Growing up, I would sit on the kitchen counter, watching my grandma cook, eager to learn her recipes and, of course, get the first taste. Early on, I became captivated by flavors, presentations, and how food brought people together. Family meals were a daily tradition in our home, and Sundays were spent gathering at my grandparents’ house for a home-cooked feast. Every celebration revolved around food and family, which naturally led to my love for cooking and entertaining.
My interest in wine came later, influenced by those I observed. I saw wine as sophisticated and elegant, enjoyed by the affluent families I babysat for in Westport, CT. The allure of fine glassware, lush table settings, and candlelit meals drew me in. I vividly remember my very first bottle of wine – a Cabernet Sauvignon paired with a filet mignon while on a date at The Tavern on Main. The wine’s rich, bold flavors created a magical dining experience along with the ambiance of the glowing fire, sparking my lasting love for wine.
In November of 2016, my wine career began when I accepted a position for a wine subscription company, Direct Wines. The role was based in CT however I managed a sales and operations team in Tampa, Fl. One of the requirements of the position was to become certified by the Wine & Spirit Education Trust and I can proudly say that I graduated from the program, and I am WSET Level 2 Certified with merit. While it was one of the most challenging courses I have ever taken, it has also proven to be one of the most rewarding as it sparked my true affinity for wine. Not only did this role and certification program develop my palette, interest, and knowledge of wine, it also led to my interest in the beauty and weather of Florida resulting in moving my home across the country to a new and permanent zip code.
As my knowledge and experience grew, I became drawn to more varietals and regions and had a thirst for learning and sharing my newfound knowledge. I could confidently walk into a store or restaurant and order a bottle or glass that I knew I would enjoy. I also started exploring wines to pair with meals that I prepared, often posting photos on Facebook. Early on my social media presence was under the name; What’s for dinner? I would often see people at work or out in the community who would come up to me and discuss my FB posts and ask for recipes or share with me what they had for dinner or what wine they paired with their meal. I was blown away that people were paying attention and genuinely interested in what I wrote. This led to the creation of my site and social media pages; Wine with Karren.
Over the past several years I have been collecting wine and now have a sizable and diverse collection between my home wine storage and an offsite storage facility. I love to explore wine regardless of varietal or region, at a local wine tasting or epicurean wine pairing dinner, traveling to Vineyards all over the country or abroad, and then documenting my tasting notes and reviews.
I enjoy entertaining and cooking which provided the landscape for hosting wine pairings and for trying new wine. It is so rewarding watching friends come to my wine-tasting events and evolve from non-wine drinkers with minimal wine education to shopping for their own wine collections and truly savoring wine. I have enjoyed witnessing their growth in the tasting experience from exploring aromatics, descriptions of tasting notes and color, mouthfeel, and pairings with food. I started tracking my reviews and inventory on Vivino and have since moved primarily to Cellar Tracker due to the ease of use to inventory bottles in multiple locations. Tracking my tasting notes and ratings in detail has allowed me to see the evolution of my palette, rating system, and my overall growth in the wine world. What I previously scored a 95-point wine 5 years ago may not even be an 85-point wine now or vice versa. I love and lean toward Bordeaux-style reds and Burgundian-style whites. I prefer organic, single vineyard wine versus mass-produced commercialized brands. While I have my favorite go-to wines, I love to explore and learn with each wine I taste.
My advice to anyone interested in wine is Taste, Taste, Taste!
I have been fortunate enough to travel, enjoy barrel tastings, bourdeaux futures, meet winemakers, tour Vineyards, and attend exquisite epicurean food, and wine pairings.
I am grateful that I have followers who have taken an interest in joining me on this journey of experiencing wine, discovering its approachability, and savoring each glass until the very last sip.
I believe that whether you are a wine novice, soccer mom or dad, winemaker, or Master Somm, we have unity in our passion of wine and food. By sharing our experiences with one another we will continue to grow in our knowledge through the power and connection of social media from all over the globe.
Let’s continue to wine together and grow our wine loving community! CHEERS!
God bless and thank you for your support!
#winewithkarren
winewithkarren