Featured User: Kimberly Anderson

Kimberly Anderson was born and raised in the Midwest, and is a multi-media sales executive for the USA Today Network. Delectable: What sparked your passion for wine? Kimberly Anderson: Initially, it was a trip to France. We were staying in Beaune, and due to a religious holiday everything was closed aside from a tourist shop, which also happened to be a tasting room for the Hospice de Beaune. A couple of hours and $1,100 on my credit card later, I had developed a strong interest in good wine! Back at home there were very few places to find that caliber of wine, so experiencing good wine was the highlight of our frequent trips to Chicago and beyond. My passion was really ignited a few years ago when my husband and I were invited to join a local wine group that had members who belonged to wine clubs from Pride Mountain, Quintessa, Pine Ridge, and other great wineries. I wanted to learn more, which is why I joined Delectable! D: What wine region are you wild about right now? KA: Bordeaux. A recent trip to Bermuda, where every restaurant had a deep and (more) affordable French list, helped fuel that. D: What is the most unusual wine you’ve ever tried? KA: We just had a bottle of Bulgarian red. From a flavor profile, it tasted like a Cayuse Syrah with an unusual wet fur aroma. D: What is your golden rule for wine? KA: Always serve at the proper temperature: 63° F for red. D: Say you’re not allowed to have wine, what is your second option? KA: Tito’s and soda with a lime wedge and some fresh mint. D: Choose a movie, book, quote, or song and pair it with a wine. KA: The song “Alison” and a 20 Year Tawny Port. D: If you were a wine, what wine would you be? KA: “My Favorite Neighbor,” a Cabernet Sauvignon blend from Booker Vineyards. It’s friendly and convivial, but still has a lot of dark layers and depth behind it. Plus, it has a really interesting backstory to it – I love L’Aventure wines!