Andreawine

Thanks for all the great comments and thoughts on The One stemware - I appreciate any and all feedback! Great idea to have a discount for Gullet-eers. I have set up a discount code of 30% on 4-packs for you all. Just use the code Egullet30 at checkout on Andreawine.com. Thanks again and happy tasting!

Hi, all. Just a couple of quick clarifications: I don't solicit or accept payments from wineries, ever - personally or on/for my website or in any other context. I don't have anything to do with advertising on Fine Living network, either. I actually think they don't have any wine advertisers, though I can't be sure (believe it or not, I don't get the network so I have to watch everything from tapes!). I do recommend wines on Simply Wine, in Esquire, and elsewhere if asked, based on the following criteria: 1. They have consistently sold well throughout my career at Windows and Starwood, and/or they sell well at Target (I figure that means a lot of people like them). 2. I like them myself when tasting them blind. 3. They do well in my buying guide (consumers and pros may log on to my website to register their comments and scores - that's where the results in the guide come from) 4. They are relatively available in the marketplace. I do make exceptions on the availability question - the eiswein from the first show is one example - but in general I don't want to be giving recommendations for wines people can never find or afford. There's plenty of great literature out there for collectors and folks with big budgets, so I feel I wouldn't be adding much value in doing so. More likely, I'd make viewers feel left out of the wine thing, which is exactly not the point. On the subject of Target and pairing everyday wines with everyday foods, I'm as passionate about that as some of you are. I'd like Americans to feel as comfortable having a cheap-but-tasty wine with a bowl of soup or some takeout as Europeans are having wine with everyday meals. There are differences - the Europeans are likely to be drinking a wine that was made in the neighbor's garage, and never saw a barrel, a bottle or a cork, and usually their everyday fare isn't as processed or "branded" as ours. I guess we have access to the same kinds of everyday foods as they eat, but here they are practically gourmet, and priced accordingly (I think a sandwich from Cosi is probably 4x the price of a Whopper). In short, since most of us don't have access to "local wine" and local food, the American iteration on this has to be tailored to what we can afford and have access to (both wine and food). Where I live, I'd have to drive about 45 minutes to get a decent baguette - yikes! Thanks for reading, and for watching. It's always great to see that folks are engaged in wine and food. Let's keep inviting others to the party. Cheers!

I hope you will communicate with me at www.greatwinemadesimple.com. I really appreciated the chance to do this, and to spend time with you all. Good night!

I left Wall Street prepared to accept a substantial pay cut for a liveable period of time, with the plan to return if wine didn't work out. I volunteered at wine and cooking schools emptying spit buckets and did equally glamourous things to meet people, network, and learn. I took classes. If you have access to a sabbatical program, I'd suggest that. I worked weekends at a wine shop. Not pretty, but the pain was fairly short-lived, and very do-able compared to the daily pain of hating your job (I didn't, but recognized I didn't love it, and knew I needed to be one of those people who loves their job). C'mon in, the water's fine (if you are willing to work)! A

this was the first question I addressed but maybe I hit the wrong button - take two! one of my fondest Windows memories was the sake tasting/pairing for our club members - everything from seared foie gras to fried calamari. It is a magical beverage for pairing with non-Japanese food. Wine & spirits Mag are experts in this area, and several rock star somm's have made it their specialty - eg Steven Olson and Roger Dagorn. Enjoy!

Recommending shops in the US for artisanal wines might create frustration, because of shipping limitations. Let me say that the publications of Rober Parker and Steve Tanzer should be your guides to the hidden jewels - they ferret them out with conviction and genius. So subscribe, then take the list to the best wine shop in town and ask them to help you. Remember, the real jewels aren't the 90+ wines - they are the 80s cheapies that you can actually buy.

You've got it exactly right. Keep tasting!

My first - omigod wine was a Texas wine. Nothing probably real special but this was after stuff I shouldn'a been drinking in my early college years. It had a cork (I took my 1st wine class in TX). TX has some nice stuff. Viognier is a special thing, but not an up and comer because it is hard to grow so it will never be something you see in quantity. I like Becker's reds, too. Most other than west coast wine states have limitations on water availability, and Texas faces that. But let's hope all 50 power on! A

Hello, anointed one! (I hope it's you!) That's a super-sweetie. I did a crazy thing recently that worked in this situation. I made a mascarpone-whipped cream mixture and sandwiched it with pound cake. I put little bits of nut brittle in the mascarpone mixture, but I wanted to try crushed up snickerdoodles or something like that, too. But the main thing is the mascarpone mixture and a soft cake. Such an interesting not over-sweet counterpoint to the wine. Enjoy!!!!!! How is the novel coming?

I love bittersweet chocolate and wine. In Great Tastes Made Simple I have a warm flourless chocolate cake recipe that is spectacular with madeira Very dark chocolate or chocolate truffles are wonderful with certain Aussie Shirazes, American Zins and Merlots and Cabs, and Amarone. I am not a chocolate expert so I can't give you cocoa percentages. I have very much enjoyed Valrhona dark chocolate with the aforementioned wines.

I guess you haven't checked out Great Tastes Made Simple. I'm mad for foie gras with dry reds such as Pinot Noir, especially if it's seared fresh foie gras as opposed to terrine. I have a recipe in the book that's esp suited. For the terrine I do prefer whites but champagne as well as other dessert wines can be wonderful. There is a whole chart in Great Tastes. Cheers!

I believe that the first way to have successful dealings with sommeliers is to patronize places with a proper service attitude. It appalls me to think someone might ever feel at "fault" for a poor sommelier experience. Such experiences should not exist unless the guest is patently rude or demeaning, and then it's the sommelier having the bad experience. If you have a poor experience with a dentist you probably bear some responsibility (brush and floss better). If you are reasonably polite in public you should not. That doesn't mean you'll always get wine nirvana (it's like food - the selection may not float your boat). Aargh! Now let me say that most such icky experiences stem from insecurity on the part of the sommelier. Yikes! So go in knowing that you may well both feel similar levels of intimidation. Some sommeliers make up for that by "knowing everything," and there's your bad experience. If you are getting this vibe, order a bottle of bubbly in your price range, say "we drink bubbles with everything" and call it a night. Bubbles DO go with everything (you'll see!). Here's to the all-too-few good restaurant wine experiences!

Well, I think the ice wines warrant their rep. As far as the other wines, I have mainly tasted big brands that are made and priced for everyday drinking. I don't see why there shouldn't be potential, but I've never visited the region to really know what's what. I think the BC wines can be world class. I bet Ontario could, too, but I guess I'll just need a road trip to figure that out!

Here are my "banker" wines: Chablis from Burgundy (Chard) New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc Spanish Rioja Reservea Italian Chianti Classico Riesling Kabinett from Germany Alsace French Gewurztraminer Red Zinfandel is hard (often tastes like Merlot or Cab) Aussie Shiraz is sometimes a banker, sometimes not focused enough to be identified Wines like Valpolicella and Barbera mess me up, too.

I generally think the lower end does lead to some disappointments - unfortunate we have to call $40 the lower end! But very often Mercurey, Givry, and Cote de Beaune - Villages can be satisfying at this price point. Andrea