Wine Importer Q & A: Karen Ulrich of T. Edward Wines
Meet this badass lady of wine & hear about her dream dinner party!
First things first, this past week has been a tough one in the southeastern United States (to put it mildly). One that left me speechless, sad, filled with my own hurricane PTSD, and feeling stuck in my empath mind – all due to Hurricane Helene (in case you live in a part of the world where this did not make the news). (Please see my notes section of Substack by clicking here if you are curious about ways to help the areas devastated by this terrible storm.)
So because of all this I kept quiet last week and did not publish a newsletter, but thankfully I was reminded of my mission and inspired to publish this week when I received the very inspired answers you will find below from my second profile subject: Karen Ulrich, National Sales Director for T. Edward Wines (an importer) and just an all around awesome person!
I was moved to reach out to Karen with my Q & A questions as we are hosting a wine dinner together in late October (a Champagne Dinner to be specific!) as part of my day job at Edmund’s Oast Restaurant here in Charleston, South Carolina. Obviously, the Q & A is nice marketing for the dinner, but honestly the dinners usually sell out on their own. I really just selfishly wanted to know Karen’s answers as I have felt super simpatico with her ever since we met a few years back. I just KNEW we were kindred spirits, and when she responded with her answers I immediately wrote back: “Oh my gosh, this is amazing. You’re amazing. No wonder I like you so much. We have so much in common.” Yep, Karen is all of that and then some. Please enjoy learning about her and her insight into wine (and food!) below. By the way, she did leave off the part about completing her Wine & Spirits Education Trust Diploma a couple of years ago, which is a huge accomplishment!
Also, if you missed the link above there are still a few tickets left for the Champagne Dinner, and you can reach the ticketing website by clicking here, where you will find all the details!
Was wine part of your life growing up?
Wine was not a part of my upbringing, but my mother’s side of the family enjoyed their libations. Thanksgiving dinners at my grandmother’s house open and closed with the family gathered around the bar that my grandfather built by hand.
How about food? Did your family spend a lot of time cooking? Or eating out?
My mother made our baby food, to avoid processed foodstuff in jars. While later living in New Hampshire, we picked/harvested: green and wax beans, apples, peaches, and corn. And she canned and froze them to feed us through the winter. While maybe not exploratory of different flavors or cuisines, our meals were healthy, clean and made with love.
Give us the short version on how you ended up working in wine and specifically working for a wine importer?
With an MFA in Creative Nonfiction Writing I was teaching and looking for a change. A wine trip to CA inspired WSET Levels II and III, a wine blog, and writing about wine for the Edible publications. For my first three years at T. Edward Wines, I wrote content: the website, the blog, tech sheets, and marketing materials. Then, seizing an opportunity, I transitioned into National Sales, where I’ve been moving for the past 10 years!
I know this is a loaded question, but what are your favorite wine regions of the world having visited so many?
Beaujolais, Burgundy, Champagne, Loire, Alsace, and Jura. Wholly France! Lol. But to be fair, most of my wine travels have taken me there, leaving Iberia and Italy with much to explore. I’m super excited about quality wines coming from Central Europe as well.
Perhaps another loaded question but what are your thoughts on the state of the wine industry at present and any focused hopes for the future?
I think the wine industry is witnessing a transition. Many of us (self-included) drank too much during the pandemic and are returning to our drinking patterns of 2019. Cannabis infused beverages, Ozempic, and negative press are not helping! I’d really like to see studies conducted on consuming naturally made wine as a part of one’s meal, because that is how most of us drink it. Wine is food. It is history, culture, art, and of the land. Wine is joy. It brings us together, and when it’s really good, wine offers a glimpse of nature’s divine potential.
Finally let’s wrap up our chat with a bit of daydreaming and discuss what would be your dream wine dinner/dinner party…
First, what would the location be?And who would you invite? Can be anyone – even those no longer with us! But let’s limit it to 4 to keep this party under control lol.
French countryside, by a river with a table set in tall wildflowers and grass. With only four guests, I’d include my dear friend Ellen, because she would love it so much. And I would love to spend time with Patti Smith, the poet and rock-n-roll goddess (but does she drink?). And since four is an intimate affair, let’s add her dear friend Robert Mapplethorpe.
Would you start the planning with wine first or food first?
Always wine first. Food in season follows.
Now tell us all about the wine & food…and would you cook yourself or bring in a guest chef (can be anyone)! But please give us the details with some specific wines and dishes.
With unlimited time, I think it’d be fun to shop at the local markets and cook. A pescatarian menu with oysters to start. All the lettuces the locality has to offer. Mushrooms. Maybe a cassoulet. Summertime tomatoes. Fruits and cheese!
Grower champagne: Vouette & Sorbee and Marguet.
All the Burgundy I could never afford, including Raveneau in Chablis.
Jura too: Overnoy & Ganevat.
Any thoughts on a playlist?
All reggae, funk, soul, and jazz. Beginning with Grounation by Count Ossie & Mystic Revelation of Rastafari.
Finally what would be the ideal ending to the night...a raging dance party or moreso a quiet, chill, drinks by the fire kind of ending?
Definitely ending with a dance party. Barefoot in the grass. A dip in the river. Moving the body after a night of feeding the soul.
Btw, if you are just picking up the Grape to Table newsletter, thanks so much for joining to learn more about wine, food, and life. There’s lots to read – from my origin story (click here to read) to fun content focused on meaningful time at the table with delicious wine and food. For now, my newsletter is free and you can find all the content by clicking here – basically a little Grape to Table website created by the great folks at Substack. As always I really appreciate when you hit the like button at the bottom as it helps get this newsletter in front of more people :) and spread the joy of wine and food!