Women Who Wine
by sam breach

wine

Us Food & Drink Editors have been a little bit remiss in our coverage of beverages. I plan to put things right by featuring some of the female wine bloggers I am discovering. Unlike the food blogosphere, the world of wine online was more male dominated to begin with but this has been changing slowly. I have found that women seem to have a less dry approach to writing about wine and as it is a subject at which I consider myself a novice, I turn to them to guide me through wines from a female perspective...

Planetberry:

"We all have orbits. Mine swirl around a little boy whose chemicals need resetting, a beautiful blond husband, bottles of wine, skillets of food. At 38 I find myself with no profession, a little button that says I am a sommelier, and the gurgling of a turtle tank right behind my shoulder."

Grape Matters:

"What matters in the wine world with Tracy Ellen Kamens, EdD, CSW."

Wine Sex, Beauty in the Bottle:

"Inner views of wine, food, and life...I began my explorations of the 'inner wine' when I was artist-in-residence for Sterling Vineyards more than 20 years ago. My day job was assistant professor at the University of California Medical School where I used a microscope for scientific research. Once I peeked into the 'innards' of wine, I was hooked."

Wineabout:

"Virginie Boone, a wine writer who also loves to research scotch, Pernod, rum drinks and martinis, dives into the goings-on of our local wine world. She brings her expertise and authority to the pages of Savor Wine Country Magazine and the Press Democrat."

I really am only scratching the surface of this subject, today by bringing you just four wine bloggers to discover. Think of them as the apperitif to whole world of wine and women that I plan to introduce you to over the next few months.

Blogher Contributing Editor, Sam Breach, is attempting to gain confidence in her own wine tasting skills by writing about bubbles, reds, rosés and whites over at her blog Becks & Posh.

Submitted by sam breach (view blog) on Thu, 09/21/2006 - 13:47
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Comments

 

Cheers To That!

Thanks so much for this. Although I am a die-hard fan of champagne, I struggle to find all the different areas needed on my palette to distinguish a good wine from a classic. One of the most dedicated and inspiring people I ever met was a female sommelier. I'll continue to read with interest.

Submitted by Cherry Menlove on Thu, 09/21/2006 - 13:33
 

Salute! Wine-tasting and vinotherapy

I salute to that. I'm a huge wine fan and many of my girl friends and I have gone wine tasting - either in the city, or on a getaway weekends out of the city. I've blogged about two wine-related topics y'all might like:

1. Wine-Tasting and Culinary Tours
2. Wine and Spa Lovers Unite

Jocelyn blogs about group travel on TripHub.

Submitted by Jocelyn on Thu, 09/21/2006 - 14:22
 

For starters, I'll have

For starters, I'll have whatever you're having, Sam ...

Submitted by Alanna Kellogg on Thu, 09/21/2006 - 17:40
 

Champagne taste, beer budget

I don't know enough about wine to write intelligently about it, but I know what I like, usually something quite expensive. When I worked in a very fancy french restaurant in Salt Lake City (where I waited on Robert Redford, Billy Joel and Vincent Price on three separate occasions) we sometimes got to try the wine. Now that was a great fringe benefit.

Just realized some of you young Blogher readers are going "Who's Vincent Price" but I hope you know who Robert Redford and Billy Joel are.

Kalyn Denny
Kalyn's Kitchen

Submitted by Kalyn Denny on Thu, 09/21/2006 - 21:31
 

Vincent Price

What does it say about me that I am beyond thrilled about the Vincent Price encounter you had??? Oh my goodness! And shame, shame on anyone who doesn't know him! ;)

That said-- wine, wine, wine. Thank goodness the riesling and pinot grigio came into being. I'm not the biggest wine fan, but I like those. Although...I did have the world's WORST pino grigio at a black-tie-optional event last weekend. Oy. I didn't know it was possible for it to be that bad.

But...back to Vincent Price... ;)

Cass

Patience is a virtue that takes too long

Submitted by Cassandra on Fri, 09/22/2006 - 05:45
 

Fun to meet a movie icon now and then

Cassandra, all three of them were quite charming, but he was especially fun to interact with. This was years and years ago, but I remember it well.

Kalyn Denny
Kalyn's Kitchen

Submitted by Kalyn Denny on Fri, 09/22/2006 - 06:41
 

about wine

So I'll be a killjoy.

Women get sicker quicker, peeps. Doesn't matter what kind of spirit. If it's got alcohol, watch it.

Lessons from a Family Therapist

Submitted by Therapy Doc on Thu, 09/21/2006 - 22:08
 

I'm not that whiney...

but I might have a whine if I don't get my mandatory glass on a Friday night...

Thanks for these links Sam, very useful.

Submitted by Bonnie A on Fri, 09/22/2006 - 04:57
 

It's not just about physical

It's not just about physical health, mental health is important too. From my point of view a long life without wine and other things which give us pleasure would not be as fulfilling as a shorter one with the odd tipple.

moderation is the key.

I am sure that spending a lot of time infront of a computer as many of us bloggers do does little to lengthen our life spans, but that doesnt seem to stop us.

Becks & Posh

Submitted by sam breach on Fri, 09/22/2006 - 11:09
 

Addicted to the computer!

Sam, you're so right about those hours in front of the computer. (I think it qualifies as an addiction, but a relatively healthy one.) I'm lucky to have a couple of friends at school that I exercise with three times a week, and I do that before I can go home from work and get planted in front of the computer. It's the only thing that saves me from complete inactivity.

Kalyn Denny
Kalyn's Kitchen

Submitted by Kalyn Denny on Sat, 09/23/2006 - 06:51
 

good job kalyn!

You are right
I find it so tiresome when we comments like "alcohol is unhealthy" on a blog like this. Women who come here are intelligent, they know the risks. Every post we write does not need to come with a health warning. Every post we write could be eligible for coming with a health warning.

I am planning to write many more alcohol posts and I really don't want to have to address this each and every time.

Becks & Posh

Submitted by sam breach on Sun, 09/24/2006 - 09:03
 

Actually, there is a volume

Actually, there is a volume of evidence that shows the many health benefits of drinking wine, in moderation of course.

Blog on Sam. I would love to hear more about women who write about wine.

Elise Bauer
Simply Recipes
Learning Movable Type

Submitted by Elise Bauer on Sun, 09/24/2006 - 21:40
 

Thanks - yes - I think it is

Thanks - yes - I think it is common knowledge but the trouble is, Elise, - there is evidence on both sides of the fence - both for against alcohol in the diet. I am not going to be the person who unravels which approach is the valid one. But I am going to carry on enjoying a glass of wine now and then.

Submitted by sam breach on Sun, 09/24/2006 - 23:10