At the age of 15 I helped out after school at a delicatessen. My boss, Linda, was a huge generous woman who had learned to cook in France. It was fascinating to watch this cheerful 200 lb. woman glide gracefully through the kitchen. Giant kettles of hearty steaming soups, bowls of colorful salads, paté, terrines and a perfectly arranged sandwich assembly line all appeared effortlessly. One Saturday I was assigned to help decorate one of the delicatessen's famous catered buffets. After just a few hours, Linda's crew had created a spectacular feast arranged majestically on a long oak table. As we all stood back to inspect and admire our creative work, Linda rewarded us each a tiny glass of Sauternes as she said,

"There is one thing we must always remember in this trade: we are professional hosts. Our guests have also received several other invitations, but have chosen to visit us. We should always do everything we can to make them feel special and warmly welcomed. Our guests should leave happy and satisfied that we were their host and be eager to return again."

Those words seemed as noble and delicious to me as the sweet exotic-tasting wine I was sipping and I decided then what my vocation would be.

At the age of 22, I was the well-paid manager of a giant pizza restaurant and family entertainment center in the Pacific Northwest. I was in charge of 60 employees, three electronic theater dining rooms, 100 video games, and a double decker conveyer belt pizza oven. It was a loud and busy booming business. After two hectic years, I finally took a vacation and when I returned I suddenly saw things clearly. The guests there weren't really happy and satisfied at all: the children were all overhyped and hysterically demanding "more, more, more!" and the adults all looked frazzled. To make matters worse, they couldn't even enjoy a decent glass of wine from one of the local small wineries. Our wine was the industrial version, coming only in the varieties "red" and "white" out of a spout in the wall. The business was successful, but far from the ideal of quality and warm-hearted hosting that Linda had inspired.

So I gathered courage and said my goodbyes. Anything that wouldn't fit in a rucksack was sold or given away. What had once been a whimsical dream had turned into a clear cut plan and I bought a one way ticket to Europe. My goal was to learn about European lifestyles, culinary arts, and wine. I originally intended to stay for only two years. After apprenticeship in the kitchen, sommelier education, gathering experience at numerous wineries and a few years work in the wine trade, I have discovered that 16 years have passed. Somewhere along the way I fell in love, married and had two children.

Although making my home in the heart of the Austrian Alps was never a conscious decision, but rather something that had developed gradually, I certainly have no regrets. I have a wonderful family, live in one of the most desirable places in all of Europe, and am passionate about my work as food and wine consultant. I believe I have had (and continue to have) more than my share of fun and fascinating experiences ---- I'd like to share them with you and hope that you enjoy reading about them. - Julia

You can reach Julia via email at 7ich@utanet.at