Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
'Are you sure this was an email offer to friends? You didn't have any advertising in a
newspaper or magazine?'
'No, this was an email to friends and colleagues.'
'We'll let you do it this time,' he said. 'For next time you will have to have completed your
registration and have your tax representative approved.'
I danced a jig around our rustic temporary office in the boiler room, while the customs
official explained the concept of a tax representative: an administrative project for another
day.
Overnight the weather changed to freezing. The 1,800 bottles had to be lovingly washed in
icy water before being 'dressed'. With frozen fingers we revelled in the exhilaration of our
first order and the rich aromas of wine and oak that surrounded us in our ancient barn.
Afterwashing,thewinemovedtocapsuling,fixingthemetal capoverthetopofthebottle
to cover the cork. To seal the capsule, the bottle is fed into an exceptionally noisy, rocket-
shaped apparatus, called a
capsuleuse
. The right amount of pressure must be applied: too
little pressure and the capsule comes out like a skirt, frilly and ruffled at the base; too much
pressure and the top of the capsule is pierced. After a few hours of practice Sean was an
expert and the capsules were smooth. Ellie was remarkably good-natured despite the noise,
wrapped in five layers of blankets in her buggy, calmly watching the progress.
For days we listened to U2 and labelled cases with familiar addresses feeling cold, happy
and homesick at the same time. The order represented a critical start for our wine business.
When the transporter collected we felt inordinately proud; we hadn't made the wine but it
came from our vineyard.
The vines changed colour. Their leaves fell. At night we froze despite still being huddled
together in one room. I struggled on with the renovations, learning to wield a screwdriver
andapaintrollerlikeapro.Thelocalbuildingsuppliesmangreetedmewithgleewhenever
I appeared. My hands were calloused. I wore the same paint-splattered working clothes for
weeks on end. It was a shock change from our city lives of business suits, cappuccinos and
heated offices.
