Making decisions when browsing through the bottle-filled racks of a wine store can be difficult. We’ve all been there. That’s why we are kicking off our Wine of the Week feature on Grok Nation. Each week we’ll speak to kickass women in the industry—sommeliers, beverage directors, critics, or just generally awesome wine connoisseurs. They’ll give us an (affordable) wine that they’re currently loving and tell us a little about themselves in the process.
We’re happy to kick off the inaugural Wine of the Week with a selection from Belinda Chang, a James Beard award-winning sommelier. Belinda has been in the industry for more than 20 years, but that wasn’t always the plan: She was studying biochemistry at Rice University when she landed a job at the Faculty Club. “If you worked there, you could have all your meals there—breakfast, lunch, and dinner—and you didn’t have to eat in the school cafeteria,” Belinda explains. “They had the best brisket. I was always trying to find the way to the best food. And then I found my way to the best wine after that.”