A Wee Bit of the Grape

Singer-songwriter Sarah Vanell

A grand Convention tradition continued last night with a Wine Tasting Event. Stations arrayed around the room held a few choice bottles, each hosted—or should I say “guarded”—by their own sommelier.

The wine was good. (I liked the Sangiovese, and I heard the Prosecco was primo.) Like all things at Convention, though, the conversation was even better.

It was a pleasure to catch up with friends and colleagues in a relaxing setting after a long day. Add to that a wide array of cheeses (Dinner? Who needs dinner?), and you’ve got almost a perfect evening.

All that you’d really need to top it off? Ahh, I know. How about some music?

And that’s where the Convention Committee had another stroke of genius. They invited back Sarah Vanell, a phenomenal singer-songwriter. She entertained wonderfully, and even took requests. In fact, my daughter Willa sends a special thank-you to Sarah for performing an Evanescence song!

(And yes, my 14-year-old daughter accompanied me to a wine-tasting. But she was there to take photos for the magazine blog—see below. And she had taken photos, lugged equipment, and even interviewed attendees for the 12 hours before the evening event. And at the wine soiree, I made sure she stuck to bottled water. Thank you for your help, Willa!)

A packed roster of CLE is a wonderful thing. But the gathering-and-chatting part of the Convention is what raises it to a higher level.

Here’s looking to even more networking on Thursday and Friday.

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