This just got REAL!🎥🎞️📽️🎬The Cornville, Arizona Wine Episode

After weeks of dedicated practice in my makeshift home studio (goodbye, fireside chat dream!), I finally felt confident enough to record my channel intro. A bar-stool, a wine map backdrop, and a few takes later, I had something I was pleased with. It was time for the ultimate test: filming our first episode at a real winery.

Here's that first fireside chat version:

DA Ranch in Cornville, Arizona, became our inaugural destination. DA Ranch is an established Cornville, Arizona wine destination.

Familiar with its spacious layout and picturesque scenery, we felt it offered the perfect setting for our debut. Plus, with ample secluded areas, we hoped to minimize the awkwardness of filming in public – a challenge highlighted in my extensive online research.

The journey itself presented its first hurdle: capturing the scenic drive without Mrs. Kay precariously perched out the window. Note to self: invest in a dash-cam. Undeterred, we arrived at the ranch entrance, a tranquil spot chosen for my on-location intro. Thankfully, the weekday crowd was minimal, allowing us to film with relative ease.

With the intro secured, we ventured into the winery, capturing tasting notes and impressions at various picturesque locations. Two hours later, we departed with a wealth of footage and a sense of accomplishment. We even got this uber great picnic shot of the two of us (later Mrs. Kay would not think the shot was that great🤣😂).

Back home, the editing process brought both joys and frustrations. While the overall quality was promising, minor imperfections – a rogue fan, imperfect camera angles – demanded attention. Nevertheless, we embraced the "just upload it" were set to get this first episode out to the world. State one: complete!