Charleston Women Spring 2021

www. Char l es tonWomen . com | www. ReadCW. com | www. Facebook . com/Char l es tonWomen CW W e are a generation of consumers, and for the most part we pride ourselves on being smart about our purchases. We do our research. So why should buying wine be any different? Why is going into a wine store so daunting? Perhaps it’s the shelves upon shelves of neatly stacked bottles, each vying for your attention. Do you ask yourself a series of questions before you make your decision, or do you grab a bottle you recognize and head for the register? Why is this commodity that we buy so frequently and that gives us so much pleasure equally intimidating? Wine invokes a fear factor, and yet with a little education its mystique can be easily unraveled. After all, when you break it down, wine is simply grape juice fermented into alcohol. The grape variety, where it is grown and the winemaker’s style for the vineyard and winery all play a part in the end result. Discovering the story behind a bottle will make each sip that much sweeter. Jennifer McElveen is the director of education at Bacchus & Books, a destination for all things wine and literature in the French Quarter in Charleston. Her passion for wine is intertwined with her love of travel — one inspires the other. “After spending some time in Europe and being exposed to some wonderful wine, I decided to take a class to be a more informed consumer. It gave my wine travel more meaning.” Motivated by her new knowledge, McElveen, an BY PAMELA JOUAN The Savvy Wine Consumer