Featured User: Jason Brater

Jason Brater is a 45-year-old high school history teacher and lives with his wife and kids in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Jason is an avid University of Michigan sports fan and loves pairing his love for wine, food, and Michigan football tailgating. Originally from the Boston area, Jason’s favorite foods are lobster and raw oysters, but he also loves comfort foods like great pizza, chili, and barbecue. His favorite wines are earthy, spicy Zinfandel , big Chateauneuf-du-pape , and any yeasty, toasty sparkling white. What Jason enjoys most about the Delectable app is the interactive nature of its “social network” component; even if you drink a wine by yourself, it can still be a communal experience. Delectable: What sparked your passion for wine? Jason Brater: I grew up in a family where food was an important part of the nuclear and extended family experience. It seemed we were always cooking, hosting, or travelling around the Northeast to see friends and family. Food and wine were always present at all these events and at a young age I learned to equate the abundant flavors of food with the warm, comforting feelings of family. As I got older, wine seemed to become an extension of food and I think, for me, the same feelings of family naturally transferred to wine. In addition, during college my brother took the Intro to Wines course at Cornell, and I was able to glean most of the course learning through “studying” with him for that class. D: What wine region are you wild about right now? JB: I’ve really been loving the Cabernet Franc from the Saumur region of Loire because in the long dark Michigan winters most Saumur red is reminiscent of the warmth and bright fruit of summer. I’m also really excited about the wines from the Finger Lakes in upstate New York after a visit there this past summer. The whites and reds from Seneca and Cayuga are so underrated (and SO much better than they were 25 years ago when I was there in college). Rieslings , Gewurtztraminer and Cabernet Franc is doing extremely well there! D: What is the most unusual wine you’ve ever tried? JB: The first time I tried a Vinho Verde that was effervescent but not bubbly, I was taken aback. But it is really refreshing and delicious on a hot summer day. In the same vain, really dry sparkling red like Lambrusco was weird to me at first, but I’ve come to really love the depth of flavors and the change of pace they offer. D: What is your golden rule for wine? JB: I guess I’d say my golden rule for wine is that there shouldn’t be any exclusivity and intimidating fanciness to it. I drink the wine that I like with the food I like—I don’t like following whatever conventions or experts tell me about what wine pairings are “correct”. Additionally, I follow the rule of 2 or 3; I always, always buy more than one bottle when I try a new wine. Doing so gives me the opportunity to really experience the wine, and if the first bottle is great, I’ve already got more. 😊 D: Say you’re not allowed to have wine, what is your second option? JB: When not having wine I love a good cocktail: vodka martini, sidecar, or a French 75. After dinner I love a good aged cognac or a peaty Islay single malt scotch . D: Choose a movie, book, quote, or song and pair it with a wine JB: This seems a bit of an odd question, but since you asked…I guess I’d go with a quote from the obscure song “Squonk” by the band Genesis (After Peter Gabriel left): “All are not huntsmen who can blow the huntsmen’s horn.” I think it speaks to a few things about wine and wine enthusiasts that I firmly believe. First of all, just because a wine is expensive or is made by a fancy producer it is not necessarily good. As far as I am concerned, wine has to actually taste good to be considered good wine. Secondly, the mystique and pomp that often accompany wine lead to a lot of wine enthusiasts who chase after the label and the recommendations of the next great wine expert. I think people who do that do often end up with some great wines but they often miss out on what I believe to be one of the most interesting and alluring things about wine – the individual nature of the relationship between the taster and the wine. I am fascinated by the fact that multiple people can taste the same wine and experience it completely differently. This is why I love blind tastings! D: If you were a wine, what wine would you be? JB: I’d be your favorite wine under $25. Dependable, comforting, ready for fun and sometimes even disarmingly deep.