California - North Bay/Wine Country/Expert Profile

Expertise

I can assist visitors wanting to get off the beaten path and wishing to avoid the wineries where the tour buses stop. I have an intimate knowlege of Napa County in particular, but also know Sonoma, Mendocino, Santa Cruz Mountains, and Foothill Wine Regions. I have taught wine appreciation courses at the community college level, and have worked with the wine retail and hospitality industry.

Experience in the area

I worked in the wine industry for 5 years and taught California Wine Appreciation at Solano Community College. I keep track of the each vintage in California as it arrives, and as it's consumed.

Education/Credentials

I have Masters in English. My focus on wine is in combining wine with food with friends and learning from the wine makers who create this art.

What do you like about this subject?

I like wine as a social beverage, and dine with it regularly. Life is too short for bad wine, and so I am particular about which wineries I visit. I like sharing the wine tasting experience with others.

What do you still hope to achieve/learn in this field?

Every vintage year is new, and I expect to be trying to understand aspects of tasting wine for the rest of my life.

Something interesting about this subject that others may not know:

The basic talent for smelling and tasting wines is as common to everyone as are skills in reading or appreciating music; however, it takes the average person about two years of dedicated and controlled tasting to acquire good skills of taste discrimination.

Something controversial or provocative about this subject

Experts agree on wines much more than is commonly believed. As an individual learns about various types of wines and the influences upon quality by the wine making processes, wine tasting skills do develop that are unique and beyond what the naive consumer can appreciate.