About

Meet Otti

Movement elicits energy shifts, sometimes small and barely discernible and other times monumental, where your whole world is blown apart. One of my early moves came when I returned home and finally ended an untrue marriage, after being abandoned in a downtown apartment with no job or prospects. I was grateful my parents fed me Sunday dinners, but the lack of self-worth I felt profoundly impacted my well-being. But regardless of what happened in my life, a beautiful full moon would still rise over the city. An awareness began to ignite that life was grander and more powerful than I could imagine.

Then ka-boom, my mom fell ill with the grim diagnosis of ovarian cancer. Please understand, my mother was the Center of the Universe to me, the source of all warmth, energy, and direction. As her youngest child, I floated around in various orbits, but her life force kept hold of me, so I didn’t fly aimlessly out into space.

Being sick and vulnerable was not in my mother’s character, so she courageously endured two intense surgeries and radiation treatments. I witnessed immense kindness between my mom and dad and watched them struggle with her pain and the side effects of her medicine. But the test results on New Year’s Day showed the cancer was still there, and by the following November, she went back to the hospital, and we lost her to infection.

My father lived another eleven years after my mother’s passing. Managing bills along with his health needs became the new focus. A few weeks before my father died from Alzheimer’s, he shared one of those clear moments with me and conveyed a stream of advice and life views for about ten minutes. It was an amazing flow of care and support, and he was fully aware and fully connected with me. It was all generated from holding his hand, being calm and alert, and listening with my heart.

My enthusiasm for wine emerged during my time in Washington state. Sharing this practice of stillness is what I invite you to discover with your Zen of Wine Tasting subscription. Come along this journey to a place of retreat and wonderful wines. Explore the sensory experience of wine tasting. Become immersed in the romance and global competition. Feel the strong bond to earth and family. Find understanding beyond the technical. I look forward to our connection and noticing what happens together.

A little sip goes a long way. Prost!

In case you were wondering, Ottilie Katz is a pen name I use to honor my mother, Ottilie. She was born in Bavaria and was named after her mother. Ottilie means “prosperous” and her family called her Otti for short. She remains my light and angel.