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Diana Turk 🍷 Wine Writer

@confidentdrinker

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Researching by the glass in Los Angeles, empowering you to drink well in any situation.

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1 in 12 bottles may be corked, 💯 of wine snobs will race to call it out. But if you’ve ever been to Disneyland, you have an ace up your sleeve, no chemistry study required. Another reason to appreciate screw caps! #winetiptuesday taken in Los Angeles, California by @confidentdrinker

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a year ago

Should we keep posting about the minutiae of booze on social media? It’s tough to strike up the nerve to post when every day is fresh misdirection. Or is this the reason we drink?

Please tell me the way in the comments.

#winepairing #existentialdread #creatortips taken in Los Angeles, California by @confidentdrinker

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a year ago

Happy Thanksgiving! Here’s one for those of you raiding your own wine stash day-of, or swooping in with what was available at whichever store is still open. You can do it, even if your only option is a minimart on the road.
Do you have any tips for being heroic at the last minute? Tell me!
#thanksgivingwine #holidaywine #themoreyouknow🌈 taken in Los Angeles, California by @confidentdrinker

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2 years ago

“Yeah, I do my own editing. Why do you ask?”

I made this reel nearly a year ago (I suspect all the pink was some sort of Valentine’s Day strategy), but fear and procrastination got the better of me, and it languished in a drafts folder for most of 2023.

Mainly because it’s ridiculous.

But if this quicksilver year has taught us anything, it’s that the cursed algorithm changes before you’ll ever feel ready to share, and you won’t benefit if you don’t put yourself out there.

Maybe that doesn’t mean superimposing yourself into The Wizard of Oz with some of your best sparkling wine recommendations and posting it on the Internet.

But since it’s a holiday dedicated to bubbles, and I’m definitely drinking one of these rosés tonight (comment below with your guess!), let’s go for it.

Happy New Year, friends! May we all be braver in 2024 and end up safely home.

What are you drinking for NYE? Don’t forget rosé! It pairs perfectly with everything.

#theresnoplacelikehome #champagneday #sparklingwines #alsacewine #rosechampagne #champagnelover #wineeducation #winetraveler #winerecommendation #holidaywine #nye2024 #bubbly taken in Hollywood, California by @confidentdrinker

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3 years ago

It’s the night before Thanksgiving and you may be feeling the pressure of nailing your wine choices.

Don’t panic! Despite what pros sometimes claim, the biggest meal of the year is actually not at all tricky to pair with.

I’m here to arm you with options you can find last minute, whether that means a local wine shop on the busiest day of the year, a late night Target run, or first thing in the morning at a grocery store. You might even find one of these easygoing picks at a gas station on the way to your party. (Please report back if that happens!)

At the very least, here’s a guide you can save so we’re all ahead of the turkey game next year.

Did you already buy your wine for the holidays, or are you procrastinating? Tell me below!

#thanksgivingwine #holidaywine #turkeyday🦃 #lastminuteshopping #winetraveler #wineeducator #winepairing #themoreyouknow🌈 taken in K&L Wines by @confidentdrinker

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3 years ago

So… Instagram AI made this for me, filling a reel with stories from Austin, TX: Spanish and French wine in She-Ra glassware, large format Bourbon, and tacos, then set it to my beloved Dolly Parton covering 4 Non Blondes.

I did no editing whatsoever.

If you need further proof Meta is profiling us, here it is.

Has Instagram ever created eerily perfect content for you? 😆 Tell me your stories!

#whatsgoingon
#winetraveler taken in Austin, Texas by @confidentdrinker

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3 years ago

We’ve talked a lot about avoiding wine at bars, but here’s the moment to do it: at a place where they specialize in sparklers and can guide you to new and magical drinks.

Typically, BTG (a pro acronym for "by the glass," welcome to the fold) is the worst deal on the menu. But with a high-end pick like Champagne, the entire bottle might be cost-prohibitive, so visiting somewhere with a curated list is the time to try.

And if you've ever been intimidated by French words on a label (Blanc de noirs! Millésime! Récoltant-Manipulant!), this is your chance to taste different styles and producers with less investment. It's fun to try several glasses and compare. For science.

This is The Coupe & Flute in Seattle, a "Champagne Tavern" that also serves cocktails, local Washington wines, and thoughtfully selected bubbly from other regions, like South African Cap Classique (their version of the traditional method), value rosé from Alsace, and a vintage Lambrusco?!

I was tempted by their French 75 with Terroir gin, a foresty favorite from @stgeorgespirits, but asked our server for insight, and she recommended the "wild card" option, which ended up being a gorgeously delicate Gimmonet Blanc de blancs. I can never say no to Chardonnay Champagnes, and this secret weapon delivered.

What would you order if it was all sparkling wine, all the time?

#champagnebytheglass #winetraveler #winebytheglass #seattlebars #howtoorder #sparklingwinelovers #pierregimmonet #cheerstothat taken in North Beacon Hill by @confidentdrinker

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3 years ago

”Tokubetsu” (Japanese for special) labeling on sake is a cheat code: even if you don't know the brewery, you can guess it's going to be good.

A love/hate aspect to sake is that the rules are stringent. There’s a steep learning curve, but consistency can be comforting.

Tokubetsu throws in a wrench because there is no official definition.

It just means that the sake is somehow… different. It’s supposed to have a rice polish ratio of 60%, but there are ways around that, too. The brewer might use a particular rice (here it's Gohyakumangoku), undertake an unusual brewing method, earn organic certification, create the recipe for whales off the Pacific coast, etc. (All true!)

Ambiguous, but easy: the brewery is telling you their sake is elevated, they took care in making it, and you should notice and drink it!

#sakelover #tokubetsujunmai #nihonshu #sakesommelier #saketips #bottlethesizeofmyhead #magnumsshowyoucare #seimaibuai #sakeschoolofamerica #tentaka #hawkintheheavens #myfavsake Girl with magnum of Tokubetsu junmai sake taken in Arts District, Los Angeles by @confidentdrinker

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3 years ago

I meant to do that, of course.

Do you love or hate these food and wine pseudo holidays? They pop up constantly and always seem to catch me off guard, so I come prepared.

But oysters deserve their day! And they’re a surprisingly easy pairing: a classic “like with like” combination.

Think anything with vivid acid, salinity, minerality. Basically, you’re trying to mimic the traits of oysters themselves: briny (the ocean!), citrus (the lemon you squeeze on!), and distinctive texture.

Champagne is the classic, Brut (dry) or Extra Brut (even drier) style. Try “Blanc de blancs” for the raciest option.

A citra-hopped, sessionable beer works, too!

If you’re looking for less bubbly, a ridiculous amount of still wines are here for you.

Sancerre (Sauvignon Blanc) shows up on every list, and for good reason: they can be unbelievably minerally. But widen your net because any crisp, lower alcohol wine from the Loire Valley will be dynamite: bright Muscadet (Melon de Bourgogne is the grape here), dry Chenin Blanc, flinty Pouilly-Fumé or value Touraine (both also Sauv Blanc).

Chablis: this village in Burgundy literally has fossils in their soil, and those ancient seashells come through. (Psst: the grape is Chardonnay, so if you can’t find a solid Bourgogne option–they can be pricey–look for an unoaked Chard from somewhere cool. That lean fruit will still be there, minus vineyard 🐚.)

Dry rosé: if you’re at the beach, you may already have a bottle in tow. My pick in the photos here is an aged stunner from Clos Cibonne in Provence.

And don’t sleep on Spanish wines! Albariño from Rías Baixas (scroll back to Aug 1st for details), Xarel-lo from Penedès, even nutty Sherry is a clever choice. Or peppery Grüner Veltliner from Austria. A cold gin martini can be perfect, too. The world (of booze!) is your oyster. Ha.

Do you like 🦪? Tell me a horror story or your favorite drink involving bivalves!

And should we keep embracing these “holidays” or admit that we’re just always up for wine?

#nationaloysterday #closcibonne #closcibonnetibouren #winefriends #winepairingisfun #oysterpairing #superba #winephotographer #loirewine #loirevalleywines #riasbaixaswines #penedes taken in Superba Food + Bread Hollywood by @confidentdrinker

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3 years ago

Why wait for Halloween when you can chill summer drinks with dry ice now? Instant gratification!

Sure, the more famous use of dry ice (the frozen form of carbon dioxide) is to add a witchy effect to party cocktails, but why can’t we have flair year round? Enter: wine. Dry ice is multi-purpose!

At -109.3°F, it cools instantly. Forgot to stick your poolside white in the fridge? Dry ice to the rescue! But there are some caveats…

Is dry ice safe to drink? Technically, it is safe IN drinks, meaning you can sip a drink that’s smoking as long as your mouth doesn’t come in direct contact with the ice itself. To avoid frostbite, it’s best to drop a piece in and wait for released CO 2 to melt/ dissipate. Science! (This is the time to get your pics in, because the dramatic phase doesn’t last long!)

Can you store it in the freezer? No! Keep dry ice in an OPEN cooler in a well-ventilated area and leave it (mine was literally outside) until just before go time.

Break it into bits and use the smallest amount needed to obtain the smoke level of your dreams.

Pro tip: I fished out the cube within one minute of dropping it into my glass, and that was enough to bring my rosé down to alfresco sipping perfection. Even 30 seconds makes it work.

🧊 Do not touch it with bare hands! Use tongs and gloves (perk: you look like a mad scientist when doing this), and steer clear of the glass when the magic starts: the drink can bubble up unexpectedly.

If Dollar Tree and Michael’s are already celebrating Halloween, so can we! And if you’d rather hold off on spooky cocktails until full pumpkin spice mania is upon us, just use this shortcut to cool your warm weather wines in a pinch.

What drink will be your first experiment? Meet me in the comments to discuss!

#frose #frosé #chateaumusar #lebanesewine #dryicecocktails #halloweeniscoming #halloweendrink #billnyethescienceguy #cocktailexperiments #cocktailexperience #penguindryice #mrfreeze #smokydrinks #chilledwine #instantgratification #dryice #alfrescodrinking #summersips #tipsythursday #winedrinker #roséwine #wouldyoudrink #partyinspiration #howtodrinkwine #themoreyouknow💫 taken in Hollywood, California by @confidentdrinker

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3 years ago

If it wasn’t for this adventurer, I wouldn’t work in wine.

13 years ago, Kristine invited me to what she called a “Spanish wine class with a chance to taste.” Sure!

It turned out to be an entire course, and the drinking that had lured me initially was its mandatory blind tasting component, which made up an alarmingly high percentage of the score required to pass. It was also not cheap, and literally everyone else in the room was a decorated sommelier or professional chef or otherwise seasoned wine genius. At that point in my career, I was in the music industry, and my Spanish wine knowledge was limited to sangria.

But in for a penny, in for a pound, so I called myself her assistant at the Cava producer she represented and started cramming.

It was hours of llicorella soil and Sherry’s solera system and memorizing Denominación de Origen (aka Spanish appellation) status. I took the exam praying that Garnacha and Tempranillo were savvy guesses for the blinds.

Six weeks later, a certificate arrived announcing: felicitationes! I was a Spanish Wine Educator.

Many Spain-heavy 🍷 gigs later, we finally made it to Catalunya together, to celebrate a milestone birthday and see that magical Priorat black slate in person (check out the second photo!). I could not have ended up there (or here) without her.

Keep going, wine fans. You never know when joining friends “for a drink” could change your life.

#winetraveler #wineeducation #prioratwine #masdoix #prioratenoturisme #serrademontsant #terraced #wineclass #winetasting #prioratdoq #catalunyawine #spanishwines #winefriends #careerchanges #thisisalotofhashtags #catalonia #tipsythursday #wineacademy #garnatxa #llicorella #terroir #poboleda #themoreyouknow🌈 Two women smiling in front of terraced vineyards at the Mas Doix winery in Catalunya, Spain. by @confidentdrinker

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3 years ago

Based on a true story.
As we close out #pridemonth2023 , I’ve found myself reflecting on Supremely terrible ways we treat people for wanting to live authentically. I’m grateful for the trailblazers out there to push things forward. And make incredibly great wine. #wineeducation #cheerstotheweekend taken in West Hollywood, California by @confidentdrinker

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3 years ago