Hello my friends and happy weekend. I can’t believe it’s already the end of April. Time is flying by. Perhaps because I’ve been having so much fun. (Read: wine.) Newsy roundup this week, no surprise, includes a lot about sustainability in the wine industry, what with Friday having been Earth Day. Cool cool. Also got some interesting wine news coming out of Norway, Switzerland, Greece and South Africa—expand that global perspective. I also want to call out a blog post from earlier this week by yours truly:RAM Cellars—A Taste of Trans-Pride Winemaking.
I think that’s all I got for now. You may not hear from me next week, as I’m embarking on some work-related travel and have a few projects that need to get up and running. But never hesitate to reach out at any time. Always love hearing from ya’ll.
Last week, my team at Wine Enthusiast published my article about Vivianne Kennedy (she/they), owner and winemaker of RAM Cellars and the only openly Transgender winemaker in the US. Every once in awhile I conduct an interview and I find a real connection. Not just a topic or source—I mean a real person-to-person connection. Viv is one of those people for me. We immediately hit it off. Not only is their personal journey amazing and inspirational but her professional journey is as well. I always appreciate it when folks get down in the nitty-gritty details of the viticulture and winemaking process—and Viv is a true wine-nerd at heart.
Following both of our conversations in preparation for this article, I found myself thirsty—thirsty to experience all the hard work and sacrifices she made; thirsty to taste the amazing, innovative wines they were describing to me. I do not join wine clubs easily. I am (now) a member of exactly three and I choose them very carefully: small, boutique businesses with a real story and a winemaker with whom I have a connection. I joined RAM Cellars Cellar Club and today I want to share with you my tasting notes and some of the story behind each of the wines.
Instead of throwing in a few tech sheets or winemaking notes, Viv wrote me a three-page love letter dictating not just where the grapes were sourced and how the wines were made, but how each wine exemplifies a portion of her journey in becoming themself, learning to love herself, and truly embracing themself for who she is. Yes, all the geeky wine-nerd stuff was in there too, but so was her person. That is why I join the wine clubs I do. Personal touches like that.
So, below, I have not just my tasting notes, but exerts about Viv’s story that come from that love letter. Read on, learn more and if you feel so moved, travel on over and buy yourself a bottle. Support Queer-owned businesses like Viv’s. A purchase from her Viv label provides $5 from the sale of every bottle to the Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund and Portland’s Q Center.
Happy Easter to all who celebrate. Happy Passover to all who celebrate. Happy weekend to all who celebrate. No matter what you’re celebrating, even if it’s just life in general, I hope you’re having a good time of it and have a lovely glass in hand. We have modest plans at my place, and that has not stopped me from putting together my weekly shortlist of wine-newsy items. Some good stuff on the list, but one in particular I want to highlight, written by yours truly, is a feature interview with Vivianne Kennedy—the only openly Transgender winemaker in the US. If you’ve not yet read this piece, check it out. And then when you’re done, travel on over to the RAM Cellars website and pick up a few bottles of amazingness. (Or better yet, join the wine club—that’s what I did!)
This week was one of those crazy busy weeks. What month is it? What day is it? What time is it slash what time zone am I living in—mentally, emotionally, physically? Yah. But one must keep up on the wine news. So here it is. I do hope you appreciate and enjoy. Cheers to the weekend.
I think that sometimes we get a little too precious about our wine pairings. Too focused on the ‘perfect’ pairing. Too fussed on which days are ‘ok’ to have a glass of wine (or two!) with dinner. Blah blah blah. Now I’m not saying I drink every night—sometimes one wants a break; sometimes one wants to drink something not wine (*gasp*) and that’s all a-ok too. But I recently cleaned out my wine cellar and dedicated one whole section to ‘weeknight drinking.’ Meaning, any day of the week either I or the man should be able to walk in and choose something and it should be fine. Choose something based on the food, the mood, the weather. Close your eyes point and say ‘ok.’ (Um…maybe not that last one…).
The following is a list of some of our weeknight pairings. These are not reviews of specific wines/wine brands per se. More my/our comments on styles of wines that, for us, seem to par well with classic Briscoe mid-week meals. The perfect pairings? Probably not? But, isn’t the perfect pairing the pairing you’re enjoying at the moment anyway? (Answer: yes.)
