{"id":14,"date":"2016-10-03T10:56:58","date_gmt":"2016-10-03T17:56:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/magazine.hmc.edu\/summer-2016\/?p=14"},"modified":"2016-10-05T09:13:50","modified_gmt":"2016-10-05T16:13:50","slug":"a-perfect-pairing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/magazine.hmc.edu\/summer-2016\/a-perfect-pairing\/","title":{"rendered":"A Perfect Pairing"},"content":{"rendered":"

Growing up, Diana Hawkins envisioned building<\/strong> cars and robots, not wine lists. But, that\u2019s exactly what she does today as a sommelier in Chicago.<\/p>\n

\u201cFrom the time I was 8 years old, I wanted to be an engineer,\u201d says Hawkins. \u201cI had an aptitude for science and math. So engineering seemed like a natural fit and was something I wanted to practice. I was on my high school robotics team and loved working in the machine shop.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hawkins came to Harvey Mudd fully expecting to become an engineer and earned her B.S. degree in 2008. By then, however, she had strong doubts about her career choice. Sitting in a junior-year systems engineering class, Hawkins came to a realization: she didn\u2019t want to build cars if it meant doing this every day. \u201cI absolutely hated it,\u201d she says. But what would she do instead?<\/p>\n

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The immediate answer was technical sales, although there were already clues that wine would figure in her life. As a senior, Hawkins helped start a wine club at Mudd. She and other students who had reached the legal drinking age sampled wines from Vons supermarket and the sponsoring professor\u2019s wine cellar. She visited Santa Barbara County wineries and discovered how exciting Napa cabernet could be. \u201cI remember the wine was from the late \u201980s and was totally unlike anything I\u2019d ever experienced. After that, I was hooked.\u201d<\/p>\n

After college, she joined an Ingersoll Rand sales and leadership training program and traveled to factories and production lines instead of wineries. She sold air compressors and pneumatic tools to engineers. Later, she shifted to selling business hardware and software for Softchoice, an information technology company.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt the time, wine was something for relaxing, a hobby,\u201d says Hawkins. \u201cWhenever I went on vacation, I would go to a wine region. It was equal parts vacation and learning. I would meet the people who made wine, hear their stories and pester them with questions.\u201d<\/p>\n

Soon, she was working a few nights each week at a Chicago wine shop and spending another evening in a wine class through the International Sommelier Guild. Hawkins came to a new realization: She should quit her technical sales job\u2014with its constant stress and buzzing BlackBerry\u2014to work in wine full time.<\/p>\n

\u201cI realized I liked wine far more than I did sales. My company and its competitors were always hiring, so it didn\u2019t feel like a big risk to leave,\u201d says Hawkins. \u201cI never really worried about making the change, and luckily it all worked out.\u201d<\/p>\n

Within a few months, Hawkins was a wine captain for Chicago\u2019s newly opened City Winery, responsible for knowing the nuances of 400 different wines and keeping the wine cellar organized for the dining and entertainment venue. She says, \u201cI got lucky. It was my first real restaurant wine job. I loved the pace. I loved the hours. And I loved the people.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tasting and smelling are so subjective, and everyone\u2019s so different. The challenge comes with breaking that smell-memory down so you can describe the wine to others.<\/p>\n

\u2013 Diana Hawkins ’08<\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Hawkins was quickly promoted to the position of floor manager and also became a certified sommelier. Through involvement with the Court of Master Sommeliers and Guild of Sommeliers, she learned more about wine and met others passionate about the beverage.<\/p>\n

\u201cI do a lot of studying and a lot of tasting. I\u2019m training my palate. I drink wine I don\u2019t like just to bond with it. I\u2019ll drink a bottle of wine over two or three days to see how it develops,\u201d says Hawkins. \u201cTasting and smelling are so subjective, and everyone\u2019s so different. Smell often triggers memories: Sometimes a bottle of Viognier from the Northern Rhone smells like Nair [hair removal lotion] to me. It\u2019s bizarre. The challenge comes with breaking that smell memory down so you can describe the wine to others.\u201d<\/p>\n

She has proven to have a notable palate. By the time Hawkins joined Lula Caf\u00e9 in 2015\u2014less than five years after changing careers\u2014she had become a standout in the wine world, in Chicago and nationally. The publication Chicagoist included her on its list of \u201c10 Most Buzz-Worthy Sommeliers in Chicago of 2015.\u201d And Food & Wine magazine featured Hawkins and her favorite wine picks in an article published earlier this year.<\/p>\n

Hawkins attributes her success in part to her engineering education. Aside from understanding the science behind winemaking, she says, \u201cGoing through the process of becoming an engineer teaches you how to study and apply what you know to something totally new. There are always new technologies coming out, and the same is true about wines. I\u2019m constantly questioning and constantly learning. Working in a restaurant, I use my critical-thinking skills to see problems from multiple perspectives and come up with optimal solutions to make processes more efficient. Our system to ring in orders is a good example. It\u2019s basically a computer science project for me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wine and nightly sommelier duties remain her primary focus. \u201cI feel some kind of way about it, but people often describe me as a hipster sommelier.\u201d Her preference for eclectic offerings include such oddities as orange Pinot Grigio and sparkling wine from the Canary Islands.<\/p>\n

Hawkins is also somewhat of an anomaly among sommeliers: an African-American woman with an engineering and corporate background in a role traditionally dominated by men. She says, however, \u201cWhat\u2019s more challenging for me is that I look like I\u2019m 22. Guests at the restaurant sometimes joke if I\u2019m even old enough to drink. But the real challenge is clothing. If I could find a classic dress with pockets for my wine key, I would be really happy.\u201d<\/p>\n

None of this deters Hawkins\u2019 enthusiasm for her work. She says, \u201cWine is the ideal blend of art, science and vice. I like the knowledge aspect and breaking down perceptions about what wine is supposed to be. I try to make wine approachable. I may literally have peers from Mudd who are building rockets that are going to get us to Mars, but helping people connect with wine is so uplifting. There\u2019s this moment after I pour the wine for guests and they have this sublime look on their faces\u2014it\u2019s a perfect moment.\u201d<\/p>\n

As homage to West Dorm, Diana Hawkins \u201908 presents some bonfire-friendly wines from the West Coast.<\/h2>\n

Brooks Pinot Noir Rose 2015, Willamette Valley, Oregon<\/h3>\n

\u201cI\u2019m a sucker for Rose and BBQ\u2014cherry, pomegranate and watermelon with a finish of tart raspberry and rhubarb. This is what you want to keep you cool while the fire\u2019s blazing bright.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cruse Ultramarine 2011 Pinot Noir Rose, Sonoma Coast, California<\/h3>\n

\u201cDitto to sparkling Rose. This particular wine gets snapped up quickly for a reason. Champagne style using California grapes. A luxurious mouth-feel with black raspberry, strawberry, fresh herbs and cherry blossoms all on a thick slice of toasted brioche.\u201d<\/p>\n

Presq\u2019uile Syrah 2014, Santa Barbara, California<\/h3>\n

\u201cSaying Syrah goes with fire is like beating a dead horse, but Santa Barbara\u2019s cool climate makes this a great Syrah to drink when it\u2019s hot outside. Tart blackberries and blueberries combine with a hint of smoked meat and cigar box all in a wine that\u2019s light on its feet and quaffable to boot.\u201d<\/p>\n

Forlorn Hope Que Saudade Verdelho 2014<\/h3>\n

\u201cNot super well known, Verdelho is a white grape native to Portugal that also does well in California. It\u2019s medium bodied with tons of ripe citrus\u2014 lemon curd, pink grapefruit, mandarin orange\u2014and a faint aroma of honeysuckle. Silky in texture with a refreshing minerality, this is a wine perfect for contemplation while watching dancing flames.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mouton Noir Knock On Wood Chardonnay 2014, Yamhill-Carlton, Oregon<\/h3>\n

\u201cThis ain\u2019t your mother\u2019s chardy-party. An all-stainless-steel production with no malolactic fermentation makes this wine super lean and crisp. Pear, melon, orange, lemon zest and a ton of stone makes this wine a perfect gateway to the Old World.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Illustration<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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