Plot Twist: Coffee Is a Lot Like Wine

Good coffee brings people together. Wine does, too.

Coffee and wine have a lot more in common than you think. For example, you might not know that coffee doesn’t actually come from a “bean”, it comes from the seeds inside of a coffee cherry. Yes, coffee starts as a fruit. Just like wine.

For this year’s end-of-Summer staff party, the Alma team visited a new fine wine tasting room in Woodstock, GA: Private Somm Fine Wine. Founded by certified Sommelier Kory Luebke, Private Somm offers a personalized service to guests, introducing wine as a celebration of craftsmanship to be enjoyed rather than a pretentious experience.

We sampled four distinct wines: a sparkling, a Chardonnay, a rosé, and a red blend. With each glass, Kory shared the story behind the wine, explaining how its origin and winemaking process contributed to the flavors in the glass. Sound familiar?

In the coffee world, we have Q Graders: licensed professionals who assess flavor, aroma, acidity, and defects. In the wine world, they have Sommeliers. Sommeliers like Kory are trained wine professionals who specialize in wines, wine tastings, and wine and food pairings.

Perhaps the most interesting part of the wine tasting experience was learning just how much effort and labor it takes to produce a good-quality wine. Just as environmental factors like altitude, soil, rainfall, climate, and farming practices can affect the taste of a coffee roast, the same goes for wine. To put it into perspective: a Pinot Noir from Oregon doesn't taste like one from Burgundy, just like a coffee from Honduras doesn't taste like one from Ethiopia. 

Overall, what I learned most is that, just like coffee, wine builds community. It starts conversations and gives us something to enjoy together.