No Wine Snobbery With This Gal …

I’ve often considered that sommeliers are unfairly painted with the snobbery brush. Oh sure, you can get the odd, pompous twit. But in my experience it’s really a thing of the past. Maybe I’ve been treated well because I’m media, combined with my oh so charming wit and sartorial splendour. I’ve always found sommeliers to be a smart, gracious knowledgeable bunch who are a lot of fun to talk wine with. So it was when the Insider caught up with Andrea Robinson, one of only 28 female Master Sommeliers in the world, who is hosting a virtual tasting of Napa wines on Sat. March 20^th on her site at www.andreawine.com. Andrea is a real down to earth wine gal, we had a lot of fun doing the NSI quiz and I loved her jargon free answer when asked what makes a good wine. Cheers and enjoy…

What was last night’s dinner? My husband made a really nice pork shoulder that I shredded and combined with a chili verde sauce, some black beans and rice. Quite tasty.

Favorite music? I’m very eclectic when it comes to music but Joni Mitchell is my favorite artist.

Favorite drink? You gotta love the bubbles. I love French champagne when I can afford it but some California producers make excellent sparklers as well without the big price tag.

Favorite thing about living and working in Napa? The authenticity. You can go to almost any winery in Napa and have a great tasting experience. Plus, I love how it’s such a tight community who really support one another.

Favorite place to dine out in Napa? Both my husband and I are huge home cooks but when we do go out we like the new Brasswood Bar & Kitchen at the Brasswood Winery and Farmstead at the Long Meadow Ranch.

What makes a great wine? It’s got to be food friendly and its taste and memory has to exceed its price.   

Any brush with celebrity. I had lunch with Ryan Seacrest and met Arnold Schwarzenegger when he was  governor. But my fav was John Legend at the Napa Valley Auction. Really sweet, nice guy.

Any wine, meal or trip on your bucket list? I’d love to cruise the Greek Islands.

Final thoughts? Just let people know that Napa is ready to roll out the red, white and rose carpet for you. It’s all here – the wine, the food and the experience.