In the Sept. 4 Eat Drink Play section of the San Jose Mercury News, I found two great wine news pieces that I think you will really enjoy. The first is about a book that sounds great. The second is about an incredible wine-making adventure.
First Wine News: “A Sizzling Sip for Every Situation”
This wonderful article by Mary Orlin is an interview with sommelier Diane McMartin who wrote a very different kind of wine pairing book. Normally, when we think of pairing, we think of what wine goes with what food. Macaroni and cheese with Chardonnay? Yes! Steak with Cabernet? Yes! In her new book, This Calls for a Drink, McMartin pairs wine with situations and considers “the situation’s emotional heft.”
She was inspired to write the book when her roommate who was doing online dating came home one day and asked her, “What goes with getting dumped?”
The last question that Orlin asks is my favorite: “What should we drink to survive the 2016 elections?” McMartin responds by saying, “I don’t know if there is any wine or beer strong enough to get us all through election season.”
I’ve added this book to my Amazon wish list and can’t wait to read it. If you’ve read it, please share your favorite parts.
Second Wine News: “Winemaker for a Day”
One of my favorite Napa wineries is Joseph Phelps. Their Insignia wine is one of my all-time favorite wines. The winery is beautiful. A tasting at the winery is incredible. Word of warning: You need a reservation to do a tasting at Joseph Phelps, and the tasting costs more than the average tasting. But it’s well worth it.
When I read the “WineMaker for a Day” article, also by Orlin, I got very excited. The winery is letting guests “play winemaker for a day.” For $100, in a 90-minute Insignia blending session, you “taste the current vintage to ‘calibrate’ [your] taste buds to the wine’s aromas, flavors and textures, then sample each of the Insignia component wines – cabernet, malbec and cabernet franc -which vary with each vintage. [You] make notes on what [you] do or don’t like and start blending.”
Does that sound like fun beyond belief? I am so excited to try this out. If you would like to join me in this adventure, please let me know.
Cheers to more great wine news like this!
As an independent wine consultant with WineShop At Home, I absolutely enjoy bringing a taste of the Napa wine country home to you one sip at a time. Whether you simply love to drink wine, would like to host a tasting, seek a special gift, or are in search of a new wine jobs opportunity as a wine consultant, feel free to contact me for a truly unique wine tasting experience!
Cheers,
Betty Kaufman, WineShop At Home
