About

Today we’re talking with wine and food creator/ enthusiast Sarita Chaves. If you’re all about your wine, spirits, and food, you need to meet Sarita. She’s a DC native with a love for food, wine and city living. Sarita’s the founder of the Swirl Suite podcast, a cohort of Black women who work in the wine and spirits industry. She created her blog ‘Vinemeup’ in 2013 after years of working at a local winery in Maryland and highlighting unique wines on social media. Currently, she cooks and creates wine pairings in her own kitchen which you can watch play out on her Instagram and on her Instagram Stories.    In this episode, Sarita teaches us how to pair the wines with the seasons, shares her own history and journey through the wine industry, and reveals to us the striking similarities between winemaking and farming.   PS: The Vinemeup Activity Book is almost here! For those that desire to celebrate  Blacks in Wine in a most creative way. Whether you are a seasoned oenophile or someone who is still learning what makes a wine wonderful,  the VINEMEUP Activity Book is an entertaining and satisfying experience that compliments wine-sipping. Click here to sign up for updates about the book launch!   SHOW NOTES:   4:10 - Sarita’s wine career story 8:05 - What makes Maryland wine so special and the magic of Maryland soil: “I think Maryland wine is a Cinderella story.” 10:15 - The parallels between winemaking and farming: “Winemakers are studied farmers.”  11:15 - How Sarita uses wine to elevate her homecooking and to freshen up her everyday meals: “After watching my mom, I started to cook with her, and when I lived on my own, it cranked up a bit. Cooking has always been my thing, but the wine took it up a notch. There are things I’ve experienced foodwise with wine that I've never experienced in my life. I’ve never sat on a hill atop a vineyard, eating duckbreast and drinking zinfandel until I became a wineblogger. That’s when I started to pay attention to chefs on TV--what they’re using, their techniques, etc.” 14:00 - How to travel the world through a bottle of wine: “Find a really good wine shop, and get to know someone who works there, and get on the email list! Follow them on Instagram! Join a wine club!”  16:00 - Shoutout to our fave wine stores: Simple Syrup in Brooklyn, and Wardman Wines in DC (where wine author Julia Coney reigns!) 26:00 - How to transition your wine palette throughout the seasons 29:30 - The best wine to drink during each season 30:00 - 37:00 - Gardening talk: The best things to grow in each season!     Follow the Swirl Suite on Instagram