Spring is starting to come back around and that means often I will change in my usual order for a Malbec, Pinot Noir, Cab or Shiraz for something a little more crisp and light, often a Pinot Grigio or something along those lines. For Scott and I, there’s little better than a lovely, inexpensive ($5-$7 depending on where you buy it) Obsession from Ironstone Vineyards. The bouquet is a bit perfumey which at first was a bit of a turnoff to me but now, I must admit, I am Obsessed.
Ironstone also recently made the switch to a twist-off cap which makes this crisp white even more Jazz in the Park friendly since I am notorious for losing my wine openers there. So, crack out your glasses and fall into an Obsession.
Which reminds me, a recent conversation with a wine goddess acquaintance led me to find a good use for the stemless Riedels which I detest drinking out of in restaurants (I hate that the warmth of my hand alters the temperature of the wine, I know -- picky, picky, picky). But the stemless glassware, she said, is fabulous for picnics or days on the beach when you can cradle the curve of the glass into a tuft of grass or a dip in the sand. Spring and summer cannot come soon enough.
Amy L. Schubert is a 15-year veteran of the hospitality industry and has worked in every aspect of bar and restaurant operations. A graduate of Marquette University (B.A.-Writing Intensive English, 1997) and UW-Milwaukee (M.A.-Rhetoric, Composition, and Professional Writing, 2001), Amy still occasionally moonlights as a guest bartender and she mixes a mean martini.
The restaurant business seems to be in Amy’s blood, and she prides herself in researching and experimenting with culinary combinations and cooking techniques in her own kitchen as well as in friends’ restaurants. Both she and her husband, Scott, are avid cooks and “wine heads,” and love to entertain friends, family and neighbors as frequently as possible.
Amy and Scott live with their boys, Alex and Nick, in Bay View, where they are all very active in the community. Amy finds great pleasure in sharing her knowledge and passions for food and writing in her contributions to OnMilwaukee.com.
