In twenty years of wine tasting I have always held the belief that in general, women possess better palates than men.

There is even some anthropological theory supporting this opinion.

Back in hunting and gathering times, men went on lengthy trips into the wilderness killing animals for food. Due to long travel times, some of the meat arrived in the village in a less than a pristine state of freshness. 

It was the woman’s role to evaluate the kill and decide what was fit for family consumption. Over thousands of years the thinking goes, this responsibility produced heightened aroma perception skills in women. 

On numerous occasions I have noticed women immediately detecting cork-tainted wines within seconds of the bottle being opened -- much quicker than men. It caused me to think there may be something to this aroma evolution concept. 

Women may even love wine more so than men. Women are 52 per cent of the adult population and drink 57 per cent of the wine sold in the United States.

In the areas of winemaking and wine writing, women have not only played major roles, many rank amongst the greatest ever. 

Some of my favorite winemakers are Lalou Bize-LeRoy, Veronique Drouhin, Merry Edwards and Helen Turley. My personal wine journey is deeply indebted to these women so much so that without them, my palate would be far less fine-turned to nuance and complexity. 

The same is true for wine writers. Jancis Robinson is a titan in the wine writing field. She brings both a highly intellectual as well as an earthy approach to the subject of wine. To say her knowledge is encyclopedic is no exaggeration – She edited the “Oxford Companion to Wine” and co-edited (with Hugh Johnson) “The World Atlas of Wine.” 

Mary Ewing-Mulligan is, as is Jancis Robinson, a Master of Wine. She is America’s first female to earn this, the highest wine title in the world. (There are less than 300 M.W. degree holders worldwide.) For years she has shared her knowledge and enthusiasm as President of The International Wine Center. “Wine for Dummies” is perhaps the most easy and concise instructional wine book ever written. She is the co-author along with Ed McCarthy. 

The one area of the wine profession where, until recently, women lagged behind is the sommelier position. I don’t have actual statistics, but in the last ten years there seems to be a significant increase in the number of female sommeliers. Back in the 90’s I remember working with only a few.  The one that stands out the most in my mind is Andrea Immer (now Robinson), then at Windows on the World.

Andrea, who has achieved the degree and title: Master Sommelier by the Court of Master Sommeliers is clearly fueled by passion for the world of wine. Years ago, the last conversation I had with her was about her desire to go to cooking school in order to increase her knowledge about wine pairing with food. This effort has served her well as she has since written books and became part of the faculty of a top New York cooking school.  I venture to guess that she has been a great inspiration for this current generation of female sommeliers.

For an old wine guy such as myself, women sommeliers are refreshing to interact with. (This is aside from my much-deserved reputation as a flirt.) When women discuss wines, they tend to have tight, concise descriptions that immediately capture the essence of the wine. Guys tend to be geekier and a sometimes a touch too pompous in manner.

Wine women generally better express the “Joie de vivre” (joy of living) element of wine appreciation. Maybe because the Cyndi Lauper song “Girls just want to have fun” refuses to exit my memory, but female Sommeliers seem more excited about wine. They beam about their new discoveries and their enthusiasm is contagious.  

If I were to pick just one shinning example of this new generation of sommeliers it is Christina Turley, currently the sommelier at large for the Momofuku restaurant group. Yes, as her last name implies, she is genetically linked to great winemakers and seemingly, to grapes themselves. 

I have had the great pleasure to converse with Christina at wine tastings as well as at Momofuku Ko and she is as knowledgeable and passionate as any sommelier I have ever met. Her wine resume is seemingly way beyond her youthful years; it includes cellar work in California and France, restaurants such as Gramercy Tavern, L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon and even wholesale wine sales.

I remember (with disdain) the old school sommelier. They performed their duties with an elitist attitude. The roll of their eyes and slight rise of their eyebrow made one feel uncomfortable sitting anywhere near a bloody wine list.  

The new generation of sommeliers such as Turley brings fun to the table. They are great listeners with lighting fast recollection of the wines on their lists. They take their role seriously but never to the point where the patron feels like the village idiot in Cambridge Massachusetts.