Laura Pops a Cork!

Laura Burgess, or Lara Borghese as she is known in the vineyards of Europe, is the kind of friend every wine drinker needs. Ok, she's cute and vivacious, but let's dwell on the important stuff, like her in-depth knowledge of the grape, which she readily dispenses without even a hint of snobbery. If you guessed she’s a sommelier you’d be correct. But more than that, she’s learned her trade from stomping grapes in California, making Port wine in Portugal, sloshing a few buckets of heady vintages in Germany and France, touring most of the major wine regions in Europe, and getting dirt under her fingers and staining her palms with the juice of thousands of grapes. Most recently, as a guest of wine merchants, Laura strolled the banks of the Mosel and Nahe rivers, chatting with their best vintners, sipping nectars that most mere mortals can’t afford, and watching the whole, engaging process of winemaking in Germany’s richest river valleys.

She doesn’t stop with watching and sipping. You can also find her on TV, thrilling viewers with ‘Dare to Pair,’ a show that takes wine into your kitchen and suggests all the ways to show off your dishes with delicious, and easy-on-the-pocketbook wines. Remember I said ‘without snobbery?’  She’s paired such disparate foods as mac and cheese, Cheetos, and a host of other handy snacks.  This woman writes for the masses!

She's making a real name for herself, doing what your momma always told you to do: Follow your dreams. If you’re fortunate enough to have her over to your house, you're in for a real treat!  But even if you don’t, you can follow her blog, Laura Uncorked (Link below), She'll fill your head (and palate) with super ideas about wine and how to find exactly what your own particular taste is. I listen.  I learn.  I find myself awash in tastes of wine, dreams of wine, passion for wine.

One question I often ask myself is: what the hell is Lara Borghese up to now?  I am always surprised.  Make that astounded!  She and her partner, Chris Walsh, work on a budding vineyard called Little John Lane Vineyard & The End of Nowhere, in Pioneer, California.  http://ljlwine.com  Their wines are just beginning to come on the market and having had several bottles, I can hardly control my taste buds.  They ain’t good, they’re delicious!

Here’s a tip and Laura’s key advice:  Throw out the superfluous numbers from the 'expert' magazines. Follow your taste buds and follow Laura Burgess on her website as she leads both the connoisseur and beginner on a grand journey, from planting to drinking!

Want a better and more thorough introduction to this young woman?  I’ll give you a double glassful in just one of her blog entries and the most thorough lashing together of vintners, their passion for their vines, and their juicy products that I have ever read.  She has a knack for entwining and bringing to life the whole process of wine making, from the planting to the wine growers and their almost miraculous mental blending of art, science, and sense of discovery.  You’ll gain a new understanding, not just of wine, but the artists who create it, all done with a down to earth writing style, edged with humor.  https://vinepair.com/articles/life-lessons-learned-winemakers/

  

Yep, that’s Laura!  The knowledge of a sommelier, with the experience of a vintner, and the heart of a wine enthusiast.  This is a special woman, with a special blog that everyone who loves wine will adore.  http://laurauncorked.com

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