The Tribune's Oscar Avila writes about a female sommelier defying the male world of Cuban cigars by lighting up
Jump to full article: Chicago Tribune, 2008-03-04
Author: Oscar Avila * Tribune correspondent
Intro: HAVANA -- On an island where folks normally don't buck the system, Zudlay Napoles is breaking an unwritten rule: She is a woman who smokes cigars.
Napoles doesn't just love to light up her favorite Romeo y Julieta No. 4. The diminutive 31-year-old has become the face of Cuba's cigar industry for countless international visitors.
In that way, Napoles has confidently charged into this man's world, pursuing a passion that requires her to endure the stares when she smokes. . . .
As Napoles put it: "The Cuban cigars, since their formation, are in the hands of women. They are built with the muscles of women. In reality, they already have the female heat, the female touch. Now all that's left is overcoming this taboo of smoking."
She is a sommelier at La Floridita, a restaurant that supposedly served Ernest Hemingway's favorite daiquiri and is now a tourist spot. In this capacity, Napoles helps customers match each cigar with the perfect after-dinner drink.
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