About Rupal

WELCOME!!

Hi! Thanks for dropping by my site. I hope you find it fun, educational and resourceful.  My friends and family affectionately call me The Syrah Queen.

Syrah is the one grape that I find most intriguing, sexy and mysterious.  You will understand my love affair with this grape variety as you follow my journeys.  With that said, don’t be fooled by the name I am a well-rounded wine aficionado and love all varieties and drink all types of wines; sparkling, rosés, whites and reds.  You will find that I write about any and all wines and grape varieties, but Syrah is my first love. There will always be a special place in my heart for a big, bold, spicy, glass of Syrah, especially from the northern Rhône.

Many ask why I write about wine?  Well, pure and simple, I am a passionate wine connoisseur, wine enthusiast and definitely a wine geek.  I have a WSET Advanced Certificate (Level 3 – Wine & Spirits Education Trust) and I am currently enrolled in the diploma program with WSET.  Oh, I must mention that I am a true Francophile – I have a passion for all things French(language, history, food, culture, and of course wine). This led me to explore the world of French wine in great depth and I am officially a “scholar”.  After rigorous studies, I was awarded the “French Wine Scholar” designation by the Wine Scholar Guild.  My love for wine does not stop with the French.  I have a great fondness for Italian wines. Recently I passed a very intensive Valpolicella wine training program held in Verona, Italy, which designated me as an official global ambassador for Valpolicella wines.

In addition to wine, I have spent 18 years on Wall Street, as a Senior Vice President in Wealth Management, where I worked as a Portfolio Manager and Investment Strategist.  The transition from Wall Street to wine cellars was extremely rewarding and satisfying.  Aside from wine, my passions are traveling, dance and yoga.  I am a 500 hour certified yoga teacher and love combining my two passions, wine and yoga.  I offer wine and yoga classes and workshops.  Come take a “Vino and Vinyasa” class with me.

If you have read this far, you can surmise that I am passionate about wine. Of course, what goes hand in hand with wine is great food and exotic travels.   I have carved out a section of my magazine devoted to travel, food, and the restaurant scene in NYC and around the globe.  I love discovering new vineyards, restaurants and wine bars.

I am available for consultations if you want to build a personal wine cellar.  I can help build out your cellar and can work with a range of budgets.  Do you have an existing wine cellar??  I can help your evaluate, appraise and organize your collection.  If you are a restaurant and want help in building your wine list, please consider hiring the Syrah Queen.

Do you want to host corporate or personal wine tastings?  I have great wine themes and ideas that would accompany any corporate events, team building meetings, or elegant dinner parties.

In the meantime, grab a glass of wine, sit back, relax and enjoy reading my articles.  I am sure you will find them fun, resourceful and educational.  Cheers!!

Rupal Shankar, FWS

syrahqueen@gmail.com