Can you believe it, we are already two months into the year!! I wish I could say time goes by when your having fun but that is an understatement… this year it is more like ‘time goes by when your crazy as busy’!

So far this year I have managed to try approximately 50 new wines (predominately most of those bottles were finished down to the bottom!), run nearly 250kms, walked like an Egyptian on the dance floor at the work do (not one I’m too proud of), completed my WSET Intermediate cert (with a distinction I must add!) and are now about a month into my Advanced WSET as well as organising wine dinners, client orders and trying to explain to people in Dubai Airport that …No, wine does not change the colour of your skin (interesting concept though!).

So of course being involved with a swanky fine wine retailer, the job must have some perks correct? At times I strain to find these so called perks – as the behind the scenes goings on are never as glamorous as the main stage. But alas my time has come and a colleague and I have organised something truly sensational! This week we are holding an exclusive wine dinner with the who’s who of Dubai’s elite with the addition of Edouard Moueix who hails from the family empire running various French and American estates such as the king of kings – Chateau Petrus!

After putting in that ‘behind the scenes’ sweat I am only a few days away from attending this momentous event and to be honest with you, I am freaking out! After all I am just a simple Kiwi girl who wishes she could live in her jandals 24-7! Not only do I have to worry about how to make impressive conversation with the glitterati but I have to worry about hair, makeup, dress, accessories and concentrate on walking properly in heels…. ahhh!!!

I do have to admit though I am like every female at heart and absolutely love the thought of dressing to impress for a night of luxury! In New Zealand I was never involved too much in the ‘sophisticated wine circle’. Therefore I see New Zealand and wine in a more casual relationship – backyard barbie with a couple of bottles to wash it down with. Though I have to admit we do have some rather sexy black tie affair wines and hey if I can spruce it up for a night out, I am sure any of our vino’s can do too.

My favourite which springs to mind, is how Nigel Greening from Felton Road distinguished between his Calvert and Cornish Point Pinot’s at a wine lunch I went to. He said something along the lines of “think of the Calvert as the wife and Cornish as the mistress” - implying that the Calvert is very elegant and structured while Miss Cornish is exotic, voluptuous, spicy and definitely not shy. Now don’t bite me if you think this is anti-feminist or anything but I thought this was a fantastic and entertaining way to describe ones wines with a bit of an edge and it does help give you an idea of the difference between the two for any master or novice of wine!