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Ingredients

• 8 c vegetable and/or beef stock
• 1 1/2 c diced potatoes
• 3/4 c diced celery root
• 3/4 c diced carrots
• 1/4 c chopped fresh dill, plus more for garnish
• 1/2 c sliced celery
• one medium onion, diced
• 2 tsp allspice
• 2-3 bay leaves
• salt and pepper to taste
• one jar whole (if you can find them) Polish dill pickles* (save the brine!)
• 1 c sour cream or greek yogurt

Directions

Bring all ingredients except pickles and sour cream to a gentle boil in a large stock pot. Cook until potatoes and other vegetables are soft through. While cooking, grate the whole pickles using a box grater; or, if you have spears, chop them finely with a knife. Once the vegetables are done, add in the grated pickles and the reserved pickle brine. Bring back to a boil.

Using a ladle, spoon out approximately one cup of broth and add it to a blender. Add in the sour cream or yogurt and blend thoroughly (you can whisk together in a bowl by hand if you prefer, just make sure the sour cream is completely incorporated). Turn off heat, and stir mixture back into soup.

Serve with a sprinkle of fresh dill on top.

* Polish pickles are made with different spices than “regular” dill pickles, so make every effort to find them. I use Vlasic brand, which can be found in the refrigerated section of the grocery store.

The post Cafe Polonia’s Dill Pickle Soup appeared first on A Girl & Her Somm.

High-end wine is almost always better than cheaper bottles; this is true, but not exclusively so. 

It is absolutely better than the bulk, often-on-sale-at-Kroger brands that may tempt you with low prices. Resist! Most of them (but not all; we can recommend some large producers that do a good job) are poorly produced, often contain additives and colorings, labeled in such a way as to make it difficult to know what’s really in them, and, well, just not that tasty. So in that regard, more expensive wine — which typically comes from quality producers with a history of carefully crafting their juice and thus elevating the price — is hands-down better.

But it is possible to find good deals on delicious bottles from great producers, if you know what to look for.  Want Champagne but have a beer budget? Check out these recommendations for other bubblies at lower prices. And if you take some time to learn about wine regions and labels, you can spot a potentially great wine at Costco that’s sporting a can’t-miss price.

On the other hand, if you want to be a baller and spring for a high priced bottle, take our advice and talk to a sommelier or wine store rep first. Just because it has a hefty price tag doesn’t mean it will automatically be the kind of thing you’re looking for, and sometimes bottles that sell for high prices aren’t even meant to be drunk right away. It would be a shame to spend hundreds on a bottle of French Bordeaux that, if not allowed to age for some years, is so tannic you can’t swallow it.

Myth #2: If you shun big brands like Barefoot or Meiomi, you’re just a snob

What if I told you millions of bottles of mass-produced U.S. wines contain something called “Mega Purple,” an additive designed to make the juice look, well more purple. In fact, “Mega Purple is used by almost every low- to moderate-value wine producer (below $20US per 750 ml bottle) to help standardize the bottled product ensuring a more uniform product.”

Is that really what you want to drink? And if you answered “no,” does that make you a snob?

Many (but not all!) large wineries churn out crappy “Frankenwines” with additives that distort the natural flavors, colors and mouthfeel. They disguise lower quality juice and figure the people buying it won’t know the difference.

Well, now you do know the difference, and becoming a more discerning wine consumer just makes you wiser, not snobbish. But does that mean you can’t buy any of those big brands you see in the grocery aisle? 

Actually, you can. We heartily endorse several large producers that make lovely wines at affordable prices. Like Kendall Jackson, for example, or — believe it or not — Kirkland brand wines from Costco.

So if you’re accustomed to drinking 19 Crimes or Barefoot, etc, let us suggest some new wines to try instead, which you should be able to find at a grocery store near you:

Instead of 19 Crimes Red Blend, drink Marrietta Old Vine Red (which is simply a better version of the same type of thing), look for Cotes du Rhone (a centuries-old red blend), or try a ripe and easy Spanish Garnacha.

Instead of Meiomi Chardonnay, drink Cambria, Heron, or even Kendall-Jackson Chardonnay.  Or look to Argentina and try Catalpa or Catena.  These have nice acid to counterbalance the richness inherent in Chardonnay.

Instead of Barefoot Pink Moscato, drink Moscato from where it originates, Italy.  Asti to be exact.  There are plenty of tasty and affordable ones out there that still have nice sweetness but with balance as well.

Instead of 14 Hands Sauvignon Blanc, try a Chilean Sauv Blanc like Casa Silva.  The cool pacific ocean makes Chile ideal for this grape.  Wanna feel fancy?  Look for something from Tourraine in the Loire Valley of France.  That is arguably where SB reaches its zenith but values can still be had.

Instead of Dark Horse Pinot, drink… OK, so this is a tough one.  In short, most of these very ripe “Pinots” don’t represent what Pinot is supposed to be about.  If you like Dark Horse or Meiomi Pinot, you might actually really like ripe wines like what we recommended for the 19 Crimes.  However, if you want to drink some tasty Pinot that is easy on the budget, try Underwood from Oregon (or any of the other wines that Union Wine Company makes).

Myth #3: Red wine should always be served at room temperature

Wine professionals will tell you that most regular folks (like me) serve red wine too warm, and white too cold.

So if you don’t have a wine fridge with multiple temperature zones, the rule of thumb that red wine shouldn’t be cooled is a fine one to follow. But the truth is, many reds show better with a little bit of chill. Lambrusco, for example, is a fun, fizzy red that is delicious straight from the fridge. Same with Beaujolais.  But, honestly, nearly all reds will show more better if they’re served at about 60 degrees.

Storing your red wine in a regular fridge will most likely result in them cooling down way below their ideal serving temp, so we recommend popping your better-served-slightly-chilled reds into the refrigerator an hour or so before serving. That should be just enough time to lower the temp for optimal drinkability.

And while we’re on the subject, many whites, especially rich ones like Chardonnay, really prefer to be a bit warmer than refrigerator temp, so try to pull those out of the fridge a bit before serving and certainly eschew the ice bucket once you’ve opened it.  In fact, make a point of recognizing how the taste and aroma evolves as it warms up a bit.  Go ahead and drink that Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc nice and cold though.

Myth #4: You must drink red wine with red meat, white with chicken and fish

The old adage of drinking red wine with red meat and white wine with white meat and seafood is fairly reliable, but it oversimplifies things and threatens to leave out potentially lovely pairings. 

Let’s quickly disabuse you of this very common misconception. Firstly, if all the bloggers tell you to drink Cabernet with your prime rib and you’re just not into it, choose something else. Champagne or sparkling wine, for example, goes with damn near everything. Seriously, if in doubt, choose a sparkling white or rosé, and I can almost guarantee you won’t go wrong.

Secondly, a great pairing is less about the color of the food and more about the flavor profiles. Take for example, the most popular dish at one of Charlie’s restaurants, the Lemongrass-grilled Hanger Steak.  Between the somewhat sweet marinade and the cucumber salad and peanut sauce that come with it, it begs for a Riesling.  Sure, a fruity red is also nice, but your classic tannic red (that is often considered a go-to with steak) just doesn’t show as well.

And his (and far too many somms to mention) absolute favorite for roasted chicken?  Beaujolais.  A red wine.  See, the key element is the roasted part.  If you took the breast from that same chicken and sautéed it with lemon and butter, we’d be thinking white wine. But the flavors produced when you roast that chicken lend themselves to a bouncier juice you can’t typically achieve in a glass of white.

Myth #5: White wine is not “serious” wine

Wanna spot the poser at the dinner party?  It’s the guy who is waxing authoritative about wine but refuses to drink white.  Now, don’t get me wrong, if you prefer red to white, by all means, drink red.  Just don’t pretend that whites are somehow “novice” wines.  Because many of the world’s most revered wines are whites and nearly every wine professional I know drinks at least as much white as red.

In fact, I recall a recent message board discussion amongst wine pros asking for their top three grapes.  The vast majority of the grapes mentioned were white.

And, while we’re at it, there’s a ton of delicious rosés out there, so stop sleeping on them as well.  Few wines are tastier on a hot summer day and plenty deserve year-round consideration.

So, fire open that bottle of white! There’s a very good chance Charlie’s doing the same right now.

Got any long-held wine beliefs that you think just might not be true? Shoot us a note and we may feature your myth in an upcoming post!

The post Five Wine Myths You Need to Forget About Now appeared first on A Girl & Her Somm.

Directions:

In a small bowl, stir spices, sugar and vanilla into softened butter. A flat spatula may prove helpful, as you need to smoosh (yep, technical term) the butter in order to get even spice distribution throughout. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. To make a drink: place one to two tablespoons of butter into a mug. Add rum to your taste — a finger or two? Fill the remaining space with hot water. Stir until butter dissolves. Enjoy!

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Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups of flour, plus some for rolling
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1-2 T sugar, optional and to taste1 cup cold unsalted butter (2 sticks)
• 1/4 ice water
• 1/4 cold vodka
• one egg, beaten

Instructions

In a medium to large food processor with a dough blade installed, add flour, salt and sugar. Pulse once or twice to blend.

Cut butter into chunks and add to flour. Pulse repeatedly until butter is fully cut into flour. It should be a bit crumbly but with no obvious large pieces of butter left.

With the processor running, slowly pour the vodka through the hole in the lid. Then add water until the mixture comes together into a slightly shaggy dough. Depending on your conditions, it may take a little less or a little more water. The dough should be firm and neither soggy nor dry. Goldilocks dough 🙂

Turn out the dough onto a board and, using your hands, knead together any remaining crumbs. Form a smooth ball and flatten into a disk. Wrap with reusable silicone wrap or plastic wrap and refrigerate for one hour or until ready to use.

To use dough: take the dough out of the refrigerator a few minutes before, and on a lightly floured board or countertop, use a rolling pin to roll it to the desired thickness. Add flour to the board and to the top of the dough to keep from sticking. For pies with top and bottom pastry, divide disk into half before rolling (this makes it much more manageable).

After filling, bake at around 400 degrees F. Remove from oven 10 minutes before done, and brush the beaten egg on top of pastry. Return to oven and watch for a beautiful golden brown crust to emerge!

I added my personal touches to this basic recipe from thekitchn.com.

The post This Easy, Foolproof Pie Crust Has a Secret Ingredient: Vodka appeared first on A Girl & Her Somm.

But there is a country that’s been surprising us lately with its wine — a country that sits at 52 degrees north and yet turns out some of the prettiest, tastiest sparkling wine outside of France — England.

English Wine?

Raise your hand if you’ve ever heard of English wine. 

Yeah, until recently, me neither.

The Brits aren’t much known for particularly indulgent, tasty things — leave that to the French — so to learn that they are producing high quality sparkling wine in the traditional Champagne method may come as a surprise. But English bubbles have earned the notice of sommeliers and wine lovers all over; many say it’s the next big sparkling wine region to watch. Why is this area of the world, up until now considered too far north to produce consistently good wine grapes, doing just that?

Two words: global warming. As global temperatures rise, farmers are being forced to adapt their crops for new, hotter climates, and wine growers are no exception. Vineyards that once stayed just sunny but cool enough to grow exceptional sparkling wine grapes now struggle with growing conditions too warm. Think of it like Goldilocks: grape varieties, like the storybook heroine, have their preferred conditions that aren’t too hot nor too cold, but just right. Global warming is changing where that “just right” sits.

Here’s an interesting article about global warming and the wine industry from USA Today last year.

But what could spell trouble in the French region of Champagne is opening brand new doors just 250 miles away in the UK. Especially in areas such as Kent with chalky soil and plenty of south-facing slopes, the grapes traditionally used in sparkling wine are now flourishing, with temperatures finally consistently warm enough to ensure they grow in ideal conditions.

On a family trip to London not too long ago, we took a side trip to Gusborne winery, which produces one of our favorite English sparkling wines. Located in Appledore, their vineyards and tasting room have a quintessentially English feel. A lovely spot nestled in the Kent countryside, the staff were welcoming and friendly, walking us through the vineyards and pouring all kinds of delicious things into our glasses. They regularly produce a blanc de blancs, rosé and a brut reserve, any of which I’d happily pour the next time I want bubbles.

So as much as I hate to celebrate the changes brought about by global warming, I have to say I’m happy Gusborne is doing what they’re doing. This is a producer we can heartily recommend if you’re ready to try the English version of Champagne, but with more than 100 wineries now creating wine in England, there are plenty to choose from! Let us know if you find a favorite. Cheers, mate!

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Try the Many Variations of Mezcal

During our visit to Emigdio’s palenque with Mezcal Vago, he generously shared his spirits with us and also allowed us to purchase from him directly. (He siphoned it out of tanks with a hose and sent us home with plastic water bottles full. I love it.) We then visited Vago’s tasting room back in Ciudad de Oaxaca, where we were fascinated by the incredible variations in flavors distilled from the many different types of agave plants.

Of the many reasons to visit Oaxaca, if you’re a mezcal lover, this one is the best: nowhere else in the world can expose you to more versions of spirits from agave. Dozens of varieties of mageuy, both cultivated and wild, are on display in the bottles you’ll find in Oaxaca.

Our Tasting Room Recommendations

Make no mistake, any restaurant you enter will have mezcal by the glass and cocktails, too. We talk more later about our eatery recs, and we certainly recommend you take advantage of the creative bartending happening in the city whenever you dine out.

But if you want a bottle for your Airbnb, or three or four to take home, we suggest you try some flights at these excellent tasting rooms.

La Mezcaloteca

Reforma 506, across from the botanical gardens and down the street from Casa Oaxaca
website and reservations 

This cozy sliver of a tasting room is packed full of bottles and knowledge — the bartenders have a wealth of information about types of agave, distillation processes and regional varieties. Make a reservation (I believe they are required) and plan to take your time. Your bartender will likely ask you to describe what else you like to drink — beer, wine, spirits — and from your answer he will customize flights for each person in your party.

Our insight: the door stays locked, so when you arrive, find the buzzer and they’ll let you in. ALSO, don’t make the mistake we did and drink all your samples then try to enjoy a lovely dinner at the famed Casa Oaxaca. 🙂

In Situ Mezcaleria

Morelos #511 Centro – Ruta Independencia, a few blocks from the Zócalo
website

The truth is, we didn’t enjoy In Situ nearly as much as our tasting experience at Mezcaloteca; the service was courteous but impersonal. Still, this spot is worth visiting especially if you’re confident enough to make your own selections. The menu is extensive and varied, and we didn’t leave empty handed. Plus, the walls are covered with excellent examples of the graphic arts found throughout the city.

Our insight: consider making this stop after you’ve learned a thing or two from La Mezcolateca or a mezcal tour. It’s an easy detour during an afternoon of wandering El Centro or after surviving the gauntlet of the zócalo.

La Mezcaloteca labels its own bottles (right), and is thorough in listing all the data you need to understand the mezcal inside. Its bartenders (center) will show you botanical drawings of the agave varieties and maps of where they’re grown. But worthy bottles abound, and you can find tasty spirits to try all over the city center and beyond.

Mole is Just the Beginning

Oaxaca is famous for its seven moles, but attempting to count the real number of variations of this thick, spicy sauce may prove as fruitless as trying to resist sampling them all.

Chefs and street vendors across Oaxaca all have their own personal favorite recipes, many handed down for generations. Mole is a quintessential Mexican wonder, a carefully balanced medley of some combination of peppers, nuts, spices, fruits, herbs and yes, sometimes but not always, chocolate.

We definitely intended to try as many moles as possible during our week’s stay in the city, not a particularly difficult feat and one that took us to several restaurants that we can confidently rank among the best in the world we’ve ever visited. Along the way we discovered a number of amazing foods that quickly become favorites: tetelas, tortillas, roasted pepitas, tlayudas, huitlacoche. 

Our Oaxaca Restaurant Recommendations

Just a handful of eateries that we personally visited and can highly recommend.

<< Baltazar Tetelas & Memelas

Jesús Carranza #113, RUTA INDEPENDENCIA

I’m not sure how we stumbled across this gem around lunchtime one afternoon, but walk through the outer door and you’ll find a shady, comfortable interior courtyard and a charming staff. The food was amazing, but you know what really stuck with me? The brilliant green agua fresca, slightly sweet and bursting with flavor from fresh green lemongrass.

Casa Oaxaca el Restaurante

Constitución #104-A Centro
website

This one shows up on all the best-of lists, for good reason. It’s elegant, sophisticated and mannerly; a subdued atmosphere with a wow menu. Make reservations weeks early unless you plan to arrive early. Ask for a seat on the top floor to enjoy open air dining and a beautiful evening view.

Itanoní >>

Av Belisario Domínguez 513, Reforma

Hailed by Alice Waters as one of her favorite restaurants, this tortilleriá is out-of-the-way from the center of town but well worth the few pesos for a cab ride. Comals gather just inside the door, heating a colorful variety of organic and heirloom corn tortillas. Try a few — your server is happy to offer her suggestions — and wash them down with a simple, cold Mexican beer. Inexpensive lunch fare elevated.

Tierra del Sol Casa >>

Reforma 411, RUTA INDEPENDENCIA, Centro
website

This lovely airy restaurant serves amazing traditional Oaxacan snacks, soups and moles, but old-fashioned it is not. Each dish is graced with the elegant modernity of Chef Olga Cabrera Oropeza, and served by the most gracious and accomodating staff. Make a reservation to ensure a table on the rooftop — while we were there one evening, a birthday processions came through on the street below, complete with marmotas (giant puppets) and fireworks. I don’t exagerate when I tell you it was magical.

 

Boulenc

Calle Porfirio Díaz 207, RUTA INDEPENDENCIA, Centro

Having actually been to France and eaten “real” croissants, I would never have imagined  Mexico to be the source of some of the absolute best pastries I’ve ever eaten. But Boulenc was so good, we made a point to stop by the bakery more than once. There’s a full-fledged café with tables but we were happy to stand in line to select from the counter, to take home or to eat standing just outside on the sidewalk. If available, you must try the almond croissant. It’s to-die-for, and better than much of what I had in Paris. 😮

<< Criollo

Calzada Madero 129
website

Oh, Criollo. Our favorite meal in Oaxaca and one of the top we’ve eaten anywhere. Its sister in Mexico City, Pujol, is considered one of the best in the world, and if that’s the case I can’t wait to make my way there one day. The funny thing about our meal there is that I can’t even tell you what we ate. It was our last night in Oaxaca, and I decided not to slip into “Instagram mode.” I took no notes and almost no photos, just immersed myself completely in the exquisite experience that began as soon as we walked in.

Seated in a courtyard, tucked into tremulous shadows while moonlight plays on trees and grasses,we were joined by only a spare few, lending an intimacy to the space and the service. Servers presented the chef’s menu in small, perfectly plated courses, paired with cocktails, beer and wine. Each seemed more beautiful and more delicious than the last, from the delicate garnishes down to the rustic, handsome clay plates. In case you can’t tell, I fell in love with Criollo. Go, and you will too.

We Welcome Your Suggestions!

These are only a few of the places we visited in Oaxaca, and our time there was limited, so we undoubtedly missed many more gems. If you’ve a Oaxacan recommendation, please share with us! We fully intend to return to the city soon, and are always open to new ideas.

The post More Beauty in Oaxaca, Mexico – and Our Recommendations for You appeared first on A Girl & Her Somm.

Above: the view from our bedroom, looking out over the city. The cactus peeks out from our top level patio.

Above: the view from our bedroom, looking out over the city. The cactus peeks out from our top level patio.

Right: the clay wood fired oven in the common area of our Airbnb.

The State of Oaxaca

Oaxaca, Mexico, is a vast land of cacti and palenques, ancient ruins on high hilltops, dusty vistas and clear, starry skies. Run through with craggy mountain ranges and bordered on the south by the Pacific Ocean, this Mexican state is known for its 16 officially recognized indigenous peoples, and for its history of mezcal and mole as varied as their cultures.

We rented an incredible Airbnb on a hill overlooking Oaxaca City, also called Oaxaca de Juárez, the capital of Oaxaca state. From here we ventured to markets and mezcalerias, world-renowned restaurants and weavers’ studios, and experienced some of the best Oaxaca has to offer.

Join Airbnb with our referral & save $

Oaxacan Food Tour & Fresh Salsa

Exploring the local food and drink is always top on our list of travel inspirations, so we got right to it. Charlie’s friends from Durham now live in Oaxaca and run a terrific city food tour. They introduced us to the absolute culinary delights of this multi-faceted city, and gave us a taste (pun totally intended) of restaurants to which we returned during our trip. We highly recommend you try Oaxaca Eats, as we did, on your first day in town.

At the gorgeous Tierra del Sol Casa, our server prepared salsa in the traditional molcajete tableside. With all fresh ingredients such as roasted peppers, garlic, tomatillos and spices, he produced salsa like we’ve never tasted.

At the Heart of Mezcal

Let’s be honest — for us initially, the main draw of Oaxaca was the mezcal. I adore it. Some of the best is produced in Oaxaca, from the many types of agave that grow across the region, and the mezcal story is one of small batch, locally grown, handed-down-for-generations tradition.

Well, the better stuff is, at least. Plenty of mass produced mezcals exist, due to a growing following in the U.S. and beyond. Thanks to Charlie’s restaurant world connections, we were able to connect with Mezcal Vago, a small producer that selects mezcals from only a handful of mezcaleros, or maestros.

The kind folks at Mezcal Vago treated us to an extraordinary visit with Maestro Emigdio, who distills the most amazing mezcal at his farm in Miahuatlán de Porfirio Díaz, about 2 1/2 hours south of Oaxaca City. Talk about an authentic experience! We arrived at his humble home in time to witness delivery of a fresh batch of agave piñas, the heart of the agave (or maguey, in Spanish) that is roasted as the first step in mezcal production. 

Above: Maestro Emigdio unloads a large piña, the heart of the agave plant, freshly cut and delivered from nearby fields.

Below: Steve and Charlie (with Ned in the background) show off a huge agave heart. 🙂

At left: Maestro Emigdio unloads a large piña, the heart of the agave plant, freshly cut and delivered from nearby fields.

Right: Steve and Charlie (with Ned in the background) show off a huge agave heart. 🙂

And I get my own, taller than me! I’m 5’6″ if you’re wondering. We asked — this agave was likely several DECADES old.

The Celebrated Smokiness

At the center of Emigdio’s property is dug a large pit for roasting the piñas, which are piled in and covered by large stones that hold in heat. It’s here — in the first step of the distillation process — that mezcal gets it’s distinctive smokey flavor.

After roasting for several days, the piñas are chopped into pieces using a machete before being ground under a stone pulled by cattle (see photo at bottom of page). We met them, too. 🙂

Charlie recently reminded me that it is in this step — the chopping and grinding — that sets mezcal apart from tequila, another liquor distilled from agave. (Actually, technically, tequila is a mezcal. All tequilas are mezcals but not all mezcals are tequila.) Both ferment the juice of the agave, but, as Charlie puts it, tequila is made like white wine while mezcal is made like red. That is to say, tequila makers squeeze out the juice from the piñas and ferment it alone; mezcaleros grind up the entire piña to create a mash, with juice and other parts and pieces of the agave. Including the “skins” preserves the smokey flavors achieved in the roasting pit and gives mezcal the beautiful  complexity that sets it apart.

We learned so much about the mezcal production process, and we felt so at home with Maestro Emigdio and his welcoming family. But our mezcal adventure wasn’t over yet, and with days left in Oaxaca, we had so much more to experience.

Keep reading and we’ll share! Plus our recommendations in case you’re planning your own trip to Oaxaca.

The post Mezcal, Mole and All Things Beautiful in Oaxaca, Mexico appeared first on A Girl & Her Somm.

I like it. It’s fun. I’ll pay some money to go see the movies and I’ll even talk about it with my friends. But I never learned Kligon and assure you I never will. I can’t really remember any specifics about the older movies or episodes (except maybe the tribbles. Who can forget the tribbles?). And you won’t catch me anywhere near a Star Trek fan convention.

To put it bluntly: I’m just not a Star Trek geek.

Before I met my #sommhubby Charlie, I felt pretty much the same way about wine. I’d drink it if it was offered, buy it myself on occasion, and totally enjoy it like a proper sophisticated grownup should.  But all the geekery associated with “wine people” — the special vocabulary, the training, the heroic status of certain winemakers, the reverie shown to particular vineyards and vintages— I just didn’t get it.

How can an alcoholic beverage made from grape juice deserve that much prestige?

Find the True Inspiration of Wine

If you find yourself wondering the same thing, let me tell you how to become wine enlightened: do what I did. No, I don’t mean marry a sommelier (although that certainly helps!).

Go visit a proper winery and really talk to a true winemaker.

I’ve had opportunities over the last few years to tread on some truly special ground. Chateauneuf du Pape. Cassis. Tuscany. Napa Valley. Oregon.  I’ve walked the vineyards, even tasted the grapes straight from the vines. I’ve felt the breezes, smelled the dirt, seen the people farming the land to grow the best crop possible, fighting too much rain or not enough; unusual winds that bring wildfires; wild boars that seek to root up vines planted carefully, by hand, only to fling them hither and yon and destroy an entire season.

I’ve watched as the fruit is crushed, juice flowing in red rivulets through the few cracks where it can escape, the rest siphoned into barrels or tanks or whatever holding container the winemaker decided was right for that year’s production.

I’ve listened as those same winemakers explain how oak barrels impart a particular flavor — vanilla, cinnamon… And how stainless steel tanks preserve lemony acidity, freshness, green apple or peach blossoms. How sometimes a combination of both will give one year’s grapes just the balance it needs to reach its potential.

And then I’ve tasted those wines, both straight from the barrels and out of the bottle. Trust me when I say that in those moments, surrounded by the inevitable beauty of the very ground from which the juice was born (because vineyards seem never to be planted in ugly places), I understand what all the geekery is about. Good wine made with passion, love and dedication can be transcendent. In it you can smell the place, taste the work. You can intuit the pride that the winemaker must feel after years of strenuous, stressful toil. All the decisions he or she made, all the challenges he or she overcame, exploding in the glass before you.

So now, you will find me speaking the wine language. Attending the occasional conference. Waxing poetic over a glass that speaks to me. I geek out a little more now because finally, I get it.

Turns out I have more in common with those Star Trek fans than I thought.

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