Prana and Pinot

My favorite yoga studio had a super fun event last night called Prana and Pinot. Yoga and wine are some of my favorite things, how could they not be good together.

We started off with 90 minutes of yoga. The first hour was a pretty vigorous flow. I'd spent the afternoon sitting at my table working on the plans for the renovations for my Mom's kitchen and eating delicious treats from Scratch (I have gotten my Mom addicted and now she wants to go whenever she visits!), so it felt good to move. I was right by the open window and the fresh air and sunlight kept me feeling cool and invigorated even as my legs trembled from holding warrior two for what seemed like hours. We finished with half an hour of restorative yoga, perfect for helping me with my intention for the class- reconnecting my mind with my body.

It was also perfect for preparing me for the wine tasting. We were tasting wines from Cellardoor, a Maine Winery. Since the cold Northern climate isn't ideal for grape growing (and I've been totally spoiled by wine tasting in California and Italy in the past few months), I was really interested to see how they would taste.

We started with a red, the Monti al Mare
a blend of Sangiovese and Old Vine Zinfandel. It was described as being full of ripe, concentrated flavors of cherry, raspberry, and Amaretto, ending with a warm, spicy finish. Usually I read these descriptions, but have trouble picking out individual flavors. But last night, I totally could! I think the yoga really helped to sharpen my mindfulness.

One of the most unique wines was the Sweetheart. The ideal pairing? Peanut Butter and Jelly! It was sweet, tasting mostly like grape juice. But I love a wine company that isn't afraid to have fun. Sometimes at the end of a long week, I really need a glass of wine, and I don't have anything in the house except peanut butter and jelly. Love it!






The last wine we tasted was a sweet dessert wine, Serendipity. It is a Riesling infused with Maine maple syrup. I'm not usually a big dessert wine person, but this was really good. It wasn't too sweet and went great with chocolate. Plus by this point, I probably would have liked anything. They were very generous with the tasting pours!

The wine, cheese, and chocolate were great, but the best part was getting to talk to the other people at the event. Usually at yoga we do our thing and then head out right away, so we never get to chat. I spent a long time talking to a woman who is the teacher training program this spring. She loves it. I mentioned that I've been eying the fall class, but I don't know if I can make the commitment with my travel schedule. At this point, the studio owner jumped into the conversation. She told me she noticed how strong my practice was during class, and that she'd be willing to work with me. Could I really become a yoga teacher? After a lot of wine last night it seemed possible, today I'm not so sure.