271: Best Sommelier Questions and How the Shape of Wine Acidity is Revealing with Vanessa Price

Why do the wines change when you’re pairing them with kale versus other greens? Why should you avoid storing wine in the fridge? What’s the best question you can ask a sommelier in a restaurant? In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I'm chatting with Vanessa Price, the author of Big Macs and Burgundy: Wine Pairings for the Real World and the wine expert for The TODAY Show. You can find the wines we discussed at https://www.nataliemaclean.com/winepicks   Highlights What inspired Vanessa to pair wine with classic McDonald’s foods? How did Vanessa pair pastrami sandwich (with a dill pickle) with wine? What gives Chilean Carmenère a bell pepper taste? How do the characteristics of different greens lend themselves to different types of wine? What is meant by the “shape of acidity” and how can it help you to learn more about a wine? Why shouldn’t we leave bubbly in the fridge for more than one to two weeks? What were some of the challenges Vanessa encountered when writing her book? How was Big Macs and Burgundy received by the wine industry? How is Vanessa localizing Big Macs and Burgundy with each new translation? What was Vanessa’s approach to curating the wine list at Mavericks? Which rare and special wines have been included in Mavericks wine list? Why did Vanessa create a skin contact section on the wine list and which types of wine are included? What’s the best question you can ask a sommelier for a wine recommendation? What is Vanessa’s favourite wine book? What’s Vanessa’s favourite wine gadget?   Key Takeaways Vanessa’s advice wasn’t focused only on fast food and candy. She also shared great tips about healthier foods. We should avoid storing wine in a food fridge because the low humidity can dry out the cork, causing shrinkage, etc. I also liked her advice that if you pay more attention to the shape of the acidity and the shape of the impression of the tannin, you can probably learn a lot more about a wine. The best question you can ask a sommelier in a restaurant is sharing information about what you like already, even if that’s simply showing them a picture on your phone of a label from a wine you like.   Join me on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube Live Join the live-stream video of this conversation on Wed at 7 pm ET on Instagram Live Video, Facebook Live Video or YouTube Live Video. I want to hear from you! What’s your opinion of what we’re discussing? What takeaways or tips do you love most from this chat? What questions do you have that we didn’t answer? Want to know when we go live? Add this to your calendar: https://www.addevent.com/calendar/CB262621   About Vanessa Price Vanessa has spent almost two decades in the wine industry as a trained sommelier and is the author of best selling book Big Macs and Burgundy: Wine Pairings for the Real World. Vanessa is a certified Level 4 sommelier, resident sommelier for The TODAY Show and the Wine Director of Wildflower Farms, an Auberge Resort Hotel. She has also taught classes for The Wine & Spirit Education Trust and has written for and been featured in New York Magazine, Vogue, and many others.       To learn more, visit https://www.nataliemaclean.com/271.