Jessica here with your weekly recap!
Episode 243 wine coolers are coming back. Don’t believe us, listen to our guest Jim Santangelo!
Jim was born and raised in upstate New York. Once college hit he made his way around the country, settling for a bit in California, and eventually ending up in Salt Lake City at the University of Utah. It was the snow that really brought him to Utah.
While studying behavioral sciences at the University of Utah, Jim fell in love with hospitality when he took a job at Stein Eriksen Lodge in Park City. He found himself intrigued at the relationships and interactions between people their wine experience. It was after leaving Stein and making his way down to the Manhattan, in downtown Salt Lake, that he started to find a bigger passion for the wine industry. Life took him to Atlantic City where he honed his craft and became a sommelier. Fast forward to starting the Wine Academy of Utah.
It’s about as legit as it comes as a recognized wine academy.
Jim educates our listeners (and us) on sulfites in wine, corks and screw tops, and wine in a can. The difference between having a composite cork, a rubber cork, and a screw top and how it effects the life of your wine. Some other tips, if you’re aging wine, keep it on it’s side, rotate a quarter turn a few times a year, and keep in constant temperature, keep out of strong vibration, and sunlight.
Does Utah grow grapes? Yes. One. All the Utah wineries are not sourcing their grapes from one space. They actually outsource from places like Washington, Oregon, California, etc.! What are some of Utah’s wineries? Iron Gate *IG* winery in Cedar City has an incredible wine bar. They source their fruits from Utah. They also do import some from California. Old Town Cellars *OTC* has great retail and property in Park City. The bring in grapes from Washington and Oregon and they are a wine drinkers wine… then Jim said the words La Caille… yes, we all laughed. They grow their own grapes at La Caille as well as sourcing from California. There are incredible wine programs in Utah like BTG, Caffé Molise, Shallow Shaft up by Alta and Snowbird. There even is The Utah Wine Festival which was created in 2019 to showcase the diversity of wines in Utah!
The Wine Academy of Utah offers academy grade courses, local tastings, and continuing education at the University of Utah. During times of COVID things have been slowed down however Jim has found a way to keep classes and tastings safe. Each year the Wine Academy of Utah releases their own list of wines that are available in the State Wine Stores that are on the Wine Spectator’s Top 100 Wines of 2020, you can read their most current list on their website. Everything that Jim does is education based, sounds serious, right? Well of course it is entertaining too because if you’re in the room with Jim, it’s pretty much inevitable fun will be had.
Jim said that the thing that is the most interesting/unique thing that he has found in Utah is the people.
You can find Jim for tastings and classes on his website, Instagram or Twitter, and Facebook. Every other Friday he appears on X96, and once a month he takes listener questions.
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