Drink deep, or taste not!

Wine Spectator is laughing at your expense, as you attempt to glean “crushed rose petals” or “melted licorice” from your “93-point” Cabernet Sauvignon. When did wine become embroiled in this silly pretense? As a species, humans have been drinking fermented juice far too long for it to fall into the hands of elitists. A magazine, after all, can only hope to serve as a guide, not as a gospel. Keep that in mind the next time you are tempted to second-guess your own personal taste.

Who am I? A former Napa Valley cook who tastes lots of wines, visits lots of wineries, and strives to only eat well. I’m an honors graduate from the Culinary Institute of America, a Certified Specialist of Wine, and I’ve cooked in a couple Michelin-star joints. Before all of that, I earned a degree in English from UCLA, with a strong emphasis in journalism. I’m not claiming to be the second coming of August Escoffier or MFK Fisher, but I’m simply here to offer a few suggestions regarding food and wine. Need I say more?