Mastering the Art of Wine Seduction

Sex sells.

So it makes sense that sommelier Alessandra Rotondi decided to combine wine and sex to differentiate herself in the wine world.

Rotondi come up with the notion of wine seduction while she was still living in Italy in 2005, being true to the Italian concept of "la vita e' bella, which means life is beautiful.

She moved to New York City in 2006, and started hosting wine seduction dinner parties.

From that first glass of bubbly, followed by fruity white, to that full-bodied red and finally, the grand finale dessert wine, she teaches diners the steps of courtship through the selected wines.

See, life is beautiful&especially when you make a living teaching people how to seduce each other with wine.

Rotondi is also a wine consultant and creates wine lists for restaurants and says, The wine maker is the artist and the sommelier/wine consultant is the patron of the arts. Without the sommelier, no one could know that somewhere there is some 'Wine Monalisa waiting just to be discovered and tasted!"

So to Rotondi, wine is sexual and artful.

And who can disagree with that?

Cent Anni!

Questions for Our Wine Pro

What is your death row wine?

Sori San Lorenzo, or any vintage by Gaja.

Many years ago, when I was still working in diplomacy in Rome (nothing to do with wine), I met Mr. Angelo Gaja at one of his wine tastings along with George Riedel (of the namesake glassware firm). While greeting him, I commented that I was seriously thinking of changing my career to wine. The day after he surprised me by mailing me a book signed by him with his best wishes that my dreams could come true. The title of the book was Sori San Lorenzo written by Edward Steimberg, an American writer  living in Italy. To me, Sori San Lorenzo is not only a wine: it is the beginning of my career!

What region produces the best wine?

Several factors contribute to the success of a region including, soil, weather and people. Based on these factors, there are regions that produce better wine than others. Because of my family roots, I would say Tuscany because it contains the perfect combination of the above mentioned three factors. I also have a great love for that region. My strong commitment with wine is also my way to stay connected with my family and ancestors. Every time I have a glass of wine, especially red, I see all their faces swirling around the glass and any sip is like savoring my first sip of Chianti offered by my father as a welcoming into the adult world.

What is the best wine and food pairing youve ever had?

Drinking wine while eating... wine!

Let me explain.

Several years ago I was invited to a wedding in Emilia Romagna, an Italian region just north of Tuscany. After dinner, I left the party and wondered around and discovered a farm where an entire family was just celebrating the end of the harvest. They invited me to join them for a friendly simple snack. I was kind of embarrassed because of my outfit (I was wearing a gown), but they were so nice and kind and I accepted. I drank a Bonarda, which is a red wine from that area and the food that I had paired with that wine was... wine! It's true: I ate wine. Actually, I ate what it is called Sugo dUva that is literally Sauce of Must a regional recipe made with young wine and flour cooked together until the 'must' becomes solid and then  refrigerated before being served. It was delicious. And for the first time of my life I paired wine with ... wine!

What will the U.S. wine industry look like in 10 years?

The U.S. wine industry will get better and better and it will compete on a larger scale with French and Italian wines for excellence.

I think the U.S. industry will be the first to catch new integrations of wines and marketing as they already have by offering overnight vineyard tours that has been imitated all over. The combination of wine and tourism has been proven successful and the U.S. industry will continue to look to other aspect of wine to promote it to be associated with any social occasion.

Furthermore, draft wine will be a become a new trend. Wine on tap does not go bad for several months if  stored properly. It's also a great way for customers to sample a glass before purchasing a bottle. Draft wine is also eco-friendly because it eliminates packaging. It has always worked in Italy, not only in Trattorias and Osterias, but also in high-end, fancy restaurants and I think the U.S. wine industry will be able to market this idea even better.

Don't miss Tracy's live online show every weekday from 1-1:50pm ET.