Drink With The Wench

He Said Beer, She Said Wine

The marital relationship between Sam Calagione and Marnie Old cannot be described as anything other than pure bliss.

He is the founder and owner of Dogfish Head Brewery. She is a sommelier and Director of Wine Studies at New York’s renowned French Culinary Institute. In my mind, this is a match made in heaven.

Constantly plagued by the debate – “Which pairs better with food, beer or wine?,” this unique couple has teamed up to write a new book entitled “He Said Beer, She Said Wine.” The book was inspired by dinner pairing competitions that the two have been engaging in for years.

Obviously, each party is biased on which beverage is the better partner with food. This is why they decided to leave the judgment up to an outside audience. An unbiased third-party chef comes up with a fantastic menu and shares it with Sam and Marnie just days before the event. Sam and Marnie each choose the ‘perfect’ pairing drink for each course. The guests enjoy the food and drinks, then vote on which pairs better with each course… the beer or wine!

The book is scheduled to release March 17, 2008. It can be pre-ordered here.

Watch the two of them discuss the battle of the booze on YouTube:

More About Sam

Sam is the founder and owner of Dogfish Head, one of America’s fastest-growing craft breweries. Dogfish Head specializes in full-flavored beers meant to be enjoyed with food. Each year, over a million six-packs of Dogfish Head’s “off-centered ales” are sold throughout the country. Sam has been dubbed a rock star of the craft beer world and was recently named the Small Business Administration’s entrepreneur of the year.

He sits on the Board of Directors for The Brewer s Association and the Delaware Restaurant Association. In 2005 and 2006, Dogfish Head was the only brewery in America to be named to the Inc. 500 list of the fastest-growing private companies in the country. Under Sam s watch, Dogfish Head is quickly moving from cult-status to national phenomenon, while continuing to push the envelope on high-end beer innovation .

More About Marnie

Marnie Old, nationally-renowned sommelier, author and wine educator, is a breath of fresh air in the stuffy wine world. She is recognized for her common-sense approach to complex wine topics and her energetic performance style.