About Us
Some things never change.
Name: Jennifer Muro
Who: Entertainment writer, tv editor, cook, drinker, gizmo addict, scifi fan, mac head.
Transplant: Massapequa, New York to Los Angeles, California.
Traded up: Long Island wine country for Santa Barbara wine country.
First Generation American: family came in 1962 from Puglia, Italy.
First tasting: age 11, Mola di Bari at the family winery.
Last tasting: never.
Even though it’s been well over a decade, I still call myself a transplant from New York to Los Angeles. I guess the New Yorker in me never leaves. I am also a first generation American, my mother having come to America from Southern Italy at 16. I also partly grew up in Italy in a way, spending months at a time at our house there. Wine has just always been a part of my life, whether running through the farms of Italy as a kid or formally wine tasting in New York and California for the past 18 years.
Along with my mother came a slew of traditions. Unfortunately, as most Italians will tell you, their recipes aren’t quite exact. I mean, a “spoon of flour” or a “glass of water a little at a time” aren’t exactly measurements. But you learn to adapt and be instinctual that way. The rest of your life, you become creative by knowing when something is just, well, right. And that’s how I feel about wine, food and fun.
I’ve been many things over the years. At present, I am an editor, freelance tv writer and nerd babbler. I’m always trying to convert the doubtful and fearful to the good juice. Hopefully while playing pool and watching MST3K.
Aside from the obvious wine-ness, I am an insanely strong advocate of quality, multi-taskers and truth in advertising. I am also a fan of chemistry, astronomy, history, food, sci fi, fantasy, cartoons, comics, tech and hopefully the better parts of pop culture. Yes, I was the 16-year-old chick playing D&D in the back of the comic book store long before being a Comic-Con nerd was cool. Too long. Geek girls out there, you’re lucky to be in the time you are now. Enjoy it.
Hopefully this will be an alternative, new-generational way of looking at wine and food culture. Remember, you still can have a high end wine palate along with a high end video game console. It’s writing from the P.O.V of someone who loves the wine and food world as much as the geek world and strives to mix them thoroughly. That’s why on this site there is no pretension or patronizing.
Just drinking wine, partying our way and taking names.
- Jennifer
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Hi Jennifer,
My partner, Greg Martellotto is a bon vivant whose family began making wines in 17th century in Puglia where they still make wines. He tells me of trullo, a UNESCO designated world heritage site. His nonno came to US and made wines in basement of NY apartment during prohibition. He now makes wine under his family name and distributes wines in 5 states. Me? I sell wines for the company in Los Angeles and now working to export wines to Asia as a managing partner. I wish to connect with you regarding wine in a meaningful way in the near future. I am following you on twitter! Ciao.
http://onevinewines.com
http://martellotto.com
Awesome! Thanks so much. It was great meeting you too! Too bad there was no wine there, we would have had a blast. I’m always up for new wine suggestions and questions, so throw them my way!
Hi Jen! We met on Friday at Big Wangs, and I cant thank you enough for passing on your card. Love the site so far, and the manifesto where you artfully blend great wine and Geek Love with an adventurous zeal has me wanting to read more! I’m going to continue searching around here, can’t wait to compare notes. Keep up the good work!
Huzzah!
Sam
Awesome! Thanks so much! I’ve got to head up your way eventually, that would be terrific. I’m headed to North Fork in 3 weeks to check out all the new wineries I haven’t been to (since they have popped up like mad since I was there last). Any suggestions, I am all ears. I’m rusty on the North Fork gems and need catching up! Tell your L.I blogger to come on by to the site and say hi!
Love the the blog by the way, you’ll be first on my new blogroll!
So glad you are heading over there! Still an undiscovered area full of goodies. It’s been quite some time since I got to taste wine there, but I can point you in two good directions. Gregory Dal Piaz over at http://www.snooth.com/talk/ is super versed. Especially since he just came back from a tasting trip. I think it was a bit further north but he’s still very good. Tell him wineunfiltered.com sent you over to get a good opinion. Second, there is a restaurant called A16 in San Francisco. You may know it since you guys are up there! The book they came out with is A16: Food + Wine by Nate Appleman. The first 60 pages are all about Southern Italian wines, grapes and winery recommends. The executive chef and wine director wrote the book, and it is very helpful. Hope that helps a bit! Buon viaggio!
Greetings, and kudos on a brilliant manifesto! I look forward to reading more on your site. A Long Island-based wine blogger put me on to your blog, and as a current Californian who spent three years working for vineyards and tasting rooms on the North Fork, I’m already finding a lot of good stuff here. If you’re ever up in the Santa Cruz Mountains, please feel free to call up for a visit! I’m off to go add you to our blog roll …
Regards,
Christopher Watkins
Tasting Room Manager
RIDGE Vineyards/Monte Bello
I found you on google and see that you have a Puglia background. My wife and I are heading there for two weeks at the end of the month and wondered if you have any great winery recommendations for us to visit while we are traveling through. It is especially nice when you have met the owners and see what their world is like.
Thanks for your help. We live in the Bay Area and love great food and wine.
Best
David Bramnick