Paula Barker

Paula Barker is an eclectic with no title, a specialist with no specialty, and an amateur with great passion for several disciplines, including drawing and painting, website design and graphic design, article writing and instructional writing. The earthy side of her prefers eating and drinking. She has worked in the wine industry for four years and has been an avid taster for over twenty years.

A four-year stint at a Napa conglomerate that owns a large number of wineries has given Paula the experience necessary to justify her existence at IntoWine.com. She was the email answer lady for five different wineries. Questions ranged from When will this wine be drinkable? to Do you use any animal products in the making of your wine?

Paula edited a few issues of the seasonal catalog circulated to affluent wine club members, and also contributed articles of her own. More recently, she began a new role as Digital Specialist, contributing content and research to the premium beverage company’s eLearning platform. You can learn more about Paula at www.pbdesigns.net.

With regards to pairing wine with food, one might say that Paula can’t imagine sipping without supping.

What I think...

A fair restaurant corkage fee is: 

$15

My wine travels have taken me to the following wine regions: 

Not far. Napa, Sonoma, Amador County, Los Olivos area.

What I think of the movie Sideways: 

Sorry, I loved it! Whatever you think about Miles' merlot snobbery or pinot noir idolatry, the movie is pure entertainment and a true original.

My "wish list" of wines I want to acquire soon: 
My biggest wine pet peeve: 

I dislike the trend toward fruity vs. buttery chardonnays. I'm old-school, and am afraid my age is showing.

A tell-tale sign of a wine snob is: 

Rigid food-pairing rules.

The wine region I most want to visit: 

Burgundy, Paso Robles.

The people with whom I most often enjoy wine: 

Friends and family, of course, but drinking with a newbie can be like seeing through the eyes of a child.

The best wines I have ever tasted: 

Sacred Hill Sauvignon Blanc (New Zealand), Orogeny Chardonnay, Provenance Mt. Veeder Merlot, Miner Family Vineyards Oracle.

My dream wine to one day taste or own: 

Opus One anything - yeah, I'm a virgin.

My favorite wine quote: 

"Wine Not!"

The last wine I had that I absolutely loved: 

Navarro Correas Ultra

My thoughts on the 100 point rating scale made famous by Robert Parker and emulated by seemingly everyone: 

I think of the scale as I used to think of good ol' Siskel's and Ebert's movie reviews. You don't always agree, and it's obviously subjective, but because you've come to know their taste, the critiques are good guidelines for whether you might enjoy a movie or a wine.

Contributions

History

Blog: http://www.intowine.com/blog/24
Member For: 1 year 17 weeks

Information

First Name: Paula
Last Name: Barker