Wild Oats

Jessica - Sommelier
People from my home town of St.George, Utah wait in anticipation for the punch line, when I tell them I study wine for a living. “It’s fantastic!” I say, debating their stares with enthusiasm. “There is so much to learn, so much biology, so much history, so many stories within each glass of wine.” Of course this is to no avail; they still wait for the punch line. However it does not daunt me, only gets me more excited because I believe there is nothing more exciting than turning someone on to the world of wine. A world I entered somewhat by accident.

From a casual interest in wine and boredom, bore an aspiration to enroll in a wine course through the International Sommelier Guild. I had moved to Boulder in 2000, it had been 3 years, I had a solid job, and I needed to be inspired. The course was 3 months long, every Sunday from 9 to 5. What I didn’t know was this course was the prerequisite course for their 9 month long Sommelier Diploma Program and just like opening a door into a new world, or like traveling to another continent for the first time… I just wanted to stay. So I did. And I learned a lot. And I fell deeper and deeper in love with the evolution of wine.

I am very much looking forward to meeting all of you in Vino 29 and possibly sharing a glass of wine.

If I were a grape, I would be Barbera. Barbera can be so much and so little and so great. A hard worker. Doesn't need to be tended to constantly. Hardy but not overgrown; a wine for the people. Loves to be enjoyed with just about any kind of food, has juicy acidity, lively fruit, not too serious but can be very deep and complex if grown in the right place and by the right people. But in truth, an everyday table wine in Northern Italy.

Steve - Sommelier
An evening and weekend job as sommelier during my college years launched my life-long passion for wine, food and the "romance" they create together. While my interest in wine has been both for personal enjoyment and most recently as a professional calling, I have found the most enjoyment in sharing my experiences with friends and customers.
I am currently pursuing the advanced professional certifications of the Master Sommelier program. But, I recommend that the best education is one that is a life-long adventure - with regular and rigorous sampling! If you are in the neighborhood and are looking for a new wine, a food and wine pairing suggestion or even a restaurant recommendation, stop in! I'd love to chat!

My current favorite (though, it's like saying which of your children you love more!) is the San Giusto a Rentennano Chianti Classico -- and it's much easier to pronounce after you've had a glass! Wine Spectator magazine said it is a "very tightly packed red, with strawberry, black cherry, tobacco and chocolate aromas and flavors." It unfolds in your glass, layer after layer, for hours.