping to it nightly.


Jeff was working for a local distributor and one day he dropped by leFarm with another rep. They were trying to sell wines from Virginia. Since they didn't have an appointment I wasn't too interested in sitting down with them but two things made it happen. One, I recognized Jeff from Facebook, and two, the wines he was trying to sell were from Kluge Estate. I knew about the Kluge family so the idea that Patricia was making wine was intriguing. Jeff and I didn't really exchange much dialogue, and I don't remember the wines at all, but there was a little flutter in my belly and I knew something had just occurred between us.


Later on we both called our mutual friend, Darcy, to find out about each other. I had an instant crush, and evidently, so did Jeff. What ensued is straight out of the high school handbook of trying to be cool and feeling anything but. "What did he say about me?" "Is he interested?" It didn't take too long for Jeff to find excuses to come bring me samples, usually of beer, which interested me only slightly more than his wines, but he would appear. I was getting shit from my co-workers and I didn't care. Fate had played its hand and it was just a matter of time until we connected. And we did. And it was amazing. And it continues to be an incredibly growing relationship on every level. Jeff asked me to marry him in December of 2009 on a rainy night in Rhode Island. He got down on bended knee and tied a twisty-tie around my finger. Signed, sealed, delivered! I'm yours!


As we head into our first holiday season at Saugatuck Grain & Grape, we're very grateful. We've had an incredibly exciting (rhymes with stressful) year and we wish you and all your friends and family a happy, healthy new year.