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!)
France.
Or a full-fledged meetup.
.
Exactly. The variation in wine (with respect to type, taste, and all the other stuff it gets ranked on) is so great, that people should try a bunch and drink what they like.
Wagner and Weimer up by seneca produced some nice wines. Though, I probably went to Lucas on Cayuga the most, simply because their wines weren’t that expensive and definitely decent. Their “Tug Boat Red” was the most popular and is considered a white wine drinker’s red. I thought it as ok, I brought a case to a New Years party once and girls guzzled it down.
..pause…
To set the news by Amardeep in perspective, here’s a FAQ:
4. How many Master Sommeliers are there? How many are women?
There are 79 professionals who hold the title Master Sommelier in North America. Of the North American Master Sommeliers, 66 are men and 13 are women. There are a total of 124 Master Sommeliers worldwide.
That is very very very very special indeed. Way to go, Alpana.
I have heard from a wannabe sommelier how difficult it is to be a somelier, leave alone a master sommelier.
I agree. Shall we pencil in Nov 18 (~3 weeks from now) for the next NYC meetup?
Alpana is quoted having said the above. Isn’t this too much stereotyping.
The guy who probably looks not at you but the wine you drink is surely someone to avoid. And am sure most guys are sensible enough to enjoy the company of person than make conclusions based on what drink she orders.
Technophobicgeek #15 & #27, and several others:
While I agree that there’s nothing wrong with ordering a diet coke — there are lots of reasons why someone would not want alcohol after all — I think your criticism is a little overboard. She’s referring to people who’ve already made the decision to eat at the fancy restaurant, and once you’re there, there are ways in which one might not fit in. Put it this way — there’s nothing at all wrong with liking fast food or simple comfort food or cheap beer, but there is something “wrong” with going to a five-star restaurant and asking the chef to make you a hot dog and ordering a bud light. There is admittedly a fine line between snobbery and just good etiquette and fitting in to whatever social situation one finds oneself in, but I view the latter as a positive trait in a person. The same goes the other way, by the way — one does not go to a dive bar with a group of people and look for an expensive bordeaux or a martini.
And I think some of you are taking this book way too seriously. There’s obviously a market for these types of books, just as there was all things related to Sex and the City (which itself fueled demand for fancy cocktails). She’s catering to a particular audience, and I bet there are lots of women in that audience who are beginning to drink wine and who could use some wine appreciation tips (in addition to, apparently, relationship advice).
musical: And what does Alpana have to say about people who don’t drink or ar not connoisseurs of fine wines, are they unsophisticated idiots !!
Actually, yes. To understand Hafez, Ghalib or Shelley, one needs to be rather familiar with wine. To understand wine, one needs to be rather familiar with poetry and music. Ergo, they all go together in making a refined person. Haye Kambakht tune pii hi nahin.
..and I sniff, keep my chin up and go away to drink the ghastly Peet’s coffee in the company’s breakroom.
Manju [..]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[..]
A wine instructor once told me that one has to train oneself on tasting and smelling wine by going to the grocery store smelling fruits and flowers and trying to “memorise” the smells. Apparently, it takes months/years for one to do that and then be able to recall the smells and claim “Aha, blueberry, peach, a hint of almonds and a touch of e-coli filled cowdung.”
Well said!!!!
It’s good that she does what she wants to do. but anyone who spends that much time on a frickin drink maybe samples a bit too much of their product. The Cornell Hotel School has a very popular course, wine tasting, which also happens to be the most failed course in the entire university. [link]
The hot dog or hamburger will just cost ya $50 and will called something along the lines of the “kobi burger.” I would prefer a nice sprite with my kobi burger.
Its sad that the wine market is saturated with just a few types of wine,I would love to see more of a range including Malbec or Carmenere and my personal fav a good Tannat! Its always a trek to find a place that stocks them. And koodos to the Chileans, thats some good wine they are creating.
Are you from Kansas? I was visting the fine town of Great Bend, Kansas not long ago and really liked my Fat Tire. I haven’t found it anywhere else, even Kansas City or Topeka
As far as Belgian brews go, I’m going to have to go with Duvel.
There’s a whole other discussion about whether ultra-expensive restaurants ever make sense in terms of what you get for the money spent. I’m generally as happy at a good Thai restaurant with $10 entrees as I am pretty much anywhere. But if I do find myself eating at a fancy restaurant (e.g., law firm dinner tonight at Citronelle in DC), I’ll make every attempt to fit in and won’t be ordering a $5 bottle of Singha (or equivalent beer).
I think I have to agree and I’m surprised people make this about snobbery. It’s really not. I don’t know anything about beer. I know I like Killians & Sam Adams Octoberfest…no idea if they are popular. I know nothing about a whole load of stuff. It’s the same concept. I wouldn’t mind learning though.
OK I’ll elaborate. I absolutely love wine and drink it all the time. Everyone around me loves loves wine so I really don’t know anyone who orders a diet coke when we go out for a wine jaunt. Honestly I love my friends but I keep the drinkers and non drinkers separate just as I keep the vegetarians and non vegetarians separate. It ends up being far more enjoyable an experience when people are are jiving with eachother. And it’s not snobbery, it’s practicality. I’ve hosted parties where the non drinkers will leave because everyone else is drinking and the vegetarians are scared to eat the vegetarian stuff because the non veg stuff is in the room. And I host vegetarian and non alcoholic parties as well. Hence my point about making or breaking it.
What does it matter? She is talking about A. What does B have to do with it?
Mr Libertarian I’m there…
…people should check out Hop Leaf in Andersonville in Chicago. Awsome beer selection, great mussels, kick ass fries with dipping sauce, filling cheese plates. Just don’t aske for a miller lite here, you’ll probably get weird stares (I’m not a snob, I like my 40z too).
I was pleasantly surprised by the selection of beers at BevMo! here on the west coast.
My husband always orders the burger and a sprite during lawfirm lunches when he’s interviewing 😉 The kobi burger is his preferred choice at French 75. I love him for it! I just find it insanely adorable.
FYI I had to say this…Yellowtail makes an excellent line of inexpensive wines. I highly recommend them. And they make some of the best blends in that price range.
I’m with you. I love Malbecs and Argentinian wines are fantastic too. In fact I adore most of South American wines as much as Australian wines. If you like Chilean wines try Sena (read: Senya)which I believe it’s developed thru Robert Mondavi. It’s a Bordeaux blend of Cabernet & Merlot and something else I forget. If you like Melbac you will like that.
why do you have to order an expensive wine if what you really want is the beer (or dare i say a coke?)
agreed, if you’re going out for a night of drinking, then it would be weird to order a soda, … but i guess what people are finding a problem with is the notion that you have to order wine with your dinner if you are at an upscale restaurant, why?
maybe you’re there for the food? maybe, you don’t feel like drinking that night (or don’t drink)? maybe….
not everyone thinks that this is cringe worthy
JOAT, sorry sorry, I hope you’ll forgive me — but something about this discussion makes it impossible for me to avoid linking to ANNA’s favorite picture from the last NYC meetup…. 😉
I think that people are assuming that she is saying that. I don’t read it that way at all. If I had planned a night out and someone ordered a diet coke in the group I’d probably ask WTF as well. She isn’t talking about exceptions. I know people that will get intimidated by the experience and go for the safe bet because they dont’ want to be embarrassed. And it isn’t about “expensive” wine, it’s about just having knowledge about wine to play along.
I agree with you Rani… and not everyone is a foodie or into wines. They should feel free to order the blandest item on the menu and a glass of water if it suits there taste regardless of how upscale the restaurant is.
Hari, I am from San Francisco, they have Fat Tire in all the bars here and even the local grocery store. I’m pretty sure you can order it online.
When I feel like being a cheap date it’s Bud Light.
I think we need to find an Indian Brewmaster and have him/her write a book on how beer and dating can go togther. It could be called BadIndianGirl pours a Good Head: About Being a Woman, Pounding Beer and Playing Flip Cup
“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.”
True that, Siddhartha. I think I had one really great merlot and then a string of bad ones. Have you ever tried gewurstemeiner (which I can’t spell, but love anyway)? And I do remember liking bordeaux when I tried it. I think I’ll definitely need to work on developing my palate.
Incidentally, how do you get those dot thingies next to the passage when you quote it? I can’t seem to get that but everyone else has figured it out. I’m behind the times.
It’s funny, even though wine is just one type of foodstuff, wine snobs are snobbier than all of the rest of the foodies put together.
Replace “diet coke” with a type of food in this sentence and you’ll see what I mean:
Would she have cringed if the sentence was aobut the woman who didn’t order the escargo? Or who didn’t order desert? Or who couldn’t tell the difference between expensive and cheap saffron? Or who liked Hershey’s as much as real chocolate?
I don’t accept idea that wine knowledge is indicative of somebody’s level of general sensual sophistication. It’s just one kind of food product.
Ani said:
Only in good ole Los Angeles can you find a “Kobi burger.” Everywhere else its called a “Kobe burger” but in Los Angeles if you call it that you will get sued by the Lakers. 😉
JOAT, as a passion, wine-tasting is as good as any other, I really have no issues with that. I do not think it is snobbish in itself to like wines and appreciate their differences and qualities.
My main problem with the whole wine thing is that it is not treated just as a passion, or even as an expression of passion+financial ability. When a rich person owns a bunch of sports cars, people know (s)he is rich, but nobody assumes that (s)he is a better person/more refined etc then everyone else. Same for the $500 + $3000 suit: I see a successful, rich man who is passionate about suits and appearance, and certain styles of clothing, but little else, because it’s still kinda superficial.
That’s not the case with a lot of wine experts…with wine, somehow it’s your taste in wine is supposed to reflect some deep inner thing about you, how refined you are, how good a person you are etc, a concept I find really absurd but is drummed into us all around. That is exactly where the line between passion and snobbery gets crossed all the time. If I don’t like a wine which the local wine expert at a party claims is the best, and I can’t suggest an equally or more expensive alternative, obviously I am an unrefined person who does not deserve to be in the group. That is plain f*cking BS.
I’d like to believe that Alpana is not one of these people I’m referring to, but the whole diet coke comment seems to suggest otherwise. Of course, that might be a quote out of context.
Anna was the bomb. We weren’t allowed to take in glass bottles or any alcohol so she had the incredible foresight to bring wine in a box. I even blogged it I was so excited about it. Smuggled wine tastes better than anything.
You highlight the entire text you want to put in quotes and click on the ” button on the top of this message box next to the Comments:
people aren’t assuming … its what she said; she cringed when she saw a woman on a date do that …
again, you’re using the example of a night out with a group of people where the intention is to drink; the only analogy to make there would be is if you cringed if someone in your group ordered a bud light ….
semidesimasala, highlight the text and click the first button after “Comments:” or enclose your text with ‘
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blockquote>’
Anyone ever try that Omar Khyam ‘champagne’ stuff? Haunting memories of long-gone New Year’s Eves in Bombay. Wine and India don’t mix. All that shairi? Imported tropes. Ferghana, Herat — you can lose yourself in bowls of grape, but once you get to the Deccan, things start to curdle. Alcohol is all about mood and climate. Pilsener (Primus) in the Congo, Guiness in West Africa, Arak in the Levant, brandy in the Caucasus and I guess, as per Scarlett and Bill, Suntory in Japan. The Muree stuff is all right (but too sweet), Kingfisher is better, but pegs of JW downed with everyone’s favourite Sardee uncle are the way to go.
This right here
is swoon worthy Siddhartha.
And I wonder why I have crushes on all the men of SM…
Go Aussie wines…
Also found some New Zealand wines at a Trader Joe’s…apparently NZ has the best sauvignon blanc…
Some gyanis agree w/ you. Madhur Jaffrey said the same thing on Ming Tsai show. He looked quite confused.
I am curious about everyone’s take on desi food – wine pairings.
so i was in brea a month back and it’s a pretty posh spot even for california. i had dinner one night at this fancy italian spot – some simple pasta dish – the waiter’s buzzing around with the giant apron and that disturbing phallic grinder… ho-hum – the next day me’s depressed because brea is so soulless – so i go walking – ittle mall – chinese resto – korean owner – matron greets me – about to close down – but no probs – come on in – cook comes out – chinese dude – vegetarian – no problem – no fried stuff – no problem – basically flash boiled stuff in front of me – whipped up sauce -tres delicious – now that was Soul – mater came down to chat. told me about her vancouver trip. we gabbed. i left – they shut down the lights.
all my best restaurant experiences are like that – it goes beyond teh food and the price point – one is comfortable and feels at peace – leave the pressure out of te door – and the best resto’s know how to do that. btw – if you’ve read teh bio of the cook (whose name escapes me) a resto is one of the most challenging and stimulating jobs out there – part performance, part art, part gruntwork and all passion – give it your all and turn off the switch when you walk out – and it shows when you walk in the door – and that’s where i make the call – a gut check – no soul, no go.
I gotta chime in with techno, chickpea, Mam, etc..–I am super skeptical, and that diet-cola story is a huge turn-off. I’m all for enjoying and articulating your experiences in life, and if wine is your thing, and you’re not self-destructive about it, fine—-good writing on sensual topics is always appreciated. But people seem to increasingly confuse well-developed sensuality with heart and character. A taste-profile is not a substitute for a personality, and in the end a finely tuned-palate matters very little. When people make such grand, lyrical claims connecting things like love with a multi-billion dollar industry, it shuts off my ability to enjoy either their point of view or their product, and greatly amplifies things like my discomfort with the environmental and economic impact. So I guess I’m ironically grateful to Alpana–less likely to want to try any expensive wine now!
DTK–2 points. 1) I’m kind of against conflation. Why conflate a fancy dress, a nice restaurant, and expensive wine? Sure diet coke might not have gone with the food at hand–but that doesn’t mean the only alternative is wine. Water is always classy. Mix and match! Things you associate with each other don’t always logically imply each other–they’ve just been associated with each other by tradition and time. The last black-tie party I was at, wearing one of the fanciest dresses I’ve worn, was in an apartment with vegan desserts and middling expensive wine. (I had lemonade.) It was a blast. I’ve been to receptions in incredibly fancy digs where you would have looked out of place in anything less casual than jeans.
2) It’s true that this is a type of book catering to a particular demand, but the side-effects of this transaction impact all of us, and it’s a demand which is fundamentally grounded in status, opinion, fashion, marketing, and the relentless tapping of our associative brains. Industries don’t spend billions of dollars filling the atmosphere with the idea that a bottle of two-buck chuck can make for a perfectly good date. Attractive people get paid a lot of money to attractively say things in a way that will make the rest of us want to buy something. There’s nothing necessarily wrong with that, but I think it’s important for people to pipe up when they have any devil’s advocate comments to add to the conversation, b/c on the balance they aren’t going to be heard most of the time.
BadIndianGirl – You have good taste 🙂 Try Red Stripe sometime.
Did y’all ever have desi – Golconda Wine? Quite a kick.IMO – The only wine that really goes with spicy Indian food. It cost about 5 bucks a bottle I think.
Says you. Merlot goes awesomely with Indian meat dishes especially goat curry.
The only Indian wine I have ever had was homemade, illegally at that because it was at a family friend’s house in Baroda( which as we know Gujurat is a dry state, though being a Guju, I know Gujuratis are some of the biggest partiers out there, myself included!). It was a red and pretty fruity. I’ve noticed a lot of Indians of my parent’s generation like the fruity, sweeter wines, like Reisling. But when I cook Indian for my friends, I always go with a white, the crispness goes well with the spices. I feel like reds are too heavy.
Why thank you Beige Seige, I’m blushing…
I think DTK got it right in saying it’s something like asking if they serve hot dogs and fries if your date takes you to a 3-star Michelin restaurant.
And Singh’s original comment about the woman ordering a Diet Coke — to be honest, I don’t think it’s about her thinking that someone HAS to drink wine or liquor. Order a San Pellegrino or even just plain water and you’ll look just fine. Sorry, maybe it’s the snob in me, but I think it just seems trashy to order soda in a fine dining establishment — maybe it’s just the fact that so many people drink Coke with everything that they think it’ll be good with their lobster as well. Hm, I guess if you like Coke, go ahead and have it. If it makes you happy to eat with your fingers, go ahead and do that as well and who cares what the sommelier thinks. I think Singh’s point may just be that there’s a way to learn to enjoy and be comfortable with food and wine if you’re curious about it — whether it’s a $5 glass of Yellowtail or a $490 Champagne.
Hmm…A Bad Indian Girl who blushes? I am in love.
I too had homemade Indian wine once. My uncle’s grape farm (table top variety) used to make wine outta grapes that were not good enough to sell as fruit. So you can guess how the wine tasted 😉
JOAT:
Did you think so? I remember dining at Everest a few years ago with a large party of people, and she struck me as being particlarly snooty. Just another datapoint.
abhi– i totally support the two-buck-chuck. i still think of wine as the beverage of choice for high rollers.
‘I am curious about everyone’s take on desi food – wine pairings.’
I heard that gewurstemeiner goes well with indian food. the sweetness complements the complexity of spices. I tried it with sambar, and idlis and it was pretty good. also it’s wine so the alcohol was fun. 🙂
Still can’t get those dots…I’m typing on a mac at work, does that make a difference?
Well we can close the comments section now. Alpana’s book has succeeded in doing what she wanted it to do, it has brought two people together over wine… HA! And I’m not even wearing a really expensive dress ordering a diet coke, I’m just wearing my business casual slacking off from work.
Second this. It’s a great pairing, in my experience.
It also goes well with Goan sausage.
And this may be off topic, but I’m trying to find a way of making vegetarian Goan sausages. Anyone have any ideas? The main thing would be to get the correct blend of spices.
If you had proceeded to ask Beige Seige what he was wearing then we would have to close the comments down.
Singh’s comment is sample biased towards wine, and it’s taste. Drinking wine to her is what owning a shotgun is to an Alabama redneck. They can’t conceive of life without it, personally I think wine tastes like sht, as does all alcohol (think about the fermentation process, it’s a conversion FROM glucose (sugar) into a more acidic substance, how in the world could it taste good? So being a wine expert is like knowing the difference between french southern green grape colored sht and northern california purple grape colored sh*t.
I say order whatever the (@#$ you want, whereever you want.
saheli, i completely agree. the part that bothers me about her statement is that it implies some kind of elevated status just cause one picks the correct wine. but i guess that’s the thing that bothers me about most “fine dining establishment” – the fact that you have to do certain things and order certain things in order to be deemed fit enough to enjoy your meal. i’ve eaten many great dinners in new york, but i conciously try to stay away from the ones that are snooty, or where i detect an attitude like the one in alpana’s statment. sometimes food tastes better with wine. sometimes you want a diet coke – neither will make or break your relationship.