How does one introduce their new endeavour to the world?

My name is Jennifer. I am a wine expert, foodie, film nerd, and stay-at-home mom who is carving out her own space in the wine and food industry from her messy home office.

JennVal Wine Gal tasting some lovely Rosé.

I have always been a foodie obsessed with intense and subtle flavours alike, but my wine journey began in the Fall of 2011 when my boyfriend, now husband, and I went to South Africa. We went on a wine tour of the Stellenbosch area near Cape Town. Upon tasting my first sip of South African Chenin Blanc I was hooked. It was bright, and refreshing, with aromas of quince, yellow apple, and honey. I didn’t know that wine could taste like that. It was then that I realized that I wanted to do more tastings and learn more about wine. I wanted to learn how to truly appreciate it. I took wine courses at George Brown College in my home city of Toronto. From there I went on to take courses through the Wine & Spirits Education Trust (WSET) where I achieved my level 3 awards in Wine. In short, I am a wine expert. I have the same education as a sommelier but without the component of working in a restaurant.

Middelvlei Wine Estate, Flamingo Street, Stellenbosch, South Africa

I am not the same person I was on that fateful day in South Africa. I used to work in the film industry and I knew nothing about wine and all about the latest films coming out. I have come a long way. While I still have a passion for film it is more of a hobby and a means of de-stressing at the end of a long day working and being a mother. Wine has become my passion and a major part of my life. I went from drinking Wild Vines Strawberry Zinfandel and really sweet red wines in my 20s to drinking actual Zinfandel, Bordeaux, Cabernet Sauvignons from California, and Pinot Noir from anywhere! My life has done a complete 360 and I love it.

Studying for my WSET 3 wine tasting exam.

I started this blog to share my knowledge and make the world of food and wine accessible to everyone. I want to inspire my audience to explore wine and discover new flavours, food, and wine pairings. A bottle of wine holds so much more than an alcoholic beverage: it holds history, geography, culture and community. By understanding where a bottle of wine comes from you are exposing yourself to a culture and part of the world. I think it is important to understand where our food and wine come from to better appreciate it. This is how we start to lean into the good things in life. I want to share all these things with my audience so that they can get more out of what they consume and live their best lives through food and wine.

Here you will find wine tips, reviews, recipes, and tips on entertaining to make your next event with family and friends, and even a regular Tuesday night that much more exciting and memorable. Wine and food are not about what we actually consume but who we share it with and the memories made. I am starting this blog to inspire everyday people to be present and better enjoy what they pour into their wine glasses or put on their plates.

This website and blog will be a home base and community for my audience to participate. I encourage questions and comments to start a conversation. This site is yours just as much as it is mine. I hope to open it up to guest posting in the future.

The fact that I have the chance to carve out my little space here brings me such joy. It is hard work trying to build something out of nothing while being a stay-at-home mom but I know that if I just keep showing up and sharing I can build this blog into a hub for all those looking to get more out of a bottle of wine and ingredients in their fridges.

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