things I like about work

The winery cat. This is Jack. He was dumped at one of our tasting rooms. We took him in, and now he is fat and happy and has the run of the property. When he isn't eating, posing for photos or exploring the gardens, he curls up in a little bed inside the tasting room -- right next to the fireplace, of course.

The food. I've sung the praises of our in-house culinary team before. Their food kicks ass, and their hospitality is amazing. They will go out of their way to accommodate dietary restrictions -- not just for me, but for anyone who comes through the door. This is the food-and-wine pairing we typically offer, only adjusted so it's gluten-free and vegetarian. And guess what? It's delicious.

The education. Today I took media to see some beehives on one of our properties. I loved learning about the apiary (yes, I even picked up a new word!) and watching our beekeeper at work. Some fun trivia: At her peak, a queen bee can lay 2,000 eggs a day. (Thinking about this kind of makes my insides hurt.) If she starts to lose productivity, the other bees make a new queen. (And I thought humans were cutthroat!)