Edition 01.01
It's tiiiiiiiiiiiime!
A Letter from Maria
Hello everyone! Happy Halloween!
It feels slightly disjointed to be talking about new beginnings while the trees outside release vibrant red, orange, and yellow leaves in the ultimate swan song. But in the spirit of renewal, and finding beauty and new life in something that feels so final, here’s my attempt at a new beginning.
Almost exactly three years ago, I changed my Instagram handle to @brunellobombshell and started talking about wines I enjoyed, as well as the stereotypes associated with “good wine” and the people who consume it. I started dabbling in wine and movie pairings, which grew naturally out of the detailed conversations I’d have with my husband about forms of art we find moving. I found a burgeoning community of wine personalities, ranging from enthusiasts to professionals at the top of their field, and I became even more enamored with this wild and crazy world of wine.
Since that time, I’ve done some crazy things.
I quit my day job in music. The one that funded my vino curiosities while I actually put my classical voice degree to use.
I started working in restaurants as my main gig. It had been quite some time since I had felt the familiar ache of my feet after a 15,000 step shift of smiles, wine stewardship, and really good food. It felt physically trying, but emotionally fulfilling to make someone’s night… every night.
I pursued formal wine study through the Court of Master Sommeliers. Less than three months after quitting my day job, I became an Introductory Sommelier and met a whole lot of people I admire. Five months after that, I passed the Certified Sommelier exam.
So why start writing now?
Maybe it’s the crisp autumn breezes talking, but I feel like now is the time to release my inner writer and talk about the things that mean the most to me. For years, I’ve been telling people - prospective employers, restaurant guests, just about anybody who will listen - that my training as an actor and a classical musician has prepared me for life well beyond the concert stage.
Armed with an analytical eye for quality (she is a Virgo, after all) and an artist’s creative heart, I feel ready to put more of my thoughts in a public forum. Every Tuesday will be newsletter day, so prepare your inboxes for some unique wine-related content.
By that same token, I want to hold myself accountable to the community that has given me so much. In addition to a personal letter from me every week, expect to see a good dose of wine news here, along with some cheeky commentary about why it matters.
Wine and movie pairings will thrive here, but don’t be shocked if you see a wine and TV show pairing, or a wine and record pairing, or even a cocktail or non-alcoholic beverage pop up every now and then. All art is fair game, and just like a responsible consumer/artist would find joy and beauty in any source, I vow to remain open to inspiration wherever it strikes.
To quote two of my favorite movies…
Thank you for being here today!
I believe this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.
Wine News Roundup
The Michelin Guide has officially landed in Atlanta for the first time. 45 different Atlanta restaurants have earned a mention in the Guide, with Atlas, Bacchanalia, Hayakawa, Lazy Betty, and Mujo gaining One Star recognition. Bacchanalia and The Chastain join 21 other American restaurants and 469 restaurants worldwide with a Green Star, Michelin’s sustainability award. Juan Fernando Cortés, a Colombian-born sommelier based at The Chastain, has earned the initial Sommelier Award. Read more from Eater here.
Treasury Wine Estates has acquired Paso Robles-based prestige wine label DAOU Vineyards. The deal, expected to be completed by the end of the 2023 calendar year, gives DAOU Vineyards an upfront cash infusion of $900 million with an additional earn-out of $100 million in the hopes of increasing the brand’s presence in international markets. Co-founders Georges and Daniel Daou will continue in their roles with the company. Read the press release here.
Goel Estate Vineyards has received a permit to become Napa Valley’s first micro-winery. Co-founders Dharam Goel and Myrto Frangos purchased a 20-acre property in Carneros in 2020, which they plan to convert into a winery, tasting room, and crush pad. Napa Valley passed a “micro-winery ordinance” in 2022 after years of lobbying from local winemakers and organizations like Save The Family Farms. Read more from the Napa Valley Register here.
The DOC Rioja council has recommended a moratorium on new plantings in the region for the next three years. The council’s formal recommendation to the Spanish Ministerio de Agricultura, Pesca y Alimentación is a reflection of both an abundant supply of grapes dating back to 2018 and a lowered international demand for wine as more people opt for low- or no-alcohol drinks and other non-wine beverages. Read more from Miquel Hudin here, and don’t forget to subscribe to his posts here on Substack!
Speaking of low- and no-alcohol drinks: The United Kingdom plans to legally change their ABV requirements to permit low- and no-alcohol wine to be labeled as such. In another legislative byproduct of Brexit, the UK will amend the inherited EU standard that currently states all wine must contain a minimum of 8.5% ABV. UK government officials plan to lower the minimum ABV requirement for wine to 0% ABV. Other reforms, like new bottling and packaging requirements, were also included in the statement. Read more from Decanter here.
Finally, since we are now T-1 day away from Mariah Carey declaring “it’s tiiiiiiiiiiime” for the holidays… Domaine Carneros has put together a special Holiday Gift shop featuring their traditional method sparkling wines alongside an assortment of local and hand-crafted goods. New offerings include the Sonoma Sampler basket, which includes products from McEvoy Ranch and Journeyman Meat Company, and promises a $5 donation to Feeding America (and a matching donation from McEvoy Ranch) with every basket sold. Explore the Domaine Carneros Holiday Gift Shop here.
Weekly R.E.P.O.R.T.
Reading
Lately, I’ve been fixated on stories about women in corporate leadership, with a special emphasis on women of color and their roles in the working world. I started listening to the audiobook version of Sheryl Sandberg’s feminist classic Lean In on my commute to work, and even 10 years after its publication, I found myself nodding and mhmming to a lot of the content. Highly recommend pausing after each chapter to blast a girl power anthem like Beyoncé’s “Run The World (Girls)” or Meghan Trainor’s “Woman Up”.
Eating
To know me is to know that I basically collect pumpkin-flavored everything from August to November. I have been really enjoying Trader Joe’s new Gluten Free Pumpkin Ravioli with vodka sauce as an easy but hearty fall meal. Bonus points for raising the spice level with Calabrian chili flakes. Omnivores will get a kick out of adding Italian sausage crumbles for more protein.
Photo Credit: Trader Joe’s Company
Playing
Paramore’s 2017 album After Laughter may not be the first thing that pops out as a must-own record on vinyl, but here we are. After learning that listening to music acoustically literally changes our brain chemistry to appreciate it more, I’m taking note of the albums that promote an extra serotonin boost for me, and Hayley Williams’ fearless vocals will do it just about every time. If you just heard somebody randomly yelling, “No heat, no pressure!” along to “Rose-Colored Boy”... yeah, that was definitely me.
Obsessing
Chenin! Chenin!! Chenin!!! The wonderful Chenin Blanc has served me well as a fall white wine of choice, although other sommeliers are quick to remind me that any time is a great time for Chenin. To me, there is a Chenin Blanc for every palate - from the dry, minerally appeal of Savennières, to the touch of honeyed sweetness in Vouvray demi-sec, Chenin Blanc has captured the imaginations of vintners in the Loire Valley and beyond. My personal favorite sip for these crisp autumn nights? Thorne & Daughters “Cat’s Cradle” Chenin Blanc from Swartland, South Africa. I’m currently sipping on the 2020 vintage, but I can’t wait to taste more examples of this wine over time for vintage comparison. Try pairing it with the pumpkin ravioli in spicy vodka sauce mentioned above.
Photo Credit: Aitken’s Wines
Recommending
In my opinion, it isn’t spooky season until I’ve seen a Mike Flanagan show. The famed horror specialist’s fifth TV series, The Fall of the House of Usher, is my new favorite. From the creator of The Haunting of Hill House and Midnight Mass comes this dark yet wickedly comic exploration of the seven deadly sins as told through a modern adaptation of several short stories by Edgar Allen Poe. If you watched Succession and secretly wished for the dramatic downfall of the entire Roy family, you will find poetic justice and lots of thrilling twists and turns in this eight-episode Netflix miniseries.
Treating
Yes, I may have spent too much time online shopping “for other people” on the Domaine Carneros website. The Sparkling Spa Retreat package, complete with a bottle of 2019 Brut Rosé and my favorite Voluspa Sparkling Cuvee candle, just *happened* to wander into my cart… All in the name of research, right?
Wine and Movie Pairing
I’m throwing it back to November 2020 for my very first wine and movie pairing: 2018 Prima Materia “Vinum In Agris” Negro Amaro x PARASITE. This was the Instagram post that started it all - I had come home from a successful day shopping the Criterion Collection sale at Barnes and Noble and was inspired to pair some delicious wine that embodied the soul of PARASITE. In the spirit of newly minted billionaire Taylor Swift re-releasing “her version” of her early discography, this is “Maria’s Version” of everything I wanted to say about the pairing, but couldn’t due to social media character limits.
Photo Credit: Jerica Banson
The Italian grape Negroamaro literally translates to “black and bitter”, which accurately describes the basic nature of this wine. Negroamaro makes its ancestral home in Puglia (the “heel” of the boot that is the country of Italy), but in Prima Materia’s expression from Kelsey Bench, it finds a fullness and ripe quality that allow it to stand alone as well as an accompaniment to food. Prima Materia loves to play with native Italian varieties grown throughout their vineyard holdings in Lake County, proving that low-intervention winemaking combined with the balmy Mediterranean climate in Northern California provide an ideal second home for some of the world’s most delicious, food-friendly wines.
There’s a beautiful aromatic quality here (think rustic dried Italian herbs, like oregano and basil), and the palate almost leaps out of the glass screaming with salty black olives and dark black fruits like ripe figs and black currants. Combined with moderate acidity and a lingering finish, Prima Materia’s “Vinum In Agris” is at first uncomplicated and easy to drink, eventually giving way to a satisfying ending that will leave you wondering, “What did I just drink, and why is it all gone?”.
Much like the novelty of “Vinum in Agris”, PARASITE is truly a singular movie that stands in a category of its own. At its core, PARASITE is a black comedy that explores the duality of the wealthiest and poorest classes in modern Korean society. Through one of the most visceral screenplays in modern cinema and a striking, vividly contrasting style of cinematography, director/screenwriter/producer Bong Joon-ho constantly questions the viewer’s assumptions about the human impulse towards self-improvement, and instead asks, “Who is leaching off whom?”.
In February 2020, PARASITE became the first non-English language film to be named Best Picture at the Academy Awards. In addition to the biggest award in cinema, PARASITE also took home statues for Best Director and Best Original Screenplay for auteur Bong Joon-ho, and Best International Feature. Much like the wine in this pairing, PARASITE has proven that international cinema can not only bloom, but thrive and illuminate global themes beyond where it is planted.
The 2020 vintage of Prima Materia “Vinum In Agris” Negro Amaro is now available direct to consumer on the producer’s website for $32 before tax and shipping. You can also look for it at your local wine store.
The Criterion Collection restoration of PARASITE, including a black-and-white version of the film and an essay by critic Inkoo Kang, is available on 2-disc Blu-Ray for $32 and 3-disc DVD for $24. You can purchase it from criterion.com or your local bookstore.
The Last Sip
VinePair has named Cha McCoy as Wine Professional of the Year for 2023’s Next Wave Awards. Among the many hats this “traveling sommelier” wears, McCoy started her own wine consulting agency, Cha Squared, in 2017, and opened the nationally recognized wine retailer The Communion in Syracuse, New York in 2022.
When I first started posting wine content on Instagram, Cha McCoy was one of my first follows. I am constantly inspired by her refreshing writing voice, her fearless approach to networking, and by her unabashed determination to make the world of wine a better place for women of color as professionals and consumers alike. Congratulations, Cha!
Photo Credit: Jeff Brown
That’s all for now. Until next week, cheers!
Maria Banson