She’s the Two Minute Savvy Sommelier on her own video series, a recurring guest on Martha Stewart Radio and Cosmo Radio; has a wine column on the popular websites Tasting Table and Culinate, and blogs about wine at SwirlSavvy. Yes, Anu Karwa is all about wine. The MBA graduate from Columbia University turned entrepreneur with Swirl Events, a hip wine tasting company for corporate and private events, and she’s giving a fresh spin to things.
“I feel the idea found me,” she says, recalling that she first set up a fundraiser for a women’s group at her apartment. It being women’s history month, she served wines only from women winemakers paired with chocolate and cheese. It was such a success that she went on to develop her own unique voice as a grape translator, especially for women.
Karwa’s passion for wine was kindled through living several years in San Francisco. She certified as a sommelier at the International Wine Center in Manhattan, and gradually segued into the wine world. “So many people want to entertain, they want to learn about wine but don’t have the time for it,” she says. “Wine can also be pretty intimidating! If we can make entertaining as effortless as possible, and make wine really fun and still educational, then there’s a real market.”
At Swirl events, the wine brigade comes in with 6 different kinds of wine served with cheese and chocolate pairings. The host and guests can sit back and enjoy the wine tasting, with everything provided from wine and stemware to the sommeliers.
Karwa is now taking the in-home wine party experience and turning it into a product, by designing a wine tasting party kit for people who want to have the wine tasting experience on their own.
Ask her to recommend a hidden gem and she says, “Try Legrein – it’s the name of a grape and a region in Italy. People don’t know so much about it and it’s a great value. It goes well with Indian food, especially lamb and curry dishes.” Grape advice!
