A little while ago, Taz mentioned Alpana Singh in a post on influential desi women under 30. I recently discovered that Alpana, in addition to being the youngest person ever to pass the Master Sommelier exam, hosts a show called Check, Please! on Chicago Public Television. AND she has a book out: Alpana Pours: About Being a Woman, Loving Wine, and Having Great Relationships. The general vibe she’s going for in the book might be described as “Shiraz and the City”; the idea for it came from watching couples order wines at upscale restaurants:
Singh cringes when she thinks about the drop-dead gorgeous woman who dined at Everest with an equally great-looking date. The guy proceeded to order a $490 bottle of Champagne — and the unsure woman asked for a Diet Coke. That’s when she knew it was time to birth Alpana Pours.
“I may not be a relationship expert, but I saw five years of relationships” by advising couples on wine. “It was like [having] ringside seats,” says the Monterey, Calif., native.(link)
To sum up (ladies, are you listening?), Alpana declares: “Looking super hot in a really expensive dress can be immediately undermined if you order a diet cola.” (The book also has chapters with titles like, “Pairings: Wine, Hooking Up, and Dating” and “What Wines Go With Bingeing?”) While I’m definitely not the demographic Alpana is, um, catering to, I guess I’m fine with it as long as no one is serving Tunatinis anywhere, ever.There is also a detailed profile of Alpana Singh at Chicago Reader. Along with some other choice quotes from the book, there’s some stuff about her background:
Her father and mother, born in Fiji, emigrated to the U.S. in the mid-70s just before she was born. As it turned out, her mother’s papers weren’t valid, so she returned with her baby to Fiji for three years before the family finally settled in northern California. Singh’s parents, who worked as a waitress and a cook and never drank wine, were very traditional. “When I read Jhumpa Lahiri’s books, I almost cried,” says Singh. “Trying to explain to your parents things that happened to you in the Western world—you really do live a double life. You go to school and you’re talking about New Kids on the Block—‘Oh my god, Jordan is so cute!’—and then you come home and sit down for Indian prayer and learn how to cook and clean, how to be a proper bride. I think that’s where a lot of my push back comes from: I’m not going to do what you guys think I’m going to do. This is not me; this is crap.”(link)
Two thoughts: 1) Fijian desis are a force to be reckoned with. And 2) Jhumpa Lahiri shows up in the strangest places, doesn’t she?
There are more wine tips from Alpana Singh in this little Chicago Sun-Times piece. Two in particular caught my eye:
Older isn’t always better: Singh compares aging wine to a relationship: If it’s good from the start, it only gets better; if it’s rocky at the beginning, time makes it worse. Many good wines are meant to be drunk young. “Otherwise, while you’re patiently waiting for ‘Mr. Right,’ you may inadvertently be letting ‘Mr. Right Now’ get away.”
Get over the “Pretty Boy” phase: Nothing’s wrong with Chardonnay, but don’t you want to move beyond? Singh calls wines like Chardonnay “pretty boys” that “don’t ask you to think…Ask yourself, ‘Is the thrill still there?'” Later, you’ll likely develop an appetite for sophisticates like Cabernet Sauvignon, Riesling and Sangiovese.
(link)
Wine as a metaphor for dating, or dating as a metaphor for wine? (Admittedly, neither are particularly relevant to me these days: the only bottles I’m scrutinizing are Dr. Brown’s!)
My method of pouring a date a glass of two-buck-chuck from Trader Joe’s hasn’t been working all that well. I may need to buy this book.
Alpana is also married to Charles Blackstone, Chicago’s hipster of all hipsters.
Alpana is fabulous and very well known in wine connoisseur circles…OK I realize that sounded snooty but she’s endearing because she’s got a really warm personality unlike the general dry snobbery that accompanies people who love and know about wine and she very openly and willingly shares unlike the posers.
But I do agree with her outlook, good wine can make or break a good conversation/evening whether it’s a date or with friends. I’ll plug my favorite recommendations in NYC: Metrocafe & Winebar Bar Veloce Morell Wine Bar Divine Bar Punch & Judy
More later…
I love 2 buck chuck! If my husband ordered a $490 bottle of wine I’d have a caniption. Honestly, it wouldn’t have impressed me a bit while we were dating. I was happy going to a hole in the wall restaurant in SF’s Chinatown where our waitress was mad kooky and the people around us provided entertainment.
FWIW, one of the (near-)celebrity sommelier’s over here on the left coast is also desi – Rajat Parr at Michael Mina –
Is there such thing as a Sake Sommelier? That’s what I’d like to be. Oh who am I kidding, I’d just make sake bombs anyways. I’m convinced that this is a better approach to finding the right girl. If it works I’ll write a book and let you all know.
Points for alliteration — love it.
I’m totally going to check her book out. I spent so many years claiming to love merlot (when I really didn’t) and secretly avoiding learning anything about wine because it seemed too time consuming to learn about it properly. I was spurned into learning more by “Sideways” (no matter what I am not drinking any f***ing merlot!!!) and realized that there are tons of great options out there. Props to Alpana. I’m already a fan 🙂
two buck chuck has some new competition at trader joe’s from this wine called “barefoot.” It’s kinda good and their logo is a footprint. worth a try for $4.
Rajat Parr went to the same hotel school as I did back in India. He looks like one of the few that stuck in the industry. I can’t contain myself, I’m going to have to e-mail all my friends and let them know that doing a degree in Hospitality is’nt all that bad.
Another alumnus of the Welcomgroup program seems to be doing well in the UK too.
Never say never. Some of the world’s greatest wines are 65% to 100% merlot. If you’ve ever enjoyed a St. Emilion or a Pomerol, two major classes of Bordeaux that include the world’s most expensive wine, Chateau Petrus, then you’ve enjoyed a merlot.
The problem with the merlots flooding the market in the last few years is the same as the problem with chardonnay in the late 1980s and early 1990s. A particular grape becomes popular thanks to some good marketing or a lucky hit by a particular large-scale (Mondavi, Beringer, Gallo, etc) manufacturer, and then everyone rushes to produce one without regard for quality, and gets away with charging ridiculous prices. The phenomenon feeds on itself until the rift between quality and price becomes too preposterous, at which point something else becomes fashionable. Just like with any other product.
It’s easier to produce these miscellaneous crowd-pleasing wines in the US, Australia, Chile or Argentina, where there are fewer local traditions let alone regulations to deal with. In addition, the so-called “new world” wines often come from very warm climates (California, parts of Australia) where the sun ripens the grapes very strongly, resulting in wines that are very fruit-forward. You get a heavy dose of whatever the basic characteristics of the wine are, and much less of the structure or subtlety.
I could go on.
tunatinis? eewwww!!! (has anyone ever had one of these?)
rieslings … yummy
Or switch labels. If it looks better, it should taste better right? RIGHT? [The Red 2 buck chucks are bad. Stick with the whites, relatively speaking.]
On a similar note, if you have crappy cheap vodka, run it through a brita filter 4-5 times. It won’t turn into grey goose, but atleast it won’t be nail polish either. Just rubbing alcohol.
Mmmmm. I love eating raisins. A true delight!
What a snob. Seriously.
I mean, really, it’s great she knows all this about wines and stuff, respect to her for that. But why does this whole wine thing have to be a criterion for judging someone else? Call me an uncouth unrefined rustic, what’s the real difference between someone who knows a lot about different wines and for instance, the auto mechanic who knows the characteristics of the engines of different cars? Why is one thing considered so much more refined etc than others?
Ok, honestly, please tell me how many of you can really taste every little difference between wines (besides the obvious differences) and how many of you choose a wine to impress just because it’s expensive. Sure, there’s good wines, bad wines (just like food), but isn’t this wine as a judgement of personality taking things a bit too far?????
As a thought experiment, I wonder how the quoted statement would change if a diet cola cost $200 per glass at that particular restaurant?
Not to mention the fact that the movie Sideways has had a secondary effect that is VERY bad for the environment:
In addition to learning about wine, generally, from Alpana Singh, you might want to dry desi wine, created by a Stanford grad who went back to India and became a vinter. I’ve tried it–not bad. http://www.stanfordalumni.org/news/magazine/2004/janfeb/dept/bright.html
technophobicgeek — I’m so with you on this. I can taste the difference between bad and good wine. But most of the medium range wines — whatever, I’m totally cool with it. I think it’s all about taste and preference. I suppose I too am a uncouth unrefined rustic.
For those of you at Cornell or planning to go there, take their wine ‘class’. I regret not taking it, though the local wineries provided enough fuel for inebriated wine tasting tours.
It’s as obvious as the difference between a $500 suit and a $3,000 one, natch.
Good point Abhi. The good news is that pinot noir will not take so easily to becoming a trend wine. Sideways came out several years ago and we’re not swimming in pinot noir. That’s because it’s a notoriously fickle grape, very finicky. US winemakes have been trying to make good pinor noir for ages and it only works in a few places, like Carneros (southern bit of Sonoma county, on the SF Bay) or parts of Oregon. Even in those cases, it’s never had the complexity, let alone aging potential, of the only true great pinot noirs — and boy are they great — which are red Bourgognes (French Burgundy).
ani, technophobicgeek
and may I add that I am proud.
Oh but what a clever marketer! The whole point is to create a certain kind of anxiety and then offer (for a small price) to rid people of that anxiety.
technophobicgeek,
😀
sometimes you have to order the diet cola, too much vino will not make you look superhot in a dress
Depends who is drinking the wine and who is wearing the dress.
p.s. does wine have the dreaded carbs?
There are some good wines that could be described as “uncouth, unrefined, rustic.” It depends on the setting and the meal! I’d rather have an uncouth wine than some streamlined crowdpleaser. Costs less, too.
Sure, relationships between great-looking super-rich white-couple people who can pay $500 for a wine bottle. Very representative, I’m sure. Please forgive if I sound snark…I am definitely bitter I am not a good-looking-rich-white guy now.
How COOOOOL.
Now this is a book I will definately buy- and I LOVE the cover. No mangoes or mehndi, or red, brown or orange colors. Just Alpana pouring some wine.
You are so right Deep, Lahiri does come up in the oddest of places.
i <3 “the” … its the calories … i can easily have 2-3 glasses of wine with dinner, but that doesn’t mean that i should
ok, too much vino will not make me look superhot in any dress ….
she was a guest speaker at the NETIP conference this past year in Chitown..alas, I was asleep when she presented at um.. 10am.. ;)… too bad..i think 90% of the conference participants missed her speak…I say this as I sip my diet coke..and no, i’m not ashamed of it either….
Isn’t it about the date or the friends? Meaning, if the friends or the date were interesting in themselves, it wouldn’t matter if you had fancy wine or Diet Coke.
don’t know what happened to my comment above…
anyways, its just the calories … i can have 2-3 glasses of wine with dinner, it doesn’t mean that i should …
btw, i <3 “the” in ‘the dreaded carbs’
I found that the subtle oak and cinnamon flavor in the 2006 version of Boone’s Farm goes well with the Philly Steak and Cheese Hot Pockets. However if Ramon Noodles are your meal of choice then I suggest shot of Mad Dog 40-40.
wtf?
why is everything being eaten up? … must be the man telling me to get my ass back to work
I can taste the difference between bad and good wine. But most of the medium range wines — whatever, I’m totally cool with it. I think it’s all about taste and preference
I’m with you on that… I have found $8 bottles of Shiraz that taste TONS better than the $75 Burgundy I had couple weeks ago that smelled like dirty socks. It’s weird that DRINKS go in and out of style like hemlines; I have always just ordered what I liked. I hated Merlot before hating Merlot was cool. It reminded me of the Communion wine in church that would always go sour but we’d have to use anyway shudder
My husband has tried a few times to introduce me into the ways of wine snobbery, and all I have learned is that you do not hold red wine glasses by the bowl. I think this would be a book he would enjoy 🙂 Thanks for the tip!
And what does Alpana have to say about people who don’t drink or ar not connoisseurs of fine wines, are they unsophisticated idiots !! The whole business of cringing at the sight of “unsure women” who order diet coke is beyond my understanding. is it a must that one has to have wine on a date. this whole thing reeks of stereotyping and snobbery.
I’d have to forgo the diet coke and opt for my beloved Coca-cola Zero. Drinking fine soda is an art.
i’ve dined at some of the world’s finest reataurants many times and have drank a lot of wine in my time, but i still can’t taste the differences in any meaningful way. so i don’t bother with expensive wine anymore. but i once passed a blind whisky test with flying colors. and i can tell the differnce between a $5 and $15 slice of Toro from a mile away. so i do believe the wine empress is actually wearing new clothes.
i agree that the “diet coke” comment sounds like true snobbery. i went to a wine/cheese tasing class at artisinal last year and the instructor told us that the average person will never taste all the intricacies in that expensive bottle of wine to really be able to appreciate it. he advised us to stay in the mid-range mostly. and while the perfect wine has certainly completmented many a cozy night with my friends/family/significant other, I’d have to say that night would not be ruined without it. i feel like her statement undermines the importances of being funny/interesting/engaging on your own merits and letting your wine make the night.
but then again, i disagree with most “snag your perfect man now!” tips of the female self-help variety. no one ever relies on being themselves anymore it seems.
Me like beer (pounding chest).
On a more serious note, the whole wine-relationship analogy seems a bit much. On a less serious note, the fact that dating was mentioned in the post leads me to believe that there will be no less than 150 comments on this thread. Gentleman’s bet, anyone (sorry, I couldn’t come up with a gender neutral equivalent of “gentleman’s bet”)?
By personal experiences, I have found that once can pull many things off with the right amount of confidence and panache, regardless of the price on the drink.
Yes, but this book does seem to pander to some stereotypes about women. As someone said above, “the whole point is to create a certain kind of anxiety and then offer (for a small price) to rid people of that anxiety.” Sort of like Cosmopolitan magazine.
maybe i’m not as sophisticated, don’t like the taste of wine, or would rather spare calories to things called CHOCOLATE (godiva turns 80 by the way for those chocoholics out there ;))… that quote just sounds pretty snotty… however i’ve heard she is pretty nice in person.. maybe it was a quote outta context? giving her the benefit..
nycer:
amen to that. i don’t think it should matter…and if it did…they are not meant for you.. conversation goes way beyond what you have to drink.. … is that being uncouth? then i am unrefined.
This woman is projecting female standards of attraction onto the male psyche. Men don’t judge women by their social status. We don’t care.
Well, maybe Abhi would, but only because his date wouldn’t be getting drunk.
Wine is refin’d But liquor is quicker.
To agree with Manju, but put it more simply, we rarely get beyond “Super Hot” and never past “dress”. I can’t remember the last time I noticed what a super hot chick was drinking, I just said, “Waiter, please send the lady another one”
Hmm, not only do I not drink wine, but I order a plain ‘ol coke at restaurants! Oh … I’m so ashamed.
Siddhartha, Siddhartha, and finally SIDDHARTHA!
Wow. Sounds like someone needs to organize a Task Force outing, and soon. To help educate people like me and NYCer about the finer distinctions between uncouth crowdpleasers and streamlined fickle grapes. (Or whatever.) Maybe we could even have it in Brooklyn, a place where it’s not-so-strange to run into Jhumpa Lahiri. (But of course, only if we have hours to kill getting there and back.)
Especially since you’re playing Sanjay Dutt these days and all that. Vino-giri zindabad!
[NYC Task Forcers: I’ve recently investigated Masala Bollywood, reviewed in the NYT some weeks ago. Grey Lady’s more or less got it right — not the greatest, but better than average.]
Nudge nudge, Siddhartha. 😉
Besides the fact that I LOVE beer (I’m really into Fat Tire right now, Chimay is a close second), I think her comment is ridiculous. As mentioned before I don’t think guys really care what you are drinking if you look super hot. If he did, my immediate thought would be he’s gay or he’s just not that in to me. I think Alpana should focus on educating people about wine and not relationships. Comments like this from other women is redonkulous.
If I eat a hamburger while wearing a sari, am I undermining the look?
If I eat dhal, bath, rotli, shak while wearing jeans, am I undermining the look?
Siddhartha:
Where can I get a good baguette?