Dellatorri Chianti, Studying for the CSW, and returning to Los Angeles

Wow... Leaving the comfort of a great job that I loved and was good at was never going to be easy. However after 4 weeks of being back in the city that I was raised in, I now feel less confident in my abilities and I am pretty sure that I never knew anything about wine at all. I some how managed to fool everyone that I ever worked with. I am a fake.

Ok, I may not be a total fake; and I may have known a bit about wine at one point. But I find it so strange that the people I worked with have complete faith in my abilities. They are completely convinced that not only do I know something about wine, but that I know a lot, and that I will be great at any job I apply to. Yet I continue to doubt myself. It may be the fact that I am a psychology student pursuing a career in wine. It may be that I am in an unfamiliar city, where the market for wine is as different as the customers. Or it may also be that I am a young woman, in a male dominated industry. Interestingly enough, the last part doesn't bother me at all. I am a go-getter. I thrive off of being the odd "man" out. And when I am passionate about something, I cannot be stopped. So, in the midst of this ramble, I guess I realized that I may have the drive for this industry. And I just did not just "fall in love" with the "romanticism" surrounding the business and making of wine, like some people would like to assume.

As I look for work in Los Angeles, I am finding that I feel either over qualified for entry level positions or under qualified for wine buyer/sales representative. After countless applications, and two rejected interviews, I figured I needed to do something different. So I have decided to study for the Certified Wine Specialist test in order to make myself stand out from other applicants before applying to any other positions. I think this will allow me to take the time I need to solidify my knowledge of the fundamentals about wine, and prepare for the job I want and know I deserve.

In the mean time, I will be tasting as many wines as possible, studying as much as I can, and hopefully working in a part-time position. So tonight, I have a Chianti!!!!! I bought this on a whim, not knowing how good it would be, but just knowing my love for Italian wine.

Quick Taste: Dellatorri Chianti Riserva 2009 - 100% Sangiovese
This chianti was most definitely surprising. A random Ralphs find, this wine was actually very nice. For under ten dollars, this well rounded earthy chianti is beautiful on the nose and the palate. On the nose, tart cherries and spice is most prevalent. On the palate, the earthy, dark cherry, and violet notes provide a great finish.

 I am thoroughly enjoying this bottle, and will be purchasing another in the near future!  

XOXO
Kyle

Quick Taste: Sentinel Oak Viognier

My supervisor Claire gave me two wines from Sentinel Oak vineyard; a Viognier and a Syrah. This vineyard is extremely local to our store location, and is 40 miles south east of Sacramento in Amador County's Shenandoah Valley. Because of their work to sustainably grow grapes of superior quality, their production is very small. So small in fact that the Syrah and Viognier are their only two current releases. I decided to save the Syrah for another night, and I poured the Viognier.

Formal tasting notes: this Viognier is floral and clean on the nose, with hints of pear. Bright crisp citrus on the palate, with an semi-dry finish. Would be a perfect accompaniment with fish or a salad.

Overall, a solid Viognier, but nothing spectacular.

Quick Taste: Mohua Sauvignon Blanc

Tonight we had a free wine tasting at the store, sampling two wines from Australia and New Zealand. The Australian Syrah was great! Smooth, nice spice, lingering finish. However, it was the Sauvignon Blanc that caught my attention! This New Zealand wine was beautiful and was a great price! At $11.99, this white wine had a beautiful nose, was full of fruit on the palate, and had a well balanced finish. It, in my opinion, far exceeded many of the domestic sauv blancs I have had. In one word, this wine was bright! Easy drinking, but not dull; perfect with a seafood dish or just by itself. I might have found my new favorite sauv blanc!

Tasting Notes: on the nose: PASSION FRUIT, citrus, some stone fruit. Melon and grapefruit on the palate. Nice lingering off dry finish. Beautiful!

Up coming posts: current book I'm reading and domaine laroque cab France