In the event that any of you have ever questioned whether or not this is the Best Job in the World, I recently had the opportunity to sit down and try the Domaine Serene 2007 Dundee Hills “Etoile Vineyard” Chardonnay and their entire current portfolio of Pinot Noir. You have reason to be jealous.

With Domaine Serene’s Wendy Heilmann leading the way, we sat down at BottleRock – Culver City. Glasses were brought, snacks were ordered and the wine began to flow.

We started with the Chardonnay.

2007 wasn’t a stand-out year for Oregon wine. (Or for me, either, which is why I know so much about alcohol. But I digress). The vintage is widely said to be good but not great; some people talk about lack of structure and flabbiness (see above). Tasting the “Etoile” puts all of those rumors to rest – and I’m not even a Chardonnay gal.

A perfect touch of bourbon vanilla/oaky/nuttiness from 50% new French oak and 15 months on lees. High acid and alcohol, balanced against cool melon and lime. A body full of earthy mineral that slips away for a minute and then returns on the finish.

If this is what can result from a bad year, than the past decade should totally start paying off for me. Especially if paired with oysters.

I’m one of those people who likes to believe that everything happens for a reason. Of course, life and experience offer a mixed bag in terms of support for the premise, but I figure that if I’m going to remain open and optimistic during my time on this planet, it’s probably worth it to look for ways to support the theory.

At 3:34am on February 27, a colossal 8.8 magnitude earthquake struck the South American country of Chile. When an earthquake strikes a poor country, killing almost 300 people and causing an estimated $15B-$30B in damages, it’s hard to read the headlines wearing rose-colored glasses.

But I’ve been trying to put a positive spin on the situation (if such a thing is actually possible). And the positive spin is this: Maybe the earthquake will bring more awareness of the country, and – with increased awareness - more people will discover their delicious wine.

According to a recent article in DiscoveryNews, “Chile is the primary worldwide exporter of grapes, with control over 24 percent of the global grape market…Chile is fourth in the world for wine exports.”