As a public/motivational speaker I have had the pleasure of speaking to many different groups of people.  Among my favorite audiences are public school teachers and administrators.  The challenges of this educational era require dedication and passion, creativity, open-mindedness and a willingness to not settle for mediocrity or failure.  It takes very special people willing to work every day for excellence;  excellence from themselves and excellence from those they teach and inspire.  Often times against incredible odds.

The pay is low relative to the enormous responsibility American educators carry.  The benefits are few and the illnesses of society continue to show themselves in our schools.  Children come in all stages of readiness and willingness to learn.  Some children succeed while others do not. Some children remain motivated while others only think of quitting school when they are old enough. From Maine to Hawaii, Alaska to Florida  the challenges are the same.

These are different times in the halls of education yet the conversations in teacher lounges remain the same and that is “How do we motivate these kids to want to learn”?  “How can we get them from one grade level to another when fewer and fewer just don’t seem to care”?

Using the words of our newly elected president…”This is a new America”.  “This is the time to start over”.  And so too is it for our American public schools.  Opportunities to learn must  be provided for all children. At the same time we must recognize that not all children will succeed at the same rate or at the same level. This must be acknowledged by parents, school committees, educators and government agencies country wide.  Avenues for acceleration are there. Those who are motivated and able will move ahead; they will succeed. Children with special needs and challenges whether emotionally, physically, or socially based should not be held to the same exact standards or measures of success…but know that they can and will have degrees of success.  Children need to know that their efforts matter.   Children also need to be listened to, guided, encouraged, and held accountable. These are not new realizations.  Yet, as guiding principles these realizations tend to get lost when educational policy is translated into educational practice.

It is a time for change in America, and, as such, it is a time for change in our educational system. It is a time to go back to the basics: the three R’s. Those being reflection, renewal and respectful response.

The fall of 2008 and the early winter of 2009 will long be remembered for changing times.  It seems as though nothing is stationary. That daily lives are in a state of flux. The stock market is looking like a 30 story elevator with more trips to the basement than the penthouse.   A gallon of gas went from $2 to  $4 a gallon and back to under $2.  Oranges, lettuce, bread and flour are on the rise, along with about anything else in the way of groceries.  And last but not least, working people from every corner of this country are being told that they will be laid off, downsized, bought out, or terminated.  No matter how it is phrased the result is the same.  Folks are out of work.  They have no job.  Never mind the loss of any work related perks like vacation time, sick leave, dental and health insurance, 401 k’s.

As a public speaker, I am often asked what I think about things in general.  A recent speaking engagement in North Carolina reinforced my belief that people all over are a bit unsettled and that things are tenuous at best.  Speaking to a group of folks in Asheville I said that I think folks are in a holding pattern.  That many are taking a wait and see attitude and that watchful eyes on the economy and the local job markets as well as supermarkets will for most of us let us know what direction things appear to be going.

My generation has heard all about the great depression, the long soup lines and no jobs to be had anywhere but this is the first time that we have seen the effects of economic depression in our daily lives as it did the lives of our parents.  We “Baby Boomers” who have been covered in the litter of economic and material excess are now looking for the clean up crew.  I think it will take more than an army of volunteers but that is a great place to start.

So, Baby Boomers, “The Times They Are A Changin’”!

Jackie’s Wine Manifesto cut off  #7 so here it is!

#7.  There is always a place for rose’ wines.

Most people think of rose’ as only “White Zinfandel” which indeed can be a bit on the sweeter side. I am here to let you know that there are some wonderful dry and off-dry rose’ wines that are delightfully fruity, with body and character. White Cabernets, White Merlots, White Syrahs and Gamays are my grapes of choice.  These are all red grapes but their skins only sit with the juices during fermentation a short time to lift a bit of the pinkness.   These are a wonderful change for the palate and pair so nicely with so many foods.  Reasonably priced and ready to chill.  Please, venture forward and make 2009 your year to experiment with Rose’ wines!

Cheers!

First of all, what exactly is a manifesto?  Simply stated, a manifesto is a written, public declaration on a topic about which one feels strongly.    It can be a social issue, a political issue, a specific cause, an opinion on a sports team or something else completely different than any of these examples.  All one really needs is a strong opinion on whatever it is they are willing to publicly declare.  With that said, I can state without question, that I feel very strongly about the beauty and surprises of tasting wine!

#1.  Find the grape and style of wine that you like and enjoy it with the foods you like to eat.

We can drink white wine with red meats and we can enjoy red wines with poultry, pork or shrimp! If Chardonnay, Viognier, Chenin Blanc or Riesling is your white grape then I say enjoy it with the foods you love and see what tasting surprises develop. If Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot or a Sangiovese is your red grape of choice then go ahead and sip them with your favorite foods, even if it happens to be a Caesar salad!

#2. Wine labels are typically designed to attract consumers rather than to inform consumers.

Vintage wines (wines with a year on the label) mean that you will pay more for them, that most of the grapes came from the same land area and that almost all of the grapes in that bottle of wine come from that year.  The date on the bottle is when the grapes were harvested, not when the wine was bottled.  These vintage wines are higher end, a step above so to speak and are great for special occasions but for those of us who drink and cook with wine everyday a vintage wine probably will not be found in our glass except now and again.  These everyday wines, (labels with no dates) are usually less expensive, lower in alcohol but still fruity tasty delights!  If you like Merlot for example, than look for a label that has Merlot on it because in order to put the name of the grape on the label at least 75% of that grape must be in that blend….so go ahead, discover your grape of choice and have fun searching the wine aisles.

#3. Tasting food and wine is indeed all about balance, but not every palate experiences balance in the same way.

I never use the word “better” to describe one wine against another because my better may not be your better!  Even though our tongues have the same four tasting areas (salty, sweet, sour, bitter) the degrees to which we taste these things is indeed different.  And let’s not forget the role our noses play.  We taste food and wine with smells well before we taste it on our palates.  So go ahead, sniff your fork full of food, put your nose into that red wine and take a long deep sniff….this is the beginning of really enjoying food and wine.

#4. A higher  alcohol content and a higher  price do not necessarily mean that the wine will taste better to you.

Look back at my #2 once again.  If you are sipping a $45 bottle of Syrah and you really do not care for the Syrah grape than your $12 bottle of Red Zinfandel which you love will win every time!  Don’t be afraid to try new grapes now and again, you might find a new love.

#5. Storing wine for the general consumer is a non-issue.

Most wines purchased are consumed within 48 hours.  Three things that hurt wine are heat, direct sunlight and air. So unless you are placing your recent purchase between your dishwasher and oven or placing it in a wine holder that sits on the dining room table in full sun, you really do not have to worry about it. If you are going to keep that bottle for a time and you have no specific wine rack then try your closet floor.  Temperatures stay about the same, no direct sunlight to be found and it is easy to roll with your foot every now and again!

#6. Purchasing wine is all about personal expectations.

Think of Mom’s apple pie, or your grandmother ’s southern fried chicken….these are  expectations that we come to hold  as we travel through life.  Wine is the same thing.  When I think of a Pinot Noir, which I love,  I have an expectation that I want that next bottle to meet.  I really don’t care if it is sealed with organic cork, plastic or a screw top.  I only want my expectation to be met.  So don’t turn your noses up against anything until you try it…it may just meet that expectation you are hoping for.

So go ahead, take the blinders off, open up your mind to new possibilities, take the pressure off of yourself.  It’s just fine to open a red and a white at the table and see what changing balance is all about.  There are no wrongs here.  Both wine and foods are meant to enjoy and play with and I am all about playing!

I have written and conducted wine seminars for years and have found that most people generally have the same questions when it comes to wine and wine tastings.  I have found that there are some people in the wine world who very much want and like to keep the mystique about wine, wine labels, wine and foods etc. alive and well.  I am not one of them.  As the wine training coordinator for Biltmore Estate Winery in Asheville North Carolina, I continue to learn more about wine and wine making everyday that I work and I enjoy the opportunity to share any thing that I can about this great nectar.

Salute!