Featured User: Allison Lyzenga

Born and raised in Altadena, California, Allison Lyzenga is now running her movie blog, myfilmhabit.com , in Washington, DC. Allison’s blog is a combination of movie reviews and humorous photos (featuring herself) inspired by the films. When it comes to wine, she describes herself as an educated amateur. “Watching a movie with a delicious dinner and good bottle of wine in front of me is my favorite thing in the world,” she says. So she set out to learn as much as possible, earning her credentials through the WSET program. She also shares her love of food and wine through her #bathtubdining Instagram account @mildallis . She hopes her tasting notes on the Delectable app will inspire others. Delectable: What sparked your passion for wine? Allison Lyzenga: It was probably the first time I met a Master of Wine. And she was a woman! At the time, I had no idea that this kind of program existed, and I was intrigued by this systematic way of learning and becoming an expert. Previously I had assumed that people just picked up information organically. So, I immediately set to grilling her all about the program. That’s what prompted me to start learning about wine. D: What wine region are you wild about right now? AL: I’ve been going crazy for wines from South Tyrol (Südtirol/Alto Adige) lately. It’s a region in the North of Italy, near the Austrian border. I’ve just started to learn about it, so I’ve been super excited to try as many as possible. I’m still trying to get a feel for these wines and figure them out. D: What is the most unusual wine you’ve ever tried? AL: This is going to sound funny, because it’s such a well-known wine, and a lot of people really love it, but I was pretty blown away the first time I tried Château Musar (both red and white). I believe I had the Château Musar Bekaa Valley Red Blend 1998, and the Bekaa Valley White Blend 2001. I had never tasted anything made in that style before. The rich, concentrated flavor, combined with the wildly high volatile acidity was almost shocking. It definitely introduced me to a whole new category of wines. D: What is your golden rule for wine? AL: The weirder the better. I’m always up for trying something new and wild. D: Say you’re not allowed to have wine, what is your second option? AL: If we’re talking about another alcoholic beverage, my go-to would probably be a classic, rye-based cocktail. I’m never dissatisfied with a Manhattan as long as it’s made with quality ingredients. But, if we’re going non-alcoholic, I’m a huge fan of interesting black teas, like a smoked Lapsang Souchong. It goes great with food, and has all the complexity of a fine wine. D: Choose a movie, book, quote, or song and pair it with a wine AL: What could be better than a sexy, stylish vampire movie and a glass of heady, deeply colored red wine? I’d pair Only Lovers Left Alive and a rich, meaty Syrah like Domaine du Tunnel St. Joseph Syrah 2012. D: If you were a wine, what wine would you be? AL: I’m sure everyone thinks of themselves as a much fancier wine than they actually are, but I’ll try to be objective. My first thought was that I’d probably be a wine that needs a lot of time and room to breathe to be enjoyable—something that doesn’t open up too easily and is a little unforgiving if you try to rush it. Definitely a wine that’s a bit rough around the edges (but hopefully improves with age). I’m thinking a young Left-Bank Bordeaux. However, when I polled my friends and family, they settled on one of those weird, Orange, Georgian wines. This wine is not for everyone, and it’s definitely an acquired taste. But once you learn to accept its weirdness as the baseline, this style of wine can be delightful. If I accept their assessment of me, then I’m definitely a wine that doesn’t play by traditional rules.