Well known wine journalist to speak at museum August 18

Museum Moments is set Thursday, August 18, 12 noon, at the Union County Heritage Museum. William Faulkner and his Wine by Barbara Ensrud, wine journalist from Durham, North Carolina will be the program’s subject. This is a program of the Literary Fest 2016

Ensrud is a frequent speaker on the subject of wine, including its role in culture, history, myth and symbol. She conducts wine tastings and wine seminars for corporations, conferences and private gatherings. She also consults for restaurants in creating or upgrading wine lists, and works with individuals interested in collecting wine or starting a wine cellar.

Her interest in one of America’s greatest writers and his love of wine began when she visited Rowan Oak, Faulkner’s Oxford home, years ago. She said she saw wine bottles with French labels at the home, which piqued her interest into his knowledge and enjoyment of fine French wines. Her interest turned into research and she is now working on a book about Faulkner and his wines.

Esrud is a wine journalist, author and wine educator. Her syndicated weekly wine columns for the New York Daily News appeared in major metropolitan newspapers across the country, from the Miami Herald to the San Jose Mercury News, and during her years in New York, she was a regular contributor to the Leisure & Arts page of the Wall St. Journal. Her wine articles have appeared in GQ, Vogue, Parade, Garden & Gun, Smart Money, Harper’s Bazaar, The Wine Spectator, Decanter, Food & Wine, Gastronomica, House & Garden, House Beautiful, Glamour, and numerous other publications. She is Regional Correspondent for Appellation America covering North Carolina wines and mid-Atlantic growing regions. She has been featured on TV (ABC, NBC) and radio (WUNC, WOR-NY). She is the author of American Vineyards and Wine with Food .

She has taught wine appreciation courses at Duke University since 2000 and previously at the University of Mississippi in Oxford and in New York at L’Academie du Vin, and The New School at CCNY; she was a regular guest lecturer Windows on the World. She has conducted panel tastings at the Aspen Wine & Food event, and judged in numerous wine competitions in the U.S. and Europe. She is a member of two elective professional organizations: The New York Wine Press and the American Society of Journalists and Authors.

Museum Moments is a free event with a light lunch. This month the Museum Guild will provide the lunch. The event is made possible by Community Partnership with local business and industry.

Jill N. Smith