Author Archives: Maurice

  1. Prime Cru Wine Club: Washington State Wine Seminar

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    In September I was part of the Road Trip Washington State Wine trip (watch the video).  Now I am all geared up and ready to pass on this information to you.  I will be hosting a Washington State Wine Seminar.  Come taste and learn about wines from Washington State.  Join me as I lead you and your palate on a road trip through the wine regions of Washington State.

    We will explore the history of Washington State wine through prohibition to today.  We will discuss Washington’s unique climate, terroir and geology. Most importantly, we will taste through whites and reds from the different AVA’s.  Ten wines will be tasted side by side so you can see the effects of Washington’s great growing conditions.  I am sure that by the end, you will see why Washington State wine stands out above the rest. (more…)

  2. Wine Interviews with Dead Celebrities: Michael Jackson

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    wine interviews

    For sometime now, I have tried to get wine interviews with some of my favorite musician, movie stars and other celebrities about their wine habits.  I have found it very difficult to get past their fan clubs and PR firms to just get a basic questionnaire filled out.  So I have diverted to plan B.  I found it to be so much easier to hone in on my psychic abilities and interview those celebrities that have passed away.  It seems as though they are more willing to sit through the interview.  Most dead celebrities do not want to lose touch with their fans.  They are so desperate that they are willing to answer the questions of a lowly wine blogger in San Diego. (more…)

  3. A Sommelier an Outsider Living on the Inside

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    Sommelier looking in

    Growing up, I never in a million years thought that I would be a sommelier.  I don’t know if there are any 10 or 11-year-old boys or girls that dream about being a sommelier.  In fact I don’t know if there are any kids that know that the job even exists.  So how did I ever get here?  To me, wine always seemed as something for the rich and élite.  Now here I am, writing about wine, teaching and recommending wines to people with a higher income than myself.  What I am going to state is merely a personal observation of myself and some other sommeliers I know.  In no way do I want to generalize and assume that all sommliers feel the same way. (more…)

  4. How to Drink Wine by a 6-year old

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    All I ever needed to know about how to drink wine I learned in kindergarten.  As many of you know, I try to make wine fun and easy to understand.  Wine is super complex and wrapping your head around it is frustrating.  As adults we have a knack of making things more difficult.  I am not sure what is the psychological reasoning behind this statement, but I know it is true.  My children are in preschool and first grade.  Each and every day I learn something new.  Sometimes I learn something I already knew but in a new way.

    I am not sure if I inspire them or if they just copy Sponge Bob.  For sometime now, they have played restaurant.  Each of them have their own restaurants.  My daughter played along with my son’s ideas and created her own restaurant, Cold-y.  Of course they serve cold spaghetti and cold soups.  My son, the instigator, started his restaurant long before.  He called his restaurant the Hot Pumpkin.  As one would guess, he serves pumpkins, right?  Nope.  At  the Hot Pumpkin he serves Hot Dogs.  It only makes sense. (more…)

  5. WhINE to the MUSIC: Bob Marley and Malbec

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    whine to the music copy“Whine to the music” is the art of pairing grooves, such as Bob Marley’s “Redemption Song” with Malbec.  We have been drinking wine with music since the dawn of wine.  I don’t think music would have evolved without wine.  Most people tend to turn up the music when they drink wine.  Whine to the Music is not just sitting back, drinking wine and getting teary eyed.  It is a concept like ART and Wine Pairing, where we dissect the structures of the wine and the work to its basic elements.  The structural elements eventually create an emotion in us.  Whine to the Music is the art of pairing wine with music based on the emotion they evoke in us. (more…)