New content on AuthorCortney.com

Last week, I attended the San Francisco Writers Conference to meet with literary agents in hopes of getting representation for my debut novel, Where I Want to Be. I have submitted portions of my manuscript to a few interested agents and now I'm hoping one of them writes back soon and wants to take the next step. At this point, they want to see sales...

If you haven't read my first book yet, I ask you to please download it on Amazon or iTunes and begin reading it tonight! (Thank you thank you thank you!)

After meeting with the agents, I attended many panels and presentations from fellow authors at the conference. One thing I heard over and over was to "blog at least twice a week". I realized I would blog more if I wasn't busy updating two websites. So, in an effort to blog more often, I am merging my Sip, Swirl, Savor wine blog with my beautiful new website.

The content here on sipswirlsavor.blogpost.com will still be available to reference older posts, but for new information, please join my mailing list at AuthorCortney.com.

Please note that my new Facebook page is facebook.com/AuthorCortney, my sole twitter account is @AuthorCortney, and my Instagram account is also @AuthorCortney. Thank you and I look forward to continuing to provide wine tasting notes and winery recommendations to you!

Cheers,
Cortney

A smart and "Savvy" new guide to wine

About a month ago, I received an email from a fellow USC Trojan alum. Although we had not met prior, when Brittany Deal asked if I would be interested in reviewing her new book about wine, I immediately agreed to take a look at it.

Savvy Girl: A Guide toWine is a cute and contemporary handbook for wine novices. Written in a sassy and conversational tone, this 87-page paperback is filled with useful tips, quirky comparisons, and “wino buzzwords”. After reading it—with a glass of wine in hand, of course—I asked Brittany a few questions…

Thank you for contacting me to review your book! What motivated you to start Savvy Girl?

In 2010, I took a sabbatical to travel the world and reflect on what I really wanted out of life.  I have always been a lover of learning and a lover of how-to books. But one day while reading a book on my Kindle in the middle of the Bolivian Amazon I realized that most non-fiction books were full of fluff and repetition. I remember thinking, what if I wrote a book series that made getting savvy quick, effortless and fun? What if I made books that were beautiful to look at, and written in a way that felt more like a conversation than a book?  

So I set out to create Savvy Girl, a go-to source for rich, yet concise, knowledge on the topics women care about.

I think your debut book is perfect for women who want to learn more about wine that don’t have enough time on their hands to, for instance, enroll in a wine class. What inspired you to write the first Savvy Girl Guide about wine?

I chose wine because women love wine, yet many wish they were more wine savvy.

Ultimately, my goal for the wine book was to cut through the clutter and make learning the basics of wine simple and fun so a reader could walk away feeling more comfortable talking about wine, buying it, and reaching for that wine list!

Plus, researching wine was a lot of fun.

Yes, haha. Research and development is always fun when wine is involved! Who are your wine mentors? 

I absolutely love Jennifer Simonetti-Bryan. I love that she took a risk to follow her passion in wine and I also admire her drive. Before I pulled the plug at my banking job (and long before I decided to make the first Savvy Girl guide wine related), I saw an article about her in Fortune Magazine. It talked about how she went from “leverage” (from a banking career) to “corkage” (to being the 4^th woman in the U.S. to get the Masters of Wine title). [The] courage [she had] to go after her dream was inspiring.

 

What’s your favorite wine?

I’ve tried so many good wines it’s impossible to pick a favorite!

Good answer. Your favorite winery?

Favorite winery—Del Dotto. Their cave tour is the most memorable wine tasting experience I have ever had.

I can relate! I was at Del Dotto last month (see picture to the right) and might feature their caves in my second novel in the Wine Country Series... You mention quite a few wine-growing regions in your book (Napa, France, Italy, New Zealand, etc.), what’s your favorite?

Napa!

Good answer. What’s next on your Savvy Girl agenda?

Savvy Girl is growing fast. The next two new titles are scheduled to publish in the Fall of 2014. Our long-term goal is to have over 100 guidebooks in the brand.

We’re also launching a YouTube Channel in 2014. Sign up for our email list at www.savvygirl.net or follow us @SAVVYGIRLguides to stay in the loop.

That sounds fantastic. Best of luck to you, Brittany!

Brittany Deal is a Los Angeles resident and a Seattle native. She graduated from USC with a degree in business and began working for a bank. After a couple of years of two-hour LA commutes, Brittany gave up her job and traveled. She started Savvy Girl shortly thereafter and published her debut book in October 2013. Savvy Girl: A Guide to Wine is available on Amazon in ebook andpaperback.

***Want to win a paperback copy signed by the author? It would be my Valentine's Day present to you! Send me an email now to enter!***

Wine & Women's Fiction: the Perfect Pairing!

Over the past 18 months, I have written—and self-published—a novel about life in Wine Country. It started as a collection of dating stories with a bunch of wine references (because blind dates are better, or at least funnier, when wine is involved). I started referring to these wine-fueled musings as a novel when the page count hit 200 (and I wasn't done yet).

I've always known I would be a novelist. In the Creative Writing program at USC, the lesson plans focused on writing short stories, poetry, essays or journalistic articles. But even after graduating with a B.A. in Creative Writing and getting lots of writing experience (including penning a weekly wine column for the Daily Trojan), I felt unprepared for what I really wanted to do. All my professors told me to "write what you know", but I didn't know how to write a novel.

So now that I’ve finished my first novel—and begun working on the second one—everyone wants to know about the process. Maybe they didn't teach novel-writing at USC because it comes down to two simple things: a few great ideas and lots of hard work.

Oh, and a good editor, supportive friends, and many bottles of wine...

The easiest part of writing Where I Want to Be was deciding which wines to mention. I looked back at four years’ worth of blog posts and picked out the most memorable ones.

After writing about eight drafts and proofreading until my eyes hurt, I am thrilled with the feedback from fellow wine bloggers and friends! And although this novel is “women’s fiction”, I know one guy who read it and thoroughly enjoyed it. Click here to check out Alana Gentry’s review on girlwithaglass.com.

I hope that you will buy my debut novel on Amazon today and enjoy it too. Preferably with a big glass of wine!

Cheers,

Cortney

What to drink now: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Champagne!

With the release of my debut novel, Where I Want to Be, coming up in the next few weeks, I haven’t had much time to blog (shame on me). I have been busy developing my marketing campaign for the Wine Country Series, reaching out to the wineries mentioned in the first ebook (yes, there will be more!), making a YouTube video in which I read an excerpt from the first chapter and proofreading the final proof of WIWTB. Despite all these non-drinking activities, I have still managed to enjoy some fantastic wines.

I love a crisp Chardonnay on a hot late-summer evening, which we have had a lot of in Marin County recently . The 2011 Castello di Amorosa Reserve Chardonnay, Bien Nacido Vineyard, Santa Barbara ($38/bottle; castellodiamorosa.com)* is a terrific summer sipper with a nose of white flowers, pear and crème brûlee spice. Upon the initial quaff, I almost deemed this wine too oaky for my likes, but as the wine warmed up in the glass and continued to evolve with a little aeration, I could fully appreciate its intricacy. On the palate, this wine offers flavors of Meyer lemon, candied ginger and minerals. With only 20% malolactic fermentation, this wine retains its natural vibrant acidity. The finish is refreshing and clean and enhanced with tropical fruit notes and a whisper of vanilla. This is a great wine to share with girlfriends (or perhaps a good book). Yum!

A slightly chilled Pinot Noir can be just as refreshing... 

If you didn’t catch my post about Pinot Days on July 1st, perhaps you haven’t heard me boast about the awesomeness of Russian River Valley. Last weekend I had a date—his name was Gary Farrell and he was absolutely delicious. From the 2009 vintage, this RRV Pinot Noir ($35/bottle; fpwm.com) has matured nicely and offers up a complex flavor profile of cherry cola, juicy plum and red raspberry. The mouthfeel was super-smooth and lush. The mid-palate kept me intrigued with notes of vanilla, earth and spice. It was a lovely wine; the kind I would definitely say yes to for a second date. ;-)

Last but certainly not least, the other stunner I have had the pleasure of spending time with is Jean Vesselle. From Bouzy, Champagne, the Oeil de Perdrix NV ($29/bottle 375 mL shown or $56/bottle 750 mL; mainstreetwinebar.net) is a 100% Pinot Noir brut rosé. It has a peachy color with aromas of wild strawberry, freshly baked bread, roses and a hint of smoke. It is robust and seductive in the mouth with complementary notes of roasted nuts, bright red fruit flavors and a long delightful finish.

As always, thank you for reading. Please provide comments and questions on my Facebook page and stay tuned for more wine reviews to be posted soon. Cheers!

*This bottle was received for review purposes from Castello di Amorosa. Please contact the winery to purchase.