I sat, overdressed anxious, in Mike’s 3rd story winery office as we talked about my experience at Cal Poly. He chuckled at my homemade business card attached to my resume. Fresh out of college, I was ready to get my feet wet in the industry I studied: wine.

I left the interview that day thinking ‘well, the search goes on.’  I really didn’t expect the call from Mike Two weeks later offering me the job of (one of two) harvest interns for Schug during the 2009 crush.  

‘The other intern, Johannes, is coming on July 18th,’ Mike explained. ‘He’s from Germany.’

Turns out I would experience two crushes that year…

On the second Monday of work at Schug, I drove up the hill to the winery in my big American SUV, past the other intern. We exchanged grins as we studied each other in passing.  So this is what a German from the Mosel Valley looks like: Tall, brown haired and – yes! Handsome. 

After three short months of working side by side everyday, becoming closer and closer, October arrived and it was time to say a very sad goodbye

Until 2011 anyway.