Hello and allow me to bore you to sleep.
I was introduced to wine in the late 1970s as work took me to Napa valley many weekends to assist wineries with back office issues. We would then taste their portfolios and they would send me home with wines I had never heard of which was easy as I didn’t know anything about wine. Fast forward to 25 years ago where I had the opportunity to rub shoulders with celebrity sommeliers and found myself married to the daughter of a Croation winemaker. He would drag me out to all the Croation vineyards in Napa and Sonoma valleys where we would dine on lamb and drink too much. I am currently in the wine and spirits industry as a bar/hospitality manager and wine educator. We have made grappa from pumice of many vineyards. We also have made wines, brandies, and rums. My youngest daughter shares my fascination with all things fermenting. We make persimmon and apricot wines together. She has developed quite a palate. My latest experiments have been turning smoke damaged grapes into brandy and storing them in slightly charred barrels as one would store whiskey.
I am going through the WSET steps. I hope to complete level IV and start my own wine bar in the San Francisco Bay Area.
The more I learn, the more I realize I still don’t know much but I love learning about terrior, grapes, viticulture, viniculture, and aging techniques.
I love talking about wine, helping individuals discover their individual palates and what wines appeal to them.
If find yourself in the SF Bay area, let’s get a glass of wine.