GSJwrites
Dec. 31, 2021, 1:30 a.m.
Sotto Voce: Epilogue
E - Words: 651 - Last Updated: Dec 31, 2021 Story: Complete - Chapters: 28/28 - Created: Dec 24, 2012 - Updated: Apr 13, 2022 162 0 0 0 2
Author's Notes: Chapter End Notes: Author’s NoteIt's hard to imagine that it's been nearly a year since the idea of Sotto Voce first crossed my mind, seeing fan art by minj500 of Klaine at a grape stomp. I bookmarked it, and didn't think much more about it until a business trip to Sonoma got me thinking about the rhythm of the area, and again while working in my own little vineyard, listening to the blues while pruning back Syrah and Zinfandel vines. But it wasn't until a Klaine AU Friday during the first Season Four hiatus that I finally decided I needed to turn Blaine into a winemaker. The theme was Greek Gods, and I decided to write a ficlet about a Bacchanalia, a raucous post-harvest celebration with winemaker Blaine playing to role of Bacchus and Kurt, a wine writer trying to go unnoticed in the secretive party, being intrigued by Blaine's toga. Hardly Sotto Voce, but right then and there, I put it on my to-do list. I started posting this story on Christmas Eve, 2012 and though I knew it would be roughly twenty chapters, it didn't sink in at the time that it would nearly be June before I was finished. Sometimes it's hard to let go, to say goodbye, and this story has been near and dear to my heart. Between my mutual love of winemaking and of these two characters, it's going to be difficult to let go of this little world. But that's exactly what it's time to do. I'm not generally one for sequels or multiple stories in a 'verse. When it's done, it's done. I've had questions and comments about my writing style, which is admittedly spartan at times. One of the things that I have always enjoyed as a reader to when writers allow me a chance to use my imagination, to give me just enough information as a jumping off point. I don't like having every detail spelled-out for me so I can set my own imagination loose, and that's what I try to do when I write. I'm also a former newspaper reporter, and our mantra in the business is "Write tight." I guess it stuck. I would never have finished this thing without the help of a handful of talented, dedicated people who have seen me through this with advise, support and the occasional necessary tough talk: Buckeyegrrl, who early on said, "I made this cover art, I hope you like it" and "What do you think about pdfs?" I think wow. The cover is just lovely, and will be the front-end of a pdf version of Sotto Voce she is currently working on that is just lovely and oh so cool, especially for a fic that has a glossary attached. I have absolutely zero skills at art, and I am overwhelmed by this.Sillygleekt, who has a passion for copy editing that occasionally led us to bump heads over this story, but always resulted in improvements, and in additional thought going into the final draft.Knittywriter, who made a tiny suggestion early on, a single word that became the logical conclusion for the story. Every word in the story ultimately led to it.Iconicklaine, who underestimates her contribution to Sotto Voce. Annie read each chapter and gave what I think of as a 30,000-foot view to the story. She took great pains not to steer Sotto Voce in any direction than the one I wanted to take it in, yet shared an extraordinary eye for holes, characterization and areas where, as is often my habit, I may have set a pace that was not in keeping with the true pace of the area or the story. Much like Kurt learning to adapt to the slower pace of vineyard life, I needed to learn that this was not a race, and she taught me that with support and grace. Lastly, thanks for the kind words of support from so many readers. I did not go into this story expecting Sotto Voce to find an audience at all. It’s not based on a popular trope and while it is adult, it isn’t porn. It is simple storytelling, which is something that I love. That it struck a chord with some of you, and that it has been warmly received, means more to me than I can express. In Vino Veritas, GirlieSportsJunkie
UNCORKED
Kurt Hummel, Taste Wine Editor
In The End, A Glass Full
It's a funny thing, wine.
We break bread with it. We toast weddings and anniversaries with it. We honor global treaties with it.
Wine is so much more than a simple drink. It's a statement, an accent mark, a punctuation to a sentence.
It can complement a meal. It can serve as pretense. It melds science, culture, and even art.
For some, wine is a business, the thing that you make to make a living, and that's perfectly fine and good. For some, it's an art form, a statement piece that has meaning, a point of view. For others, it is a life's passion, the thing they pour their hearts and souls into.
I stumbled into this assignment a little over a year ago knowing how to identify a technically good wine, even a great wine, and how to pair it knowledgeably with food. What I came to understand as this assignment drew to a close was what wine really is.
More importantly, I came to understand how little I really knew about what makes wine truly special.
It's a reflection of the earth its grapes are rooted in: its chemicals, its history. It's the result of a creative mind and dedicated hands: of science, of imagination, of art.
Of love.
Over the course of this past year, I've done my thing, visiting vineyards and winemakers across California, and shared the trends of a wine region at the top of its game, but still evolving even as segments of it begin to hit middle age. Other areas are undergoing a renaissance of sorts, while still other California wine regions are only just beginning to mature.
In my down time, I learned a lesson in life as I was studying the craft of winemaking. Wine, you see, requires the art of patience and an acceptance of change, an understanding that sometimes you have to let nature take its course.
It has taught me about pace. You can't be rushed when you're making wine. You have to give it patience and care, and be willing to accept it for whatever its chemicals and nature deem it will become. You can make adjustments here and there, to be sure, but nature will ultimately dictate the outcome. There are some things you simply cannot force. A great wine, made with love and care, is one of them.
These are lessons I learned about the art of winemaking, but only recently did I realize that they were actually lessons in living, and that I almost failed them.
Almost.
If wine is made with love, it can define a life and with time and care and patience, you can make something truly special, even life-altering. I leave this series with a changed life, a new course charted by nature itself.
The schedule said that it was time for me to sign off, to go back to the way things were, to New York and its fast pace and fashionable boutiques; back to a life globetrotting in search of the world's great wines. And that's not a bad life, not at all.
But as I said, wine teaches lessons about time, and patience, priorities, and accepting change. And that, combined with the knowledge that a helluva lot of cities can be accessed from San Francisco International Airport, sets me in a new direction.
In a matter of a few short words, I will no longer be Kurt Hummel, Taste Wine Editor. That title changes to wine editor emeritus, occasional columnist, budding viticulturist and winemaker — not necessarily in that order.
I'll still be working with Taste, helping it find new flavors, voices and trends in the world of wine. I may even write from time to time. But I'll be doing it from the West Coast, from a verandah overlooking a swath of Syrah vines, a dog at my feet, a glass on the table, and a love by my side.
Kurt Hummel-Anderson
Wine Editor Emeritus
Taste Magazine