These days, “Rose All Day” is a philosophy many of us have adopted. But the preferred method of sipping and savoring is the approach of any sommelier worth their salt. Open since 2008 off Charlotte Pike, Miel serves as a beacon for discerning palates, with Seema Prasad its proprietor and tastemaker.
Prasad never sought the actual sommelier’s designation and says she’s more concerned with achieving excellence at her craft. "I’m so intensely in love with wine and food together," she says. "That’s magic. Paired together, they take you on an adventure to places you may want to go, as you are literally tasting that place.”
Prasad was one of only eight Americans honored this year by the Consorzio Vino Chianti Classico — a group of Chianti Classico growers who are promoting the newly designated eight subzones known as Unità Geografiche Aggiuntive (UGA) — to visit Florence and Chianti, where she did way more than taste the place.
Undergoing intensive training in the region where Michelangelo spent his golden years, Prasad says: “These are places that have so much history. They care so much about the vines and the quality.” She's excited to explore well beyond those basket wines some associate with the Sangiovese classic — Prasad wants to share the nuances and aging requirements of a richer, bolder varietal made to taste “very much like the Super Tuscans” with Miel’s January wine dinner series.
The upcoming Chianti Classico Dinners will feature porchetta and other meats and cheeses that are classic pairings, and Prasad plans to focus on the widely different styles within Chianti Classico, its new UGA system and the beauty of Tuscany. The dinners will be served in Miel’s Barn, with tickets still available on the remaining two dates — Jan. 20 and 27 at $150 per person.
With an upcoming trip to France’s Loire Valley set to be highlighted in her next installment in the series, Prasad says that she will offer similar wine-region classes well into the summer of 2022. Tickets to these events could make great last-minute Christmas gifts for the oenophile on your list. Click here to reserve space for the January class, and stay tuned for details on the upcoming 2022 classes.
