As Vice President of Wine Education for Banfi Vintners Sharron probably has one of the coolest wine careers ever, and she takes some time out of her busy schedule to chat with W25! Last year’s inductee into the Italian Trade Commission’s Hall of Fame, she gives us some insight into her place in the wonderful world of Italian wine. We talk about pairing a novel with Brunello, upcoming wine and spirit education events, and … yes, it’s true … grapes named after salami. Pour a glass, sip, learn, and laugh along. Salute!
Steph: “Welcome back Wine-Two-Five listeners! Thank you so much for joining us for Episode 43! I’m your co-host Steph, and today Val and I are chatting with the wine world’s beloved Sharron McCarthy.”
Val: “Yes, Sharron was actually inducted into the and Italian Trade Commission Hall of Fame and we cannot wait to chat with her. We’re going to first work around our virtual table and find out what everyone’s drinking to get things started! Steph? Whatcha got in your glass?”
Drinking:
Steph: 2011 Tabali Late Harvest botrytis Muscat – Limari Valley, Chile
Sharron: Riunite Lambrusco (a blend of four different Labrusco grapes that you can read about on Banfi’s Wine Education page)
Val: “Le Cirque, 2013 Cotes Catalanes IGP from the Roussillon area of France (close to Spanish border (Grenache, Syrah, Carignan) in the Pyrenees Orientales departement; big fan of wines from Southern France in terms of value for the money and style. But I’m also a big fan of our guest today and want to get to chatting with her!”
Discussion:
Steph: “Let me introduce our guest today!
Photo courtesy of Society of Wine Educators
Sharron McCarthy is the Vice President of Wine Education for Banfi Vintners, the U.S. leading wine importer and a major producer of premium offerings from Italy. Throughout her career, she has conducted food and beverage management courses at the Culinary Institute of America, Cal Poly Pomona, UNLV, University of Denver, University of Houston, Cornell University, Johnson and Wales and the Smithsonian, among others. She is past President of the Society of Wine Educators and has been associated with the American Institute Of Wine and Food, American Wine Society, Sommelier Society of America, New York Women’s Culinary Alliance just to name a few. She is also an associate member of the Cornell Hotel Society.
“Welcome, Sharron!”
Sharron tells us about her first trip to Italy with Banfi back in 1978 and her rise through the company over 38 years. She started out as a secretary and now spends much of her time on the road with tastings, presentations and training programs. She gives the late Lucio Sorre credit for being the most influential person in her wine career.
Lucio was a beloved wine educator, ambassador and pretty much the chief wine taster for Montalcino-based Castello Banfi. His legend lives on through Sharron, as does his philosophy, to make the enjoyment of wine something that shouldn’t be feared. Wine’s purpose is to “give pleasure, nothing more.” It is this pleasure that we can hear resonating in Sharron’s voice as she talks about her love for her job, the Banfi family and her mission in the wine world.
Photo credit: Nelson DeMille.net
When asked, “Life is short, what are you going to spend more time doing and what are you going to spend less time doing?”
she did confess that as much as she adores her job, she would like more free time to enjoy the beautiful wines that she lives to talk about every day. We even asked her to pair a wine with a book she’s found a hot minute to dig into, Nelson DeMille’s The Quest.
Sharron’s a huge fan of Nelson Demille, and makes a point of pairing this suspense novel with a meditation wine, such as the Castello Banfi Brunello di Montalcino. Here’s why: its a rich, layered and complex wine ..”.with a little bit of spice … just like Nelson’s books!”
And our reading list grows. Perhaps next year our #W25challenge will be a book and wine pairing club!
Factoid:
Val: “Many p
eople think wine originated in France, or Greece or somewhere else. However, believe it or not, the production of wine is believed to have originated in Georgia! (Not the “Go Bulldogs”, Georgia, but the Republic, as in next to Russia, Georgia). The Georgian word “GHVINO” is believed to be older than the word “vin” that we associate with wine. And? And? There are over 500 varieties with its indigenous Rkastiteli leading the pack as a dominant variety. There’s a super cool video by Master of Wine Isabella Legeron that you just have to see. But we also had the privilege of learning about – and tasting these wines – from MW Lisa Granik. The way they make their wines is so intriguing, with these Qvevri (like clay pots, similar to amphorae); that use them to ferment the wine along with skins and stems – even for the whites – for months. This style of winemaking was actually recognized as an intangible aspect of their cultural heritage by UNESCO in 2013!”
Shoutouts:
Steph: “The front of the house crew at Chimney Park Restaurant made me look good and made my job easy on Sunday night. I can’t thank you enough, ladies, especially Kate! Chef Jason was also adorable and took care of guests, entertaining them and teeing-up my Scacciadiavoli story. What a terrific team effort and a wonderful wine experience for guests.”
Wino Radar:
Steph: Tonight I’m planning to watch “Into the Bottle”!!! It is on Amazon – so I can get it on my smart TV. Yipppee!
Val: We watched it yesterday and loved it. Thought it was more educational than the last, and more “consumer friendly” where the last one was more like geek porn for us.
“Also, THE BOURBON AFFAIR! Society of Wine Educators is having their first ever spirits-focused mini-conference on April 7th and 8th in Louisville, KY. There will be educational seminars, master distillers, cocktail experts, authors, private tours and tastings of Kentucky bourbon distilleries. Stoked!”
Sharon: Vino 2016 in New York!
NEXT WEEK:
Check back next week for our episode with guest Master of Wine Tim Hanni, author of Why You Like the Wines You Like: Changing the way the world thinks about wine.
Until next week: Cheers! and don’t forget to expand your palate with the #W25Challenge!