Wine 'professor' discusses trends(2)
To get ready for the exam, she did extensive traveling and tasting.
"It was fun, lots of fun," she said.
The third section is a 10,000-word dissertation; and for her treatise, Thach decanted differences between men and women when it comes to "wine-drinking occasions."
The short version is that men tilt toward the "show-off factor," which means that they might end up talking about, for example, technical details to show what they know.
"It's the ego side of wine," she said.
In contrast, "women like to drink wine for social reasons, to get together with friends," she said.
When asked to do some trend-spotting, this wine business expert mentioned the "rise in the United States of the millennials," the generation from about age 21 to 34.
These young wine drinkers are spurring trends and driving sales, according to Thach, who recently turned 50.
Among the millennial group, the preferences are sparkling wines and champagne, along with sweet wines such as Riesling.
"And . . . they are drinking lots of red wine, too," she said.
And then there's Muscat or Moscato, a fragrant sweetie that hip-hopped to popularity because rappers such as Kayne West have mentioned it in videos.
According to Thach, Sutter Home's Moscato sold out thanks to rapper rhymes.
"Wine in some ways is like fashion - it's hard to forecast," she said.
As to what this new Master of Wine is drinking this summer, it's "dry, crisp sauvignon blanc from around the world," as well as rosé, usually from Provence, she said.
And with a steak on the grill, she makes the smart choice, "a nice, big Cabernet."
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Tasting notes
Lieu-dit Beauregard Bourgueil, 2009. About $12 a bottle.
Don't try to pronounce it, but do get your hands on a bottle of this mouth-watering French red.
It's an ideal summertime table wine, one that can be served from start to finish.
Foodies and wine geeks often prefer medium bodied-reds with moderate alcohol levels - and this one, at 12.5% alcohol, fits that description.
Bourgueil is an appellation in the Loire region where the majority of the reds are made with Cabernet France. This example is 100% Cab Franc, so it will let you know what this underappreciated grape is all about.
Anne Schamberg is a freelance writer who lives in Waukesha. Email her at aschamberg@aol.com.
