Kadena International Wine Fest (Sounds a lot like Catalina Wine Mixer)

So this past Saturday night I had the pleasure of going to my first international wine festival. It was held at the Rocker NCO club here on Kadena Air Base.

I guess I'll start with what I wore... or rather how my outfit came about.

I didn't have anything. So I had my mom mail me a couple of dresses. Too bad I didn't get her to send a black one. All the girls I was going with were wearing black. I can't be the only one in green and white... I mean seriously.

So it's four hours until time to go... thats when I started shopping. S20 and I ventured to the Base Exchange (BX) because I can't fit into the locals clothes, therefore, town was not an option.

We spent approximately 25 minutes shopping... shoes included. In true Meredith fashion I purchased the first dress and shoes I tried on. It looked good enough I guess.

So I got all fancied up... I even wore my hair down for this. I know. Big Surprise. I had to buy a straightener to do so.

When we got there it was kind of crowded. However, we got our wine glas

ses and started tasting (I have decided that I will not grow up and become a wine conesiour). One guy had 3 Merlots. Two from Chile and one from Italy. He said, "Now we are going to start our journey in Chile...mmm...and what do you think of that? Now this is a Chilean wine made very similiar to an Italian wine...mmm...and what do you think of that? Now this one if from Italy...mmm...can you taste the similarities?"

My answer was most definitely. The first one was okay. The second one bad. The third awful. But of course I didn't actually say that... instead I waited for him to take a

nother unlucky person on the wine tour and I slipped away from the table.

Now don't get me wrong I tasted a lot and like a few. So all was not lost.

In my personal opinion all the vendors can keep their wine. The food is the reason to come. I had lump crab wrapped in back with a cream sauce on top, scallops cooked the same way, crab ragoon with real crab and minimal cream cheese, teryaki beef skewers, sushi... the list goes on and on.

So the lesson learned from the whole experience... Go hungry, leave full,

and pick up a bottle of the cheapest white wine on your way out the door.

Thats what S20 and I did. It proved to be just right.

From left to right: S20, me, cpl watson, ssgt garneau.

Reporting from AFN Okinawa, I'm LCpl Meredith Watts.