By Jamie Knee
Sharing my passion for wine education and public speaking is one of the great joys of my career. As a Global Wine Educator, I spend my life guiding others through the cultures, traditions, and stories inside every bottle. This intimate connection between terroir and taste is what inspires me, and I had the pleasure of bringing that experience home to Montecito for a very special evening of discovery.
Getting to do what I love…which is wine education & public speaking!!
A Night of Global Exploration Through Wine
I recently hosted a private Unique Wines of the World Experience for thirty enthusiastic wine lovers in Montecito. The goal for the evening was simple yet exciting: take the world’s four major wine-producing countries—Italy, France, Spain, and the United States—and shine a light on wines that are anything but ordinary.
Rather than pouring only classic, widely known bottles, I selected distinctive varietals and regional treasures that reveal the deeper beauty of each country’s winemaking heritage. To elevate the experience even further, each wine was paired with an artisanal cheese and charcuterie selection that complemented its structure and aromatics.
France:
Domaine du Bagnol Cassis Blanc | Provence, Cassis | 2019
France offers endless reinterpretations of terroir, but Cassis remains one of its most enchanting and lesser-known appellations. Nestled along the Mediterranean coast, the region produces white wines with profound maritime influence.
This elegant blend combines:
- Marsanne (51 percent) for body and stone fruit richness
- Clairette Blanc (31 percent) for freshness and lift
- Ugni Blanc (18 percent) for acidity and citrus zest
The result is a dry, juicy wine layered with notes of white peach, saline minerality, and subtle herbal complexity. Cassis Blanc is a natural partner for bouillabaisse, grilled prawns, or any seafood dish kissed by the sea breeze.
Domaine Rolet Poulsard Arbois Vieilles Vignes (France, Jura, Arbois) 2018– 100% Poulsard variety. 50+ year old vines. Redcurrant and cherry, with a hint of hibiscus on the nose.
Domaine de Fenouillet Beaumes-de-Venise Rouge ‘Terres Blanches’ (France, Rhône, Southern Rhône) 2019- 50% Grenache, 40% Syrah and 10% Mourvedre Certified organic. Deep, dense, tightly packed nose with smoky herbal essences and lovely peppery, stemmy fragrance. Round and full-bodied, very rich with concentrated black fruit flavors.
Spain:
*Ameztoi Getariako Txakolina Blanco (Spain, País Vasco, Getariako Txakolina) 202- produced exclusively from indigenous Hondarrabi Zuri grapes. There are fresh aromas of green apple, pear, grass, jasmine, and honeysuckle, while the vibrant acidity is given some weight by a touch of cream on the palate.
*Raul Perez La Vizcaina Bierzo La Poulosa (Spain, Castilla y León, Bierzo) 2018-Red wine made from Mencia. Glistening ruby-red. Ripe, spice-tinged blackberry, cherry cola, licorice and pungent floral qualities on the fragrant nose. Intense red and dark berry liqueur flavors are energized by building spice and smoky mineral flourishes. Concentrated as well as lively and focused, finishing with strong, youthfully tannic persistence and suggestions of candied violet and exotic spices.
*Bodegas Muga Rioja Blanco (Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta 2020) Rioja Blanco is Viurs, Garnacha blanca and Malvasía de Rioja. This wine has a lovely straw-yellow colour. It is intense and complex on the nose with floral aromas, stone fruits and citrus.
ITALY:
Vietti Roero Arneis (Italy, Piedmont, Alba, Roero) 2021
Arneis is a white Italian wine grape, originating from Piedmont, Italy. Straw yellow colour with fresh floral, citrus and melon aromas with hints of almond. Dry, medium-bodied wine with crisp acidity.
*Ka Mancinè Rossese di Dolceacqua Beragna (Italy, Liguria, Rossese di Dolceacqua) 2020-Rossese variety is pale red in color, medium bodied, extremely fresh and spicy, perfumed with currants, cherry and cranberries. Its light bodied and crisp.
*Paltrinieri Lambrusco di Sorbara Radice (Italy, Piedmont, Alba) 2021- Lambrusco variety, vibrant, pale ruby-orange in the glass. Grapefruit, tangerine zest, sour cherry, raspberry, strawberry, white peaches, and delicate rose petal are some of the aromas you might get from this incredibly fresh, bright, dry and dry bubbly.
USA :
Lieu Dit Melon (USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Maria Valley) 2021- 100% Melon de Bourgogne. Soft and fresh wine with minerality, fresh citrus, melon and stone fruit flavors.
Stolpman GDG (USA, California, Santa Barbara County) 2021-100% Gamay. Lush, wild and brambly dark fruits touched up with bright cranberry.
Frequency Wine Company Graciano Portico Hills Vineyard (Santa Barbara County) 2019– A south facing site in Los Alamos, 100% Graciano. Boysenberry seashell aromatics introduce tart raspberry bramble, black tea, and currant, lightly dusted with seaside minerality.
Why Global Wine Education Matters
Curating experiences like this allows wine lovers to step beyond familiar varietals and discover the depth and diversity of global winemaking. Unique wines tell the story of place—ancient soils, coastal winds, mountain slopes, and family traditions passed down through generations.
As a Global Wine Educator, my goal is always to guide guests toward deeper understanding and confidence. These tastings help people expand their palates, spark curiosity, and build lasting knowledge that they can bring to their future wine adventures.
