Food and Wine: 10 Questions

10 Questions with... Leslie Sbrocco
By Susan Dyer Reynolds

Many people know Leslie Sbrocco as host of the Emmy-nominated PBS television series Check Please! Bay Area, where ordinary diners offer their opinions on local restaurants, which airs on KQED channel 9 in the Bay Area. (The show also garnered two prestigious nominations from the James Beard Foundation; results will be announced in May of this year.) What they may not know is that she is also a consultant for the Kimpton Hotel Group, selecting wines for their properties nationwide, as well as the award-winning author of Wine for Women: A Guide to Buying, Pairing and Sharing Wine. Her recently released second book, The Simple & Savvy Wine Guide, continues to showcase one of Sbrocco’s greatest talents – sharing her knowledge of wine in a way that is never stuffy or intimidating and that makes learning fun.

While on hiatus from taping her series, Sbrocco travels frequently for speaking engagements, television appearances and to judge wine competitions. She also writes for the San Francisco Chronicle, epicurious.com, numerous other online and print publications, and is the founder of WineToday.com, the wine Web site of The New York Times.

In person, Sbrocco couldn’t be more different than her demure alter ego on Check Please! Bay Area. Because she isn’t allowed to express her opinion on the show (serving more as a moderator), viewers aren’t treated to her quick wit and abundant sense of humor, nor do they realize, because she always sits behind a table, that she is a statuesque, curvaceous beauty with charisma to spare, who is just as comfortable talking about cute winemakers and up and coming wine regions as she is talking about life with her husband and two children at their home in Sonoma.

Fun fact: She is flexible – she can put both legs behind her head and has been known to do it on a barstool.

Upcoming projects: Speaking at wine shows and festivals all over the country, taping the third season of Check Please! Bay Area, and wine consultation for the 42 Kimpton hotels.
Who or what inspired you to become a wine writer?

Drinking a lot (laughs). It truly came from a passion. I even make a little wine in my garage at home.

If money were no object, what is the one bottle of wine you would add to your collection?
Probably Alvaro Palacios L’Ermita – it’s just the sexiest, sultriest, most intense red wine around … and the winemaker is pretty cute, too.

What are your favorite red and white wines under $20?
For white, Concannon chardonnay from right here in Livermore – it’s about $10 – and for red, Chateau Saint Michelle merlot. It’s from Washington State, which is one of the best places for merlot. I love merlot – I love the texture; it’s smooth – I call it the cashmere of wines. There are some really nice ones coming out of Margaret River – great value, style and elegance.

As wine consultant for the Kimpton Hotel Group, do you note any patterns or trends in different parts of the country – Manhattan vs. Chicago; Los Angeles vs. San Francisco?
I make national suggestions for Kimpton. Pricing is the tricky part. Here in the Bay Area we get such great values – something that is $10 here is $18 in other parts of the country. In general I would say, as far as trends go, the West is more California-focused and the East is more Euro, but that’s changing. Two out of three bottles of wine sold in the U.S. are now California wines.

What up and coming region do you like?
Western Australia is really emerging.

Last year, you moderated a tasting panel comparing Western Australian wines to California and French wines during the first Western Australia wine tasting in San Francisco. What were your conclusions about the comparisons? 

I love the wines of Western Australia – they’re in the middle of big, ripe, juicy California wines and earthy, elegant French wines; they’re great for people who want an elegant wine with fruit.

As host of the Emmy-nominated PBS series Check Please! Bay Area, you talk with a panel of food and wine lovers who are not professionals in the field – are you surprised at how knowledgeable (or unknowledgeable) they are about food and wine?

On average they surprise me with their knowledge. Some are on the show primarily for their personalities; some of them are food snobs who drive you crazy – if I were allowed to give my opinion, the show would be a little different – but in general, I’m impressed.
Among the wine books you have written, there is one called Wine for Women: A Guide to Buying, Pairing, and Sharing Wine – is there a significant difference between men and women when it comes to wine?

When people ask me if I’m going to write a book about wine for men I tell them no, I’m going to write a book about men who whine (laughs). I don’t see a difference in tasting – it’s not about palate, it’s about perspective. Women tend to look at wine in a lifestyle context; it’s not about ratings and collecting. But lots of guys who are in touch with their feminine sides have read the book and tell me that they learned a ton!

What is the premise behind your latest book, The Simple & Savvy Wine Guide?
It’s really answers to questions I get every day from viewers and from talks I give. I break wine down by mood, with food, by seasons. I was on the Today show with Al Roker talking about Valentine’s Day wines. I offer suggestions for picnic wines, sexy wines – I call them “belly button sippers” – and wines to drink while your relaxing in the bathtub.
What is your favorite restaurant in San Francisco to just sit at the bar and enjoy a glass of wine?

I love Jardinière because they have an outstanding list. I also love Boulevard. And Absinthe has a really fun bar – it’s perfect for having a glass of Champagne and some French fries there.

It’s that time of year where daughters everywhere are selling Girl Scout cookies to their parents and all their parents’ friends. What wine pairs best with Girl Scout cookies? 
My daughter used to be a Girl Scout – we still have some in the freezer. Thin Mints could be a tough one, but I think a late bottled port – that would also go with the Peanut Butter Sandwiches and the Caramel deLites with the coconut. I think tawny port is a good all-purpose wine for Girl Scout cookies. My daughter is 13 now – we’re in hell with our daughter. My son’s 5 – when wine gets delivered to the door he says, “Mommy’s juice is here!”

Check Please! Bay Area airs Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., Fridays at 1:00 p.m., and Saturdays at 1:30 p.m. on KQED channel 9. For more information on Leslie Sbrocco, visit www.lesliesbrocco.com.

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