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
Hi! I’m Rupal.