Blush - Jamie Brenner Page 0,120

at the same time, he was ready to pack up and leave. He didn’t say this, but she could tell he was thinking it. And who could blame him? The roller coaster was getting to her, too.

“I’d like to start by telling you a little bit about Hollander Estates and the differences between our North Fork wines and the wines produced on the West Coast. North Fork wines are relatively new. While there are several dozen wineries out here now, Hollander Estates was the first, founded in 1971 by my father, Leonard Hollander. I come from a long line of winemakers, starting with my great-grandfather in Argentina.”

The assembled women clapped. And then, incredibly, one more person joined the class: her father. Leonard took a seat in the back, an inscrutable expression on his face.

“Vintage is very important for East Coast wines. Vintage refers to the fall when the grapes are harvested. Out here on the North Fork, that means a lot. There’s a greater difference from year to year for our wines than for our West Coast counterparts. This is also true for Europe. We are at the mercy of the weather. Cooler temperatures mean the grapes retain more acidity and are very aromatic.”

Hands shaking, she poured herself a glass of Viognier and took a sip. Was Leonard there out of curiosity? To give feedback afterward?

“Our first pairing today is the Pawlet cheese and the Viognier. We’ll sample the cheese first. You’ll notice it’s yellow and firm. This is a washed-rind cheese. Now slice a small piece and smell it. Light, slightly meaty. The rind, by the way, is edible, as are the rinds of all cheese made in the US.”

She waited while everyone tasted the cheese, some eating it right off the small knife, others coupling it with bread.

“For our wine pairing, we have Viognier. We began planting these grapes in the mid-nineties and planted them again four years ago. Viognier does not have to age, and so these grapes were picked less than a year ago. You’ll note this wine is very clear, crisp, acidic. It was actually more clear at the start of the summer, and the Pawlet was a paler yellow at one point. One of many parallels between cheese and wine.”

The class sipped the wine.

“Any thoughts?”

A woman raised her hand. “It’s a little like Sauvignon Blanc.”

Leah nodded. “It’s made in a similar way as Sauvignon Blanc. Our seaside conditions here on the North Fork are perfect for these wines. While I’m pairing the Pawlet with white wine today, another option is . . .” Did she dare say what she really wanted to say? What she’d planned on saying before her father showed up? “Another option is to pair it with a rosé. Next summer, we will have our very first vintage of rosé to share with you.”

The women nodded appreciatively and clapped. Leonard jumped up from his seat and walked to the front of the room. Her stomach churned.

“Ladies,” he said to the room. “I’m Leonard Hollander. Welcome to Hollander Estates.” He consulted the printout in her hands. “I see your next cheese is the Capri. Why don’t you sample that while I borrow my daughter for a moment.”

She followed him into the oak room.

“Can’t this wait?” she said. Fine, maybe she’d gotten ahead of herself. But he couldn’t just interrupt the class.

“Leah, I’m fine with you carrying on business as usual as long as we’re open. But don’t make promises we can’t keep. It’s only going to make things worse when this inevitably hits the press.”

“You told me last night that you put on a show at the production meeting. So let me put on a show now.” She crossed her arms.

He narrowed his eyes. “I really bet on the wrong horse, didn’t I?”

What was that supposed to mean? That she had tenacity and Asher didn’t? It was gratifying to finally have her competence acknowledged, but not at Asher’s expense. She sighed. Even when her father was complimenting her, he still found a way to be divisive!

“Dad, let’s not go there.”

But yes, he had bet on the wrong horse. She wasn’t going to make the same mistake. She was absolutely willing to bet on herself. The question was, how? What to do?

She returned to her classroom, taking in the group. Mentally, she reached back into her earliest experiences of the winery, as a little girl watching her mother gather with her friends. In the past few weeks, with her wine and cheese classes,