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It’s Happy Hour at Belle Vie, and Sheri and Nancy are hosting the Wine Whisperer of Napa Valley, the Scheherazade of zins and chards: Coral Brown of Brown Estate. In 1980, Coral’s family, the Browns, followed their dream and purchased an abandoned ranch in Napa Valley. They transformed it into one of the most heralded and respected wineries in the region. Brown Estate is a near-magical place, and as director of brand management, Coral weaves lyrical tales about the land, the grapes, the people and the wine.

 Coral, Sheri and Nancy tip back many a glass in this week’s episode as they talk about wine making and sample delicious bites of food with every sip. Coral shares her beautifully written tasting notes for each wine they drink. She says “When you are writing a note about a wine, it is truly a love letter.”

It always feels good to walk through someone else’s dream, and this Happy Hour consists of all the big dream talk Sheri and Nancy like so much. In addition to the world of wine, the three friends share stories about dating, love and living a life of discovery. By the end of the episode, they all decide they’re the captains of their own happiness ships! (There was a lot of wine.)

Special message from Sheri and Nancy: This was taped prior to the fires in Northern California, and is dedicated to the beloved wine country. Our hearts are very much with the people there.

Takeaways:

[8:14] Our guest today is Coral Brown, of Brown Estate in Napa Valley. Years ago, Sheri dubbed her “Scheherazade” because she is magical storyteller of wine.

[13:40] Coral’s warmth and informative style make her the perfect wine storyteller – she is never pretentious or snobby about wine. She and her family can take even the most rookie wine drinker and explain how to pair food, recognize flavors and notes, and elevate their experience of wine.

[17:22] Brown Estate’s signature varietal is Zinfandel.  

[22:03] Brown Chardonnay was poured at The White House for President Obama, and at the James Beard Foundation Awards dinner.

[27:10] Coral’s father is from Jamaica and her mother is from Panama. They wanted to give back, so they moved the family to Jamaica for a year. This is where Coral says she grew her imagination and forged her love of storytelling.

[37:57] At Brown Estate, wine is pair thoughtfully with food -- to educate, elevate and inspire.

[63:36] Expert tasting tip: get yourself some honeycomb. Spread it on a cracker and pair it with cheese. It adds a creamy, sweet texture and brings out even more of the wine’s robust flavor.

[65:54] “Reserve wine” is special in the way it’s cellared, aged and barreled. Brown reserve wine is sold in limited quantities.

[79:18] Brown Estate’s wine-making values include purity, balance and high quality.  

Mentioned in This Episode:

Brown Estate — Napa Valley

Brown Estate on Facebook

Instagram: @BrownEstate

To email Sheri and Nancy: info@story.co

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