Wine Sisterhood

And yes, you can meet her in the Wine Sisterhood Ning community, so please stop by and say hello to her.

On with the show!

THE BLOGGER: Theda Sandiford

HER BLOG: MissTheda.com

URL: http://www.misstheda.com

HER TWITTER HANDLE: @Bondgyrl

WHO SHE IS: As an aficionado of both pop culture and technology, Theda has fused her interests to create unique social media and digital content strategies for her clients, which have included Microsoft/Zune, Asylum/WB Records, Island Def Jam, SOHH, and Simmons Lathan.

Theda co-hosts monthly wine events in NYC with her wine tasting and networking group, SuperNodes. http://www.supernodes.ning.com. She is also an avid photographer, mixed media artist and blogger. http://www.misstheda.com

Wine Sisterhood: How would you describe your blog to someone who hasn’t visited yet?

Theda Sandiford: My personal blog, MissTheda, is a reflection of my interest in entertainment and technology. I chime in on reality TV, political humor, recipes, wine, music, and my guilty pleasures: “Star Wars,” James Bond, street art, my cat @Shitty_Kitty, and the paranormal.

The SuperNodes blog is a collection of curated food and wine stories to help educate and expand the palette of novice wine lovers. We also feature blogs about business networking and career advancement.

WS: What inspired you to start your blog and blog about the things you do?

Theda: This may seem weird, but MissTheda is how I learned to redirect my phone time more productively. Friends always ask for my take on pop culture and what I’m up to. By putting it all out on my blog I can spend more time talking about what’s going on in their lives. As a digital marketer working with brands looking to establish their voice on the web, why not share my own POV?

SuperNodes blog is an extension of our monthly wine and networking event. We use the Ning platform to give our members the opportunity to contribute to the blog and wine events listings.

WS: What pops into your head when you think of “wine?”

Theda: The first thing that pops into my head when I think of “Wine” is “What’s for dinner?” The second thing I think of is family. We always had wine with dinner. I continue the family tradition even if I’m having pizza. Wine dresses up any meal like a set of pearls sets off a little black dress.

WS: How did you go from enjoying wine personally to organizing wine events?

Theda: Wine is a social vice. While I have drunk solo — more bottles than I care to remember — it is more fun to enjoy a bottle of wine with friends. That’s where my wine group SuperNodes comes in. What started as a weekly outing of entertainment execs and tech entrepreneurs has evolved into a 2000 member-strong multicultural wine and networking group that meets monthly at wine bars around NYC. In 2010, we plan to expand SuperNodes to LA and Atlanta and offer wine vacations to our growing membership. What I love most about SuperNodes is getting people to break out of the mundane Merlot, Riesling or Chardonnay root rot and try something new.

WS: What is your favorite “Wine Moment?”

Theda: I have so many wine moments it is difficult to pick just one. In college, I used to keep a gallon jug of Gallo wine (yuck, but it was affordable in college) on the fire escape outside my dorm. After a particularly harsh arctic Boston chill, the bottle froze and burst. I was so disappointed; I’d lost my wine rations for the rest of the week. I seriously considered salvaging the frozen wine chunks until I imagined myself choking on slivers of glass.

WS: What is your best advice to wine newbies about pairing wines with foods?

Theda: My best advice for wine newbies learning to pair wines with foods is to try multiple bottles of the same varietal with one particular dish. Take a bite and sip some wine. Note how the taste changes. When you find something that enhances the spices and flavor of the food chances are you have found a good pairing.

Art by Theda Sandiford – When not enjoying wine, Theda enjoys being creative. The artwork above was created by Theda.