After the drama I wrote over the past 3 days I wanted to discuss something that makes me smile almost everyday: the wonderful wine blog, Italian Wine Geek by the talented and implacable wine explorer Joanie Karapetian. Joanie is an Italian -American, fully fluent in la lingua bella, and a top-flight wine professional based on the west coast.

Italian wine has gotten me out of bed in the morning and driven me to late night philosophical rants since 1995. I have been to 18 of the 20 Italian states and drank wine in them all. I taught classes on Italian wine and was the leading retailer of these wines in Texas for years. I know and love these wines. Joanie knows and loves them more.

I am rarely surprised by the notion of an indigenous grape or wine I do not know in Italy, as there are purported to be over 25,000 of them. I am constantly surprised by how many of these wines Joanie finds, tastes, and suggests where to drink in the good ol' USA. This is not an academic blog geeking out on detail that only a scientist could love. This is a blog about tastes, excitement for a place, and the joy in discovery and camaraderie of like-minded drinkers. Joanie's blog is also about great food (which wine actually is to me as well) and where to eat it :-)

I think her title only suggests a modern nomenclature for this wine talking endeavor. Joanie is affable, charming, and witty without ever seeming the pedant. She knows her stuff and if you read her lovely blog, you will too. I am so thankful to have found this piece of wine enlightenment floating about the web and I am more thankful Joanie and I have become friends.

Take a read and if you like wine at all, you will be hooked.

Congratulations Italian Wine Geek, you have captured and re-kindled a passion in me I thought may have waned.