A glimpse into the wine world speaks volumes about a country’s history, culture, and tradition. For me, there is no better way to record those moments than with my own narrative.
For the past two and a half years, I had the privilege to live in Brno, Czechia, where the wine world was at my fingertips. Read up on my adventurous journey as an American expat living in South Moravia, Czechia.
I’ve also linked my ‘100 wine reviews’ on the Search Bar-these will redirect you to my Facebook page.
Recently, I have relocated to Tucson, Arizona, so stay tuned! I’ll be updating the site with more of my desert wine escapades and stories. Cheers!
Blog
Moravia Obscura
Present day winemaking in Moravia is evolving at a rapid pace. Confronting the inevitable threats of climate change, economic instability, and growing consumer demand, Moravian winemakers are taking major risks in experimenting with grape choices, viticulture and winemaking techniques…
10 Places to Drink in Brno
It is an inspiring time to be an expat and sommelier in Brno. Prior to the Velvet Revolution in 1989, the city’s creative, global outlets were held captive and immobile under a Soviet-run, communist regime. Wineries and wine makers were under state control. Innovative ideas within the city’s restaurant world were suppressed. Yet today in Brno, things have changed…
Six Months of Discovery
It has been exactly six months since we landed in Brno. As I write this post, I am headed back home on the train after spending the day at WinePrague, an International Wine Expo at PVA Expo Center…
Judgement Day
I am fortunate to have recently been a judge at Grand Prix Vinex, an international wine competition held in Valtice. There are days where I wake up thinking, is this my life?
It’s Mikulov Time
To be honest, I had no idea what to do with myself when we first landed in Brno. Sure, I had some ideas of how to occupy my time but making this transition to our new lifestyle took introspection and soul searching…
Supermarket Sweep
Buying wine at the supermarkets here in Brno seems easy, but do you really know what you are getting? This seems to be an endless struggle for those expats I’ve met here, as the labels, grapes and quality levels are uncharted territory…
The Vinotéka
The Czech vinotéka seems to be undergoing a 21st century identity crisis, thus revealing a major split between tradition and modernity. From what I have experienced so far in Brno, there are two versions of the Czech vinotéka, often referred to as a Vinný Sklep, or wine cellar…
No Country for Red Wine
My husband and I met in the Italian wine aisle of my former job at Seaboard Wine. At that time, he drank exclusively red wines from this region, setting the bar rather high for himself as Brunellos and Aglianicos were his everyday swill…
Tonight We’re Gonna Party Like It’s 1881
Once upon a time, in a vineyard in Oporto, a Portuguese winemaker and their workers harvested their grape vines of Touriga Nacional, gathered field hands to stomp the grapes in their lugares, and eventually, after some time letting the juice age in oak barrels, bottled their tawny port wine…