Featured User: Amy Huson

My name is Amy and I am an American ex pat that lives in Andalucía, Spain. I moved here with my boyfriend and son as sort of a compromise between Mexico (where he is from), and Italy, (where my parents live.) Spain is an amazing country for wine, so I am perfectly happy here! I have worked in every aspect of the wine business from the vineyard to the winery to selling for distributors. Now in Spain I manage to eek out a modest living as an independent sommelier, which I enjoy a lot. But I am always interested in new opportunities in the world of wine. Delectable: What sparked your passion for wine? Amy Huson: My passion probably comes from my father, who was a French wine collector. I remember trying vintage French wine as a young adult thinking it was horrible! He talked to me a lot about the uniqueness of the wine grape; he called it the “mockingbird of fruit” for its ability to mimic other fruits. He sparked my interest and encouraged me to study wine. After my father died my mother remarried an Italian and they now live in Tuscany and grow Syrah . It was there working in the vineyards and the winery that I gained a true understanding of “terroir.” D: What wine region are you wild about right now? AH: I am lucky to live right next door to an amazing wine region, the Jerez (Sherry) region of Spain. I must admit I didn’t appreciate Sherry much until I came here and experienced it on the local level. Every small restaurant and bar here serves Sherry and the locals drink “Fino” which is dry. Every bar has a unique and special “Fino” and they love to tell me about the “pago” (plot of land) of their friend’s cousin’s father (or whoever) that has owned or worked in the bodega for years, and all of the history behind it. When I taste these small boutique Sherries and hear the stories and pair them with the local cuisine, I am in love! Sherry is so complex, the winemaking tradition is like no other in the world, and the amount of amazing and diverse wines available within the DO is incredible! D: What is the most unusual wine you’ve ever tried? AH: Here in my region of Spain the locals make homemade orange wine, and I am not talking about the trendy white wine fermented on the skins version; they actually make it from oranges. It’s sweet and they serve it for dessert. I am not a big fan of it but it’s interesting. I drink it to be polite! D: What is your golden rule for wine? AH: Boutique wines rule! I like wines made with love and passion for winemaking and the expression of terroir. The smaller and more obscure, the better. I like to discover new wines, new winemakers, and new places. I like to discover and experience culture through wine. D: Say you’re not allowed to have wine, what is your second option? AH: Tequila! Since my boyfriend is from Mexico we enjoy spicy food and even grow our own chiles. There is nothing like a good Tequila to compliment (numb) that spicy hot burn! D: Choose a movie, book, quote, or song and pair it with a wine. AH: I am an avid equestrian and in addition to wine, horses are my other passion. My favorite movie of all time is Francis Ford Coppola’s “The Black Stallion.” It is an old movie, filmed in Morocco 1979 and takes place in 1946. It won awards for the amazing cinematography and editing. I just got back from a wine tour of Morocco, so I would pair this movie with the Orian red blend from the Val d’Argan winery in the coastal town of Essaouira, Morocco. It’s aromas and flavors are rich, exotic, and provoke images of steaming nostrils and galloping hooves across the hot sand. D: If you were a wine, what wine would you be? AH: My friends say I would be a Garnacha . Complex but not overly tannic. Smooth around the edges. Fruity but not sweet. Blends well. I thought I would be something spicier, but apparently that was all in my head!