Hey folks - a reminder for you that Twitter Taste Live is happening again tonight at 8PM ET.
This round will be for charity, as we will be drinking and reviewing the wines of Humanitas! (details available here).
Hope to see you online at twitter (you can also follow along with the action live below, and/or come back to this post for a recap after the event)...
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Cheers!
Showing posts with label wine industry events. Show all posts
Showing posts with label wine industry events. Show all posts
Twitter Taste Live: Drink Charitably! TONIGHT 8PM ET
November Wine Events (Reminder: WBW #51 is Nigh!)
Just a few quick-hits on upcoming wine events in November for you, before we head into another (hopefully fabulous) autumn weekend!
Reminder: Wine Blogging Wednesday #51
Alright, people - Wine Blogging Wednesday #51(WineDude) - aka "Baked Goods" - is being hosted right here and is happening next week on November 12.
You have but a few short days left to get your swurvy on and get you some fortified or madeirized goodness to review. We are accepting any deliberately "baked" wines, as well as anything fortified. So bringeth your Rutherglen muscats, Madeiras, Ports, Sherries, etc., and prepare to get knocked on yer ass!
The full details can be found on my announcement post. Looking forward to tasting with you next week, even if only virtually!
But wait... there's more!...
2008 Brandywine Valley Vintner's Dinner 
Each year, the Brandywine Valley PA region winemakers celebrate the end of the harvest. The festivities will be happening at the draw-droppingly gorgeous Longwood Gardens this weekend on November 8th at 6:30 PM ET.
I will be there, as will Joel Peterson, the brains and inspiration behind Ravenswood (you have heard of them, haven't you?). Should be a good time (if I have anything to do about it!). Full details can be found here.
Teikoku Organic Wine Pairing Event
On November 19th at 5:30 PM, if you're in the Philly area, you can kick off your Birkenstock’s for an organic wine mixer at Teikoku hosted by wine educator and consultant, Erika Gottron, from Capitol Wine and Spirits. The wines will be paired with small plates by Executive Chef, Takao Iinuma (who totally Rocks it!). Tickets can be purchased here.
Drink Charitably! Twitter Taste Live Gives Back
Last but not least: Humanitas Wines, Twitter Taste Live, Twittermoms.com and LENNDEVOURS.com are all teaming up to bring you the first Twitter Taste Live event for charity on November 21 at 8PM ET.
This event should kick all kinds of ass, and 100% of the wine sale profits for the event are going to charity. Here's the wine line-up form Humanitas Wines for the evening:
2006 Sauvignon Blanc-Monterey
2007 Chardonnay "Oak Free"-Monterey
2006 Cabernet Sauvignon-Paso Robles
2006 Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast
You can get details, register for the event, and purchase the wines at TwitterTasteLive.com.
If you're not familiar with how Twitter Taste Live works, check out the skinny here.
Cheers!
(images: winebloggingwednesday.org, longwoodgardens.org, twittertastelive.com)
1WD LIVE @ WBC08 :: The LIVE Tasting Event!
1WineDude is LIVE at the 2008 Wine Bloggers Conference in Sonoma
Friday October 24, 2008 at 3:30 PM PT!
The event is now over, but you can get a recap of the feed from the event below.
Enjoy!
The 1WD @ The WBC08 (or "How Drunk You Can Expect Me to Be This Weekend")
What do you, me, and the upcoming first-ever North American Wine Bloggers Conference (Oct. 24-26 2008 - yes, it's on a weekend, presumably because none of us wine bloggers make any money blogging so we have day jobs during the week) have in common?
I dunno, either.
Uhm.... We're all carbon-based life forms consisting mostly of water, that like to drink wine?
Other than that, I'm not really sure. And okay, conferences technically don't drink wine; conference attendees drink wine.
Anyway, this week I'm off to the Flamingo Resort in the greater Sonoma area to take part in the 2008 WBC. What this means is that you can expect to see some poorly scheduled and erratic posting activity from me over the next 10 days as I try to capture at least some of what the WBC event is all about. Plus, I've got some time off in Sonoma after the WBC to hang out with Mrs. Dudette and the little Dude-el. Family QT, here I come!
I'm not sure exactly which parts of the 2008 WBC I'm going to cover. I'm sure that the event is going to be a blast for us wine bloggers, and I expect a good number of my wine blogging colleagues to cover the event in detail. What you shouldn't expect from me during the next week and half are any boring recaps of the WBC breakout topics. Nothing against my fellow wine bloggers or the WBC organizers (who have done a fantastic job with the agenda), but I just can't imagine the average wine-drinking dude or dudette 1WineDude.com reader has much interest in reading about how to monetize wine blogs, or the waxing philosphic of how wine blogging can achieve media credibility.
Hell, I'm a wine blogger and I barely care about those topics. But... I think that you might care about some of the other awesome stuff that is going down at the WBC this week (click here for details).
What you can expect from me during the next week and half:
- Live Tasting right here on 1WineDude.com! At 6:30 PM ET on Oct. 24 (Friday), I will be blogging LIVE with tasting notes from the WBC Live Wine Blogging "Taste-a-thon" (wherein bloggers like me will be seated at tables to which wineries will 'rotate' with a very limited window for us to taste and blog about the wines). You can come right here to 1WineDude.com to track my (increasingly drunken?) progress during the tasting. We'll be trying out CoverItLive.com for this... hopefully it works... Anyway, I'm going to try my best to adhere to my own advice (hint: it invloves spitting) when it comes to pacing myself during the first day of the event, which has us inundated with wine tastings, but I can't promise I'll be entirely sober for this one!
- Recaps (eventually) of the Kiwi Wine Tasting, Sonoma Grand Tasting, and the Vineyard and Winery visits that are planned during the weekend.
- Opus One Winery visit. I've been invited by the venerable Opus One winery to visit them as part of a series of posts that I will be doing on West Coast vs. East Coast wine making... which will culminate next month in a blind taste-off between the Left & Right coasts! Stay tuned...
- General goofiness as it ensues. Well... duh...
Cheers!
(images: 1WineDude.com, maps.google.com)
I Hope Steve Heimoff Kicks My Ass (Thoughts on the Wine Bloggers Tasting Challenge)
You know what?
I hope that Steve Heimoff kicks my ass.
Not literally, of course (hey, I didn't study a bit of Wing Chun for nothin'!), but tastingly. (Is tastingly a word? Ah, who cares - adverbs kick ass!).
Who is Steve, and why should I want him to kick ass? And how does this relate to wine? Well... it's... complicated...
It actually has to do with the first-ever North American Wine Bloggers Conference being held this week in Sonoma, which both Steve amd I are attending (more on that later in the week). At about 5PM PT on Friday, some of the attendees will be taking part in a Wine Bloggers' Blind Tasting Challenge - as described by the conference organizers:
Bloggers will test their skills in identifying grape varietals and regions. Because we will have only local Sonoma wines, the competition will focus on identifying the type of grape, determining the vintage year or AVA within Sonoma County, matching the wine to the label description, etc. This will be a social exercise with small groups sitting around tables and will be done in rounds, going from easy to hard. Ultimately, one winner will be crowned as the “Wine Blogger Top Taster”.The last sentence is the one that seems to be causing some controversy among some of the wine blogging community. The controversial piece being the media coverage planned for this portion of the conference, the reaction to which you can read in detail in this not-so-safe-for-work discussion on the Wine Bloggers Conference group at OpenWineConsortium.org (title: "What Bullsh*t is this? So much for the Wine Bloggers Conference").
The competition itself is meant to be friendly, with (hopefully) some fun moments with the media on hand to capture it all. The counter argument is that the media coverage will in effect exploit a community that has had its fair share of media exploitation already this year.And it's my hope that Steve (remember him?) takes part in the competition and kicks our blogging asses.
Because that would show us bloggers (myself included) that we have a lot yet to learn about wine and the art of tasting it, and eloquently writing about it. It's easy for us to lose sight of that and get caught up in the 'side show' media elements of blogging. It's great to have an opinion, but we also need to know what we're talking about - and for wine, that foundation is built in tasting. As Lao Tzu said, "the great way is easy, but people chose the side paths..."
Oh, yeah, regarding Steve - he's an author and long-time wine writer for Wine Enthusiast, and he is also a wine blogger. As such, he straddles the 'newer' and 'older' worlds of blogging and traditional wine media in a unique way. He's a good blogger, too, in that he's smart and opinionated enough to get people thinking about, talking about, and sometimes really, really not liking his takes on the world of wine. Steve and I have traded both barbs and compliments on-line, and I've got a lot of respect and patience for him - and I'm looking forward to meeting him in Sonoma, because I'd love to interview him about his take on the future of wine writing.
Anyway, Steve probably tastes hundreds to thousands of wines per year. This is way, way above the total tasted by most wine bloggers, myself included, by a factor of... well, I hate math but I'm sure the factor would be measured exponentially (ah - another kick-ass adverb!).
Which means that if he participated in the Blind Tasting Challenge, Steve could unleash a Chuck Norris level of whoop-ass on the rest of us.
That's a good thing.
Because sometimes, we need that to keep our progressive, opinionated, but ultimately well-meaning blogger banter in perspective. Wine has been good to us bloggers, and not a day goes by when I'm not grateful to wine in some way/shape/form.
And I'm certainly not above having my butt handed to me (as I expect to have happen at the Bind Tasting) if it means I'm going to learn something and have another opportunity to increase my debt of gratitude towards wine.
Let the ass-kickings commence!
Oh, before I go... Steve, if you're out there reading this, you should know that a Google image search of your name turns up this little ditty... I suppose there is some resemblance... not sure if it's you but I really, really hope it is... and if it is, do you still have the Jethro Tull-style hat?
Cheers!
(images: steveheimoff.com, winebloggersconference.org, umass.edu)
How to Tell When a Wine Guy Knows His Stuff (Teikoku CA Wine Tasting)
$35 Per person, reservations required. Space is limited, RSVP now For information and RSVP Contact Christine Olmsted, Teikoku Restaurant Events Coordinator @ 610-644-8270 or christineolmsted@live.com
This week, I had the pleasure of attending (yet another) amazing wine pairing dinner at the fabulous Teikoku restaurant in Newtown Sqaure, PA. I know that you're already sick of hearing about how much I love Teikoku, so I will mention only this:
If you ever find yourself there and you notice "Pan roasted tilefish with Chestnut risotto and tempura style matsutake mushrooms" on the menu, immediately close the menu and order this dish with a bottle of Chardonnay. Immediately. You will thank me later.
The wine pairing theme of the evening was A Tour of California, and we couldn't have had much of a better guide than wine educator Michael Walsh of Majestic Wine & Spirits. Michael had total recall of his CA geography; in fact, his level of knowledge was downright scary without being too pedantic or at all intimidating.
This got me thinking about the difference between a wine geek (who loves wine passionately and wants to share that passion with others) and a wine bore (who gets off on intimidating others with his/her wine smarties). For more detail on what makes a wine bore, check out Michael Broadbent's excellent treatise on the subject...
Anyway, what struck me was how Michael Walsh casually used his impressive wine smarties to enhance our table's enjoyment of the event, and not to try to overpower it. Case in point: during the event, I was chatting with fellow press guest Mary of WC Dish about a tasting of some excellent German QbA wines (more on those in a future post) that I'm currently working my way through. Michael noticed the confused look on the faces of my table mates, and chimed in (with perfect timing I might add) to clear up the confusion and quickly explain the QbA concept and pronunciation (Qualitätswein bestimmter Anbaugebiet or "quality wine from a specified region").
I was impressed - rather than recite the entire WSET Advanced Certificate study material on the subject, he offered the perfect amount of wine info., at the perfect time, without being stuffy or overbearing. It was a style that I consider the hallmark of what constitutes the best in a wine geek!
As for the wines - here are my reviews of Michael's picks:
06 Geyser Peak Sauvignon Blanc (Monterey): Cooler climate grapes for CA. Grapefruit & lemon grass, but the minerality still eludes hot CA.
05 Forestville Reserve Chardonnay (Russian River Valley): Butter & oak, but somehow acidity, creaminess, & caramel save it from oak disaster
06 Esser Vineyards Pinot Noir (South Central Cost, CA): So much cherry, you might mistake it for Gamay. Spice on the nose makes it a winner.
04 Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa): Cassis, currants, leather straps & - bam! - olives! A tiny bit overextracted, but who cares!
NV Merryvale Antigua (Medera, CA): Late harvest fortified Muscato. All toffee with an almost glycerin punch. Tasty, but clear your schedule.
And before I go, let me alert you to yet another fine food & wine pairing event happening at Teikoku on October 23, 2008!
Join Matthew Esser, wine educator and cellar consultant from Shiffrin Selections for an evening of Autumn wines along with Innovative food pairings from Chef Takao Iinuma to complement them
Cheers! (images: winecompliments.com)
September Wine Events!
It's that time of month again... time to hip you Philly-area peeps onto some excellent wine-related events coming up this month!
First up are two wine & food pairing events in West Chester, PA. I will be trying to get my butt to these events - hope to see YOU there!
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Tuesday, September 16
at Doc Magrogan’s in West Chester, PA
from 6-8pm, $35
at Doc Magrogan’s in West Chester, PA
from 6-8pm, $35
Tuna Thai Chili Glaze with Seaweed Salad and Wasabi Sauce with Banyan Gewurztraminer- Smoked Salmon Quesadilla with Goats Cheese with Piko Sauvignon Blanc
- Blackened Seafood Cannelloni with Tomato Salsa with Evohe Garnacha
- Roast Pork with Port Wine Sauce and Toast with Hobo Cabernet Sauvignon
Space is limited, reserve now! Doc Magrogan's Oyster House (West Chester PA), Ph: 610 429 4046, www.docmagrogans.com
more below...
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Thursday, September 25
at Blush in Bryn Mawr, PA
from 6-8pm, $45
at Blush in Bryn Mawr, PA
from 6-8pm, $45
The food menu is being created but the following wines will be poured:- Banyan Gewurztraminer
- Optima Chardonnay
- Evohe Garnacha
- Folk Machine – The Long Drive (Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, Valdigue, Madera Syrah)
===================================
Also happening this month: the next twitter taste live event, at 7PM on September 18th (click through for my take on the TTL events)! I will be joining the hosts, BinEndsWine.com, LIVE (along with some other east coast wine bloggers) at Wine 2.0 in NYC for the event. Head on over to the recently new-&-improved twittertastelive.com for the skinny. Check it!Cheers!
(images: thcphotography.com, dineatblush.com)
Ethics and Wine Blogging (or "Ouch! I've Got a Neck Cramp From All This Navel-Gazing!")
Oooooooooooooohhhhh boy.
Seems I can't go a week these days without getting embroiled in one wine blogging controversy or another.
Let's see... how do I recap this so it's not mind-numbingly boring for people who came here thinking they might be reading about wine?
See, apparently, that's not what wine bloggers like to do anymore (I know... I didn't get the memo, either!). Instead, they talk about themselves... which will be cool to do during the upcoming Wine Bloggers Conference in Sonoma, but isn't so cool to do on wine blogs themselves.
Where readers come to, well, read about wine stuff.
And not to read about wine blogger navel gazing stuff.
But... in this case I will need to talk a bit about wine blogging because it actually involves YOU - the readers of wine blogs (I know this is difficult now... but someday, I think you'll forgive me, and our relationship will grow stronger... and we'll finally take that get-away-from-it-all trip to Vancouver tat we've been planning... just the two of us...).
Whoops. Sorry, got distracted.
Let's recap: Regular 1WD dot com readers will recall that I was part of an innovative blogging experiment, headed up by Jeff over at GoodGrape.com, to be among a select group of bloggers to taste the innagural release of Rockaway Vineyard, a new allocated California Cab.
Apparently, a bunch of other wine bloggers didn't like that.
Tom Wark (fermentation.typepad.com) and Steve Heimoff of Wine Enthusiast (www.steveheimoff.com) in particular both questioned the ethics of the experiment participants for agreeing to write about Rockaway as a condition of taking part in the experiment (and receiving an advanced sample of the wine). Tim over at Winecast.net has a great summary of the whole thing, which you can check out here.
The funny thing is, no one who's written about the ethics of the experiment has yet to validate their assumptions with either Rockaway or the participants.
Whoops...
I tried to clear things up on Tom's blog in his comments, but let's just say it ain't easy convincing a group of green cheese lovers that the moon is made of rock. Even when you've got a sample stone in your hand.
For those of you who still care (sorry, I'm trying to make it as "non-boring" as possible), I actually have a Code of Ethics that's been posted on my site for well over a year. As far as I can tell, it wasn't violated by me taking part in this experiment. Sure, I agreed to write an article, but I agreed that with my editor (Jeff at Good Grape), not with a winery. And I didn't see anything wrong in an editor stipulating receipt of an article as grounds for participation.
I mean.... DUUUUUUH.... wouldn't a journalist get fired for consistently not producing articles for an editor by a deadline? If not, then I've changed my mind, and I really do want to be a journalist! Sounds like a sweet gig!
Instead of talking about ethics, maybe wine bloggers should be talking about Journalism 101 and Reading Comprehension? Or (egads!), wine?
Anyway - now you've got the background, and you've got my take, and you've got my Code of Ethics. And that is important, to me at least - I'm writing this blog because it's fun, but mostly because I genuinely love sharing wine knowledge with you. I'm certainly not writing it for other wine bloggers (though they're more than welcome to participate).
I trust that you're smart people, and all-grown-up adults (at least, I hope so considering you're reading a blog about an alcoholic beverage...), and therefore I trust that you can make up your own minds about my ethics.
Which reminds me...
THANK YOU to those who have contacted me with your words of encouragement and support. It's literally kept me from hanging up my bloggin' spurs these past couple of weeks. And for that, you have my (possibly non-journalistic and unethical) gratitude, always!
Cheers!
(image: calgarysun.com)
Teikoku Wrap-Up
Teikoku Restaurant, sitting just outside Philadelphia, is fast becoming my favorite dining spot in the known Universe.
I'm not a food reviewer, so I'm not going to try to do justice to the stellar dishes they whipped up for their last food & wine tasting event.
I will, however, tell you about the wines that Heather Wright (wine educator and consultant from Cellar Door Imports) chose for the event, since they're all great budget-minded picks for your next Asian food dining sojourn:
08 Arabella Sauvignon Blanc (W. Cape, SA): Tropical fruit dominates even over the acidity. Bit too much bod for lil' ol' me but it's cheap!
07 Banyan Gewurztraminer (Monterey County, CA): Somehow it's 1D despite lychee, lime, rose petal, & melon. Still, hard to beat for the price
07 Banyan Viognier Madera (CA): Fat & oily, with a crazy banana nose that's all over the place. Not "pure" by any stretch - but damn fun!
07 Hyatt Chardonnay (Rattlesnake Hills, WA): Vanilla syrup & pears, good balance, but a tad astringent on the finish. Decent pick, nice $.
06 Hobo Zinfandel (Dry Creek Valley, CA): Ripe as hell but red berries, licorice, & pepper keep things interesting. Good pick for BBQ beef.
If you're in the Philly area and want to join in the next Teikoku wine event, details are below...Tuesday, September 23 2008
Teikoku Restaurant
5492 West Chester Pike
Newtown Square, PA 19073
Michael Walsh, Wine Educator,
will showcase five of California's most celebrated wine growing regions,
along with the innovative food pairings from Chef Takao Iinuma to complement them!
For reservations, contact Christine Olmsted @ 610-644-8270.
And finally, from the "Damn, wish I had a tech support staff!" Department: I'm way sorry for the lack of video feed from last night's live twitter tasting. It worked when we tested it several times earlier in the week, but at show time there was no sound. Since we were right in the thick of the event kick-off, I decided to abandon video rather than try to address it then and there (which would have been a big distraction during the tasting - not to mention during my dinner!). I'll make sure it's working before the next event!
Cheers!
Win Free Wine Gear (Prep. for Twitter Tasting Live #2)!
In preparation for the upcoming Twitter Tasting Live Event (hosted by Winecast & BinEndsWine.com) on August 21st, I'm giving away FREE 1WineDude.com gear!
This round of the live twitter wine tasting will focus on the fabulous Alsace wines of Hugel & Fils. Mrs. Dudette and I will (once again) be hosting a group of local wine geeks and industry folk to taste the wines - while yours truly captures the (increasingly inebriated) tasting comments from our panel via my twitter account.
Of course, we want all of you folks to join in on this fun as well and taste along with us, and the rest of the twitter live participants (twitipants?). Check out BinEndsWine.com for details on how to join up.
I may also be streaming the (increasingly inebriated) 1WineDude group commentary via my Yahoo! Live channel!
Anyway, help me out and YOU could soon be wearing a Men's "Wine Rules!" T-shirt, or a Women's "1WineDude.com" cap sleeve T-shirt! Or be reading through the cool tips & tricks of wine tasting in my eBook!
All you have to do is help me & Mrs. Dudette prepare for the twitter tasting. Easy peasy nice an' squeezy!...
Here's the skinny:
Nothing to it.
Mrs. Dudette and I need to cook for our guests, and we need YOUR help! Leave a comment on this here post anytime between now and midnight ET Sunday, August 17. In your comment, tell us your favorite food to pair with wines from Alsace.
First Prize: A 1WineDude.com T (as described above)!
Second Prize: A free copy of the 1WineDude.com Wine Tasting Guide!
So get cookin' already!
Cheers!
(images: allposters.com, cafepress.com)
August Wine Events
It's that time of month again here at 1WineDude.com.
That time when we hip you to some way cool events going on in the wine world (what were you thinking I was going to say?):
1) First up is a local Philly-area shin-dig. Teikoku Restaurant will be having their next wine & food pairing event on Thursday, August 14, 5:30-7:30 PM ET.
Iron Chef Takao Iinuma will be cooking up some delectable small bites to pair with "off the beaten path pours" of wine selected by Heather Wright of Cellar Door Imports. I know that chef. And I know that Importer. And both of them kick ass.
2) Next, after a fun and successful inaugural twitter tasting event, BinEndsWine.com will be back LIVE on August 21st for twitter tasting #2. This time around, they will be featuring Etienne Hugel, of Hugel & Fils.
For those of you who aren't yet familiar with Hugel, the name is practically synonymous with fine Alsace wine. BinEndsWine & Etienne will be joined live via twitter by yours truly, as well as a host of other fine wine bloggers, as we taste through a selection of Hugel's finest.
The last twitter live tasting event was a blast, so head on over to BinEndsWine.com, order yourself a tasting pack of Hugel wine, and join in the twitter fun on the 21st. The details of how to follow the live event can be found there as well (be sure to friend me up at 1WineDude before the 21st!).
Cheers!
Sake Tasting @ Azie: The Oh-So-Tasty Wrap-Up!
When it comes to me and Iron Chef Takao Iinuma, well, we've just got to stop meeting like this.
Because that guy is so skilled, he's going to ruin me for all other Japanese cuisine. With the exception of cuisine in Japan itself, presumably.
I'm not going to recap the food from my recent sake tasting at Iinuma's fabulous Azie restaurant in Media, PA. I'll let my good friends over at WCDish.com do that. You can read up on the details of the Azie tasting in my previous post shamlessly plugging the event.
But I will tell you about the sake I had the pleasure of tasting that evening. Because it's gone a long way into making me a convert in the temple of all things sake. And a yummy, tummy-warming temple it is...
What's great about events like the Azie tasting is the high probability of running into other 'foodies'. In this case, I had the pleasure of hanging with Christine Olmsted of Teikoku, Mary and Sugendran of WCDish.com, and Gino Razzi, the Penns Woods winemaker who is starting to skae things up in the world of east coast wines (see inset pic of Gino, me, and Mary). Of course, it also doesn't hurt that one of the best chefs in the eastern U.S. is whipping up the fare, either.
The sake samples on display at Azie were selected by Matt Palmer of Star Cellars. the man knows his sake, and since I am a complete sake novice, I took advantage of the opportunity to bend Matt's ear and ask him a seemingly endless serious of questions about each sake, and the process of making sake in general.
Sake is often referred to as "rice wine" since at its most fundamental it is an alcoholic beverage made from rice. However, the process used to make sake is actually somewhere between those used to make beer and those used to make wine. Specifically, sake is made with a special type of rice with a high starch content, with a mold called koji used to convert the starch into sugars that can then be fermented into alcohol. From there, many techniques are used to create sakes with different characteristics. Like wine and whiskey, sake from different areas of Japan are noted for their distinct styles. You can learn more by checking out Sake.com.
The samples that we tasted at Azie really show the depth, range and breadth possible with sake. We started with an accessible, fun & sweet sparkling (yes, as in 'with bubbles') sake, and ended with the complex, powerful, and deep "Mountain Flowers" - a drink that requires (and deserves) as much concentration as a decent Burgundy.
As for the specifics on the sake that we had for our pairings at Azie, I've reviewed them in 'mini' form on twitter, and included the wrap-up below:
If you're new to sake... let me tell you, you need to give this stuff a fair shot. Because it is definitely going to surprise you.
Consider this oenophile a convert.
Cheers!
(images: courtesy of Sugendran.net)
Wine on the Deck @ Teikoku - Aug 14
$35 per person all inclusive; Space is limited, reserve now.
I suppose that I'm running the serious risk of becoming a walking virtual billboard for Teikoku at this point, but I've got yet another wine tasting event of theirs to plug here on 1WineDude.com.
So sue me - if I'm going to plug something, it might as well be something good, right?
Anyway, Teikoku (located just outside of Philly) will be having another wine tasting on the deck on August 14 at 5:30 PM ET. Details are below.
I don't yet know what vino Heather is bringing, or what Iron Chef Iinuma is whipping up, but both of them are top-notch and in my book have built up a serious track record of quality, so I doubt very much that you'd be disappointed by this event...
Newtown Square
telephone 
Thursday August 14, 2008 - 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. An evening of wine on the deck with Heather Wright, wine educator and consultant from Cellar Door Imports. We will be featuring some new, off the beaten path pours along with small bites from Executive Chef Takao Iinuma to compliment them.
Cheers!
(images: courtesy of Sugendran.net)
Wine Events: Wine on the Deck @ Teikoku Restaurant!
Another (sort of) rare event plug here on 1WineDude.com - I don't do these plugs too often, so when I do, it's because I think that the event is really going to be cool. And in this case, I think the cool potential is very high: I personally know the two people selecting and pouring wine at the event, and they definitely know their wine (not to mention that they're also really splendid people).
The fabulous Teikoku restaurant (where I recently covered an event featuring the wines of Penns Woods Winery) is hosting a wine tasting event this coming Thursday, July 3 2008.
I will be there - so if you're attending, drop me a line and stop by to say hello.
Teikoku Restaurant
Thursday July 3, 2008 - 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Thursday July 3, 2008 - 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Newtown Square
telephone
Join us for an evening of Wine On The Deck with former sommelier and wine educator, Matthew Esser from Shiffrin Selections and wine educator and consultant, Heather Wright from Cellar Door Imports.
We will be featuring some new, off the beaten path pours, along with small bites from Executive Chef Takao Iinuma to compliment them.
$30 per person all inclusive
Space is limited, reserve now
Cheers!A Pennsylvania (Wine) Revolution (Penns Woods Wine Tasting)
A shot has been fired in the world of Pennsylvania winemaking.
And it's a portent of a revolution in how wines are made in PA - and for that matter, how wines are made in all of the East Coast U.S. wine regions.
A bold statement? You bet. But I mean every word of it. And yes, I am totally sober as I write this (a condition I plan to remedy by sampling some heavy reds later this evening).
And if you taste some of the wines from Penns Woods, the brainchild of Italian winemaker and importer Gino Razzi, you might end up agreeing with me.
I had the pleasure of meeting Gino and sampling his wines during a recent first-rate tasting event at Teikoku Restaurant. Now, before you write me off as having gotten wined & dined so that I would waste several minutes of your life with a recap of a drunken Penns Woods love-fest, you need to know that I did not care for all of Gino's wines.
At worst, Gino's wines were over-manipulated, over extracted, Parker-point-chasing fruit bombs (2005 Merlot Reserve); or, just plain unnecessary (2006 White Cabernet, a rose that somehow kept astringency without offering much in the way of fruity goodness).
But at their best... Gino's wines are nothing short of the opening salvo in a PA wine revolution. A shot that is sure to have reverberations felt as far away as VA, Long Island, or wherever quality wines are trying to be made in the U.S. right coast.
Because at their best - most notably the 2007 Chardonnay - Gino's wines are that good. Not "good, for a Pennsylvania wine" good. They are "stand up to any U.S.-made wine" good...
While I'd been interested in trying Gino's wines ever since I read Craig LeBan's enthusiastic review of Penns Woods, I wasn't expecting any miracles. We're talking about PA, after all, whose future seemed to best lie in unique expressions of Cabernet Franc and the brambly Chambourcin. When I saw that the dinner at Teikoku was being prepared by Iron Chef Takao Iinuma (pictured, left), and was bookended by Wakatake Daiginjo Onikoroshi sake and gelato covered in 50+ year old Modena balsamic vinegar made from trebbiano grapes that goes for well over $40 / ounce, as far as I was concerned if the accompanying Penns Woods wines were any good, it would simply be a bonus.A shot has been fired in the world of Pennsylvania winemaking. And it's a portent of a revolution in how wines are made in PA - and for that matter, how wines are made in all of the East Coast U.S. wine regions.
I'd expected a quiet spot in the corner where I would be able to take a few tasting notes. Instead, I was given the honor of sharing the winemaker's table with Gino, wine guru John McNulty, consultant Heather Wright of Cellar Door Imports, West Chester foodie Mary of WC Dish fame, and talented WC Dish photographer Sugendran Ganess, among others. One of the best things about sharing a wine event with a crowd that irrepressible (outside of the fun factor), is that it saves me from having to be irrepressible myself, and afforded me a few moments to reflect on Gino's wines - which through the course of the dinner were wowing me nearly as much as the food.
As soon as I had a whiff of the 2006 Sauvignon Blanc, I was almost speechless. Sure, it has some of that PA 'grit'; but this wine delivered an improbable amount of citrus fruit. I scratched my head... did these grapes honestly ripen in southeastern PA?
When Gino decided to make wine in PA, he told us, he sent some of his grapes to trusted associates for examination. The news Gino received back was that he should go ahead and make wines with his PA grapes, because they had levels equal to the quality of the grapes that produce his high-scoring Italian-made montepulciano d'Abruzzo.
I was brought down by the Merlot. It tasted of raisins and the varietal character felt masked - overdone and over extracted, I thought. And then it hit me again - how the hell did he get so much fruit out of these wines? No one in PA has been able to do that since, well... ever.When Gino decided to make wine in PA, he told us, he sent some of his grapes to trusted associates for examination. The news Gino received back was that he should go ahead and make wines with his PA grapes, because they had levels equal to the quality of the grapes that produce his high-scoring Italian-made montepulciano d'Abruzzo.
The two wines that really drove things home for me were the Ameritage red blend and the Chardonnay. According to Gino, year on year he may not have any idea exactly what grapes will go into his Ameritage, but year on year "I promise you, that wine will be good." And he delivers. Was it a tad manipulated? Yes. But it was also very, very good, at par with (or better than) similarly-priced red blends I've had from CA, WA, and southern France. The hint of nebbiolo gave a small, delicate polish aroma to the wine that countered the intense fruit nicely. Nebbiolo? In Pennsylvania?? Is this guy nuts?!?
Gino was insistent that there was no secret to his approach: he wants to make world-class wines in PA, and he has invested the capital (physical and mental) to do so. He uses expensive, ultra-modern equipment to extract the maximum amount of fruit from his grapes. He hires consultants that charge more for a few vineyard visits than most PA winemakers clear in an entire year of doing business. And he uses new (= very expensive) French oak barrels to impart complexity to his wines.
The shining result of this work is the 2007 Penns Woods Chardonnay. John McNulty (pictured, far right, with Gino and the Dude) introduced this wine as "a home run." My tasting notes for the Chardonnay have two words that really stood out when I went back to them to pen this article:
"A revelation."
This wine had tropical fruit, just the right amount of oak and creaminess, and was big - and I mean BIG - on the palate. It finished long and strong with minerals, almost like wet rocks. Tropical fruit? In Pennsylvania?? This was one of the best Chardonnays I'd had in the last three years outside of France. I was stunned. Maybe it's not as steely as a great Chablis, or as complex as a Montrachet, but it aims to kick no less ass than the French big boys.
A Revelation - for me, anyway. Actually, it's more like a Revolution.
The word is out, and if you want to hear it, just pick up a bottle of the Penns Woods Chardonnay, pour a glass, and listen to what that fine wine is telling you.
PA can make world-class wines.
It's now a fact - and if Penns Woods repeats this over multiple vintages it will be indisputable - and not just a dream of a few passionate individuals. Gino has fired a well-aimed first shot. Will any PA wineries return the volley? Time (and a good heap of venture capital) may tell...
Cheers!
(images: members.aol.comliv18thc, sugendran.net)
Penns Wood Winery Event @ Teikoku Restaurant
I don't normally plug events here at 1WineDude.com, but I couldn't pass up the opportunity to give some press to this shin-dig, because I am totally into what both this restaurant and this winemaker are doing.
NOTE: The following is a Philly-area event (much apologies to my Left Coast and International readers!).
Teikoku is serving up some of the most killer Asian fusion food in the greater Philadelphia area. And Penns Wood Winery is making some of the most daring wines in all of the East Coast (hello? Sauvignon Blanc, anyone?) - and they now own the old Smithbridge wine property (a stone's throw from Chaddsford), which is capable of producing some of the best grapes in the area.
If you're in the area and can make it, I highly suggest checking it out.
Teikoku restaurant proudly presents
Penn’s Woods Winery dinner
with Chef Takao Iinuma, Winemaker Mr. Gino Razzi
and wine educator John McNulty...
Tuesday June 3, 2008, 6:30 p.m.
Penn’s Woods Winery dinner
with Chef Takao Iinuma, Winemaker Mr. Gino Razzi
and wine educator John McNulty...
Tuesday June 3, 2008, 6:30 p.m.
Amuse Bouche
Fresh, delicate, mélange of sushi
Pairings: Wakatake Daiginjo Onikoroshi sake and Yamada Pecorino 2006
First course
Alaskan wild king salmon and live scallop in onion soy dressing with a micro herb salad
Pairings: Penn’s Woods Sauvignon Blanc 2006 and Proprietors Reserve White 2006
Second course
Seared
Pairings: Penn’s Woods Ameritage Reserve 2005 and Penn’s Woods Merlot Reserve 2005
Third course
Poached daikon cup filled with uni (sea urchin), wild mushrooms and baby spinach, in a sauce americaine
Pairings: Penn’s Woods Chardonnay 2007 and Penn’s Woods White Cabernet 2006
Fourth course
Seared Foie gras over French black truffle white asparagus served with shallot demi glace and lotus chips
Pairing: Penn’s Woods White Merlot 2006
Fifth course
Tahitian vanilla bean gelato
Pairing:: Aged (50 year old) balsamic vinegar from
$95 per person (Does not include tax and gratuity)
Executive Chef Takao Iinuma - Takao is one of the world’s great Japanese chefs. An accomplished student at
Winemaker Gino Razzi- The Abruzzi-born Razzi, a well-known wine importer and a maker of highly rated wines in
Teikoku Restaurant
5492 West Chester Pike
Tel:
Fax:
Cheers!
A Spy In the House of Booze: How to Survive an Industry Wine Tasting
Booth babes. Row upon row of free alcohol to sample, some of it top notch. Hobnobbing with local wine celebs (e.g., Marnie Old).
Man, the lengths I will go to give me readers a decent story!
I was recently (in Q4 2007) asked by a local restaurant / wine bar to help them out an industry tasting event, held in downtown Philadelphia (i.e., sample some wines, help determine what they should be serving up in the near future).
This particular event was hosted by Southern Wine & Spirits of Pennsylvania. SWS is one of the major suppliers of wine brands to the PA Liquor Control Board (the state-run monopoly that controls alcohol sales and distribution within PA). PA is the only state-controlled market in which SWS operates; 
that's because when you're a big supplier, you simply cannot argue with the billions of dollars at stake that are controlled by PA's potentially unconstitutional monopoly.So what's it like to attend one of these events? Read on, dear reader, reader on...
First, these big portfolio tastings typically take place at a swanky location. In this case, it was the Crystal Tea Ballroom (which I'd just visited a few weeks prior for the Gravedigger's Ball in support of the Laurel Hill Cemetery).
There are, literally, a dozen or more rows of tables, each hosted by a winery, distributor, or importer who have their portfolio available for tasting. Most of these tables are staffed by young salespeople ("booth babes"), and are visited by equally young and beautiful sales reps, occasionally punctuated by a local wine celeb., or a wine geek (such as the Dude here).There is a lot of sipping. There is a lot of tasting. There is a lot of handshaking. There is a lot of note-taking, smiling, and photo-shooting.
What there is not a lot of, is spitting - despite the proliferation of buckets provided specifically for that purpose. And that means there is a lot of drunken buzz happening at the end of the evening. In no way am I picking on SWS here - I'm pretty sure that this scenario would play out at any similar industry event (isn't that one of the reasons why people want to get into sales in the first place?).
Personally, Dude was doing very well - at first - and enjoying the excellent wines on display (particularly the Quintessa, as well as possibly the greatest array of Champagnes I've ever had the pleasure of comparing). Doing well, that is, until late in the event, when one of the booth babes grabbed our group and ushered us through the vodka section - where we capped off a series of rapid-fire tasting with shots of vodka that ran in excess of $200 a bottle.I'm the 1WineDude, not the 'ManyVodkasDude'. My party spent the latter part of the evening stumbling around City Hall, looking for bar food to quell our munchies, and trying to remember our names.
If you ever find yourself invited to one of these events, how best to survive the experience?
Get there early. The event will eventually get packed, and it's probably going to be big. You will want to scope out the areas of most interest to you, and pace yourself based on the amount of time that you have to spend there.
Map out your plan of attack. This is the benefit of an early arrival - you can plan out exactly what booths you want to visit before the crowds arrive, start imbibing, and generally make the scene more confusing for you. I suggest dividing up the booths into categories such as "Must See", "B Priority", and "Will Check Out If Time Permits." That way, you try the things you and/or your employer are most interested in, and save the rest for a more relaxed run-through afterwards.
Don't Ignore the Little Guys. You will find wine brands that you'd not known about before, and you will like some of them. You should expect a handful of "ah-ha!" moments with some of the lesser-known producers - and they may be exactly what you're looking for to pair with your restaurant's newest dish, etc.Take quick tasting notes, but not too many. You will NOT have time to write lengthy tasting notes. Recording some details is essential, but I'd recommend planning on writing one sentence (or less) on each wine you taste. Stick to the basics and record just enough info. that you will be able to make sense of it the next day.
Remember that Sex Sells. All salespeople and advertisers worth their salt know this. You will be bombarded by beautiful people. Remember, you're there to taste wine, not award your or your company's money to the distributor that has the best-looking staff.
Don't Forget to Spit. Well... duh! I'm not saying don't enjoy a full glass of a killer cab on display. But I am saying that if you don't spit, you will get hammered - probably not the best way to make an impression at an industry event.If possible, carpool. Even when you spit, you absorb some alcohol through the tops and sides of your mouth. Eventually, it's going to impair your tasting judgment, especially at an event where there is so much tasting to be performed. This is why you should hit your highest priority / must-see booths first, take quick notes, and probably try to carpool (or take public transportation) when your tasting event is over. Safety first, as they say.
Cheers!
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