Day One!

So, the glamorous task of selling wine began at 3:30 this morning. Re-adjusting the alarm clock insuring my husband woke in time to get the kids up and ready for school, I pulled myself out of bed. I passed on washing and blowdrying the hair as I thought I'd use the 5 minutes for coffee instead of the tedious routine of styling the locks. Who says middle-aged women shouldn't wear ponytails. If Sarah Palin can do it, I figure so can I. Despite the darkness, I managed to find my way back to my husband still in bed. I kissed him goodbye, told him thank you, then found my newly rescued Chow Chow, "Sami", sleeping on the floor. I did the same to him, promising I’d be home soon. Leaving my bag in the hall, I found my way to my daughter and son’s room and gave them each a kiss.

I've been on the road selling wine for many years, but this particular market visit is special. I have a companion. My mother, Nancy, is traveling with me. Her mission: to promote her new cookbook, The Ponzi Vineyards Cookbook, while I promote our wines. This visit is one of my longest - seven days.

The trip to Florida has become a February tradition for me. I’ve been making this trek across the country to South Florida for nearly 15 years and each time - as painful as it is to leave my family - I look forward to seeing my good friends in Naples, Palm Beach and Sarasota. The sunshine is one thing, but the good people and their commitment to enjoying and supporting our wines is even better.

My father, Dick, insists on driving us to the airport. He hates spending money and that weekly parking fee is something we can avoid. So, he and Nancy arrive at my doorstep at 4AM.

The five hours to Atlanta is long, but fortunately I’m reading Jeanette Walls’ new book, “Half Broken Horses”, which more than accelerates the time. She’s one of my favorite authors, if not My Favorite. We have a two and half hour layover and convince ourselves we can survive the day on peanuts, pretzels, water and tasteless Pinot Grigio. Ugh. Can hardly choke the stuff down. I'm always amazed people drink that garbage, but that’s another story. I better just stick to water.

As it turns out my uncle, David Ponzi, a retired Ford Motor Company engineer is vacationing with my aunt Fil, in Sarasota this month. In the Italian tradition of being a good family man, he insists on picking Mom and I up at the airport and takes us to dinner before we crash at the Lido Beach Resort for a good night’s rest. With Mom on the plane and family awaiting our arrival, this trip feels more like a vacation than business. It's going to be a great week!

Thanks for coming along...

Ciao!

Maria