69 Juliana’s Reflection

The Sauvignon Blanc’s of GSAG

By: Juliana Romeo

            In this reflection, I want to discuss one small, but fun contribution I made to the course. In my last Pressbook, I created a menu for an imagined Dinner Party with Sappho with my study group. The menu was inspired by the food described in Sappho’s If Not, Winter. The concept was inspired by Judy Chicago’s The Dinner Party  piece where she created plates for powerful women, including Sappho, who are not typically given a “seat at the table.”

One of my contributions to this Pressbook entry was the wine pairings that went with each course. After taking a course on the Australian wine industry during my study abroad program in Sydney, I fell in love with anything and everything that had to do with wine. I love wine glasses, I love smelling wine, and I love tasting wine.

As my gift to the class, I am sharing a wine that represents what it feels like to be in the course. The wine I have selected is a Marlborough (New Zealand) Sauvignon Blanc. I apologize to the winemakers of Greece, but Greek wine really is not great. I’ve selected a Marlborough Sauv Blanc to represent our class for the following (somewhat cheesy) reasons:

1. A Marlborough Sauv Blanc is best when paired with food. In my opinion, the flavors of a Sauv Blanc are magnified when paired with asparagus risotto or a lemon arugula salad. Each class in GSAG, we collaborate with one another in workshops and discover more profound insights through our discussions than we ever could just on our own. Just like a Sauv Blanc tastes better with a nice asparagus risotto, we as a class are much more powerful when we are together.
2. The grapefruit-y taste of a Marlborough Sauv Blanc will stay with you for a long time as you eat your meal. We’ve created a community in this course that will continue next year as students return to campus, and hopefully, one that I can be a part of when I come back as an alum.
3. Lastly, you have to be “in the know” to know how good a Marlborough Sauv Blanc is, just like you have to hear from other students to know just how amazing Jody’s classes are.

I hope this inspired you to pick up a bottle of Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc (if you are over 21), and reminiscence on our days in GSAG. Some of my favorites include Oyster Bay, Brancott Estate, and Matua.