My name is Joanna Opaskar. By day, I work as a Senior Publications Specialist and Editor at NASA’s Johnson Space Center. By night, I study and write about wine, design wine cheat sheets, organize tastings for my friends, and occasionally teach a wine class or two.
I want to make wine education simple and accessible, because I believe that even a small amount of wine knowledge allows people to enjoy it so much more. It’s all about knowing how to find the ones you’ll like. I also love learning and sharing the 'whys' of wine – why you drink certain wines with certain foods, why you should serve reds cool, why not to shake the bottle, where all those aromas come from, etc.
I’m fascinated by the way wine expresses both the nature and the culture of where it’s from. It reflects the sunlight, water, and soil the grapes grow in, but also the preferences of the winemaker and what the winemaker wants to create. There is endless variety.
My favorite type of wine is anything I've never tried before -- even the ones I don’t like, which sounds silly, but it’s because even a glass of wine that I’m not crazy about will teach me something about wine. I like trying to understand what’s going on in the glass, so analyzing what isn’t working in a wine can be just as rewarding as analyzing what makes a wine delicious.
That said, I'm especially interested in French wine and Texas wine, and I make sure the blog stays relevant to wine enthusiasts in the Houston area. There's nothing more frustrating than reading about a great wine and finding out it's not for sale in your area!
That said, I'm especially interested in French wine and Texas wine, and I make sure the blog stays relevant to wine enthusiasts in the Houston area. There's nothing more frustrating than reading about a great wine and finding out it's not for sale in your area!
I have taught introductory wine classes at local winery Water 2 Wine, and an introduction to French wine at the Texas Wine School. So far I've earned the following wine certifications, and I hope to add more soon!
Professional Wine Certifications
• Society of Wine Educators: Certified Specialist of Wine
• Wine and Spirit Education Trust: Level 1 and 2 Certificates
• French Wine Society: French Wine Scholar
• International Sommelier Guild: Wine Fundamentals 1 and 2
Also check out my profile in the Houston Chronicle!
NASA tech writer's side gig, hobby more about bottles than rockets
Thanks for visiting my blog. I hope you enjoy it and learn something new about wine.
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