Now that my test is over...

I'm writing this as an official "Certified Sommelier" through the Court of Master Sommeliers. Basically, this is a group that gives accredidation to wine professionals. There are four levels- Intro, Certified Sommelier, Advanced Sommelier, and Master Sommelier. The Intro level is basically a two-day lecture, and a multiple choice test. The Certified level consists of a written test, a blind tasting evaluation of two wines (determining what varietal, country, and vintage they are), and a service component.

I'm glad the test is over- it was a huge amount of stress on my and on my marriage!

We celebrated by going to Pueblo Solis (I didn't realize it was possible to drop $100 there- evidently it is), and then going for cocktails at the Hideaway (fantastic jukebox, cheap drinks).

Okay, enough of that- here's today's wine tip-

Drink Rose during the summer. Lots of it. Several years ago, rose was seen as being for old people, cheap slutty chicks at bars, and bums drinking out of paper bags. No longer is this true! Some of the new types of rose are dry, elegant, and really delicious on a hot summer day. In particular, I recommend the Crios Rose of Malbec (from Argentina), or the Guigal Cotes du Rhone Rose (from France- blend of syrah and grenache).

Can "real men" drink pink wines? Yes. Especially if you look how it is made. When red wine is produced, the color in it comes from soaking the red skins of the grapes in the grape juice. This is a process called Cuvaison, or maceration. To make rose, they usually just soak the skins a little less time. You get the structure of red wine, with the ability to drink it cold. Essentially you are drinking red wine that is just a little less......red.

Cheers!