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Decisions...Decisions...

6/15/2015

5 Comments

 
Option 1.
My grandmother never drank wine.  That statement on its own isn't necessarily odd.  If you put it into context of our large, loud, happy Italian family, it starts to seem out of place.  My Italian family, with the exception of my immediate family (and Grandma), all lived in Napa, CA.  Most of them still do.  For many people Napa means wine tasting, for me it will always bring back memories of getting my cheek pinched by older relatives as I hear about how big I am getting.  I remember going to Napa every Christmas to see my family.  We cousins would run around and play tag or hide and seek in the vineyards while the grown ups did boring things, like sit and talk.

I once asked my Grandma why she didn't drink wine.  Her two younger sisters drank wine, but she never did.  She said that the smell of wine reminded her of her childhood.  When my Great Grandfather immigrated from Italy he brought his wine making talents with him. Talents he put to good use during the Great Depression by bartering his wine for food and other supplies the family needed.  My grandmother would help him make the wine, since she was the oldest, and the smell of fermenting grapes made her sick.  She told me that she couldn't even smell wine, or she would become nauseated.

I think that it would be fun to learn the art of wine making, the knowledge has skipped a few generations, but if I learn how to do it properly, then I can teach my son and daughter, and we may be able to resurrect a family tradition and embrace our cultural heritage.  I know that the wine wouldn't be finished by the time our project ends, but after some preliminary research, I should be well into the bottling phase by the time our project presentations are due.

Questions:
1. How does a person make wine?  Is there more to it than putting some yeast in grape juice and letting it sit for a very long time?
2. How much Chemistry is involved in the wine making process?
3. What region of Italy is my family from?
4. What kind of wine is produced in that region?
5. Was there a "push" factor occuring in Italy that served as a catalyst for my Great Grandfather to immigrate to the United States?
6. How do I get the cork into the bottle so it stays?  Does s special machine squeeze it and then it expands when it is in the bottle?
7. How do I design a lable?
8. Can I sell the wine I make legaly?
9. Do I need to get a special license to make wine?
10. How many other Italian Americans survived the Great Depression by using their wine making traditions?


Option 2:
I have never been an artist.  I don't have the patience for it.  I don't understand how painters can stop working for periods of time and then come back to it later.  My best friend Jon was an artist.  He could draw or paint anything he saw.  I don't know if he ever "learned" to draw and paint, or if he just did it.  As you can guess from my use of past tense to describe his talent, my friend died long ago. I would like to learn how to paint, and be an artist like he was.  I don't have any natural talent, so I am not sure how successful I will be, but I want to try.

Questions:
1. How do you even start creating a painting?
2. Is there a large difference in technique between different types of paint?
3. How did the craft of painting evolve?
4. Is there a culture on earth that doesn't have some form of painting, or visual art?
5. Did Jon have a particular style of painting that he specialized in?
6. Is there any coorelation between the raw materials a culture has available and the style of paintings it produces?
7. What should I paint?
8. Will my paintings be any good?
9. Could I potentially sell my paintings, like the people on the beach walk in Santa Barbara every Sunday?
10. Is art as powerful and informative a method of communicating complex ideas as writing?
5 Comments
Amanda Wallace link
6/15/2015 10:09:01 am

I love both ideas. I so enjoyed your familial wine connection, so I'm leaning that way, (though every fiber in me screams "Try ART!"). The legacy is so lovely, and I love getting your son and daughter involved. Okay, I'm done leaning....WINE! You'd definitely need to keep us posted with the wine development as our cohort progresses.

Reply
Jacob Dominguez
6/16/2015 08:10:46 am

I would say the idea that said this would be fun and open you up to more possibilities to learn in the future was the first one. I think that idea is excellent but I would say that your ultimate goal has to be a bit more specific such as, I would like to taste or understand the difference between a Merlot or some other type of wine.

Reply
Sheila Davis
6/19/2015 06:06:58 am

If it can be done, I vote for #1. You could start a new family tradition. How great is that!

Reply
Jake Bowker link
6/22/2015 10:26:14 am

Michael,

I like wine, as so much science goes into making it. Because I also love to drink wine, I would be cool to learn more than just what you do when visiting a winery. I would love to see you pursue making wine.

Jake

Reply
Nona link
6/22/2015 11:53:01 am

I love the idea of working with your son to learn how to paint. As a second-grade teacher, I see that my students don't get enough time to spend with their parents and that there never seems to be enough time for instruction in the arts. I also find art as a great way for moderating feelings, and I believe it is important for children to have many tools for expressing themselves in healthy ways.

I believe the painting option would benefit your kiddo more than making wine, and with limited time already, I vote for an option that maximizes opportunities with your son.

Reply



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