Why I Started a Wine Blog

Today on Facebook, I hit the “100 Likes” Milestone and I didn’t think I’d be excited about it….but I am? It’s not that I’m going to let myself be driven by the social media’s embrace of my thoughts, but I’m thrilled that people are enjoying the content and approaching wine in a whole new way with me. When I launched the Blog and brand almost exactly one month ago, I honestly didn’t know what to expect in terms of momentum or appeal that would come from it. I did, however, know that I 1) liked wine 2) liked talking about it and 3) liked people who felt the same way. So at this point, it seems appropriate that I take a brief moment to outline the backstory of the concept and what’s driving the brand down the path ahead (…cue pouring myself a glass of wine…so you should too).

Barolo with "Forest Gump Chocolates" because obviously

There have already been two instances since I’ve launched the Blog that have validated what I initially set out to accomplish. Both of these instances were extremely similar involving a bunch of girlfriends gathering on a weeknight, new Pinterest recipes displayed in cute serving dishes along the kitchen counter, sweatpants/hoodies, and wine. Before the corks were popped on the wine in both situations, however, I got a “oh, you might not like this wine, it’s nothing fancy, you probably won’t approve, I don’t know what’s good, I just got it from the grocery store” warning from people whom I consider to be my closest friends. Are you serious, guys? I start a wine blog and now all of the sudden you’re afraid to serve me wine because it “might not be good enough” for me?

Typical wine and apps night 

Sigh. But that’s exactly the barrier to the wine world that I’m on a mission to tear down. On both of these nights, I realized that so many people feel like they don’t “know enough” about wine to enjoy it. Do I know a lot about wine? Sure, probably more than the average consumer. But are there tons of other people who know way more about wine than I do? Oh, absolutely! If you want to study the terroir, the harvest techniques, the pH balancing process – go for it. If you want to buy a bottle of wine that’s less than $10 to pair with your take-out pizza on a Tuesday – you can do that too. Because guess what - no wine expert or self-proclaimed wine nerd like myself will ever know how wine tastes to you when you drink it. At the end of the day, it’s a personal experience, and if I can help someone find something that he or she likes to drink then I’ve accomplished what I set out to accomplish.

Now, before I lose you into thinking I’m disregarding the entire academic side of the wine world, let me clarify that there are certainly industry standards and expressions of each wine varietal that one strives to achieve. Certain grapes are known to express a very specific flavor profile, and mastering the nuances is what anyone studying to become a sommelier or learning how to serve professionally devotes a rigorous amount of hours and energy to per day. That’s impressive! Therefore, rather than downplaying the respectable knowledge of the professional wine industry, on the contrary, what I’m hoping to highlight for the average wine enthusiast who wants to enjoy a bottle (or 3) with some friends at a dinner party is that tasting wine is a personal experience – there are never “right” answers in this case because at the end of the day, I want everyone to actually enjoy what is in their glass! In fact, I wish for a world in which there is a wine for everyone, every palate, and every occasion.

My old office aka the tasting room at Cross Keys Vineyards

I used to have people come visit me in the tasting room at the winery I managed in Virginia who had never been to a wine tasting before. They would walk in with their jaws dropped in awe at the pretty scenery and architecture, move very slowly as if afraid to accidently knock anything out of place in the retail store area, and proceed to the tasting counter with an uncomfortable swagger that can only be executed by a newbie. They would lean over the bar to whisper quietly amidst their fellow patrons, “Excuse me, miss, but I’ve never done this before” to which I would always flash the biggest smile. These were my favorite customers: novice, teachable, and ready to explore. I also considered it being a clearly-defined challenge to now bust down any wall of wine snobbery that they had ever been exposed to and lead them into a more approachable adventure that ultimately ends with the personal enjoyment of the wine in the glass. Anytime I ever heard things like “which one am I supposed to think is the best?” or “what flavors should I taste?” during a tasting session with a first-time customer, I took it as my mission to enlighten them to the fact that what’s best for one person certainly may not translate to “best” for another. Even our winemaker would say that his tasting descriptions on the menu were what he tasted on a particular day, at a particular moment, after whatever he ate for breakfast that morning.

And so, with this goal of demystifying the wine world in mind, I often describe myself as a wine tour guide and drinking buddy, of sorts. As a winery manger in the tasting room, this emerged as an effort to provide an opportunity for wine drinkers to make their own discoveries regarding flavors and preferences. It was in these instances of self-empowerment that I was the most fulfilled because I knew a door had been opened. I knew that a façade, a barrier, or a myth of intimidation that had kept someone from enjoying their glass of wine…had vanished.

Because that hint of vanilla on the mid-palate and lightly toasted coconut on the finish is well, you know, that’s just like, your opinion, man. Cheers.

The Dude

Twenty(ish) Questions with a Sommelier Who "Survived" Without Wine

This week, ACR caught an exclusive interview with Survivor/Sommelier, Jon Misch, who recently competed on "Survivor: San Juan del Sur — Blood vs. Water" which aired as the 29th season of the show on CBS. He and his then-girlfriend-now-fiancé Jaclyn made it to the final episodes of the show and spent most of the season being known as "a power couple" for their ability to swing votes during many eliminations at Tribal Council.



A fun fact for our Atlanta followers? Jon was the guy to knock infamous former Atlanta Braves pitcher, John Rocker, off of a raft to win a challenge. Jon also played football for Michigan State University from 2007 to 2010 making four Bowl game appearances and helping his 2010 team win the Big Ten Championship.



While America now recognizes Jon for his survival strength, ability to find Immunity Idols, and competitive nature on the show, it's our pleasure to also introduce him to our wine-loving audience as a respected Level 1 Sommelier.



During Twenty(ish) Questions, Jon shared what led him to passing the Level 1 Introductory Sommelier Course & Exam and how wine has been a huge part of his life before and after Survivor.

ACR: First...because I'm dying to know...what was the first wine you drank after you got voted off Survivor?

Jon: The first wine I had was actually also the last wine I had going into Survivor. Before we left, we had a “last meal” of sorts (but not really last because they fed us while we were waiting to begin shooting for 3 days). It was a Pinot Noir called En Route by Far Niente Wineries.  It’s one of my FAVORITE Pinots (which is saying a lot because Pinot is also my favorite varietal) and I COULD NOT GET IT OUT OF MY HEAD while on the island.  They told us that when you are starving, you cannot stop talking about food and the craving for any food is tremendous...but I had NO IDEA it would be so strong.  And it was the same for wine for me, but the En Route was the only wine I could think about. The spot where these particular pinot grapes are planted used to be an apple orchard, and I couldn’t get the taste of the earth, red fruit, and apple mixture out of my head… Truly, it was maddening. So, naturally, I had to have it as soon as I got home.

ACR: I've added that one to my "must try" list! Where does your passion for and interest in wine come from?

Jon: Not exactly sure here. My dad was the first person to really have an interest in wine in my life, and he would often have wine with his wife when we sat down to dinner, so I suppose it was him that first made me curious about it.  I thought it tasted awful though, but he assured me that if I kept drinking it I’d start to see that all wines are different, and I’d start to enjoy things that I previously hated. Tannin, I think, is probably the biggest thing I found that I now love but that I used to HATE. I hated having that cotton mouth feel when I was younger. Now, I go crazy for a Barolo with enough age that even my teeth feel the grip.

ACR: Yum, Barolo. So what was the first wine you ever tasted...if you can even remember? If not the exact label, then what was the first varietal you ever tasted?

Jon: The first wine I had was a Veuve Clicquote at my Great Grandmothers's 99th birthday (I was 17, I think). I hated it, but I acted like I was a HUGE fan because my brother hated it and I wanted to seem more accepting of new things than him - probably another reason I tried to like wine so much!

ACR: Sibling competition at it's finest! What's your favorite wine region (or even get more nerdy with specific AVA or even vineyard)?

Jon: If I were going to take the easy way out on this question, I’d say Chateau Haut Brion Passac-Leognan Graves. But I think any wine drinker could say that a First Growth is going to be a great wine. I’ve been lucky, though, because my dad has an incredible wine cellar and I’ve had the chance to try each of the first growths on multiple occacsions.  But I’ll stick to the wines that I can actually afford… (or at least, wines that I wouldn’t go broke from buying, because I admittedly spend far more on wine than I should...) so:

Favorite Region – Barbaresco. Nebbiolo is an INCREDIBLE varietal to me. I know they say that Italian wines are meant to be had with food, but I could care less how I have it! I love the violet or rose petals that you can have on the nose, the highly tannic structure that is met well with a medium-plus acidity. Definitely my favorite region.

Favorite AVA/AOC/IGT – hhhhhhmmmmmmmmm………. Champagne. Not even because I love Champagnes (because I REALLY do) but because I love how the terroir affects the grapes so much. I’ve read (and hope to see one day) that the dirt is so high in chalk that it’s white, which allows for the reflection of sun rays on the grapes and plays a HUGE role in allowing the grapes to mature enough to reach the point they do (which isn’t very much). I love how you can taste the chalk in the wine, and how they didn’t actually want to specialize in sparkling wines, but rather were forced to because the yeast would go dormant so early and a second fermentation would happen inside of the bottles after bottling. Love it :)

ACR: What wine regions have you traveled to? Do you have a "dream destination"?

Dream Destination, without a doubt, is Bordeaux. More specifically, left bank… most specifically, all first growths and Chateau D’yquem. I’ve read so much about them that I’d probably pass out if I actually was there! I’d also love to see Opus One winery. It’s the wine that Jaclyn and I had when she won Miss Michigan, and it is her favorite wine so I’d love to take her there. So far, I’ve only traveled to Chianti and Montalcino, although I have also been up to the Lelanau Peninsula in Michigan which has some nice Rieslings and Gewürztraminer, but since that’s pretty close to home, I don’t count it.

ACR: What restaurant have you been to that you'd say has had the most interesting wine list?

Jon:'The Picasso in the Bellagio and the Mix at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas...both of these wine lists had over 2,000 wines! And their Somm knew EVERY SINGLE ONE. I guess that’s why he’s a Level 2 :)

ACR: Speaking of...what was the hardest part about studying for the Level 1 Exam?

Jon: Not having someone to study with me - I managed a restaurant in Las Vegas for a while, and I had a great group of friends that LOVED wine who were studying for their exams at the same time I was...but I was working 60-65 hours per week and when I was free, they were working! So that was hard. But in terms of things that I had to study, I’m honestly a bit too interested in wine because I found it all interesting and didn’t find it to be a hassle trying to memorize certain things…. Well… except when I was studying regions that I’m not particularly interested in like Chilean wines, or things like that.

ACR: You mentioned having fellow wino friends, but who is your "wine industry idol"?

Jon: Ha… um, anyone who is making a living working with wine?! But really, I have two whom I know personally: Carl Dilahay and Traian Piccolo  Iclodean. They’re the Somms I worked with in Las Vegas. Carl scored a 100% on his Level 1 Exam, and Piccolo has a breadth of knowledge that I could only dream of as well. Both of them should be Level 2 Somms by the end of the year.

ACR: How did you feel when you saw that some fellow Survivors poked fun at your wine nerdiness on the show?  (sidenote: I thought it was awesome and could totally relate...)

Jon: I was taken aback at first because we’re all really close now, but after taking into consideration the frustration that those particular people were going through at the time (trying to get me out and it not working yet) and the starvation we were all working though, I let it go pretty quickly… Also, usually I try to at least censor how much I talk about wine because I know that some people don’t care at all, but Natalie was trying to butter me up and make me feel comfortable, so she was acting interested when she really didn’t care. GREAT move on her part, but she put herself through that “torture” as she put it :)

ACR: Being a wine enthusiast is one thing, but what made you decide to take the next step and become a sommelier?

Jon: My dad was given an Honorary Certification as a Master Somm from the Court of Master Sommeliers.  Ever since that happened, I wanted to at least get my Level 1 - just to say that I did it. It was a bucket list thing for me.

ACR: So any interest in going all the way for Master Somm? Is the documentary Somm pretty accurate in terms of what it takes to achieve that level?

Jon: I can only imagine the dedication it takes to become a Master Somm, and I imagine it's quite a bit harder than we can even tell from watching the documentary. That being said, it would be an absolute dream come true. However, I’m getting ready for dental school, and I’m sure I wouldn’t have the time unless I made it my career choice. And although I’d enjoy that, I’m very happy with the path that I’m on.

ACR: Even if it's not a career path, I'm sure you have a favorite wine and food pairing?

Jon: YES! Very specifically Flowers Pinot Noir with the Spicy Yellowtail appetizer offered at Nobu in Cesar’s Palace. I’ve never had a synergy like that. One of those pairings that make you stop in confusion. And I was particularly excited by this one because the Flowers Pinot is not offered on their wine list, I brought it in myself because I thought that it would go well with that appetizer specifically. The food made the wine 100 times better, and the wine did the same for the food. CRAZY. Can’t even explain it. If you’ve had it happen, you know what I’m talking about!

ACR: Sounds like I need to book a trip to Vegas just to try it! And you were living in Vegas for a bit after the show - how would you describe the "wine scene" there?

Jon: Ha...a lot better than at home in Michigan. In Vegas, if you’re working at a restaurant and you don’t know anything about wine, you’re probably one of the few. In Michigan, I feel like it’s the opposite.

ACR: But now that you are home from the show, we know that you're in the process of planning your wedding - yay! But how will you be choosing which wines to serve to your guests?

Jon: Well… Price is probably number one, unfortunately! But I’d like to have something that’s good with the steak (Cabernet), something neutral (maybe Chardonnay), and something that goes well with the weather. Looking at August, I’d say a Pinot Noir. But, I might have to choose from a list that the venue forces on me :) so we’ll see.

ACR: Speaking of pricing, do you have a favorite "value wine"? Like one that is under $20 but drinks with a quality way above it's price?

Jon; I’ve got a few that I look for in a range of varietals:
- Sancerre AOC Sauvignon Blancs
- Sonoma Cutrer, which is definitely my favorite value Chardonnay
- Decoy Pinot Noir
- Villa Antinori Rosso Super Tuscan
- Robert Mondavi Winery Cabernet

ACR: Because you've earned the title, what are some of your favorite words in your sommelier vocabulary that you use to describe wine?

Jon: Ha...GREAT QUESTION
- Effervescence
- Synergy
- Maceration Period
- Botrytized
- Yeasty
...[vocabulary] is probably one of my favorite topics to discuss with my wino friends!

ACR: I'm going to pocket these terms for future tastings! Now, if you were going to introduce someone to wine for the first time, what would you serve them and why?

Jon: First, I’d try to get an idea of their flavor profile. If they hate sweets, I’d try to stay away from Rieslings (although that’s typically what woman would love if they weren’t wine drinkers and asked for a suggestion in Vegas). I try to start by finding out what someone's opinion is on apple juice because it's very high in acidity. If they love apple juice, for instance, then I look for high acidity wines. I also just assume that they probably aren’t going to be ready for something that has a huge tannic presence since the cotton mouth feel seems to turn people away from wine at first. So, if I’m going with a red, I stick to lighter reds like Pinot Noir or Gamay. If going with white wine, I find a lot of first-timers like Sauvignon Blanc. But, there’s no "catch all"...

ACR: Because you also excel in sports, are there any similarities between training for football and studying to be a sommelier?

Jon: Studying the playbook is definitely something that would be similar. Also, getting tips from teammates/work associates.  If I’m serving wine and do something that would be considered wrong, such as serving a man before a woman, the only way to find out that it's wrong is for someone to point it out to you. This is almost like watching film on yourself [for football]. And, in terms of practicing tasting…. Practice practice practice...! That’s the fun part about wine and the not-so-fun part about football (although for some reason, I loved practice in football too)

ACR: After all the fun piracy coming you've done for wine, what's the "best wine you've ever tasted"?

Jon: Either the 1985 Chateau Margaux or the 1997 Petrus. Knockouts.

ACR: ...and finally....what's next?  How will you be using your sommelier title?

Jon: Unfortunately, I think it’s just going to be a hobby and something I can say I did. After dental school, we’ll see if there’s something I can do on the side. But I’m glad I did it!

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So there you have it - a Sommelier who literally "Survived" without wine! Thanks to Jon for his time, thoughtfulness, and contagious enthusiasm. I can't wait to try some of his "value wine" recommendations, hunt down the En Route Pinot Noir that he couldn't get out of his mind while on the island, and...plan a trip to Vegas.

Oh, and because he's a fellow Spartan...GO GREEN. Cheers.