OK, yes, to a certain extent, every day is the first day of the rest of one’s life. So why is today different? Today is my first day as a full-time wine professional. Up until yesterday, I had been holding onto that "pesky" day job while I launched Grand Cru Classes, working in the evenings and on weekends.

However, as I am continually reminded, life is fleeting. We may live to be 100 (in my case, I hope not — 85 is fine with me) or depart life much earlier, regardless of our best intentions. Consequently, it was time to take a leap of faith and turn my full attention to my career in the wine world.

It is all at once scary and exciting, but already I am seeing the benefits of my decision. First, it was a pleasure to have slept in this morning; well, I admit that 8:00 AM isn’t all that late, but it was nice not to have to be anywhere by 9:00 AM. Next, I am confident that I will not miss my hour-long commute to the office.

And, speaking of the office, now everyday is "Take Your Dog to Work" Day. I love having Annabelle around as my muse. Other perks include wine with lunch — somehow my previous employer it didn’t seem apprpropriate to bring a bottle of wine with my sandwich (can’t imagine why :-] ). And, it will be much easier to attend trade tastings and events — no more rushing out of the office in the middle of the day.

Finally, I am looking forward to having more time — more time to build the business, more time to write (not least of which to post more frequently than once a quarter) and more to read. Just in time, too, as the August issue of Decanter has just arrived and I haven’t quite finished with June.

Of course, this rosy glow may fade a bit come August 1 when my usual monthly paycheck isn’t directly deposited into my account. But, for now I’ll just enjoy the ride.