Rheingau Pinot Noir

Jon poured those giant glasses!

Description on the bottle: Medium-dry, full bodied Pinot Noir with ruby red color, characterized by well-balanced oak flavors, earthy and delicate tones.  A wine which matches grilled beef, pasta dishes, wild poultry and strong cheeses perfectly.

Sarah says:  I like it!  I received this bottle from a co-worker on my last day working at Plante Moran (thanks Monika!).  Back in July I wasn't sure about my red-wine abilities, so I've been saving it until I could handle it.  Apparently that time is now!  This wine is flavorful but not so overbearing that it's undrinkable.  It had a lovely combination of  rich but light tastes.  To be honest, I drank it while sneaking Twizzlers from my kids Halloween buckets, so I detected a little strawberry flavor that probably wasn't actually there.  I loved every sip.

Overall rating:  Thumbs up!

Sarah says:  Speaking of P&M - I miss it a little.  Have you ever been on a path that made so much sense, and as soon as you veered off that path, you felt like you were stumbling all over the place?  That's pretty much been my life for the past 4 months.  I spent 7.5 years working at P&M, and although it had it's ups and downs, for the most part, I loved it.  I knew what to expect there.  And, even though I spent the past 3 years at Detroit, and all the craziness that was there, I felt like I had figured out how to make it work.  At my new job, random stuff comes up everyday, and it's never the same thing twice.  I appreciate the excitement, and how fast the days go by, and I like being challenged, but I generally feel like the newbie idiot most of the time.  I look forward to finally knowing what I'm talking about again. 

Here is a copy of the green memo I wrote to say goodbye to my P&M family - I'm not dwelling, I'm just remembering!  *names have been hidden

After a whole lot of thinking and talking with my family, I have decided to leave Plante & Moran after 7 fantastic years.  I lived in Canton back in 2004 & 2005 and I have been anxious to move back ever since leaving.  I’m finally getting the opportunity to go back, as I have accepted a position within the Canton Township finance department.

I truly believe P&M is the BEST place to start an accounting career.  I am so grateful for the time I’ve had here, and wouldn’t change a thing about the experiences I’ve had.  There are so many people to thank, it’s nearly impossible to list everyone.  SO, thank you to everyone that I worked with, you all made my time here memorable, challenging, and fun. 

LP* – You were my first team partner, you took a girl scared out of college and introduced me to the world of public accounting.  You ensured I got on a variety of clients so I could really experience it all.  Thank you for the opportunities to work with you, and for making me laugh all the time.  Time spent with you was always enjoyable!

BR* – How I ended up on your team still baffles me since you and I had never met, however, I’m so grateful that I got the opportunity to work with you.  The first client we worked on together was the Airport – neither of us had ever worked on this type of client.  Watching you figure it all out was an amazing learning experience for me, thank you for being patient with me as we discovered the good and the not so good ways to audit them.  Also, thanks for sticking with me through the “suck it up” years.  I appreciate the time you spent encouraging me (ie. listening to me complain), and ultimately helping me figure out where I’d be happiest.  PMGAP was your idea, and what a great idea it was!

CJ* – Thanks for letting me into the group!  You had also never met me and were really just trusting when everyone said I was worth it.  Despite my leaving now, I hope I was worth it.  You must have had some faith to put me, a newbie to the team, out at the City of Detroit.  I know Detroit has a pretty bad reputation, but I’ve honestly enjoyed my time there.  I’ve learned more there in the 3 years I spent there than I could have possibly imagined.   Thank you for that chance.

MP* – You’ve been my best P&M friend!  I’m going to miss car-pooling to training and getting all the latest gossip in the auditing world.  I appreciate you never judging me for asking all my “I know I should know the answer to this, but….” type questions.  Thanks for being such a good friend.

MF* – My one and only buddy!  I honestly don’t know how I would have made it through my first few months at P&M without all your help.  You baby stepped me through a ridiculous amount of things that probably should have been a lot easier, but things somehow end up more complicated when I’m around.  You are super smart and so level headed.  Thanks for staying calm when I’m freaking out.  Have fun at Detroit, I cannot picture a better person for the job!

JK* – Grandpa, what can I say that hasn’t already been said?  Although I was too young to work for the firm when you were a partner, I’ve felt like I’ve always been on your team.  You’ve provided me more guidance and support than anyone, words cannot express my gratitude.  I remember being 6 years old, sitting in the back seat of your car, driving along the freeway, being fascinated by that big blue building that Grandpa worked at.  I’m so glad I got the opportunity to experience the inside of that building for myself.  Thank you for introducing me to P&M and yet being supportive of my decision to leave. 

To everyone in PMGAP and the SOUT 3^rd West Impact group and – thank you everyone that taught me anything, which is pretty much everyone.  You are the greatest, friendliest, smartest group of people.  I’m grateful for the time I’ve spent with everyone.

My last day with the firm is July 18. 

Sniff, sniff - oh the memories!  One day I'll be able to post similar things to my Canton co-workers, right?