I’m in Orlando, Florida for my first leg of the marathon that is the Society of Wine Educators conference (SWE). I am a big fan of the SWE, their classes, approach and staff alike.

This is my fifth conference and at the gym this morning I already noted some familiar faces. I’m looking forward to all of the seminars and events that make up the conference. I always come away from the conference renewed and refreshed with new ideas about the industry and more knowledge about various parts of the wine world.

Today I am doing a Master Class on Burgundy which should be very enlightening and enjoyable. Usually the conference has a few “field trips” or winery visits that are part of the curriculum. Orlando isn’t known for its viticulture so they are offering this wonderful Master Class instead.

For the record, Orlando does have a brewery which is apparently quite popular and which gives classes on tasting and understanding beer.

I haven’t been to Orlando since I was in my freshman year of college so this is also a trip down memory lane.

I look forward to taking some great classes, meeting new people in the industry and saying hello to old friends. July was a very slow month on my blog and I hope to make August a more interesting one for readers.