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Do Wine Glasses Make a Difference?

October 16, 2019 by BettyKaufman 18 Comments

If you’re like me, you enjoy taking home wine glasses as souvenirs from special events or dinner parties. Maybe you keep a treasured assortment in your cupboard, or even a set of fine stemware for special occasions. There is a lot to think about when it comes to choosing wine glasses. The most important consideration is enjoyment. Wine is meant to be enjoyed, and the glasses you choose should accentuate this, whether they enhance the flavor of the wine, or the aesthetics of holding a beautiful, delicate glass in your hand.

Many guests at the wine tastings I lead ask questions about stemware, so I thought it was timely to answer the top questions here.

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Four Reasons to Give Personalized Wine Gifts

October 9, 2019 by BettyKaufman 6 Comments

The holiday season will soon be upon us, so now is the time to organize your gift list. For the favorite wine lovers on your list, nothing says happy holidays better than personalized wine gifts.

Here’s the label I used last year. My kitties are still jumping for joy that I included them in my festivities 🙂

Picasso and Kahlua are wishing you a WINEderful New Year!

Four Great Reasons to Give Personalized Wine Gifts for the Holidays

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Red Wine Headaches (RWH)

October 2, 2019 by BettyKaufman 17 Comments

Wine Sensitivities — Red Wine Headaches (RWH)

Since I lead wine tastings for a living, I get a lot of people telling me about their red wine headaches (RWH), which they attribute to sulfite or tannin sensitivities. Because I hear these complaints so often, I did a little research and will share with you what I learned about possible causes of, and solutions for, RWH. Thank you to fix.com for some great information for this article. [Read more…]

District Wine Bar in San Jose

September 25, 2019 by BettyKaufman Leave a Comment

This past weekend, I had the pleasure of getting to know a wine bar in San Jose that I’d never been to, District Wine Bar on San Pedro Ave. In this blog, I’ll share my wine tasting experience with you. I hope it inspires you to check out this wonderful place.

What Is District Wine Bar?

Here’s what they say on their website: “Located in downtown San Jose, in the heart of San Pedro Square and just a few blocks from SAP Center, District brings together a menu of small, shareable plates, pizza and house-made charcuterie with one of the city’s most extensive and diverse wine and whiskey programs. The result is a one-of-a-kind tasting experience that you can share with friends and family in a vibrant and communal setting.

“We love big flavors at District. Come in to District and see what Executive Chef Bob Cina has on the menu today. Our dinner menu specializes in tasty and sharable small plates such as oysters on the half shell, Ahi Tuna Poke with taro chips, artisan style pizza and an associated variety of delicious charctuterie.

“What makes District stand out from the rest is that everything on the menu is made in-house from fresh, local and seasonally inspired ingredients. Come in today and pair one of our menu items with one of our many wines, whiskeys and cocktails.”

What Did I Love About District?

My friend Matt and I each enjoyed a flight of wines. I got the Wispy Whites, and he got the Earth, Wind and Funk. Okay, for starters, we loved the names of their flights – and the tastes of their flights. I’ll describe my flight in the next section. Matt loved his flight too.

Beyond the flights. We got French Fries and Patatas Gravas and have never tasted better potatoes in our lives. Yes, we OD’ed on potatoes, but we were in seventh heaven. I would go back there every day for those potatoes.

On top of the potatoes, we got to sit outside on a lovely patio, and we got served by a wonderful young man named Victor.

My Flight

The Wispy Whites flight was great. Here’s what was in it:

Buzzinella, Ribolla Gialla, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy 2018. Friuli-Venezia Giulia is a wine region in the northeast of Italy. This was a light-bodied wine with nice acidity and lovely floral notes. It tasted a little like an unoaked Chardonnay but was a little livelier.
Domaine Pastou, Sauvignon Blanc, Pouilly-Fume, France 2016. This was a fabulous Sauvignon Blanc. According to North Berkeley Imports, “The petite village of Sury-en-Vaux, north of the legendary Sancerre vineyard ‘Monts Damnés,’ is where you’ll find this extraordinary source of character-rich white wines from the Loire Valley. The family Pastou maintains excellent flint-rich vineyards in Sancerre as well as a superb perch in Pouilly-sur-Loire for their expressive Pouilly-Fumé. The theme that runs through all the domaine’s wines is freshness: here, you can’t be but floored by the energy of Sauvignon Blanc from these remarkable terroirs.”
Molitor, Riesling, Gheingau, Germany 2017. This is a very inexpensive wine, but I loved how dry it was.

Please check out District in San Jose. And if you think about it beforehand, please invite me 🙂

As an independent wine consultant with WineShop At Home, I absolutely enjoy bringing a taste of the Napa wine country home to you one sip at a time. Whether you simply love to drink wine, seek a special personalized wine gift, or are in search of a new wine jobs opportunity as a wine consultant, feel free to contact me for a truly unique wine tasting experience!

Cheers, Betty Kaufman
WineShop At Home

Wine Pairings for Vegetarian Dishes

September 18, 2019 by BettyKaufman 26 Comments

Many of us were taught that white wine goes with fish, and red wine with meat. But what if you are a vegetarian? The good news is that there are all kinds of good wine pairings for vegetarians. As a long-time “pescetarian” who eats dairy products, eggs and fish, I am excited to share some recommendations for wine pairings for vegetarian dishes. [Read more…]