Featured User: Eric LaMasters

Eric spent most of his career in the Information Technology field, before making the decision to turn his vocational attention to being a full-time dad. He currently resides in Iowa with his lovely wife and two brilliant sons. Eric loves to cook, travel, and read. He is a proud member of two groups of wine lovers: The Wine Group of Des Moines and The Wine Nerd Herd. Delectable: What sparked your passion for wine? Eric LaMasters: My wife and I first began to develop an interest in wine around 2002 when she was doing her surgical residency in Wichita, KS. Later we relocated to California for a couple of years, where we had the opportunity to explore California’s wine regions on frequent day trips. Spending time walking vineyards and talking with winemakers is what really ignited our interest into a full-blown passion for wine. D: What wine region are you wild about right now? EL: While I enjoy wines from many regions, my heart is definitely in Napa Valley . If I want to open a bottle that I know will resonate with my soul, a Napa Cabernet will do it every time. D: What is the most unusual wine you’ve ever tried? EL: About four years ago, our local tasting group did a vertical tasting of six vintages of Nicolas Joly Clos de la Coulée de Serrant Chenin Blanc from the Savennieres region. I found them to be very unusual - they varied widely in dryness level, and most were marked by botrytis and significant oxidation. Though it was definitely outside my comfort zone, it was a great learning experience and was very memorable. D: What is your golden rule for wine? EL: For me, the golden rule of wine is to remember that wine is meant to make us happy. Just keep it fun, keep an open mind, and don’t make it too serious. D: Say you’re not allowed to have wine, what is your second option? EL: If I’m not drinking wine, I’m usually drinking water. Water is a pretty remarkable beverage - versatile, inexpensive, no calories, extremely refreshing, and you generally can’t harm yourself by over-indulging! D: Choose a movie, book, quote, or song and pair it with a wine. EL: This might sound odd, but I always associate Antonín Dvořák’s music with Cabernet Sauvignon. Especially his ninth symphony, From the New World. To me, that work feels like a To Kalon Vineyard Cabernet, with excellent structure, but also a plush, soul-satisfying richness, lushness, and depth. There are so many nuances to pick out in both the wine and the music that I think they would pair perfectly together. D: If you were a wine, what wine would you be? EL: The person I aspire to be would be like a Myriad Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon