Leslie Sbrocco exults in Adventures as a Thirsty Girl

It’s not easy bringing forth a short description of Leslie Sbrocco.  Let’s go down the list and I’ll try and show you why.  Acclaimed author, tequila induced bungee jumper, writer, speaker, wine consultant, television host and entrepreneur.  In an of itself, all of those things are genuinely impressive but when one adds to the picture exactly at what level those accomplishments have taken place, then things begin to look pretty remarkable.

She is the Tasting Notes columnist for Epicurious, and contributor to WineReview Online and the San Francisco Chronicle. Leslie was a columnist for The New York Times online and Cooking with the Times and General Manager/Co-founder of WineToday.com, the wine site of The New York Times.  Her work has also been featured in such notable outlets as O, the Oprah magazine, Coastal Living, Woman’s Day, Good Housekeeping, Glamour, and Santé.

Her television credits are formidable as well. We loved her as the the wine expert for the cooking show Seasonings. Check out cable television’s On the Vine series, CBS’s Evening Magazine, or regular appearances on the Today Show.  She’s also a featured judge on the upcoming PBS national series, The Winemakers.  Think of a vino version of Survivor meets the Kardashians or the Apprentice.

We’ll add graciousness to her attribute list to because, out of courtesy,  she squeezed in this interview with us while on deadline for various writing assignments and a Today Show appearance.  We reached out to Leslie for the conversation because of how excited we are about her third book. It’s called Adventures of a Thirsty Girl.  She’s describing it as a series of short stories centering around escapades ranging  from bungee jumping off bridges in New Zealand to leaping tall tequilas in a single bound.

Thirsty Girl began with Leslie sharing stories of her humorous, globe-trotting culinary travels. When women inquired incredulously, “How did you get THAT job?” she also began speaking about personal experiences of turning her passion into her career. While writing the book,  Adventures of a Thirsty Girl, she tapped others to become Thirsty Girls and the movement was born. Interacting both online and offline, the goal is to inspire each other to follow our dreams while having a great time. And that it won’t be all about her is probably the best part.  She’s actually inviting her readers to share their stories for inclusion as well.

The early buzz on all of this is pretty strong and the prospect of getting the inside scoop on the project was, to say the least, tantalizing.  It’s also nice to try and learn what makes Leslie Sbrocco tick.

We love how you have taken some of the pretentious aspects out of wine and reached out to so many women with the message of wine’s accessibility. What in the world made you this passionate about wine in the first place?

I grew up outside Chicago where beer was king, but my father was an airline pilot so we traveled. That’s where my love of criss-crossing the globe came from and it also where I was first exposed to wine. My dad drank wine and we were always allowed some if we wanted. When I moved to the San Francisco area after college, I really got into it and started my affair with the grape. I came from a writing and television background and put that to good use once figured out I could actually get paid to drink. I’m still so passionate about wine, food and travel. I’m the luckiest woman around to get to do this for a living.

You seemed to understand the value of social media in marketing your books and extending your message. We can recall Wine for Women having its own Myspace page several years ago back when it was the dominant platform.

I helped create the Internet site about wine for the New York Times Company called WineToday.com in 1998. It was one of the first of its kind and so I’ve always been a true believer in the power of connecting and promoting online. I could see it was the future and have always used it as my primary communication tool. With my new venture, Thirsty Girl, social media will play a huge role, too.

What is it about women and wine? Would you agree that women seem to possess an instinct for its pleasure even beyond that of men?

Women rock. We generally don’t get hung up on what wine scored what – I call it winning the wine game – but we do care about taste, style and pleasure. I wrote Wine for Women not to recommend different wines for men or women (I don’t), but to focus on how we integrate wine into our daily lives. Women are the majority of wine consumers and that’s because we simply like the way it tastes and makes us feel. It’s our way of relaxing and connecting with friends and family. As a girlfriend of mine who stays at home with her kids says, “my 5pm glass of wine is called mommy’s little helper.” I wonder what my 5pm bottle of wine is called?!

You seem to have a keen understanding that wine is also about presentation and entertainment not simply palate. It’s as though you guide your fans back to the “fun first” aspects of it.

If you can’t have fun drinking wine, you’re drinking the wrong stuff. Sure, I can be a geek and am serious about wine but I never take myself too seriously. Wine is not to fear or revere but enjoy.

Your new project is off the wall exciting. Adventures of a Thirsty Girl. If there isn’t a movie here there should be. Tell us about it.

You’re the first to hear about it as we’re launching the website BeAThirstyGirl and social media in mid-Nov. I’m working on the third book,  Adventures of a Thirsty Girl, which is a humorous and inspirational look at my travels around the culinary world and how I get to do what I love for a living. It may not be a movie, but we are in talks to make it a television show. Fingers crossed. We’ll also be hosting live Thirty Girl events across the country starting next year so stay tuned.

When life hands you lemons and you make lemonade…with vodka…you’re a Thirsty Girl. Jump on a plane – or out of one – at a moment’s notice? You’re a Thirsty Girl. If fantasizing about celebrity chefs only results in gaining 10 pounds, you’re a Thirsty Girl. Though Thirsty Girls crave libations and laughter, there’s more here than meets the lips. We’re a movement of like-minded women who thirst for fun, adventure, and fulfillment. As a Thirsty Girl, you’ll find a place where amazing women drink, discuss, eat, travel, share, support, party and play together in ways that satisfy our stomachs and souls.

We couldn’t possibly talk with Leslie Sbrocco and not learn what her favorite wines are.

Champagne first. They say Marilyn Monroe used to bathe in the stuff and I would do the same if I could, I’d just like a big straw. After that it’s Pinot Noir, Riesling, and most all Spanish and Argentine reds. Usually though my answer to that question is that my favorite wine is the one in my glass because I get to drink it. Cheers.

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