AMUSE BOUCHE: ALPANA SINGH

By Sara Faith Alterman

Alpana Singh has been expertly pairing and serving fine wines since she was barely old enough to legally drink. A Master Sommelier since the age of 26 (and the youngest woman member of the exclusive Court of Master Sommeliers), Singh's love of food and wine is deeply rooted in her upbringing, inspired by the inventive and zealous meals prepared by her Fiji Indian mother. When she's not whirling around her kitchen to prepare an exotic meal or enjoying a glass of her favorite summer vintage, Singh can be found developing wine lists and cultivating palates as the Director of Wine and Spirits for Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises in Chicago.

NAC: Why did you decide to become a sommelier? SINGH: I originally started off waiting tables and would learn about wines to work the floor. It's a fascinating subject to study. I liked it. I went and got a job at a wine store and so, naturally, discussion revolved around wine. I found out about the exam, and then it took me seven years to pass. I think the image of a sommelier is somebody who is older, not Indian. There's a little bit of skepticism, but I don't really find any hurdles. Maybe I don't pay attention to it. NAC: What's the best part about your job? SINGH: No two days are ever the same, there's never a lack of excitement. In the culinary world, I get to meet people from all over the world. It's very exciting. NAC:  What were meals like in your house when you were growing up? SINGH:  My mother is an extremely great cook.   She's very passionate. We'd have these chaotic, large family gatherings around food, and the kitchen was in the garage.  My mother would drive to the countryside to get live chickens. It wasn't like with my American friends where dinner was already cooked and it was clinical and organized.  I would watch movies and wonder why it was so calm and serene.

In my family, we wouldn't start cooking until people arrived.  At 7:00 my mother would start cooking, and then we wouldn't eat until 11 or 12.  I remember my childhood being very loud.  I think I'm now the exact opposite.  I want to make sure everything is done and prepared.  I have absorbed my mother's hosting skills, but it's a little more organized.  I remember a lot of screaming and yelling. It was abit crazy.  My husband is Jewish, and is used to more organized dinners.  I remember taking him to meet my family for the first time and he didn't know how we could hear each other! NAC: Did your mother influence your cooking at all? SINGH: I cook everything, and my mother was always trying some kind of experiment with something. My brother and I were like her guinea pigs. She was always getting some cooking gadget or trying a new recipe. She just got obsessed with certain types of food. I think I have that blind faith as well. I want to learn how to make things too. My husband watches me tackle different types of cuisine. The more adventurous foods; going beyond meat and potatoes. One day we'll have Korean food, the next day something from Morocco, then Indian food. I like to keep things exciting. My husband grew up with a mother who microwaved her food. I went to Argentina for a week in February, and my husband was completely helpless. If I go out, he can't fend for himself. He used to eat cereal three times a day. NAC: What's your favorite wine? Do you have any advice for novice wine drinkers? SINGH: I don't really have a favorite wine. It depends on the mood in what I'm into right now. Right now, for summer, I like crisp, light, white wines. I'm definitely more into the mood pairing than anything else. For people who want to learn more about wine, I'd say get out there and don't be afraid! If you don't know how to pronounce it, don't worry about it. The rest will just fall into place. It's all about just enjoying it. It's about going to a restaurant, traveling, having an experience. That's what it's really all about. NAC: What do you think about the up-and-coming Indian wine culture? SINGH: It will be interesting to see what happens with wine culture in India in the next ten years. Indian culture is just so hot lately [as a trend in the Western world], and it's really encouraging to now see it being reflected in the media. I think we'll see a lot more interesting with wine. India has an encouraging wine industry, and I think the wine drinking culture itself will grow as well. Indian food goes really well with wine; Riesling and Gewurtztaminer go well with it. Beaujolais, pinot noir; it's a matter of balancing things out.