tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34725642130938599622024-03-13T16:32:56.533-07:00Wine 101Wine 101http://www.blogger.com/profile/08560834983918434714noreply@blogger.comBlogger30125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3472564213093859962.post-41526031551706805662014-10-18T09:31:00.002-07:002014-10-18T09:31:42.407-07:00We're Moving!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Wine 101http://www.blogger.com/profile/08560834983918434714noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3472564213093859962.post-81747073479440125632014-10-09T15:55:00.000-07:002014-10-09T15:55:40.170-07:00Mambo Cocina Wine Dinner Part Deux<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: large;">I've been waiting for the opportunity to do another wine dinner with Mambo Cocina in New Haven (<a href="http://www.mambonewhaven.com/">http://www.mambonewhaven.com/</a>) for almost a year. That time has come! Call a sitter for the children and join us for what is sure to be an outstanding night of Nuevo Latino American cuisine at one of New Haven's premiere dining establishments!.</span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>TUESDAY, October 28 th 6:30 pm</b></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: 'Candara','sans-serif'; font-size: 14pt;">PASSED HORS D’OEUVRES</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><b><i><span style="font-family: 'Candara','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;">2013 Vanidade - Albarino</span></i></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: 'Candara','sans-serif'; font-size: 14pt; text-transform: uppercase;">Corn Shrimp Chowder</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: 'Candara','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Sweet corn, shrimp, Peruvian purple potatoes,
cilantro</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><b><i><span style="font-family: 'Candara','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;">2013 Maddy Txakoli – Ondarrabi Zuri</span></i></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: 'Candara','sans-serif'; font-size: 14pt; text-transform: uppercase;">Crispy Duck Arepas</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: 'Candara','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Long island duck ropa vieja</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><b><i><span style="font-family: 'Candara','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;">2010 Tilenus Roble - Mencia</span></i></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: 'Candara','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Filet Mignon served with oyster mushroom, tinta de toro reduction
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<span style="color: white;"><b><i><span style="font-family: 'Candara','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;">2011 Prima – Tinta de Toro</span></i></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: 'Candara','sans-serif'; font-size: 14pt; text-transform: uppercase;">Coconut Flan</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Tropical
coconut flan, mora sauce</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><b><i><span style="font-family: 'Candara','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Reymos – Muscat de Alexandria</span></i></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><i><span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif";">$60/person all inclusive !</span></i></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #eeeeee;"><b><i><span style="font-family: 'Candara','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Call the restaurant for reservations! This event sold out last time.</span></i></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #eeeeee;"><b><span>(203) 562-0660</span></b></span></div>
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<b><span> I don't know about you, but I am dying to try their Duck Arepas! The menu looks absoluttely stunning from start to finish along with the accompanying wine pairings. Txakoli, if you're not familiar with it, happens to be one of my favorite Basque whites. This will be a treat to expose everyone to this unfamiliar wine as well as the rest of the line up of vino. I'm looking forward to seeing new and old friends as we come together once again for a fantastic night. And at $60 it's a BARGAIN! Trust me, you will not walk away hungry. And i venture to say you'll be making reservations for yourselves to return to Mambo.</span></b></div>
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<b><span>CALL NOW! </span></b></div>
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Wine 101http://www.blogger.com/profile/08560834983918434714noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3472564213093859962.post-35122023468777847452014-07-20T11:44:00.001-07:002014-07-24T15:55:12.838-07:00CT Food Truck Fest 2014Putting on any type of event is hard work. Now imagine planning an event for 15,000 people?!? Yeah, it's not easy. You fall, hopefully you learn, then you pick yourself back up and improve on what you did the previous years. The weekend of July 19th & 20th in North Haven, CT was home to the first annual CT Food Truck Fest set on the North Haven Fair grounds. My family and I planned to go on the Sunday, but after reading the reviews from Saturday's massacre we had our reservations about making the trek. Long lines to get in, more lines for food, no beverages, food running out and an entire slur of other Murphy's Law scenarios that would scare people away.<div> Our plan was to arrive early Sunday morning in order to stay ahead of the hungry crowd and it worked. We left our house at 9:30AM, arriving just before 10AM. No signs of the 45 minute backup on the 91 north bound exit nor the 1 hour line to get inside the fairgrounds. Found ample parking,greeted pleasantly by the two front admission ladies. $5 donation per person plus canned goods for the food drive is not only feasible but is a great charity effort before you go and stuff your glutinous face. I could do without the flea market rag tag sale, but I'm sure their rents pay the bills for other stuff to keep the festival going. <div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj9_0GnmeSvhqvZDZ91KwXnYfwTMr0ejPKfIAQz4D5CC7BuXqc_wkGMOqBigd22SGfMnSwok1C3aRjVNRGr1Y67jGn1cBALsRIsIn5Kf9K7e92afsFTuFuluDMOMi3pZpIy9t5LPcTWBco/s640/blogger-image--1948005666.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj9_0GnmeSvhqvZDZ91KwXnYfwTMr0ejPKfIAQz4D5CC7BuXqc_wkGMOqBigd22SGfMnSwok1C3aRjVNRGr1Y67jGn1cBALsRIsIn5Kf9K7e92afsFTuFuluDMOMi3pZpIy9t5LPcTWBco/s640/blogger-image--1948005666.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Just after 10AM a few trucks open with coffee, breakfast sandwiches and what not. Orangeside Donuts is our go to with their devilishly good square donuts. We all share 2 so as not to gorge ourselves early on in the day. Like vultures in the desert, we circle the trucks planning our attack.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZmiX7PgL4jKaoj_y7xaY0nXhXbpR0JXrLcQDpayU-HESNQDc9v6APKMYjdJ7PqJVwmLzJsVkhhYGEk3Rpyiy2PJFj-_RYRbzNB8rBwqsoZ7KQhTENFhNu61qKOzAGmFEAbi0zmdOnpbJR/s640/blogger-image-650058390.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZmiX7PgL4jKaoj_y7xaY0nXhXbpR0JXrLcQDpayU-HESNQDc9v6APKMYjdJ7PqJVwmLzJsVkhhYGEk3Rpyiy2PJFj-_RYRbzNB8rBwqsoZ7KQhTENFhNu61qKOzAGmFEAbi0zmdOnpbJR/s640/blogger-image-650058390.jpg"></a></div> I heard rave reviews about Lobster Craft so I plant myself in front of that truck waiting patiently as they set up. Mrs Wino is not a seafood fan, so her and the little guy head off in their own epicurean expedition. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"> Lobstercraft was about 20 minutes behind schedule. I have no problem waiting in line for 45 minutes as the line quickly grows from 5 to now 100+ people deep. The crew on board is feverishly hurrying to make sure that today they are indeed ready to handle the onslaught of glutinous lobster junkies such as myself. Patience is an absolute virtue so are manners, Two things a few lobster zombies behind me forgot about today. Hey peeps...do you complain to the big Mouse when the Tea Cup ride line is over an hour long? Smile and be happy. Lobster is served after a 45 minute wait. It's very tasty, but not as hot & buttery as I envisioned it to be. Some things are better when not rushed and I'm willing to say that in any other scenario outside of this first annual event that this lobster role would be much better. I'll seek them out again for another try. </div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQuhx8YKIuaGrurAwlWkEluRUTzzQSQDS6-G2Bl3Abt1qoJI31zkpmO-Spt5JCek3TL14-I3JU5KDr2KCGF-xjzVsLcNjmmh5amufZo-_R5M7jtWNEUiGYDSdGzbIjyYhhOs-Dj_MeKLyz/s640/blogger-image-487758680.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQuhx8YKIuaGrurAwlWkEluRUTzzQSQDS6-G2Bl3Abt1qoJI31zkpmO-Spt5JCek3TL14-I3JU5KDr2KCGF-xjzVsLcNjmmh5amufZo-_R5M7jtWNEUiGYDSdGzbIjyYhhOs-Dj_MeKLyz/s640/blogger-image-487758680.jpg"></a></div>While waiting in Lobster Line limbo, I noticed someone walking around with this bowl of smoked pig goodness! Must...try...Pig Mac from Big Country! Only a 20 minute wait and well worth it. Creamy gooey mac&cheese with flecks of bacon and smoked pork.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">My wife, a Texan born & raised, is not too happy with her BBQ brisket from one of the other trucks so I decide on doing a little teamwork to create the Big Country Gotta Pig n Brisket Mac&Cheese bowl!! Which hits the spot and is rib sticking good!<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnfUiaklkb5w9k7EZOR1zo4klR63Voa4vUNxXkPzbvDg5DYI5ecrH5BnonFbQi1SDx3yjpbSUJlusOkI5C88pIFw4RPS8K9aFBEdhMOVDhn5bxSOBEKat7xR9jOKtQ6fOX3MP-C6AYgkps/s640/blogger-image-1095723452.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnfUiaklkb5w9k7EZOR1zo4klR63Voa4vUNxXkPzbvDg5DYI5ecrH5BnonFbQi1SDx3yjpbSUJlusOkI5C88pIFw4RPS8K9aFBEdhMOVDhn5bxSOBEKat7xR9jOKtQ6fOX3MP-C6AYgkps/s640/blogger-image-1095723452.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">My wife ends up in Bounty Food Truck's line for a bourdaleise burger which is absolutely the best damn burger I've had to date! Farm raised beef burger with caramelized onions, arugala, Gruyere cheese, toasty brioche bun! Delicious! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt5-ensPUw-mILEYxl08LdrI2HRqpUhAv2G_Lg1fQbA2ljWgS9XoPk7xKs0vUrnRUG7R_289AL479z711ISbiwUlIau2th6znFl0SPQ1pf88Bl0gX9I7m5wMVT2TPBwGDY6ohfrdTe21ji/s640/blogger-image--248247366.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt5-ensPUw-mILEYxl08LdrI2HRqpUhAv2G_Lg1fQbA2ljWgS9XoPk7xKs0vUrnRUG7R_289AL479z711ISbiwUlIau2th6znFl0SPQ1pf88Bl0gX9I7m5wMVT2TPBwGDY6ohfrdTe21ji/s640/blogger-image--248247366.jpg"></a></div>(Photo courtesy of @DishCrawlFCT, thanks friends)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">One more trip around and look who's here late, Vanchetta!!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheGmwpO8rqFjIqvkH_pDTIIQMcpoiHUnYoev0Ksr8R0Hvz7WcaHXvU4pEDXNlmjNE4XHw-JiFb5MMyEiW8ODzLCtKgJ_7Vp_FnC2ve-_b_lpqvql_QOVNeJIVOPS1tfCDAIyy0ax1RiQRx/s640/blogger-image--951487613.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheGmwpO8rqFjIqvkH_pDTIIQMcpoiHUnYoev0Ksr8R0Hvz7WcaHXvU4pEDXNlmjNE4XHw-JiFb5MMyEiW8ODzLCtKgJ_7Vp_FnC2ve-_b_lpqvql_QOVNeJIVOPS1tfCDAIyy0ax1RiQRx/s640/blogger-image--951487613.jpg"></a></div> This is a paisanos wet dream on wheels. Alas, we're too full to engage the line after the onslaught we just went through. Next time my little porketta, we'll eat again.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">One last trip to the bouncy house for the little guy and we are OUT! The line for entrance into the fest is now 200+ people deep with another 150+ cars waiting on Route 5 to get into the parking lot. We had timed this foodie excursion perfectly. Absolutely made sure to thank the two ladies at the front for a truly fun family day. Planning ahead paid off tremendously! I thoroughly suggest it for other would be fest goers.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">When it's your first event, you can plan for 50 people and either 1000 show up or 10 show. That's the ridk you run. Unless, and the organizers should think about it for next year, they presell advanced admission tickets to gage it all. Even with that concept there's no assurance or concrete way of telling what to expect. With hope, the organizers should review and compare notes to see what worked, what didn't and how they can improve on this event for next year. I'm sure the hamster wheels are turning and buring already for what will sure to be an even better 2015 #CTFoofTruckFest. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Thank you to all the event planners, organizers, workers, vendors and food truck operators...we had a blast and a half. See you on Eats Street!</div></div>Wine 101http://www.blogger.com/profile/08560834983918434714noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3472564213093859962.post-903023835963641262014-04-25T15:30:00.000-07:002014-04-25T15:30:55.766-07:00May 7th WINE 101 Class with Michael David Winery<div style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: large;">Hello Wine students! This month I'm happy to announce that our very good friend Doug Molnar from Michael David Winery will be our guest speaker.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">We will sample wines from their extensive portfolio and as usual I will try to pair up each wine with a selection of cheeses.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The tasting will begin at 6:30PM at the Grand Vin Fine Wines Learning Center located at 28 E. Grand Ave New Haven.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Class with wine and cheese plate is $20 per person.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Due to class size, we have a 12 person limit so RSVP ASAP and be sure to extend and invite to your family and friends. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Email any and all questions to me at </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Looking forward to seeing you all! </span></div>
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Wine 101http://www.blogger.com/profile/08560834983918434714noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3472564213093859962.post-49366646641757451592014-01-25T18:23:00.001-08:002014-01-25T18:29:48.501-08:00Wine vs Beer vs CheeseWhat started off as a typical Saturday night in store sampling of wine and cheese turned into a quick lesson of what doesn't work well. The wine we sampled tonight was a new Spanish white from the Ribeiro region of Galicia, most notable for the white wine Albariño.<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkw_OncF_i9mmqDch-Dotv6pjBYggkDnphA3lrqvu8kgHaH1QPnzqXJ66Zf-Fgw6eowVXT3Yo1ihEu0EDLPlfUEfTdVAO0ah36wXqdhkUzM1cSNYceRq282xRxGj6wO9zgjErm1DOTS9Ep/s640/blogger-image--1463242842.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkw_OncF_i9mmqDch-Dotv6pjBYggkDnphA3lrqvu8kgHaH1QPnzqXJ66Zf-Fgw6eowVXT3Yo1ihEu0EDLPlfUEfTdVAO0ah36wXqdhkUzM1cSNYceRq282xRxGj6wO9zgjErm1DOTS9Ep/s640/blogger-image--1463242842.jpg"></a></div> The name of the mystery grape tonight was Treixadura, something unknown to me. The producer blended this wine with a small percentage Albariño. To me, it lightened the citrusy/minerally edge of Albariño. Great on it's own, but I would go out on a limb and say that this would be GREAT with seafood when the weather around these parts get warmer. The two cheeses we sampled out tonight were #1 both locally produced and #2 made from cow's milk. If you're looking at the picture above, the cheese in your right is a raw Jersey cow's milk cheese from Beaver Brook Farms in Lyme, CT called Nehantic Abbey. The cheese itself was smooth, creamy but that tang I usually get from raw milk was a little muted. Still a good noshing cheese, not bad with the vino. The other cheese is called The Melville produced by the Mystic Cheese Company. Soft, creamy, decadent, versatile as a noshing cheese and makes for a great melter. The wine however, not a good match. The butteriness of the Melville and the steely edge on the vino clashed producing some off flavors. Nothing horrendous, but nothing memorable or enjoyable. Maybe I'm being too pompous or anal about this. It just didn't work for me. I would go out on a limb to say that going by laws of terrior association that Spanish Garroxta aged goat cheese would've been much better with this wine.<div> So with that we decided that experimentation would be the next best thing or as we like to call it "quality control" on Saturday nights.<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk3-nRCU8DhIfYzdxvYpZlRBvNVfW7sB1m2qOjCGueksLINFtJsnvnrriVFSTS-8gV4bje44GPuKz25LKzxEWOF0IpXmwleTLGXC3C8yk-dOZiTLcepOUXHH1C8ccM8iSE6E2LfQAquhzQ/s640/blogger-image-1530818734.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk3-nRCU8DhIfYzdxvYpZlRBvNVfW7sB1m2qOjCGueksLINFtJsnvnrriVFSTS-8gV4bje44GPuKz25LKzxEWOF0IpXmwleTLGXC3C8yk-dOZiTLcepOUXHH1C8ccM8iSE6E2LfQAquhzQ/s640/blogger-image-1530818734.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">How about a beer? Great choice! The beer was the Hop Session IPA from White Birch Brewing of New Hampshire. The beer itself had that mild citrusy bouquet I usually expect from a domestic IPA, but the hops were rather controlled without being over the top bitter. Onto the cheese...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">The Melville...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">The slight bitterness of the hops cut through the creaminess of the cheese and blending the flavors into something more like fresh floral notes. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">The Nehantic Abbey from Beaver Brook..</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">This is a firmer cheese, but still creamy being its made from the fatty Jersey Cow's milk. Again, once the hops hit the fattiness of the cheese it backs off the bitterness and gets tamed down. Very harmonious. Perfect pairing. The Hop Session itself is about at the bitter limit of what and how I like my IPA's to be. Very drinkable on its own and I get a sense of how this beer would be better with food. What else can you think of that would pair with THIS beer if you've had it before. Let me know as I would like to experiment. Find me on the Twitter Box at Wine1011 or drop me an email to wineschool101@gmail.com. I look forward and would love to hear from you all!</div><br></div></div>Wine 101http://www.blogger.com/profile/08560834983918434714noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3472564213093859962.post-52660311377920711592014-01-20T15:51:00.001-08:002014-01-20T15:56:20.629-08:00Monday BluesI shutter to have to come in on Mondays. The thought of 20 sales people lined with with samples of the next great wine, the new Siracha flavored vodka, a new macro micro craft artisanal local beer. It's endless. Sounds like a tough job right? Who wouldn't want to sip booze all day? Well if the samplings in question have a repeat track record of sucking donkey balls then you'd understand my disdain. Today, my sales woman walks in with her new manager. Manager, that word has literally no meaning anymore. When I was in big box retail, I was a manager. The ranking made me feel like a general. Now it's just a label on a VistaPrint business card that gives you another number to call to get the same bull shit response, "I don't know, but I'll call the office to find out." Anyway, my sales woman brought in a foursome of vino from the Iberian peninsula. Well done Miss! She's been sizing us up and feeling us out as to what we like and sell a lot of. Even though my store is heavy with selections from Spain, what's one or two more right?<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCytmzbvXeOs7aSzEAU-Nc9d7DkSMAeC1EI1R164O4Ug4T8pcRNnQ1_oadYGTl5I4ayBQrq58am4XHAeYOiXincHK7JvyZywLxSAdaBez_NDfnf5YXdWAipmrZQenGLzNOQzoWMTAUQuIn/s640/blogger-image-941025441.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCytmzbvXeOs7aSzEAU-Nc9d7DkSMAeC1EI1R164O4Ug4T8pcRNnQ1_oadYGTl5I4ayBQrq58am4XHAeYOiXincHK7JvyZywLxSAdaBez_NDfnf5YXdWAipmrZQenGLzNOQzoWMTAUQuIn/s640/blogger-image-941025441.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">First up (working left to right) is a red blend from Jumilla, Spain. The blend is Monastrell, Tempranillo and Cabernet. Smooth, velvety medium bodied with that raspberry jammy finish. My cost is $112 for a case of 12 bottles, you do the math. EXCELLENT value to quality ratio, mass appeal with the fruit, easy sale.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Next up was the Haza from Ribera del Duero, a Tempranillo. I haven't had this wine in years and forgotten how good it was. Again smooth medium bodied with a touch of oak that was neither too aggressive or dominant. You know he's there, but he's got he's using his manners today. A little over $20 retail, so I'll pass on this one until the phobia of winter/holiday bills and tax season are over. This should be a good one when grill season fires up.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Last in the line up, Graham's Six Grapes Port. Do I need to tell you how much this rocked? Alright, it did kick ass for a Monday morning otherwise filled with rejects.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">My gal Monday, it was a pleasure doing business with you. Hopefully you're on to something good and continue with your intuition. Let's see what crap the rest of the week brings.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">This time of year is tough in retail being wedged in between holiday bills coming in and people nervous about paying taxes. Super Bowl doesn't really generate tremendous wine sales as you can imagine. In this business, I try to pay closer attention to price as I'm buying for shelf stock. The marketing geniuses from these distributors don't look at the overall picture that the everyday consumer is tightening the belt. Why in the fuckity fuck fuck world would you send in new item after new item after new item every week when you damn well know that no one has money including the retailer? It's never ending and sometimes you have to pass and/or be blunt about not coming into the store with a box of new booze to try. Again, it's a tough job, but someone has to do it. I'm not complaining today. </div>Wine 101http://www.blogger.com/profile/08560834983918434714noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3472564213093859962.post-36378518079526002412013-12-01T08:11:00.001-08:002013-12-01T08:39:39.331-08:00Professor Wine<div><div style="font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 20px; line-height: 26px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; "><i>I don't like titles just because it holds you accountable for something more important. But this title is funny to me. Not funny in a joking way, but funny how life's road twists and turns and then you find yourself as an adjunct professor at a local college teaching students about wine, beer, etc. It's even funnier when my friends call me up during this holiday season and say, "so what's new? Still stocking wine bottles on shelves?"</i></div><div style="font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 20px; line-height: 26px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; "><i>"Yeah still stocking. Oh, I'm teaching at a local college. They call me Professor. And you're still doing what with your master's degree?"</i></div><div style="font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 20px; line-height: 26px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; "><i>That's funny... Never underestimate us bottom feeders, right Teddy Boy?</i></div><div style="font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 20px; line-height: 26px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; "><i>Any event...it's always a learning experience at any and all stages in</i> life. My 10 year old who is only allowed to smell the wine can only relate it to so many things like say rootbeer, strawberries, oranges, blueberries, Cheerios etc. My original WINE101 grads are all 30's and up to 60 year olds, think about what they can relate to in their worldly travels, experiences and tastes. Now, take a group of 20 something college students and imagine what and how they can relate the smells and tastes of wine to. It's all a learning experience. The hardest part for me with this class is grading them. How do you grade someone when wine is so subjective? Needless to say its all about participation. If you come to class and at the very least engage in discussion about what you are smelling, tasting, etc then you're doing it right. As we begin to wrap up this semester, some of my students were unhappy with their participation grade and requested extra credit work. Here was my email response along with my extra credit suggestion...</div></div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div>"<b><i>This goes out to everyone since someone made mention of it, so here's a freebie for those who want to take advantage of it. In return, if the assignment meets my criteria and standards then I will give you a perfect "10" for class participation.<br>With Turkey Day around the corner, much preparations go into the holiday festivities including the beverage selections. You all will be part of that since</i></b> <b><i>you are all wine/beer aficionados. You will demonstrate what you have learned in this class and put it to use. Impress your family, friends and make your professor proud.<br>#1. Pick out a wine/craft beer either by yourself or with family member. YOU pick this item out, not your family member. With what you learned in class, figure out what beverage will compliment your traditional holiday meal.<br>#2. Take a picture of the bottle on your holiday table next to the food. This is just proof that you did not just copy and paste something from the internet.<br>#3. Write a brief description of the wine/craft beer which should include:<br> A) name of wine/beer and style/varietal and vintage...some crAft beers have vintages on them <br> B) where it's from including regions,</i></b> <b><i>AVA, DOCG, AOC, DO, ETC for wines....beer will just be where it's from<br> C) very brief history of the brewery or vineyard<br>#4 tasting notes...break this down into 5 parts, in paragraph form NOT TASTING </i></b><i><b>NOTE FORMS! 4 "S" format<br> A) SEE/SWIRL..when you pour into your glass what color, clarity, hazy, etc<br> B) SMELL.....self explanatory<br> C) SIP...take a sip and tell me what your tasting including the start and finish. Take a second sip this time with food and describe how it compliments what you are eating<br> D) SAVOR....describe what the after taste is or what we call the finish<br> E) FINAL THOUGHTS <br>That's it...put what you learned in class into this. Do NOT copy and paste some critics notes into this. I read and review about 100 critics comments a week so I'll SMELL someone else's work a mile away. This is all YOUR thoughts, ideas, suggestions and heart. There's no right or wrong but there is garbage. To say, "I liked this wine/beer with my turkey and mashed potatoes because it went good and I liked it so I would drink more because it tasted good...." isn't going to go over well.<br>This is easy and fun. Ask your family and guests what they liked about it and take mental notes. You'll learn from their comments as well. Impress people with what you learned. You'll surprise yourself with how much you know once you put that knowledge to practical use.<br>Remember, this shouldn't be or feel like work. This should be fun. Involve your family and friends."</b></i></span><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Was that easy? Was I too harsh? I only wish my college work was like this although some of my classes were like this.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">As of the Sunday after Thanksgiving, one student has taken advantage of this easy project. She sent me a text with a picture if the beverages her family chose to accompany the Thanksgiving festivities and again let me reiterate that this job is a constant learning experience where sometimes teacher becomes student.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">Here are her beverage choices, keep in mind that her family is not a wine drinking family, so she went the craft beer route...</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><b><u>Beer of choice for Thanksgiving..</u></b>.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">Shipyard's Pumpkinhead Ale</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">Very fitting</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><b><u>Wine of choice</u></b></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">Rosé Sangria</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">Again, sometimes the teacher becomes the student and this pairing made me think on how it might actually fucking work!! If you're pouring Beaujolais Noveau, Rieslings, etc then why not Sangria? Sometimes the ridiculous is so obvious! Fruit component, dry finish, light bodied...family FUN!! Winning!</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><b><u>Dessert Beverage</u></b></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">Fruit Punch Jell-O shots</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">????</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">I asked for an invitation to next year's Thanksgiving. She'll probably get an "A" for creativity, thinking outside of the box and effort.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">The learning never ends!!</span></div>Wine 101http://www.blogger.com/profile/08560834983918434714noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3472564213093859962.post-50095786571882800672013-11-26T16:25:00.001-08:002013-11-26T16:28:16.531-08:00Thanksgiving Wine Picks, If we Must<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt8rikKlkE4cNSTIWbM89hyphenhyphenH8ENgP2sB_nL5hQPxEW7iLA2m7ospK1jT1c_DtGDFR907g12SzQgkuyX3iiBrdmvgEqzzxqPhTQuafrzclsTSBDEAkKfIHsCZBQUUrQ2e3sD5uDfWVJAiQV/s1600/turkey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt8rikKlkE4cNSTIWbM89hyphenhyphenH8ENgP2sB_nL5hQPxEW7iLA2m7ospK1jT1c_DtGDFR907g12SzQgkuyX3iiBrdmvgEqzzxqPhTQuafrzclsTSBDEAkKfIHsCZBQUUrQ2e3sD5uDfWVJAiQV/s1600/turkey.jpg" /></a> </div>
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It's that time of year where we frantically try to pair something with the bird. And with all of that, inevitably some critic or wine snob has the be all to end all of wine pairings that will revolutionize the Turkey Day festivities. Stop right there! Mistake number one. Unless turkey is all you eat on Thanksgiving, you have an entire array of other dishes to consider that go along with that. Why just pigeon hole your wine selection to matching just the turkey? </div>
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It's not rocket science, it's just wine. My rule is drink what you enjoy instead of putting so much pressure on yourself to impress everyone else. But, if we must have suggestions and recommendations then let's give it a whirl. Again, whatever you enjoy then that's what you should pour, but for sake of argument these are my picks and my opinions. I'm steering away from Pinot Noir just because that's the safety net everyone uses when they don't know or don't want to experiment.</div>
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<b>Wine #1...Anna de Codorniu Rose Cava from Spain.</b></div>
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<b>What?</b> Sparkling wine from Spain is known as Cava which is made in similar fashion to French Champagne, but 50% of Champagne's price tag. This particular Cava is a blend of 70% Pinot Noir and 30% Chardonnay (same grapes used to make Champagne, shhh!)</div>
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<b>Why?</b>...BUBBLES! Bubbles make flavors in food POP! Not to mention this particular Rose Cava has a tiny fruit component that will compliment a dry turkey, cross over into the stuffing, match up the canned cranberry sauce and then tackle a cheese cake. <b>ONLY $10</b></div>
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<b>WINE #2...Ravines Dry Riesling</b></div>
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<b>What?</b> The Finger Lakes region of upstate New York is making killer Alsace/German style whites and fantastic French inspired Cabernet Franc.</div>
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<b>Why?</b> Finger Lakes Riesling is a terrific balance of fruit (not sweet) and dry as opposed to that fruit cocktail syrupy juice found in California Rieslings which are too cloying for me and in my opinion and my opinion only are way overboard for Thanksgiving. You want a fruit component with the festivities not a bone dry white. </div>
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<b>WINE #3 Tilenus Mencia</b><br />
<b>What?</b> The region of Biezo, Spain is one of those hidden gems turning out great quality affordable wines. Their main red grape is called Mencia which is similar to Cabernet Franc from the Loire Valley of France.<br />
<b>Why?</b> I'm going with this versatile red because yes there is a slight fruit character to it, but it has beautiful floral flavors of lilac, lavender that will balance with the savory flavors of stuffing, herb roasted chicken, etc. It's not as terroir driven (there's a Jeopardy question there) as a Loire Cab Franc but in this case I'm not looking for minerality or earthy flavors. <b>ONLY $10</b></div>
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<b>WINE #5 Cave Saint Desirat Cotes du Rhone Villages</b><br />
<b>What?</b> The Rhone Valley of France is home to a bevy of off the beaten path grapes such as Mourvedre, Syrah (not Shiraz), Grenache, Cinsault and Carignan to name just a few. Spicy fruit with cinnamon and clove balanced off with just enough earth tones to not make them a jelly jar bomb, but not necessarily a barn yard forest floor.<br />
<b>Why?</b> Again, let's go back to the concept that you should focus on the entire meal being served and not just the bird. With that, you have an entire array of flavors so I give you a wine made up of several flavors that will match. This particular red is coming from Cotes du Rhone Villages which is a notch up from a regular CDR and at $10 worth the try.<br />
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<b>BEER#1 Sin Cider Newton Pippin Hard Cider</b><br />
This maybe a new concept to some, but beer actually pairs very nice with food, again BUBBLES and low alcohol. This year has seen an influx in hard ciders. You may have had Woodchuck or Angry Orchards, but these are slightly different. These ciders drink like wine as opposed to fizzy yellow beer (cider). I'm going with this choice thinking that between stuffing, bird, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes and such that this will play off those savory flavors. This particular cider is not too sweet and finishes dry. If you can find the cherry cider then that would be a terrifc match with the turkey and trimmings. This isn't a strange concept if you think back to history. The pilgrims drank beer and most likely fermented ciders.<br />
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Experimentation should be the name of the game. Actually, enjoying the company of family, friends at the holiday dinner table should be the main focus. All this worrying about being so particular and accurate with pairings is too much. Drink what you like. If it's a jug of Paisano then so be it just give me a heads up so I can BYOB!</div>
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Cheers and Happy Thanksgiving!</div>
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Wine 101http://www.blogger.com/profile/08560834983918434714noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3472564213093859962.post-51074977228600402002013-11-08T15:39:00.001-08:002013-11-08T15:39:38.541-08:00F U 2 Cancer Benefit Wine Class 11/21Last night's class was an absolute blast! I get excited to hear enthusiastic questions, inquires from people that may have not have asked in a different setting. Hey people, It's just wine. Who's gonna tell <b>YOU</b> differently if that's what you're tasting or smelling. I can't repeat that last sentences enough. <div><div>Ok, let's start planning our next class to help our friend Mike who continues his battle with Stage 4 cancer. The week before thanksgiving also happens to be the 9 year anniversary for our favorite wine shop in New Haven, Grand Vin Fine Wines. So, to help them kick off the celebration we're going to have a Spanish cheese and wine class!! <b>November 21st, class begins at 6:30pm and is limited to 10 people. $30/person or $50/couple.</b> <i><b>RSVP ME SOON</b></i>! All proceeds from this and every November class goes to help Mike kick the hell outta this disease! Wine brings people together for all sorts of reasons. Know that you are doing something great for someone all while learning about wine.</div></div><div>See you at class!</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm5ezOIHCU40CNcNpPXx2bbgyFtV4tqUMnrQMG_3YpHkMQ5-LKFwLnmxK4IMHw2Fm8nQVGHDWMUgqg9pvxJggphn_pAC45XYulRAlPXWJfcOM3Z_Ugh5-4l6mX9wESiyG3bcgC0IUBbWtu/s640/blogger-image-1248241468.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm5ezOIHCU40CNcNpPXx2bbgyFtV4tqUMnrQMG_3YpHkMQ5-LKFwLnmxK4IMHw2Fm8nQVGHDWMUgqg9pvxJggphn_pAC45XYulRAlPXWJfcOM3Z_Ugh5-4l6mX9wESiyG3bcgC0IUBbWtu/s640/blogger-image-1248241468.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn5A1ClB5WJt8HzkeaAsm8SA1eWTchf8-6DPNpdGzPsAU-x7YfnwkaecLDm20CaMKyRunEbKeBnqAipLsw1CjcTYw9wb-iEbHKv1czu2e4PpUcuFq-cnZrxtVMXmHzx53VL5vrjKlvDu-z/s640/blogger-image--1156110046.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn5A1ClB5WJt8HzkeaAsm8SA1eWTchf8-6DPNpdGzPsAU-x7YfnwkaecLDm20CaMKyRunEbKeBnqAipLsw1CjcTYw9wb-iEbHKv1czu2e4PpUcuFq-cnZrxtVMXmHzx53VL5vrjKlvDu-z/s640/blogger-image--1156110046.jpg"></a></div><br></div>Wine 101http://www.blogger.com/profile/08560834983918434714noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3472564213093859962.post-61715137129618178472013-11-06T09:34:00.003-08:002013-11-06T09:34:33.778-08:00Breckenridge Brewing Beer & Cheese Class<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1sA-YknD9QwU0IP24hI4WfiCh7OGpC9ww6sq8OwujIkKLKo8n1uC4GbTzgxhWPhZ9TChCQPW5hDGuswZqiJhMD4bUIyU9Uhia34HhLuHgRyeR8OkMIjXnS4OStZPtl3s59r_XYTiex23N/s1600/fuck+cancer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1sA-YknD9QwU0IP24hI4WfiCh7OGpC9ww6sq8OwujIkKLKo8n1uC4GbTzgxhWPhZ9TChCQPW5hDGuswZqiJhMD4bUIyU9Uhia34HhLuHgRyeR8OkMIjXnS4OStZPtl3s59r_XYTiex23N/s1600/fuck+cancer.jpg" /></a></div>
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For the entire month of November, we will be donating all proceeds from each class to a friend of mine who is battling Stage 4 Cancer at the young age of 39 years old. For more info on Mike follow this link</div>
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<a href="http://www.donationto.com/michael-gallipoli">http://www.donationto.com/michael-gallipoli</a>. </div>
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Each Thursday night in November we will be working with our friends at Grand Vin Fine Wines, <a href="http://www.grandvinonline.com/">http://www.grandvinonline.com/</a> , to bring people together through wine to help another human being and his family battle this.</div>
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I was starting to think about it and I felt that I was leaving some people out. I've heard rumors, maybe myths and folklore that some people don't drink wine. Imagine that. Some people prefer the aromatic indulgence of hops, barley and malt. Hey, I'm a beer guy also. I'm not going to go out there and say I'm the biggest craft beer, hop head out on the scene since that would be insulting to those aficionados. <i><b>I DO NOT</b></i> drink the fizzy yellow stuff. I like anything with flavor and character. Something that sets the mood for my taste buds and gets them talking. A great farmhouse Saison with some triple creme brie, a nice Porter on a cold night ...HMMM! That's what I go for and I know that there's many who also enjoy this. I have many friends in the beer field. Some brewers, sales people, brewery reps...all I consider my ambassadors, my Yoda's in the craft beer world. </div>
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On <b>November 30th</b>, we're bringing in one of those guys, my friend and sales rep from Craft Beer Guild of CT Ryan. He'll walk you through the brews of <b>Breckenridge Brewery</b> <a href="http://www.breckbrew.com/">http://www.breckbrew.com/</a></div>
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While I try to nail the cheese pairings. On a side note, if you've never paired cheese with beer you are truly missing out. The bubbles combined with the cheese makes the flavors explode!</div>
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<b>The class is $20/person, limited to 12 people due to size. Class begins at 4PM at Grand Vin Fine Wines of New Haven 28 E. Grand Ave</b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This also makes a great holiday gift to someone, so if you are thinking that you already know 10-12 people that would love the whole room to yourselves then contact me ASAP before 11/18. <b><i>Proceeds from this and every November class go directly to Mike and his family to offset the costs associated with his treatment especially since he can no longer work while undergoing treatment.</i></b></div>
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Let's face it, after Black Friday and the chaos of the malls everywhere it will be nice to sit, relax with some friends and have a sampling of some fine ass craft brews while knowing that you are helping out another human being. </div>
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Bring some friends or make some new ones!</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Email me at </b></span></div>
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Wine 101http://www.blogger.com/profile/08560834983918434714noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3472564213093859962.post-81494349805981211752013-09-29T10:01:00.001-07:002013-09-29T10:27:31.810-07:00Pumpkin Beer TimeI'm a little late with this post since its the end of September and stores already have their Christmas decorations and merchandise up. Depressing!! So with that logic it must means that Fall and Pumpkin ales come out in 100 degree August to be sold out prior to Halloween in time for Spring ales right? <div>Ok on to this pumpkin beer review while its still relevant. Rosemary's Baby is a new pumpkin entry from a local Connecticut brewery out of Stratford called Two Roads, <a href="http://www.tworoadsbrewing.com/door.php?return=/&e=3600">http://www.tworoadsbrewing.com/door.php?return=/&e=3600</a></div><div>The beer is aged in rum barrels which I'm assuming drives up the desire to acquire it that and a limited supply. In any event, if you've had the Innis & Gunn Ale Aged in Rum Barrels than this will be very similar in taste. Imagine taking a Newcastle Brown Ale, Innis&Gunn Rum and add a dash of Spice Island pumpkin spice and whammo you've got something close to the Rosemary's Baby. I love this beer's easy drink ability, it's smooth transition and balance from mild hops to pumpkin spice. The rum notes are faintly detectable. Considering the timing of this beer's release so early in the season, it was not as heavy bodied as so many others in this category making for a nice session beer to drink as summer fades away.</div><div>Buy it if you can find it. Do yourself a favor and visit the brewery! Gotta support the local guys!</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju9T4zRBNIWlfHRwGdEb9laPqX7fsv4suZun5g8pSmdI3-7A5ju7JLzcl3N6fBcRVE73kY6g9ChMoaDMjd8ALv3nvd8aFe2BhGmwfFlJMbYItOl9GeUn1MOqqgql_Rfm91d1jlMe8k0cN2/s640/blogger-image-1223155597.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju9T4zRBNIWlfHRwGdEb9laPqX7fsv4suZun5g8pSmdI3-7A5ju7JLzcl3N6fBcRVE73kY6g9ChMoaDMjd8ALv3nvd8aFe2BhGmwfFlJMbYItOl9GeUn1MOqqgql_Rfm91d1jlMe8k0cN2/s640/blogger-image-1223155597.jpg"></a></div><br></div>Wine 101http://www.blogger.com/profile/08560834983918434714noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3472564213093859962.post-91962524190757040312013-09-09T14:45:00.001-07:002013-09-09T15:00:04.125-07:00Wine Class 2013 Fall SemesterWith the little ones returning, how about taking a class or two for yourself?? What if that class was about wine? Starting October 1st, WINE 101 is moving out of the church hall and moving onto 1012 State St New Haven to Chestnut Fine Foods for our monthly wine education series. This year's twist??? We will be blind tasting!!! Muahahahaha!!! Everything you learned in the 101 series about wine and utilizing all of the 5 S's will be put to the test. This class will be limited to 20 people, $30/person or $50/couple, so email me with reservations soon! Light nosh of artisan cheeses, fresh fruit, fresh baguette will be provided by ChestnutFood. Email me at wineschool101@gmail.com<div><br></div><div>Starting October 3rd, we're going back to the ABC's of wine tasting. We'll learn the 5 S's of wine tasting while walking through varietals, regions, explaining terroir. What?? For those that think Biurgundy wine is a big glass jug or Chianti is a grape then this is the class to start your wine adventures!!! We will be stationed at Grand Vin Fine Wines at 28 E. Grand Ave in New Haven, CT every Thursday starting at 6:30! Price is $30/person or $50/couple. Space is limited to 15 people so call very soon! Email me at wineschool101@gmail.com or the store at benny@grandvinonline.com soon!</div><div><br></div><div>See you all in class!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnd9mT0j_KwtCyIW8zCsCR9qEzHN_u60cu-CRbePnelYxZmdFLRCtn9H_br8rP0-YcZWFOMvIjJlATYRpVDs2ckj99b4Lq82sHJBLfzfXsucT6TxgJ2_qo8pXBYiSNQljGjdZqtfEubjcw/s640/blogger-image--755721031.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnd9mT0j_KwtCyIW8zCsCR9qEzHN_u60cu-CRbePnelYxZmdFLRCtn9H_br8rP0-YcZWFOMvIjJlATYRpVDs2ckj99b4Lq82sHJBLfzfXsucT6TxgJ2_qo8pXBYiSNQljGjdZqtfEubjcw/s640/blogger-image--755721031.jpg"></a></div></div>Wine 101http://www.blogger.com/profile/08560834983918434714noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3472564213093859962.post-84323821490287926542013-07-14T09:10:00.001-07:002013-07-14T09:10:12.988-07:00Celebrity Vino Part DeuxOk, I must admit I fell for this sceme once again. The timing was just right with the warmer weather and the start of Rosé season so I caved. I had some help though. One of my former employees, an older gentleman who is more versed in French wine than I, acted like my dealer. <div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-5QIlae5FWTiqjr3AHDVpuipAaiYb4pIdv3EmFVXXvOO6wDi1RRt45q4I9kdj7HiXKDhY-2hCV9s5PgDoZVi_sM3dRzgIS-srQS_5jf7rpi9ELRiUT6HaTJ8Son3vZBbHOswUzQ66I0bC/s640/blogger-image-316603734.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-5QIlae5FWTiqjr3AHDVpuipAaiYb4pIdv3EmFVXXvOO6wDi1RRt45q4I9kdj7HiXKDhY-2hCV9s5PgDoZVi_sM3dRzgIS-srQS_5jf7rpi9ELRiUT6HaTJ8Son3vZBbHOswUzQ66I0bC/s640/blogger-image-316603734.jpg"></a></div> This wine!!! A Brad Pitt/Jolie attempt...I wasn't falling for this, but my little Hobbit friend said it was in fact very good. This guy wouldn't go near anything with a celeb endorsement EVER! It's not him. The actual vineyard, Chateau Miraval in Provence,behind the wine was the key factor in this creation for Branjiolina.<div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="text-align: left; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The power couple uses the chateau, which dates back to the 14th century, as their summer home and operates the vineyards on their estate. To make their wines, they teamed up with the Perrin family, one of the most famous winemakers in France.</span></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="text-align: left; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">It's not bad. The hefty $22 price tag keeps me from saying that this is the absolute best Provence Rose I've ever had. It's very classic textbook Rose with minerality and a hint of ocean air on the palate. I can't poo poo this wine no way around it. I've had others at the $15 point that were as good.</span></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="text-align: left; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMjl6-2AGQuzkCKOSbcSLbTh2QaHifw_U7Snm7Pywuheqr5Oi74BOkl_ixkHA08_WOVVEnimslj51kofBR9EzM4DcfqeB2pt89DIuNYEXFla-UO1NJOdEyCT04RrREu4bxksxulhbFkl9D/s640/blogger-image--526797294.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMjl6-2AGQuzkCKOSbcSLbTh2QaHifw_U7Snm7Pywuheqr5Oi74BOkl_ixkHA08_WOVVEnimslj51kofBR9EzM4DcfqeB2pt89DIuNYEXFla-UO1NJOdEyCT04RrREu4bxksxulhbFkl9D/s640/blogger-image--526797294.jpg"></a></div> Try it and save the beautiful bottle for use as an olive oil carafe. I can talk myself into justifying the price tag with the fact that Perrin is a great and respected wine producer. I can also see myself buying a few of these bottles just so I can infuse olive oils in them for gifts this holiday season. Weird on how that train of thought comes into play, but what's an Italian guy without his EVOO?</span></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="text-align: left; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Ok so Brad & Angie get a thumbs up, that's it. I'm still not convinced enough to try Dave Mathew's or Train's wine never mind AC/DC or Drew Barrymore's...but I'm still a diehard Maynard Arizona wine fan. \m/ rock on \m/ and try try try!! Get outta your comfort zone! Life is too short to drink the same Kendall Jackson Chard all the time!<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeX2jLAYe_UiMsQdgQIUPhiVh2ESFe92tMMx1VKXDtVHple2iBMcqf7RGGAVAYBtxnCkyWZYvEBrQVUhP730Ah0IlVWHfS3SAvV5ui0RpnQK78HGA8bATzz739nScMDV2A7QwqgWgx8xT-/s640/blogger-image-1527664099.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeX2jLAYe_UiMsQdgQIUPhiVh2ESFe92tMMx1VKXDtVHple2iBMcqf7RGGAVAYBtxnCkyWZYvEBrQVUhP730Ah0IlVWHfS3SAvV5ui0RpnQK78HGA8bATzz739nScMDV2A7QwqgWgx8xT-/s640/blogger-image-1527664099.jpg"></a></div></span></div>Wine 101http://www.blogger.com/profile/08560834983918434714noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3472564213093859962.post-37097165409255893672013-06-28T05:57:00.001-07:002013-06-28T05:57:36.897-07:00Summer Wine School 2<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixHMLRfWYLZydCH-EQYWUlkL-JHREZsk6RrNQsTRLpn6XZ4aUAb-lL8B7kP5mbEBVUcZ2ePTO3xVnRUwG8gum70ZE78RApUkYjqtB0f24z_emZaDBIU-JT1W88K8zT7AP-Rkxg4mOLQKfW/s640/blogger-image--1909994641.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixHMLRfWYLZydCH-EQYWUlkL-JHREZsk6RrNQsTRLpn6XZ4aUAb-lL8B7kP5mbEBVUcZ2ePTO3xVnRUwG8gum70ZE78RApUkYjqtB0f24z_emZaDBIU-JT1W88K8zT7AP-Rkxg4mOLQKfW/s640/blogger-image--1909994641.jpg"></a></div>Last night was one of those epic wine nights where you see people truly understand and share the vision of what wine is all about.<div>"Students" of mine (really just good friends, but last night they were wine students) once again opened their house for what's becoming an annual event. </div><div>The Wine101 Summer School class has turned into one of the best examples of what I initially set out to accomplish. A gathering of good friends sharing great wines and food. Most of all, people who otherwise would never have tried certain wines walk away with a greater appreciation of grapes they never knew about. Without being an arrogant know it all wine snob, you express instead of dictate what you are experiencing when tasting the wine. People get it when they feel they are not being challenged, preached to or talked down to. To see the look in a person's face as they have that "eureka" moment is priceless! When you say "this wine has a ton of minerality" and someone else says softly as to not be embarrassed "this taste like Perrier water with a touch of lemon peel" and you say "YES!!! Tell everyone what you just said because you understand it!!" Then 40 people start sniffing, swirling and tasting then come to the same conclusion with additional descriptions. It's magic. At that moment your instantly surrounded by a group of wine critics comparing and contrasting each others notes over chocolate covered strawberries and homemade Friselli.</div><div>For last night's class, I brought a guest speaker to embody what Spanish wines are all about. The two of us, working much more like an Abbott & Costello act, take a virtual walking tour of Rioja while sitting on a deck in East Haven, CT. My guest is originally from Galicia Spain. You are not only getting info on the wine itself, but also get an insight to what it was like growing up there on a farm near the ocean, eating the foods that complimented the wine, etc. </div><div>The class primarily focused on wines from Rioja starting off with a Rosé made up of 100% Tempranillo. We then moved on to 2 whites both different is style but sharing similar grapes to showcase what oak can do to a wine.</div><div>Onto the reds, we walked everyone through the different stages of Rioja from Joven to Gran Reserva. </div><div>Even though Spanish wines are on a tremendous hot streak, it's still not something people would commonly grab in a store when compared to Cab or Pinot Noir or especially Chard or Pinot Grigio. To hear someone exclaim that they would rather drink Macabeo over Pinot Grigio or buy a red Rioja vs. Cabernet is eye opening. Makes you feel like you did your job.</div><div>Nights like that make me truly love this business we are in and the joy it brings. I'll say it again, wine creates great memories with friends. <div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm5AokXHqVZrGnNDgYx4DZ5sJ96kcn1gKFjqp9kR7Y6dL80kMpr-_8hpjWXGN-VW0ISuU-Q3AasBVihnsE9PjpZdAVgEKFQxfFzl4dOJ7tJQk12ADm98yODCsJdkS7UZepgowJcLiH7XON/s640/blogger-image-1513431150.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm5AokXHqVZrGnNDgYx4DZ5sJ96kcn1gKFjqp9kR7Y6dL80kMpr-_8hpjWXGN-VW0ISuU-Q3AasBVihnsE9PjpZdAVgEKFQxfFzl4dOJ7tJQk12ADm98yODCsJdkS7UZepgowJcLiH7XON/s640/blogger-image-1513431150.jpg"></a></div></div>Wine 101http://www.blogger.com/profile/08560834983918434714noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3472564213093859962.post-26428194870362041702013-06-12T17:46:00.001-07:002013-06-13T04:27:25.698-07:00Domaine de Paris 2012 Cotes de Provence RoseVery disappointed in this Provence Rose. Flat, no characteristic, bone dry, no fruit on the nose or palate. Ok let's rephrase this...at this time and with this meal the wine isn't working for me. It is very terrior driven. You do get a little ocean/beach scent on the nose and brininess on the palate with a touch of limestone minerality, but nothing that lingers too long on either. Definitely forgettable, but at only $15 it's not a huge loss. I've had Rose from Loire at $8 that drink better than this. Wolffer's Rose outta Long Island drinks 100% better than this. But the summer season is young and we have plenty of Rosé to conquer. Thank goodness the Mesculin salad with roasted pork and shaved aged cheddar is served along side this. The other white meat with greens prevails!! Cheers!<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh60NafQSRvtMdOIfFN6o4ZVgoXX3hWAb0edenkEJTBU5clDOLvxAkjKztd3dH_6AD22zNAp2KY6gBdHwufbNoO3d8pqMpnmQ8kU0UuBPITZxOBmV2U_7X-pi1zZL46GU9Mk8KlXA52Zv49/s640/blogger-image--632628608.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh60NafQSRvtMdOIfFN6o4ZVgoXX3hWAb0edenkEJTBU5clDOLvxAkjKztd3dH_6AD22zNAp2KY6gBdHwufbNoO3d8pqMpnmQ8kU0UuBPITZxOBmV2U_7X-pi1zZL46GU9Mk8KlXA52Zv49/s640/blogger-image--632628608.jpg"></a></div> Wine 101http://www.blogger.com/profile/08560834983918434714noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3472564213093859962.post-44503217580934686882013-04-25T07:07:00.001-07:002013-04-25T07:07:07.651-07:00Celebrity WinesI've never been one to go run out and buy a product just because a celebrity endorses it. I drank Gatorade and wore Nikes because they felt good not because I wanted to be like Mike.<br />
Now a days it seems that the wine industry is attracting more star power with the likes of Drew Barrymore, Emilo Esteves (thank God Charlie isn't working there), bands such as Train, Queensryche and more buying up land or partnering with actual winemakers and or vineyards.<br />
About 6 years ago, I read in Wine Spectator magazine that Maynard J Keenan from the bands Tool and A Perfect Circle was starting his own vineyard in of all places Arizona. Craziness, but oh so intriguing. Again I'm not much for celebrity products especially in the wine industry. But the idea that this rock star was undertaking this project in of all places Arizona caught my interest. How good could it be but above that how serious can he be. I delved into some more research. Saw a few online interviews and read a crap load of articles. How bad can the stuff be? I found an online store that sold the wines here on the east coast so I placed an order for a few bottles. Upon arrival, excitement and nerves set in. What if it completely sucks? After all this stuff was not cheap by any means at $30 to $50 a bottle. My boss who is very skeptical of anything outside of California and Italy laughed at me.<br />
Opening the first bottle of the 2007 Caduceus Primer Paso, a blend of Syrah and Malvasia, it was like a thick piece of velvet ! Again, the boss is intrigued but doubting. Wine Spectator eventually scores it a 91. Not bad at all.<br />
On an evening out to dinner with my boss and coworker I b g another bottle, this time the 2006 Caduceus Naga a pseudo Brunello style big red. Without telling anyone what it was, the boss takes a sip and says "What's that? Is that a Brunello?" No it's from Arizona, actually the grapes at the time are sourced from California. He was fooled!<br />
I was hooked on the wine not because I'm the biggest Tool fan in the world but I believed what this guy was doing out there. Instead of using his star power to just market the brand, he was working the vineyard, picking and planting, bottling, racking, e . <br />
Then the movie/documentary came out, "Blood Into Wine" where you could see what he was doing. Then the shot hit the fan and his legions of groupies wanted the wines.<br />
I had the very fortunate opportunity to meet Eric Glomski, winemaker and Maynard's partner, and host a wine dinner in Connecticut with him. Great guy with a great philosophy and attitude in creating wine in an area not known for it. That summer I got the opportunity to attend a concert in NYC and host a back stage wine tasting for about 50 to 60 A Perfect Circle fans. To much of their dismay, I was not as big of a fan of Maynard's music. The look of horror and comments I got!! In turn I asked everyone, " would you be drinking and buyin this wine if it wasn't his? No! So I'm the reverse of you all. I enjoy and respect what he is doing out in Arizona with creating an entire industry and economy based around wine and I like his music." I earn some respect and understanding. Maynard comes out with inconspicuously and everyone is silent and start struck. I have to admit I was as well.<br />
I stand behind the wines because yes the wines are good despite what a lot of critics and wine snobs say. I believe in what Maynard is trying to accomplish out there and respect his opinions and direction. I wasn't here when the first vines were planted in California, but I feel like I'm witnessing the beginning of another region on the cusp of being a recognized wine producing area...and the wines are damn good if you can get them.<br />
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Once I uncork this beauty and get it into a glass, the alcohol is still dominant on the nose, but that soon dissipates over the next 10 minutes to bring out this very floral bouquet of a field of lavender. Upon first sip you get a lot of earthy mushroom, mid palate is that jammy fruit and then the spicy finish follows. Those flavors change drastically over the next 2 hours with each pour. At one point the nose changed into something that resembled a reduction sauce of high grade Balsamic from Modena.<br />
Color was that dark crimson red but when you held the glass at an angle and up to the light you could see that faint brown edge. This was 80% Carinena & 20% Garnacha. Still showing great for 12 years old but it's time is inevitably coming to a close. I would definitely grab a bottle of this for the next dinner party and wow your guests...they'll think you pulled this outta your cellar for the occasion. More importantly you all can see how the flavor profile changes over the course of the meal. At $50-$60 a bottle it's definitely not an everyday wine to be opening. Parker rated it 95 points if that helps make the decision for you. I'm a huge fan of wines from Priorat for their similarities to French Rhone blends. Usually bottles range from good at $20 to spectacular at $75-$100. <div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMGgTbYDcY4kav9dnRejoQcyNM-Owi1Sq9RyT4y_E6J-Ivk4yJr5ikY-8W4nonU-T-XI9mGF_RzvgaaGxjvAYGpu-ZDOHNIogPUh7WS_JVliStrOjJf8rO4ObFN9qaIVeiEhirKNdN_R81/s640/blogger-image--990060796.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMGgTbYDcY4kav9dnRejoQcyNM-Owi1Sq9RyT4y_E6J-Ivk4yJr5ikY-8W4nonU-T-XI9mGF_RzvgaaGxjvAYGpu-ZDOHNIogPUh7WS_JVliStrOjJf8rO4ObFN9qaIVeiEhirKNdN_R81/s640/blogger-image--990060796.jpg" /></a></div>Wine 101http://www.blogger.com/profile/08560834983918434714noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3472564213093859962.post-34320051606552386292012-12-30T08:06:00.001-08:002013-01-05T12:45:38.454-08:00Domaine La Fage 2011 Novellum Chard<div style="text-align: center;">
In the beginning of my wine education, I never had the liking for domestic Chardonnay. Too oaky, no character, no depth. It took some time for me to venture into white Burgundy territory and taste what real Chardonnay is before it gets juiced up on Red Bull and spray tanned. Following the lead of a friend who was more affluent in French wine than I, we drank through several different bottles. You can't begin to understand the concept of terrior until you sip and savor several wines from Europe particularly France and Germany. Having a someone direct you through the maze of wines from France helps tremendously. Pure terrior driven, flavor filled Chardonnay is something to try especially when trying several from different regions of France to see how the soil and climate influence what's in the glass. As with most whites, do not drink them ice cold as you will not taste any of the nuances intended. When I conduct my Wine 101 class, I always throw out French Chard as my first wine every student tries. </div>
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"How many people like Chardonnay?" I ask and usually only a handful raise their hands.</div>
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"what do you think this is?"</div>
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Generally people guess Pinot Grigio or Sauv Blanc. When I unveil that the wine in question is in fact Chardonnay everyone's mouths drop.</div>
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French Chards, for me, have layers of minerality, body, crisp acidity, green apple and/or peach notes and that flavor just keeps developing as the bottle gets lower in volume. </div>
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So, a few weeks ago I had to track down a bottle of French white for a customer's gift giving basket. The criteria was French, white, under $15, over 90 points, no Muscadet or Vouvrey or Alsace. Ok?? This is what I found, the Domaine La Fage 2011 Novellum Chardonnay. I knew it would be great, why? Again with the wine clues, the importer was Eric Solomon of European imports.</div>
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Here's The Wine Advocate's review...</div>
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"The outstanding 2011 Novellum competes with some of the finest Macon-Villages wines one can find. It is made from 100% Chardonnay (from 25- to 30-year-old vines), aged three months in a combination of Burgundy barrels (30%) and stainless steel tanks (70%), and, somewhat innovatively, is aged on Viognier lees which gives it a honeysuckle and white peach-scented nose. There is also a salty sea breeze character reminiscent of the crushed oyster shell-like note my colleague David Schildknect often detects in Loire Valley whites. This crisp, fresh, medium-bodied Cotes Catalanes exhibits lots of earthy/terroir characteristics. Readers should think of it as a brisk, zesty, authoritatively flavored Chardonnay from the cool, alluvial soils on the banks of the Aigly River"-WA 7/12</div>
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Stainless steel gives that clean zip for me at least while aging it on the Viognier Lees intrigued me. Mrs. Wine Snob and I opened the bottle last night over a thrilling game of Temple Run our son received from Santa. Fresh from my pseudo wine cellar (my basement) the bottle was a little chilly, so we popped it into the fridge for another 10 minutes. Once opened and then into glasses the magic starts to unwind. The color is a slight golden and when you swirl it into the glass you can see a little viscosity on the edge. The nose comes off with that green apple and ocean air. On the palate, the acidity opens your taste buds to the green apple and minerality I like to refer to as "licking a wet stone". The wine does have body and because of aging it on the lees, you pick up a little of that honey suckle of Viognier. The finish is long and lasting. A tremendous value at $12 by leaps and bounds. If you can find another retailer that has this then buy it by the case! We were both in heaven with the quality. Even though I work in the wine biz, my wife is the one who turns into the wine snob/critic when I open bottles. Funny how that works, but it works.</div>
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I wish more consumers would get off their high horse and at least try more French Chardonnay. I'm not saying abandon all domestic Chards, I'm just saying expand your palate and see what else there is to offer! How boring a wine world it would be to ONLY drink Kendall Jackson and J. Lohr all the damn time.</div>
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Wine 101http://www.blogger.com/profile/08560834983918434714noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3472564213093859962.post-79520102145376216722012-12-28T19:38:00.001-08:002013-01-05T12:47:36.967-08:00Out on the Town, New Haven<div style="text-align: center;">
I don't get out much. Job and family will do that to you. But when Mrs. Wine Snob and I hit the town for our date night we live it up. On a recent Sunday afternoon we attended a show at the Shubert Theater. My gift from the wife, tickets to the Rat Pack Christmas Show, turned out to be a lovely evening. After the show we decided to use a couple of gift certificates from Xmas 2011 to Barcelona. I got this love hate thing going on with Barcelona. First time I went there the food and wine were delicious. The next time I went was for a distributor sponsored wine tasting and I was less than impresses with the spread they put out. Understandably that it's not a fair judgment all considering that it's just a trade tasting for us retail and restaurant people. My next visit with the group was a late Friday night after work for a drink with some friends. Did you see the clues there? Late, Friday, night...needless to say as I was walking down Temple St and I was happened to be the recipient of a 9 volt battery to the head by some Jersey Shore wanna be doing a drive by yelling profanity out the car window. Stay clear on college nights. Nothing of any fault of the restaurant's. It's either New Haven has changed since the last time I went out or I'm getting too damn old. Steer clear of Friday and Saturday nights when school is back in session. </div>
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Ok, let's put it all behind us. Sundays at Barcelona are half price bottle nights. Score! Sundays around 5PM in December are also a great time because with Yale gone for the semester, New Haven is a ghost town. We sit at a corner high top and order several tapas while I look over the extensive wine list. It's a novel. Barcelona's wine director, Gretchen, is sharp when it comes to wines from the Iberian peninsula. My feelings anytime I see a wine list at any restaurant that is the equivalent of the the entire Lord of the Rings series is that it's just too damn much. Kudos if they turn over that much variety but Damn!! that's a lot of inventory tied up especially with such esoteric varietals and regions. You really have to know your wines, but again this is where the staff and Gretchen's tutelage comes in. The staff is heavily quizzed on what is what when it comes to wine and also pairing those wines with food. Ask your server since they have tasted everything on that menu. </div>
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After much deliberation I selected a Txakolina (sp) which is a very esoteric white wine from the Basque region located between France and Spain. The taste is something like Portuguese Vinho Verde and Spanish Albarino, light, a little acidity, minerality and crisp green apple. The waitress even gets a kick outta pouring the wine. The wine goes really well with the plate of hummus and warm pita chips, but not too tasty with anything else which is fine because I'm more thrilled to be drinking the wine on it's own. As we move onto the entrees I order another bottle, but this time I go for a Mencia from the Bierzo region. One of the up and coming regions turning out top quality highly rated red wines that over deliver for under $20. The taste is something of a cross between Washington State Merlot and Loire Valley Cab Franc. The wine is delicious as is the smoked duck breast I order. The pairing this time is a home run. My wife's Filet Mignon also nails the wine pairing. We top it all off with dessert and cappuccino. </div>
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The waitress we had that particular evening was one of the absolute best I've ever had at restaurants more exclusive than Ibiza. Again it's a testament to the training and wine knowledge passed down from management. As it was now 6:30-ish and the restaurant began to fill up with young hipsters, it was time for the old folks to get back home. </div>
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Definitely without a doubt this place deserves your undivided attention. Go to Costco and purchase $100 gift cards for only $79.99 and order a half price bottle of wine. If you are in doubt about what to eat or drink ask ask ask! Tapas are good but in comparison to say Ibiza Tapas in Hamden, Barcelona's are just ok. Ignacio Blanco is a hard act to follow, but food like art or wine can be interpreted many different ways. Entrees are well worth the $20+ price tag as I had to be fork lifted outta there. I will tell tales of this terrific culinary date night for years to come!</div>
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Wine 101http://www.blogger.com/profile/08560834983918434714noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3472564213093859962.post-20920859966936377622012-11-04T04:04:00.001-08:002012-11-04T04:36:05.822-08:00Point System ShennanigansI've spoke about the wine rating system or famously called the "Parker Point Scale" in previous post. I'm not a paid wine critic, so this is just opinion but the recent wave of wines scoring 90+ points that I've been sampling have been utter crap to put it bluntly. The descriptions that are laid out for the masses are so twisted and misconstrued as if meant as fodder for mindless sheep looking for something other than sweet reds or Moscato. Even when sampling the wines to customers, they first read the description and say "no, I don't like full bodied reds as the description says...oh wait this isn't full at all!" like I've said before, you can interpret a wine in many ways as your taste buds are subjective to what you like and what you can relate the sensory workout to. But c'mon some of these recent scores and description are so way off that they are basically pissing on us without having the courtesy to call it rain. Do they think we are all mindless zombies shopping in a post apocalyptic wine store? Sorry, just an epic fail! I drank a 92 point Garnacha last night that cost $8 expecting more than what I got. It baffles me. To each there own. Find an in store wine person that you trust to navigate you towards something good. If they say "Well it's rated 90+ points by blah blah from the Wine blah blah" then veer off the road. Ask them what they've been drinking lately as I'm sure it's something off the beaten path and very interesting. I can't stress enough to form your own opinions about what you taste. You don't have to agree with the critic or reviewer. Going back to that 92 point Garnacha... Honig 2007 Cab scored 92 points and was delicious. How do you compare the two? It's apples and oranges to put those two in the same category or even against other Garnacha scoring more or less! Shenanigans!<div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVnUkIIAXoIMdrZqdJYDF_0_VoIkON0Dj0TFo0BGHMkK98ftg0lGgYiHw9k4UoMPBzjYyRzGsiyDqzM-hCW52LcgD_u7WXxbRwwWeSBkwBLvnTH-sYvgjZZRXxCesUJ7iQJtqk95Fcf6C3/s640/blogger-image-1908196222.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVnUkIIAXoIMdrZqdJYDF_0_VoIkON0Dj0TFo0BGHMkK98ftg0lGgYiHw9k4UoMPBzjYyRzGsiyDqzM-hCW52LcgD_u7WXxbRwwWeSBkwBLvnTH-sYvgjZZRXxCesUJ7iQJtqk95Fcf6C3/s640/blogger-image-1908196222.jpg" /></a></div>Wine 101http://www.blogger.com/profile/08560834983918434714noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3472564213093859962.post-70810201191020903112012-10-11T08:02:00.004-07:002012-10-20T17:00:15.430-07:00Breaking Down Rioja<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Here's a quick lesson in wines from Rioja...<br />
Rioja is not the grape, but rather the wine taking it's name from the region of La Rioja, Spain. Rioja is further subdivided into three zones: Rioja Alta, Rioja Baja and Rioja Alavesa.<br />
Wines from Rioja are a blend of several different grapes. A typical blend will consist of approximately 60% Tempranillo and up to 20% Garnacha, with much smaller proportions of Mazuelo and Graciano. Each grape adds a unique component to the wine with Tempranillo contributing the main flavors and aging potential to the wine; Garnacha adding body and alcohol; Mazuelo adding seasoning flavors and Graciano adding additional aromas.<br />
Rioja red wines are classified into four categories. The first, simply labeled <span style="font-size: 14pt; font-weight: bold;">"Rioja"</span>, is the youngest, spending less than a year in an oak. A <span style="font-size: 14pt; font-weight: bold;">"Crianza"</span> is wine aged for at least two years, at least one of which was in oak. <span style="font-size: 14pt; font-weight: bold;">"Rioja Reserva"</span> is aged for at least three years, of which at least one year is in oak. Finally, <span style="font-size: 14pt; font-weight: bold;">"Rioja Gran Reserva"</span> wines have been aged at least two years in oak and three years in bottle. Reserva and Gran Reserva wines are not necessarily produced each year.<br />
Got all that? Now get out there and sample!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh23NaPG0cY6uH6BhJl-J30A6FMBDGhNbJssA_JItj_0FT6W0qcF95qTR3XQfpUDbmVuJ_WcYJi_KuimTNz__cq5zFOCoB6w6MB17lK2YUu4yiAUF7tldiH4VkZqFBnBDYfSFcmxcymxN4I/s640/blogger-image-2094981532.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh23NaPG0cY6uH6BhJl-J30A6FMBDGhNbJssA_JItj_0FT6W0qcF95qTR3XQfpUDbmVuJ_WcYJi_KuimTNz__cq5zFOCoB6w6MB17lK2YUu4yiAUF7tldiH4VkZqFBnBDYfSFcmxcymxN4I/s640/blogger-image-2094981532.jpg" /></a></div>Wine 101http://www.blogger.com/profile/08560834983918434714noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3472564213093859962.post-21981212946102773792012-09-15T13:24:00.000-07:002012-09-15T13:24:32.646-07:00Wine Words & the 5 S's<div style="text-align: center;">
This is where the intimidation starts, but remember they're just words! Throw that dictionary out the window!</div>
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When you're in a room full of wine drinkers, inevitably you will hear the "one-upper" say something along the lines that the wine has tremendous structure, elegant nose or showing excellent potential. Maybe you'll see someone holding the glass of wine up to the light to check out the legs and color or making funny "sucky fish" faces as they take a swig. All of this nonsense does have a purpose, BUT if one goes to tremendous lengths to over exaggerate each motion and comment then it's all done for show. All of the adjectives that they use are just words. To each their own. Use what you know to express what you are tasting, seeing and smelling. There are no wrong answers. I can remember one person telling me that a Chardonnay we were tasting reminded her of drinking out of a garden hose in the middle of summer. Does that ring a bell with anyone? It's definitely more understandable across a large group of people rather than talking about the minerality and clay soil composition, right?</div>
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When we taste wine, we go through a series of 5 steps. This isn't an exercise routine...well in essence it is when it comes to fine tuning your senses, but it shouldn't be a spectacle for everyone to be witness to. Simple..in, out, done...no more than 10 seconds. Use words you can relate to and understand.</div>
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<li><b>SEE</b>...literally look at the wine in the glass. Is it red, gold, yellow, pink, purple? What shade of color are you seeing? Is it cloudy, dark? To a greater length you can also see how old the wine is. Red wines will have a brown edge to them. White wines will be more golden, like apple juice, in color. Hold the wine up to the light or against a white background.</li>
<li><b>SWIRL</b>...this takes some practice. <i><b> DO NOT WEAR WHITE!</b></i> Seriously, if you're not used to swirling your wine in the glass you'll end up wearing it. Start with the base of the glass on a flat surface holding it by the stem and give it a little swirl. What you're doing is getting the air in and allowing the wine to wake up and breathe, aerate and give off it's aroma or nose. Think about if you were stuffed inside a bottle for years, you would need a good shaking to wake up too. Also, look at the wine while it's spinning. Does it look watery, does it have viscosity? This will give you some hints before you actually get it in your gullet.</li>
<li><b>SNIFF.</b>..get your nose in the glass. Take in the aroma of the wine. Yes it does smell like alcohol, but train yourself to get past that. Fruit, flower smells are easy. Reds usually lean towards berry fruit, chocolate, earthy/dirty (I'll explain later), oak. Whites go towards citrus, butter, oak, herbal, etc. Remember, it's what you are smelling. I opened a red once and it smelled like movie theater buttered popcorn. Hey it's my nose!</li>
<li><b>SIP</b>...the best part! Don't gulp or shoot it. Put a small amount in your mouth and swish it around. Not like mouthwash, but gently ease it around the interior of your mouth coating your tongue all over. You'll now taste what you thought you were smelling. How much body does the wine have? Is it watery or light? Is it big, bold and dry or light, fruity, sweet? Also, while sipping the wine suck in a little air which will bring out more of the flavors in the wine. This is the "sucky fish" face my wife loving makes fun of when I do it.</li>
<li><b>SAVOR</b>...slowly swallow the wine and savor the flavors as the ride comes to an end. What do you taste after the wine is gone? Does that taste stay to hang around? That's the finish and the length of the finish. When someone says that the wine has a long finish this is what we are talking about. </li>
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Now put all of that together and you are tasting wine like a pro! Remember it's what you see, smell and taste. You can use all of the BIG words you want, but if no one understands you or no one can relate to what you are saying then it's a wash. So I say keep it simple, understandable and relative. My colleagues and peers would think otherwise, but being too technical brings us back to the snobbery. If it taste like grape juice then so be it. </div>
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The more you really take the time to think about all the flavors and smells the more things will come to mind. One wine critic uses the best adjectives when he rates a wine. "This tastes like Trix cereal on a Saturday morning." I love that he's not afraid to tell people what comes to his mind first. Be confident, this is not the SAT's. There is no right or wrong answer. If you taste something like the fruit juice left over from eating a fruit cocktail snack pack then say it with confidence! "This red wine tastes like mocha covered cherries dammit!" </div>
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You'll be surprised at how many people agree with you. 9 times out of 10, people are just afraid to say anything for fear of being ridiculed. But c'mon we're all adults. It's wine and it should be fun to share ideas and understand what everyone else is thinking. After all, it is an experience to drink a great wine and remember what you tasted with a group of good friends. class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQNfUkHtO9UeGefCyBtd6HYbvGJyRv7-VNOfCvthtnPo-OHJXadkM3-EdJ4FH-J8HS4GWgzq1ZVA68mF25RC2YfLC42Qq1vQDRZu9WwmJEM9MhxcawpFS17kog48kpOXFHYR2RPUEwbpik/s640/blogger-image--591742430.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQNfUkHtO9UeGefCyBtd6HYbvGJyRv7-VNOfCvthtnPo-OHJXadkM3-EdJ4FH-J8HS4GWgzq1ZVA68mF25RC2YfLC42Qq1vQDRZu9WwmJEM9MhxcawpFS17kog48kpOXFHYR2RPUEwbpik/s640/blogger-image--591742430.jpg" /></a></div>
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Wine 101http://www.blogger.com/profile/08560834983918434714noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3472564213093859962.post-50707561255368932242012-09-15T12:44:00.001-07:002012-09-15T12:44:18.136-07:00Benefit Wine Tasting October 2<div style="text-align: center;">
Local wine tastings are a great way to explore and learn about what you like in wine while at the same time helping an organization. If you live in southern CT, Anthony's Ocean View, New Haven probably host 2 or 3 a week for various local charity. Prices range from $30 to $50, but with that you not only get access to some really great wines, but also a smorgasbord of food ranging from several types of pastas to hot & cold hors d'oeuvres to chocolate fountains. If you happen to be in the area, I'll be attending one on October 2nd.<br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 12pt;">"M.T.A Scholarship Fund is a privately funded scholarship program for Catholic Schools in New Haven's East Side.</span></b></div>
<b><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">M.T.A. Scholarship Fund's purpose
is not only to assist children in our community by providing tuition
assistance to low-and moderate-income families. We are giving families
an opportunity to choose their children's future, but also to
demonstrate that community-based approaches can revolutionize the
educational system and improve the quality of education that children
recieve.</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Please
join us at Anthony's Ocean View and sample wines from
premium Domestic and Imported Wineries coordinated in
conjunction with a local wine purveyor while you enjoy a
feast prepared by Anthony's Ocean View of scrumptious hot and cold Hors
D'oeuvres.<br />$30 per ticket<br />Contact Sal Decola at 203.641.1857 for tickets and/or donations."</span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Usually at an event like this you'll sample anywhere from 40 to 60 different wines. Not a ton, but enough that it won't overwhelm your pallet. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Check out www.localwineevents.com to find events in your area or ask your local wine shop for details. Happy hunting!</span></span></div>
Wine 101http://www.blogger.com/profile/08560834983918434714noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3472564213093859962.post-60858984137659116292012-09-15T07:45:00.000-07:002012-09-15T07:45:07.935-07:00Navigating a wine tasting<div style="text-align: center;">
In the retail wine biz, September kicks off distributor tastings/shows with hopes of big buy ins for the inevitable holidays ahead. Sounds glamorous and fun right? Tasting 100's of different wines. Talking to some big wig winemakers. Drinking $200, $300 Cabs. Yeah right sign me up, who doesn't want to go? Here's the side maybe you don't see...</div>
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Maybe you want to try the new Far Niente or Caymus or Silver Oak? Well so do your 1000 closest friends and their family. Be prepared to wait in line. How do you get through a tasting of this size and caliber without going postal and without getting completely bombed outta your gourd?</div>
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First things first, you need a game plan! Your years of playing Stratego are now going to pay off! Understand your opponents. Depending on the size of the venue, expect 100's of wine drinkers of all different levels and experiences jockeying for position to try all the new and latest wines. They'll also be zeroing in on everything over the $100 price point just to say that they drank those bottles. They'll never buy those bottles but hey it's free, so why not right? </div>
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You need to come up with an idea of what you think you would like to try. Maybe it's a different country or a different style of wine. All summer you drank Pinot Grigio, but what other Italian whites are out there? This is the opportunity to find those gems! And they're will be tons of vineyard reps and winemakers to answer your questions. </div>
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<b>Remember these three words; Sip, Spit/Swallow, move on.</b></div>
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Those five S's of wine tasting we talked about earlier are going to come into play now.</div>
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Ask quick questions as there will be many people behind you waiting to do the same. Be courteous to your fellow tasters and the person at the table serving you. Inevitably you will end up behind the "know it all" who insists on telling the rep or winemaker everything that he/she knows about their vineyard and how the grapes were grown. Seriously! You think that impresses anyone especially the guy/woman that spent 20 hours a day tending the vineyard, picking the grapes by hand, creating the wine while you were sitting in your lazy boy? We got a lot of ground to cover here.</div>
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If you can get a brochure of what and who will be at the tasting event that will give you an extra 15-20 minute head start, so ask whoever you can to get that booklet and look it over days ahead if time. You can't possibly taste every single bottle in the room so having an idea of what you really want to accomplish is half the bottle. </div>
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Plan your course of attack. Go through all the white wines first. Make sure to spit. Again, be courteous. I've had total tools spit on the ground and on my foot. Not cool. This is CT! You are a far cry from Europe.</div>
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Now that all the whites are done go find the food! Put together a nice plate and sit down to take everything in. Have a glass of sparkling water. Give your palate a rest and a cleanse. A nice cold beer would even work good at this point. Restroom trip, freshen up and on to the reds!</div>
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Pace yourself now since Reds will be bigger wines to take in. Spitting at this juncture in time would be a great idea. It's all fun and games until someone passes out! </div>
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By now you should be exhausted and your palate shot. </div>
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Find the nearest restaurant and sit down order a tall glass of water and relax. Look over your notes and try to remember what all those check marks, stars, etc mean. Get some real food in your body, mission complete! </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Martin Scott Fall Tasting @ Lincoln Center in NYC</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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Wine 101http://www.blogger.com/profile/08560834983918434714noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3472564213093859962.post-8060314986774856352012-09-07T16:28:00.002-07:002013-01-05T12:47:50.595-08:00Wine cheat sheet<div style="text-align: center;">
Ok...maybe you're the type that refuses to be helped by a salesperson or waiter when finding that perfect bottle the same way us men refuse to stop for directions when driving. Maybe t's something in our genes passed down from generations of hunters and gatherers or maybe it's because some people do not want to be ridiculed. I shop around a lot of stores. I like to be sold to sometimes. It makes me feel like I'm off duty. There's nothing better than going into another wine shop and having someone help me pick something out. The negative is when some Poindexter wine geek sticks his nose up to every inquire or suggestion I make. If you don't have the wine, just say so. There's no need to ridicule what I like. Once in a while you get a shop owner that likes to converse about your selections and offers up some suggestions of his own. That's the fun part!</div>
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BUT what if you don't like taking advice or suggestions from someone else? What to do what to do? There is a cheat sheet to make it easy to spot a great bottle and it's FREE!</div>
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On the back of every bottle is a label and on that label should be who imports the wine into the U.S. There are many different groups out there just like there are jars of tomato sauce on the grocery shelf...so how do you tell one from the other?</div>
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<b>From France look for the following guys:</b></div>
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<li>Kermit Lynch</li>
<li>Fredrick Wildman</li>
<li>LaTour</li>
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<b>From Spain:</b></div>
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<li style="text-align: center;">Jorge Ordonez is one of the top!</li>
<li style="text-align: center;">Eric Solomon or European cellars</li>
<li style="text-align: center;">Ole Imports</li>
<li style="text-align: center;">Boedgas Olarra/Classic Wines of Spain</li>
<li style="text-align: center;">Gil Family Estates</li>
</ul>
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<b>Italy</b></div>
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<li style="text-align: center;">Winebow</li>
<li style="text-align: center;">Neil Empson</li>
<li style="text-align: center;">Opici...not just the jug wine guy, but an entire empire of great wine selections.</li>
</ul>
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Again with anything it's your taste buds. This is 9 times outta 10, fool proof. I've shown people and now when I see them in the shop, they are turning over bottles to see who is on the back. Understand this though...find the importer, if you like the wine understand why you like it. Then look at the region it came from and the blend of the wine. Next start looking for similar wines from that region and you'll be progressing on your own without the "cliff notes".</div>
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Cheers! </div>
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<br />Wine 101http://www.blogger.com/profile/08560834983918434714noreply@blogger.com0