facebookusefinal292 Does it annoy you when reading a wine review and it’s full of adjectives and sometimes words you have to google? 

You aren’t alone.  That annoys me too!  

I’m Debbie Gioquindo and I am glad to share my bottle with you.

Wine is my passion and I’m here to make it easier for you to understand the craziness that surrounds it. No I don’t know it all, nor can I pronounce the names on the bottles, but that’s okay and it’s okay for you too!

Here is my journey and I hope you continue it with me. Read my blog, listening to my podcasts or taking some of my wine classes.

If you had told me when I was in college I would be a “Wine Goddess” I would have laughed at you.  I didn’t like wine.  It gave me a wicked headache.  Vodka was my drink of choice.

That all changed in a Doctor’s visit.  My husband was a Scotch drinker. Dewar’s to be exact.  When he was in his mid 30’s a blood test revealed a high liver enzymes.  As a result his doctor told him to lay off the hard stuff and switch to beer or wine if he wanted to see his kids grow up. That evening I went to the liquor store and came home with a bottle of Rioja.  I’ll never forget the bottle, but I can’t remember the producer.  It was a brown bottle with a red label.  In the weeks that followed, we cleared the liquor store out of their stock of that wine.  This was the beginning of how I became a Wine Goddess.

In 2006  I began my blog to educate people about wine and share my experiences. Between that and my marketing background, I landed a part-time gig doing marketing for the Shawangunk Wine Trail and then launching the regional branding initiative for Hudson Valley Wine Country. During this time, I wanted to give my blog some accreditation so I enrolled in the Certified Specialist of Wine designation course offered by the Society of Wine Educators and later enrolled in the Center for Wine Origins Wine Location Specialist course. deb&keryl Never a dull moment in my life. April 2011 I answered a tweet from Keryl Pesce “Happy Bitch” who wanted to start a wine brand.  I suggested she make the wine locally and source the grapes from New York. We met for coffee and came out partners. Seven months later our first wine was released.

Lessner Family Cellars, Tapolca, Hungary

I knew my family had some wine roots in Hungary but I didn’t know how deep.  After my wine was released my cousin who lives in Australia messaged me on Facebook and told me I was carrying on the family tradition.  (Juno’s mom was my grandfather’s sister. They moved to Australia after WWII.)  I vaguely remember my grandfather speaking about our family’s wine heritage.  I knew they had owned vineyards around the Lake Balaton area but that was about the length of my knowledge.  Until Juno shed the light.  My Great Aunt had written a book and there is an entire chapter devoted to the family’s vineyards.  My Great Great Grandparents lived in the Main House in Tapolca and were in charge of the wine cellar among other things.  Seems my family has been in Tapolca since the late 1700’s by way of the Rhine. It is my understanding the Lessner family was very instrumental in the European wine trade. 2012-05-28_14-21-40_918 I never thought my kids would also have an appreciation of wine, but I was wrong. I didn’t think they were listening to Paul and I discuss what was in our glass when we uncorked.  But I guess they were as I am beginning to see what’s in their glass and of course listening to their comments and smiling!

In 2015 I was ranked #38 of the “Most Influential Wine Bloggers” by Excel Wines in the UK.  This was such an honor.  I strive to keep the ranking.

My goal is to share my wine knowledge with you. I am constantly learning about and trying different wines and I want to bring those experiences to you and hope you go out and enjoy your wine, share your experiences with me and learn with me.  We will have fun!

I also consult with wineries and small business on marketing.  I am the chairperson of the Hudson Valley Wine & Spirits Competition that is held every year at the Hudson Valley Wine Festival.

My gift to you right now is my wine and food pairing cheat sheet for the Spring and Summer months.  Let me know of any questions you may have and wine you have enjoyed or maybe not so and why.

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