Hip Tastes Blog

HIP TASTER of the Month: Co-Dogg
filed under: Hip Tasters

Everyone, meet Jen Cohen, my long time BFF and soon-to-be Harvard MBA (Class of 2008, baby). There are oodles of reasons she's a Hip Taster, but the main one is that Jen has never, ever turned down an invitation from me to drink some good wine. Heck, I'll even go out on a limb and let it be known that she's enthusiastically downed tons of totally sub-par vino with me (JC - remember that case of Two Buck Chuck?)

And, besides being obviously very bright and an excellent partner in vinous crime, she happens to have a fantastic sense of humor and general joie de vivre that makes her a perfect Hip Taste-r. Check out this very cute pic of her wearing her Harvard sweatshirt and clutching a glass of vino. She's come a long way since the time back in college when she asked me if they "really put strawberries" in a wine we were drinking.

From time to time I fondly recall the time she asked me in all earnestness if the wine I'd just described as having aromas of nutmeg and strawberry really contained the berries. It seemed absurd at the time that anyone might actually think this (let alone a very bright person who was working for one of the top strategy consulting firms in the country), but then again that's just the thing about wine: it's freaking confusing! It doesn't matter if you've got your doctorate, an amazingly high IQ or a Harvard MBA - if you don't know much about wine it can seem overwhelming at times.

Fortunately for Jen, she's come a long way since she asked me that question. Many shared bottles later, I'm proud to say she understands the rudimentary facts behind vinification (namely, that the only thing they add is the actual grapes, plus some yeast and a little sulfur). She's also graduated to some much better wine than 2 Buck Chuck - case in point: she's accompanying me to Bordeaux and the Rhone for a week of wine wanderings later this summer. First stop: Chateau Margaux. Certainly a big improvement over our previous plonk. Here's another pic of her hamming with my sister and, ahem, a glass of wine.

Naturally, we'll also be hitting St. Tropez, Cannes, Nice and Monte Carlo on this trip for some apres-tasting festivities. After all, Jen can use a little nightlife before beginning the grind at HBS this fall. I'll be sure to post a healthy dose of pics of both the wine tasting and partying because, at the end of the day, JC's a hoot in the clubs as well as in the tasting room. Stay tuned.

Posted by Courtney on July 9, 2006 08:53 PM