Alisha Blackwell-Calvert didn’t plan on becoming an expert in wine. As a student, her fascination with horses put her in an equestrian school in Fulton. But in St. Louis, where she worked as a restaurant server, she picked up a new passion.
Falling in love with the world of wine eventually led Blackwell-Calvert to her most recent position — as a sommelier at Cinder House. It’s also given her a view of how that world is changing in Missouri.
“Year after year, I get to see the progression of what's happening in the state, and it's really fascinating,” she told St. Louis on the Air on Tuesday. “I think one of my favorite varietals right now is the chambourcin grape. It's fun. It's got really nice fruit notes and reminds me of several grapes that are from Europe.”
Also on Tuesday, Blackwell-Calvert discussed some of her favorite Missouri-made wines and the increasing popularity of wines without alcohol.
“There's a handful of restaurants and few fine wine stores that carry alcohol-free wine,” she noted. “I think the selections are widening, just because the desire [for] alcohol-free [choices] and being sober is growing. So you see more options. But I think it's still a developing category … there's still room for improvement and variety. But in two, three years, I think that market will continue to increase exponentially.”
To hear more from sommelier Alisha Blackwell-Calvert, including how Missouri’s climate affects the taste of its wine, listen to St. Louis on the Air on Apple Podcast, Spotify or Google Podcast or by clicking the play button below.
“St. Louis on the Air” brings you the stories of St. Louis and the people who live, work and create in our region. The show is produced by Miya Norfleet, Emily Woodbury, Danny Wicentowski, Elaine Cha and Alex Heuer. Ulaa Kuziez is our production assistant. The audio engineer is Aaron Doerr. Send questions and comments about this story to talk@stlpr.org.
