Pride in Wine: Pamela Fawson
Pamela Fawson is WSET Level 3 certified. She currently serves wine and assists in education at Testarossa Winery in Los Gatos while pursuing her SOMM Essentials through SF Wine School.
When did you know you were LGBTQ?
Age 7 I felt the first stirrings of attraction toward another little girl. Growing up in a very religious home in Salt Lake City, UT with a father serving as a bishop in the LDS faith made it incredibly challenging to express and/or explore my innate sexuality. Our community was not only void of any LGBTQ representation it was deeply homophobic. I’ve spend the majority of my life struggling to accept the fact that two of my greatest loves, being queer and loving wine, might be huge disappoints to my family. My girlfriend Mel has been a major advocate and influence toward developing greater self-acceptance. I love you Mel!
How did you discover your love of wine?
Living in New York City in my late teens, early twenties I had a classmate who worked at a wine shop on the Upper West Side that specialized in affordable and diverse wines. The wine shop happened to be around the corner from my work. After my shift was over, I would often visit him as he always delivered the international value gems. Additionally, he held epic BBQ’s in Williamsburg on the weekends where I was introduced to the alchemy of food and wine pairing.
What challenges do you think are unique to LGBTQ people in wine?
LGBTQ people are disproportionately under represented in wine. Not only are we marginalized, we are often treated as a token and often not taken as serious. I constantly feel I have to prove myself or overcompensate due to my gender and sexuality.
If you had to choose just one, what would be your favorite wine so far?
My desert island wine is Sancerre. Yet the mystique of wine was revealed to me upon first sip of an Échezeaux.
What is your go-to wine and food pairing?
Snacks and Chardonnay. Of course I love to experiment and get fancy with pairings however, as a Mom of two young kids an unoaked or lightly oaked Chardonnay goes very well with a variety of snacks … Annie’s white cheddar bunnies is the perfect match.
What does the future of queer people in wine look like to you?
I believe the future of queer people in wine will include greater visibility in ever facet of the wine world. I would love to see an abundance of queer owned wine businesses. I would love to drink more wine made by queer people!!!
As a queer person in wine, do you ever feel that your visibility leads to being treated like a token or being pigeon holed?
Absolutely!
Answers written by Pamela Fawson. Find out more about Pamela on instagram at Pamela Fawson and Pammelier!