1896 Wine Club
Rainer Dragon is a fencer, coach, and international referee whose dedication to craft has always extended far beyond the piste. Her wine journey began long before she entered formal study. Raised in the Santa Cruz Mountains near Bonny Doon vineyard (whose beautiful green rows of vines she can still recall), she grew up in a household where food, fermenta-tion, and experimentation were part of daily life. She fondly remembers having nourishing home-cooked meals every day, oftentimes more adventurous dishes than what her peers would eat. Her family also ran a kombucha business, which introduced her to fermentation science at a young age. Representing the family's sparkling tea in bars and restaurants gave her an early understanding of beverage pairing, balance, and production.
Her first true wine awakening came when she tasted her grandmother's Bokbunja (복분자주), a Korean aromatic black-berry wine that left a lasting imprint on her palate. Years later, her work as a personal chef in New York deepened her appreciation for complex flavors. Cooking nutrient-focused, boldly flavored menus helped her understand how wines elevate food and mood.
As she traveled internationally for fencing she sought out local wines to bring home with her, while also gaining knowledge directly from her colleagues - many of them of international descent as well. Long communal dinners with other coaches where everyone cooked together became informal masterclasses in pairing lighter amber or white wines with vegetables and richer reds with grilled meats. Her most memorable moment was tasting Tokaji Aszú Grand Cru in Hungary, a wine so aromatic and expressive that it reshaped her sense of what wine could be.
For Rainer the common ground between fencing and wine lies in balance, presence, and the ability to lose oneself in the moment. A well made wine is evocative and complete on its own, and once you understand its characteristics you can slow down and let the flavors guide your imagination. She finds a similar flow state in fencing where everything moves around you and each reaction feels natural and perfectly timed. One cannot drink wine nervously and the same is true for fencing. Both require calm focus and an openness to experience.
In each discipline you drink or move to remember, not to forget, and it is in that mindful immersion that their deepest connections reveal themselves.