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Welcome to the
Always Sharing Wine Newsletter
Always Sharing Wine is a wine, food, and lifestyle business developed by Susan Richards that is dedicated to inspiring a love of wine through sharing knowledge, experiences, and, of course, wine.
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In this inaugural issue of the newsletter, I will share what drew me to the wine industry, delve into my interest in wines from all fifty United States, and let you in on the origins of my “What Are We Drinking Tonight, Honey?” series. And for some fun, there will be a wine quiz.
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In future newsletters, I will share recent travel experiences.
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The Woman Behind Always Sharing Wine
My first notable introduction to wine was a tour and tasting in 1980 at Charles Krug Winery in Napa Valley. I was fascinated with the sparkling wine production process and the elegant, effervescent beverage it produced. That visit inspired me to learn more about wine and started my lifelong interest and fascination with it. I began to frequent boutique wine shops, always chatting up the owner to learn more, visiting wineries whenever I got the chance, and planning purposeful travel to places where I could immerse myself in a wine region.
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When I fell in love with wine, it became a hobby, and I never seriously considered working in the industry. My chosen profession was as a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, focusing on outpatient care in diabetes and weight management. I enjoyed my work, but after three years in practice, I left to get an MBA and expand my career opportunities.
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For 20 years, I worked in the business side of healthcare and touched almost every industry sector. My favorite roles involved educating, advising, building programs, mentoring, and helping others improve their health and lives, both professional and personal. I love seeing someone excited about a topic and inspired to learn more.
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My professional wine journey started in 2019 after completing the Wine Spirit Education Trust (WSET) Level 2 and Level 3 certifications in wine. I have had as many as five jobs or “gigs” at a time. Selling wine at a farmers’ market, doing commercial tastings, and working in boutique wine shops has allowed me to “talk wine” and enthuse and educate willing customers. Wine and food writing is an unexpected role I have enjoyed taking on, and it inspires me to keep learning.
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Always Sharing Wine was born out of the joy I get from sharing wine with others and seeing someone embrace a new grape or wine region with an inquisitive thirst that often launches them on their wine journey.
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Susan sharing wine at Savour Wine Shop in Gloucester, MA.
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The ASW Quiz
What is the grape varietal used to make wine labeled Vouvray?
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See the answer below; hint: check out the “What are we drinking tonight honey?” food and Wine pairing blog for help at AlwaysSharingWine.com.
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Welcome to Fifty States of Wine
Wine is made in every state in America, which may be hard to believe given the climate variability across the country. I became interested in wine from untraditional wine regions of the USA when I started working for Westport Rivers (WPR) Winery in Westport, Massachusetts. I managed a booth at a farmers market selling WPR wine made from international grape varietals Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Blanc, and Reisling, among others, and the French and American hybrid grapes Marquette and Petite Pearl.
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At the same time, I began to author a series of articles for the online magazine Recette about the production of wine in every state in the USA. With each state I researched and wrote about (alphabetically), I dove deeper into hybrid grapes and learned they could produce delicious still and sparkling wines. I discovered Triminette, the state grape of Indiana, Chardonel grown in Iowa, and Norton and Chambourcin, found in Kansas and other mid-western states. I started ordering wine from these states and would surprise my friends when, after they blindly tasted and enjoyed them, I would reveal where the wine was from and the grape that produced it.
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I have visited wineries in Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont to sample their diverse assortment of wines. Visit my blog, Fifty States of Wine, to learn more about wine made in the USA (still adding states).
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Wine from Hawaii, Massachusetts, Maryland, Colorado.
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How My Husband Inspired A Blog
One night, as we were eating dinner and sipping some lovely wine that paired perfectly with the meal, Ron suddenly said out of nowhere, “Why don’t you write a blog about how you choose wine to pair with dinner?” He said he noticed I thought a lot about what wine would go with that night’s dish. He suggested that the blog describe the dish, its components, why the wine paired well with it, and any specific reason for making that dish, like in memory of my dad or a bumper crop of tomatoes out of the garden. I responded, “Great idea, what should I call it?” Ron thought momentarily and then expounded, “‘What are we drinking tonight, honey?’ Which I always ask you before we sit down to a meal.”
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That was it, and a food and wine pairing blog was conceived. Check out the latest installment of “What Are We Drinking Tonight, Honey?” about how fishcakes and a Chardonnay came to the rescue.
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My husband, Ron, cooking in our kitchen.
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The Answer To The Quiz:
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Vouvray, made from the Chenin Blanc grape, comes from the Loire Valley in France. Chenin is one of the principal grapes of the Loire and is made into sweet, dry, sparkling, and dessert wines. The Chenin Blanc grape is grown throughout the central part of the Loire Valley, which runs along the Loire River from the country’s middle to the Atlantic Ocean. A wine labeled Vouvray must come from vineyards in the village region of Vouvray.
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Copyright 2026. All rights reserved.
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Always Sharing Wine
Gloucester, Massachusetts
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