What's the best way to start learning about wine?
First, start drinking! The more you taste, the more you will understand the different flavor profiles. If you are looking to perfect your nose, then smell everything! Every time you go to the grocery store, smell the produce and train your brain to recognize different scents. And start talking to people about it—have wine parties or befriend your local wine store owner. And always try something new!
What's your favorite late-summer wine?
A glass of Prosecco with a small bowl of mixed nuts, some prosciutto, melon, and figs. Maybe with some goat cheese drizzled with olive oil. I’d eat like this with my family in Ticino, Switzerland. Oh gosh, I wish I was there right now. I’m thirsty!
What are some underrated cuisines for wine pairing?
Ethnic food. People are so scared to pair wine with Thai or Indian food and automatically default to beer. There are amazing white wines that pair well with this genre—including Gewuertztraminer from Germany or Alsace, France, Traminer from northern Italy or even Mueller Thurgau.
With a month to travel on a shoestring, where would you go?
To Panzano in Chianti, Italy for harvest at Fontodi Winery.
What do you think about wine ratings?
I understand that they are a great tool for consumers to use, however my goal is get consumers to trust their own palates and buy a wine because it intrigues them, not because of a numerical score. Wine is an ever evolving and changing product that tastes differently to every person. How can one palate decide if something is good or not?
Joy Kull is on the wine team at Gilt Taste. She grew up in a European household, where it was custom to drink wine with dinner when she was just 16 years old. Naturally, Joy dove headfirst into the wine industry after her freshman year at Cornell University’s Hotel School and decided to help her father open a wine shop. After graduating in 2009, she worked in Los Angeles for Wolfgang Puck Catering and shortly after returned home to manage the family wine store, WineWise in Greenwich, CT. She is currently in the WSET Diploma program with plans to receive her Diploma this year, after which she hopes to begin her Master of Wine studies.
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