Chillin' with Kovacs (from Bachelor Pad)

Okay, okay, I know it's the off-season for The Bachelor and I'm supposed to be giving you a break from all my Bachelor-related drivel. But if I got to hang out with someone from the show, that would be drivel-worthy, right? Because, I totally did...

Hey, look at that! It's me... with Jesse Kovacs from Jillian's season of The Bachelorette and from the first season of Bachelor Pad.


The radio station I've been doing Bachelor recaps for hosted a Girls' Night Out event and he was the special guest. Before the event, they hosted a VIP party with Jesse. And apparently I'm a VIP!  (Shut up. It does not stand for "Very Irritating Person".)


I really didn't know what to expect. For as much as I'm willing to share on my blog... or the fact that I have zero fear of public speaking... when I actually have to interact with three-dimensional humans, I get a little nervous. Fine, a lot nervous. Which either results in me saying nothing at all... or saying something completely outside the realm of social convention. Luckily, Savannah agreed to go with me. Whew! Because otherwise I probably would have sat in my car for a half hour trying to work up the courage to go in alone.


Except Savannah's kids got pneumonia and, because she's done such a good job of teaching them to share, she got it too.


So, an hour before the VIP party, I was dateless and dangerously close to just going home. But, I'd bought a new jeans. And, after a considerable amount of begging on my part, my friend Brittney graciously moved a couple of things around in her schedule and was able to meet me and make sure I didn't cower in the corner the whole time. She couldn't get there right at the beginning though, so that's why I sat in my car for a half hour trying to work up the courage to go in alone.


Luckily, it was a pretty small gathering. Like, 20 people. And Jesse? Seemingly regular.


I know, I know. "But Audreya... you spent his whole season of the Bachelor Pad saying he was part of the Douchebag Triumvirate..."  Well, yes, I did. But mostly because he's skinnier than me. Yeah, let's go with that.
Anyway, I did expect him to be rather cocky or "too cool" for the whole thing. I just imagine most of the people who go on this show are all "Of course you want to meet me. I was on The Bachelor!" I was only around the dude for an hour, so -who knows- maybe he is like that... but he didn't come off that way. Just seemed like a cool enough guy. Not shy but not "in your face" either.


Everyone at the party got a chance to ask him a question in a Chris Harrison "sit across from each other and tell me your deepest, darkest secrets" format. I don't remember all the questions, but the one that stuck out to me was why he went on the show. Answer: He was approached to be on the show, he didn't apply. That's the case with almost all the men -and a lot of the women- who are on the show. A talent agent or someone from the production company sees them out and about, thinks they have the right look and don't seem like a dud, so the agent asks if they'd be interested. He thought it would be something fun to do.


Super awesome side note: Brittney was approached when she lived in Austin. She went through the casting process and was getting ready to fly to LA to be on Brad's (first) season. But she met a guy right before she left, she had that "feeling" about him, so she backed out of The Bachelor. Good thing, since she married that guy a few months ago! Nevertheless, she and Jesse had fun chatting about how Brad is a douche. Jesse's words, not mine. Except, after Brad's second season, I totally believe it. He's still incredibly hot, but...


Anyway, of course I used my question to ask about the behind-the-scenes stuff. As I've said before, there are two kinds of people who watch The Bachelor: the hopeless romantics who want to watch a love story and tend to believe most of what they are see on the show... and the people who like a good train wreck and watch for entertainment value more than anything else. Obviously I'm the latter. Plus, I enjoy seeing what they spliced together, skewed a certain way, etc. I'm under no delusions that reality TV is real. Jesse confirmed that.

I asked him how much of it was a producer saying "Go here, say this..." or "Ask so and so about this..." He said a huge part of it was. That, from the first night, there was a guy on set with a laptop, crafting each cast member's "story line" as different things played out. And that they were constantly being told "Hey, you and Dave should go over here and talk to Jillian..." and that sort of thing. Again, all stuff I already knew, but just nice to hear it from someone who lived it.

Inquisitive about the way wine drinks are designed

Found simply just southern region connected with Cloverdale from the northern almost all section of the Dried Creek Valley, Fritz Metro Winery is built into your area of any out of the way hillside.

Driving a car throughout the precious metal checkpoints in addition to spanning a limited wood made connect of which covers some sort of winter weather creek in addition to overlooks an incredible pool, readers usually are cared for into a idyllic expanse connected with vineyards with both equally features on the route since they produce the technique nearly this customer vehicle ton.
For all hoping anything a bit more, telephone onward to help program some sort of Pre-book Mouth watering in addition to small sample the Fritz Pre-book Chardonnay, Fritz Pre-book Pinot Noir, Real estate Pre-book Zinfandel in addition to Real estate Pre-book Cabernet Sauvignon. Most of these very restricted output wine drinks are only available for purchase for the winery.

Inquisitive about the way wine drinks are designed? Some sort of top–to-bottom well guided expedition on the Metro Winery is additionally available on weekends by means of scheduled appointment. Move inside their cavern, view the substantial sterling silver tanks in addition to discover more about the gravity move winemaking practice. Try a behind-the-scenes presentation of the way wine drinks are ready intended for bottling in addition to small sample foreseeable future lets out strong on the bat berrel. Subsequently finish ones expedition that has a trip to this Mouth watering Bedroom.

Jordan Ditlevson in addition to Tammy Hiatt-Cavallo connected with Cloverdale attained for a vino mouth watering affair beginning not too long ago in addition to located they lots in keeping, as well as the preference with vino. In truth, just about every idea we were looking at rather intelligent as soon as the item reached wine drinks, although that had been previous to the trip to Fritz.
Beneath instruction connected with Winemaker Brad Longton, many people evolved into Winemakers for just a Time, preparing, pairing in addition to joining his or her trademark model of Pinot Noir.

Brad, some sort of native connected with Quotes, did wonders within a quality vino retail outlet suitable outside of school. A lot more he / she become experienced in wine drinks, nevertheless, a lot more he / she needed to study this output area. “I needed to receive grubby and have absolutely enjoyment, ” he / she a joke. “I got in excess of in this article to try and do some sort of Collect and do not eventually left. ”

They have also been having Fritz Metro Winery due to the fact 2005, taking on seeing that the Winemaker with 2007.

After having a in person well guided expedition on the reservoir in addition to bat berrel locations, Jordan in addition to Tammy were being guided external into a wood made use a picnic dining room table that had been established with regards to winemaking practical knowledge. On there many people located several wines connected with Pinot Noir – just one by Morelli Lane Vineyard with Occidental, just one by Whitton Vineyards with Graton, and another by Daphne Lee Vineyards with Windsor – just about every containing kiwi harvested in a variety of areas of this Russian Riv Valley, in addition to just about every featuring a unique different preference.
In line with Brad, many several wine drinks were being of identical winemaker when using the similar practice along with the similar style of kiwi. “The unique seems, ” he / she defined, “are an expression connected with what exactly just about every vineyard delivers. ”

Likewise revealed seemed to be some sort of testing storage container to hold on to the combine, some sort of pipette intended for extracting vino on the wines, some sort of joining information to help history the size, as well as a vino a glass intended for mouth watering. Also, there was clearly loaves of bread is in addition to wines connected with mineral water to help detoxify the palate concerning seems.

Taking that approach seemed to be to help combine amounts connected with vino by just about every bottle of wine to build a fully completely new vino that had been properly nicely balanced geared to the specific preference. Jordan learned that putting somewhat more acid solution basically manufactured for some sort of better preference.
As soon as the minute around connected with joining, Tammy expressed, “It couldn’t receive much better. ” Subsequently Jordan chimed with in addition to claimed “Mine’s great. When i can’t imagine the way contrasting this blog is usually on the past just one. ”

Soon after getting a drink, Tammy conceded, “You’re suitable. The item likely is usually perfect…darn the item. When i however including quarry, although your own property is usually, well…. it’s great. ”

The way it turned out, there seemed to be a 5% change the way many people mixed up the wine drinks, and even though we were looking at identical, the balance connected with styles seemed to be simply just unique plenty of for making these individuals one of a kind.

Brad afforded just about every a sample connected with what exactly he had mixed up, when using the similar wine drinks, simply just unique dimensions. Both equally were being stunned because of the even larger, bolder preference connected with his or her combine in excess of his or her, that is gentler in addition to milder.
Jordan in addition to Tammy fit all the newly-developed combinations in different wines, corked these individuals, enclosed this best that has a reddish colored pill in addition to added in product labels – so appeared “Michael’s Exclusive Blend” in addition to “Tamara’s Outdoors Area, ” a couple the same, although softly unique, wines connected with Pinot Noir many people designed independently.

Approximately many people needed to head out property and revel in the completely new vino, Jordan in addition to Tammy thought i would view this Mouth watering Bedroom as a substitute in addition to spend less most of these wines with regards to impending marriage.

Fritz Metro Winery is on 24691 Dutcher Creek Route. The Mouth watering Bedroom, where by family and friends usually are invited to help small sample all 5 unique Fritz wine drinks, between Pinot Noir to help Cabernet Sauvignon to help Chardonnay, is usually start regular by 10: 35 some sort of. l. to help 5: 35 v. l.

What makes That Finest

What makes That Finest

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As part of its mission to empower the UK to favour beer over wine with food

With its award-winning real ales stealing a march in the flourishing micro-brewery market, Ilkley Brewery is working with Great British Menu chef, Stephanie Moon, to explore the culinary craft of food and beer pairing.

While wine has, for many years, been the go-to drink as a fine dining tipple, Ilkley Brewery is passionate about changing these long-held traditions and aims to put beer on the menu as a carefully crafted, delicate and flavour-filled alternative to its corked counterpart.

A chef’s perspective

As part of its mission to empower the UK to favour beer over wine with food, Ilkley Brewery has joined forces with Stephanie Moon, chef consultant at Harrogate’s Rudding Park, Deliciouslyorkshire champion and a contestant on BBC2’s Great British Menu. Stephanie has worked with the brewery to match six of its beers with a variety of dishes: some restaurant style, some family favourites.

The end result of Stephanie’s food and beer trials is The Pint Chart: a reference guide which suggests perfect partners for each of the brewery’s real ales:

“Drinking beer with food is nothing new – pork scratchings and meat pies have gone down well with a pint of bitter for a long time now. However, what we’re trying to do is widen the perception of what works with beer to include high-end, healthy and accessible dishes”, said Stephanie.

 Some of the highlights from Stephanie’s ‘Pint Chart’ for Ilkley Brewery include oysters with Stout Mary, lemon and thyme marinated chicken with Mary Jane , lamb chops with Ilkley Pale and chocolate pudding with Ilkley Black.

Speaking about their adventures into food and beer matching, Stewart Ross, one of the Ilkley Brewery directors, said: “It’s big news at the moment that micro-breweries are bucking the economic trend and we believe this is because people are increasingly fascinated by the provenance of their food and drink and take an interest in how things are made. An example of this rise in beer appreciation is a new course developed by the Beer Academy in London: the Beer Sommelier Scheme aims to educate its students on everything from creating beer menus to matching beer and high-end cuisine.

 “So just as wine enthusiasts know their Cabernets from their Pinots, we’re finding people are becoming more and more clued up on hop varieties. With this understanding of the broad range of flavours beer can produce – from delicate citrus light ales to robust, creamy stouts – it stands to reason that beer should be paired with complementary food flavours and enjoyed, just like wine.”

 An evening of beer and food

Ilkley Brewery, with the culinary consultancy of Stephanie Moon, will be supporting one of Ilkley Literature Festival’s events on Friday 7 October. Melissa Cole, one of the country’s most prolific and respected writers and broadcasters on beer, will be talking about her first book, Let Me Tell You About Beer, where she will take guests on a fascinating journey of beer discovery, which will be brought to life with a range of Yorkshire-themed taster dishes, paired perfectly with an Ilkley Brewery beer.

Speaking about her new book and the forthcoming food and beer celebration at the Ilkley Playhouse, Melissa said: “It’s great to see beer being so respected by top chefs like Stephanie and to be working with her to pair up some food with the eminently suppable Ilkley beers is a real treat for me.

 “It’s been a long, hard slog writing the book so, now it’s finished, having a few beers and chatting to people about beer is the fun part for me, and I hope it will be for the audience as well!”

Unlike decorative stoppers

Discovering value in wine is real adventure these days. My Dad liked $3.99 a bottle as his high end purchase, but that was a little over thirty-five years ago.What does that translate to today? $8? Nope. $10? Not really. $15? Now we’re getting closer. I’d say about $18 in today’s market, and that would be a real value in wine.

I was at an organic potluck with a group of twenty or so organic food lovers. One guy in particular had all the ingredients in his dish written out on an index card. He came around to everyone, asking the details of the ingredients in each of their dishes.

I noticed he brought a bottle of wine that lives on most supermarket shelves, from coast to coast. It was not organic. It was SO not organic. It belonged in the far reaches of the “Made Without Any Association to Sustainable Farming and Natural Winemaking Club.” That’s the nice way to say its existence required pesticides, fertilizers and insecticides. Not to mention, additives and manipulations in the winemaking process to funnel the finished product into a predetermined taste profile good for mass production, consumption, and ease of marketing.

As I asked him about his wine choice for the potluck, he described trying multiple organic wines that were inconsistent and unsatisfying. He concluded that wine in general was natural enough and it wasn’t worth spending the bucks for uninspiring organic wine. His party choice was a taste he loved and so did most of his friends. Plus, he could find it anywhere for $6-$7. To him that was value in wine.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t natural wine. He was supporting one part of his life, something he was so passionate about avoiding in another. Defining what natural wine really is, and how to understand and enjoy natural wine are excellent questions.

What factors influence what a bottle of well made, natural, ConsciousWine costs?

    The cost of small hand-crafted production
    Incorporating animals onto the farm (which requires feed, veterinarians, and someone to take care of them)
    Biodiversity and regenerative farming practices (including cultivating insectaries, composting, and cover crops)
    Natural winemaking (which requires consistent monitoring by talented, skilled and preferably real people paid a real, living wage)
    High quality stainless steel tanks (which are utilized a little over a month per year)
    60 gallon French oak barrels (costing over $1000 a pop)
    Health benefits for employees
    Certifications (to be able to be acknowledged for using “Organically Grown Grapes” or “Made from Biodynamically Grown Grapes” and making “Biodynamic Wine”).


So what is the price-tag for a bottle of ConsciousWine (one that represents value in wine) ?

Just under $15 is the starting point. Head to the $20′s and $30′s per bottle and you’re in the land of many great experiences. Almost without exception, these wines unfold over several days once opened, yielding layers of interest and delight as they air. You get a multi-day experience to savor offering a variety of experiences all in one bottle. That’s value in wine!

A couple more things to know:

1. I’ve yet to see a Porsche or Ferrari in any ConsciousWineries’ garage.

2. As a labor of love, very few wineries really make a lot of money.

    Importers, distributors, and occasionally retailers make the money in the wine world, and the big corporate wineries get their wine to supermarket shelves for guess what…$6-10 a bottle.

Bottom Line:

It’s not cheap to do the right thing, and it’s interesting to ponder what exactly represents value in wine.

Distinct from certain foods which include brushetta

French fries may be a worldwide nutrition which really can be matched utilizing any sort of party or simply occasion. Plenty of people have a slice for french fries. Yet, Your wine together with gouda is certainly extra additional with a child’s french fries occasion. But if the occasion is certainly at a resources also, you are worried precisely how lots of individuals you could provide for. French fries is certainly an individual nutrition which happens to be rather cheap to build and may also assistance a bunch stick to a good resources.

Distinct from certain foods which include brushetta, French fries really should be slash towards very tiny sections. The reason being you never prefer an individual's client that will slop french fries regarding their selves or simply really need to nice and clean it all away subsequently. Minor sections could make sure that every one client can get one or more article if he or she decide ınstead of being full on a giant slice.

To build french fries money in your hand you may need this particular formula. Standard water, Flour, eradicate, salt, engine oil, carbohydrates.

Initial thing you ought to do is certainly heat up 1 ½ cups of frigid standard water to your eradicate. Heat water will help make an individual's french fries preferences for example is certainly was launched associated with a will. Include a tablespoon for eradicate together with carbohydrates, let go of before it all is foamy.

From a numerous toilet bowl unite 3 1/2 cups of flour utilizing a pair of teaspoons for salt together with whisk alongside one another.

Add more a pair of tablespoons for organic extra-virgin olive oil into the moisten formula together with variation earlier than placing any free of moisture flour formula. Variation before a good shot is certainly developed. Snap up limited number of flour together with unfold for your resist together with put any shot for money at the center so its possible to knead it all for several seconds. You need to control happen to be dealt with during flour or simply any money could abide by everyone.

Let the money slumber for approximately one an hour. With regards to money is certainly sitting fat that will sandwich bedsheets utilizing engine oil.

Pasta marinade is fun for developing a french fries. Any consist of countless flavour which means that decide one could in good shape an individual's french fries topping. Pepperoni is among the most most basic and a lot of famous french fries plenty of people decide. You could grant an individual's french fries supplemental burst with the addition of minor pieces of barbequed chicken breast.

Sandwich bedsheets happen to be perfect for occasion pizzas as they will let you slash minor pillow sections far easier than the circle french fries. An individual's crust partners will enjoy substantial flavorsome pieces of crust with your friends and family what person for no reason actually eat crust as well be completely happy.

Pepperoni together with chicken breast could possibly seem like an exceedingly unexpected pairing however salty together with spicy pepperoni fit nicely when using the stiffness for chicken breast. Check out causeing this to be french fries in your friends and family earliest earlier than you now have a occasion and they will thank you so much.

The quantity for your wine purchased during the You

The next thunderstorm has got at last cooled down out during Dallas, your decide one native sales and profits fellow required my family whenever which would assistance online business. "Everyone's atmosphere has got better, ideal? Which means that they can spend more revenue regarding your wine? " Given that, she says, it all would look like she was going to have most of the assistance she could get going into the holiday couple of years.

The wine online business has long been eagerly waiting the finale within the financial bad times, together with just about every current information scenario having turn up in the last ten calendar months has long been projecting a good revisit beneficial financial old days, anytime immediately your wine could not frequently question that will clients. Any information have already been heralding every last quarter-to-quarter expand during sales and profits the instant this has been announced, also, you may well more or less take note of any sigh for relief from vendors, their distributors together with sellers.

However , the fact that interest seems to have happen to be wishful wondering (and allows happen to be far worse during The state of texas, oddly enough, seeing that it was expected maintained any financial bad times quite as good as in other regions). Even more, following a start:

The quantity for your wine purchased during the You. Verts. thru August, as per Nielsen, was initially extremely much the same simply because it was initially now in fact together with this year. Once a month list price sales and profits, mainly because good by just Nielsen, have never substantially exceeded $700 thousand thousand over the last three years for people calendar months the fact that wouldn't have Thanksgiving or simply Seasonal within them. Any line-by-line phone numbers own changed approximately, however , in fact these have never adjusted substantially. Online business is mostly about the place it had become as soon as the financial bad times begun.

The fact that scarves inside the anecdotal information Herbal legal smoking buds experienced together with over heard. An individual supplier, whoever sales and profits own practically withstood any financial bad times, says quite possibly she's start to look at declines, and a lot of vendors live month to month. Eatery your wine details look even more price-friendly; any markup could possibly be the same exact, however , I will be observing a greater number of more economical wine beverage regarding details.

It's, however, best news meant for your wine consumers. There does exist also a large amount your wine during the produce stringed, together with price tags have to continue decreased mainly because vendors together with their distributors job to dispose of so much unnecessary listing. During this adhere to, the case is not going to look so much distinct from what precisely it had become at the start for 2010. Name it all consumer-friendly your wine costing. Appearance for lots of special packages regarding ongoing vintages (together with high-end your wine) and even discount price tags regarding old vintages. And enjoy the cheaper price tags, given that the instant details improve, they can go away for good.

When reviewing around Paris, france

Made to the Tamil biological father including a half-Vietnamese mummy, Aziz might discuss fluent Real spanish plus Vietnamese. “I i'm your foreigner in different country”, your dog cross-bow supports which includes a teeth if expected so that you can which will place your dog belonged. Aziz includes given its name her chateau Hana, the variety of a initials with her not one but two kids, girlfriend as well as notification Your with her term, reported S. Viswanathan, American native ambassador so that you can Argentina, Uruguay plus Paraguay who seem to wasted not one but two a short time continue four week period checking out her winery plus paying attention to her memories through lots of portions of Hana homemade wine.

Your dog delivers high-end homemade wine which will stocks to get 95 pesos ($22) around homemade wine suppliers around Argentina. Her homemade wine is likewise provided around enhanced places to stay, places to eat plus homemade wine suppliers around Buenos Aires, Bariloche, Mendoza, Scar delete Plata, Cordoba plus Rosario.

Your dog was developed around Southern area Vietnam when your dog enjoyed for any initially 15 ages. Her biological father, your Tamil out of Pondicherry, made a comeback so that you can China for getting rid of its things if Saigon lost his balance around 1975.

Aziz left for your German education around Pondicherry plus eventually went so that you can Paris, france , when your dog learned mathematics plus thereafter laptop scientific research along at the Higher education with Orsay.

Your dog previously worked to get 18 years while in the THEM unit of your German international set Lagardere. Nonetheless your dog could not prefer to find themselves everyday living watching the a laptop projector screens.

Your dog longed to undertake a noiseless everyday living while in the country plus appeared to be being economical so that you can stick to her goal you can own your winery plus generate his personal homemade wine.

When reviewing around Paris, france, your dog appeared to be your consistent visitor to your site to your storage of the home of one with her associates. Droped straight learned viticulture plus enology. A flavour to get homemade wine encouraged the pup so that you can take a look at vineyards around Spain plus above. The minute he'd a the bare minimum discounts your dog going thinking about purchasing your winery.

A German plus Euro models remaining highly-priced, your dog tested out China, praying your dog can re-root him self so that you can her fatherland. But it surely could not come up with.

Thereafter, Aziz arrived at Argentina, a junior high premier homemade wine designer on the earth. Your dog got your 15-hectare winery to the borders with San Rafael urban center around Mendoza land around '08 when your dog will grow malbec, cabernet sauvignon plus bonarda varietals. They're within her 4 . foliage 2010.

Your dog offer a different boutique vineyard, which includes a total capacity with eighty five, 000 litres. Your dog is able a park thanks to an area husband-wife two plus a strong enologist.

Your dog really likes responding to a flowers as well as producing which has an observation almost every element. Aziz’s most popular aphorism: “God obtained built waters, gentlemen a wine bottles (by way of Victor Hugo). ”

Aziz includes involved perfectly while in the compact township with San Rafael. When your dog would make enhanced homemade wine your dog him self turns a super easy everyday living. They're plugged into her relatives around Paris, france , by way of skype, reported Viswanathan.

They're preparing to get started exports in the near future. Then why not transferring so that you can China? Your dog cross-bow supports by using a different teeth.

Her girlfriend stock shares the girl's time frame amongst the girl's life partner around Argentina plus kids who seem to are now living its flat, one or two obstructions out of Eiffel wind generator tower around Paris, france ,.

For instance Aziz, lots of visitors will be getting vineyards around Mendoza for any happiness plus self-importance of owning their winery plus boutique vineyard. Aziz obtained got a winery out of a strong Usa opportunist. You cannot find any ban for unknown choice. Aziz’s private choice while in the winery plus vineyard concerns $500, 000.

A weather conditions around Mendoza is great for a grapes by using heated a short time, freezing days to weeks plus direct sunlight all year long, reported Viswanathan.

Homemade wine exports out of Argentina hit $864 , 000, 000 2010. Argentine wine bottles are obtaining extra popularity while in the foreign sells a lot. They may have overtaken a Chilean wine bottles in the states sector. Malbec is prominent everywhere as being the bank homemade wine with Argentina.

Winemaker/Consultant Alan Kinne Returns to Virginia at Chrysalis

Those who have followed the Virginia wine industry since the 1980s or 90s should remember Alan Kinne, who was the original winemaker at Horton Vineyards and helped launch Chrysalis Vineyards in Middleburg. Before leaving the state for a 12-year hiatus in 1999, he even launched his own label of chardonnay, made at Chrysalis.
A year ago last March he returned to Virginia as the full-time winemaker for Chrysalis, and since the end of harvest he’s also been in charge of vineyard management there. In addition, he will be doing consulting both in the vineyard and winery for other clients as time allows. I interviewed Alan in January about what he had done and learned on the West Coast and his plans now that he’s back in Virginia.

VWG: Remind us about your start in the Eastern wine industry

AK: “I Started out in Michigan (graduated from the U. of MI); I went back home for a summer, but got a job at Tabor Hill [in the SW of the state] in 1977, enjoyed it, and decided to stay in the wine business for a couple of years. Thirty years later, the rest is history. Then I moved to Virginia in 1979, worked at Shenandoah Vineyards, was the first full-time winemaker at Pindar on Long Island, then worked with Joachim Hollerith at Prince Michel/Rapidan, started a consulting business in 1990 and consulted in Virginia and all the way from Finger Lakes to Georgia.

“In Virginia, we have a more moderate climate where the reds go better with foods; a bridge between the European and West Coast style.” – Alan Kinne

I left in 1999 for Paso Robles, made wine there for 10 vintages, then for two more in Oregon at Northwest Wine (a custom crush operation) in the Willamette Valley. Working at Martin & Weyrich in Paso Robles, I made 100,000 cases annually, mostly Italian (top-selling wine was a moscato). I also worked at York Mountain also in Paso (owned by the same company). I think I’ve made wine from 60-70 different varieties of grapes.”

VWG: What were some of your key achievements before leaving California?
 
AK: “For Martin & Weyrich, it was maintaining high quality for a high volume of production; I went from producing 25,000 to 100,000 cases. With York Mountain, it was making super high-end, high quality super-premium wines that were well received by the critics. I talked the owner of Martin & Weyrich into putting in 3-4 acres of albariño in the Edna Valley; it became such a big hit that Tangent winery took cuttings, and it’s one of the hottest varieties in the country; all from cuttings taken from our vineyard. In Oregon, the custom crush facility ranged from “inexpensive” (under $30 retail pinot noir) to clients making super high-end pinots.

When I left VA in 1999, I thought I was pretty smart, but even though it’s technically easier to make wine on the West Coast, I still had a lot to learn. That’s the key to staying fresh in this business; you need to learn something new all the time.”

VWG: What were the most valuable things you learned making wine there?
 
AK: “The old saying that ‘wine is made in the vineyard’ really is true. What I found out on the West Coast was that when I left here in 1999, the main concern in the East was survivability of the vineyard, then fruit quality. In California, it was more focused on finding the right spot to match with grape variety;

survivability wasn’t much of an issue. You can fine-tune site selection very well.
In Oregon, the biggest thing I learned there were techniques of flavor and color extraction, what you do and knowing what not to do. Pinot noir is such a touchy, finicky grape that if you overdo the extraction, you’ll mess up the wine. So now you’ve gone from vineyard survivability to the fine-tuning of extraction techniques. We tasted every wine that was fermenting every day as it was fermenting, so we’d stay ahead of what was happening. We had 150 lots of pinot fermenting; that degree of detail and managing extraction is critical for our fruit and our reds in the East.

“That’s the key to staying fresh in this business; you need to learn something new all the time.”

I think whites are a bit easier to make here in the East. When we started chilling white grapes 20 years ago it seemed radical, but it was pro-active instead of reactive so we could improve quality from the start. We’re still developing techniques for managing extraction with red wines in the East.

Really, really stringent record keeping is another thing I learned was important out West. I’m now a stickler for meticulous record keeping. I use a computer program (IVIS or Innovative Viticultural Information Systems); if you have a couple hundred lots of pinot noir for dozens of clients, you need to track everything confidently. That’s as important as having the right press or temperature-controlled tanks. I even record what I don’t do, so I’ll know. I’ve seen that on the West Coast, the degree of record keeping is reflective of their professionalism.”.

Appreciating the parallels in the emergence of the American and Chinese wine industries

For instance every sizeable progression, it's going to take your seminal moment in time to swap a velocity with track record, whether it's for your usa, and also in such a case a market. A blend of Robert Mondavi’s promo as well as suspected signs on the important move about on the way to recognizing homemade wine planted the basement walls, although the Reasoning with Paris, france , placed elements for it has the irrevocable lessons.

A amazing wining with not one but two Napa wine bottles for a arena including greats out of Bordeaux plus Wine red, made it simpler for to set-up whatever we at this moment find out when America’s homemade wine field by way of instilling a good with patriotism within homemade wine. Prior to a blind-tasting, where a ’73 Stag’s Bounce Homemade wine Cellars Cabernet as well as ’73 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay had top rated is in, a Ohio homemade wine field appeared to be inaccurately deemed by way of lots of to be manned by way of numerous unsophisticated hick maqui berry farmers hoping terribly so that you can whip a German during just what exactly people conduct most effective. The following sampling placed a track record instantly as they quite simply establish absolutely everyone improper plus while in the ages this observed appeared among the World’s biggest winemaking districts, by using Napa at this moment preparing when it has the innovative standard, never Bordeaux and also Wine red. The following occurrence obtained this kind of affect this German homemade wine buildings started off joining up by using Usa wineries (a lot of once Opus A person, a joint-venture amongst Mondavi plus Baron Philippe de Rothschild with Bordeaux First-Growth Château Mouton Rothschild) and perhaps establishing wineries of their total private (Domaine Chandon around Napa plus Domaine Drouhin around Willamette, Or will be not one but two marvelous instances).

Fast-forward 40 ages plus we're also seeing your cornerstone watching for unique seminal moment in time. As a consequence of a sophisicated mind with Deng Xiaoping for the duration of her amount of time in electricity out of 1978-1992 plus Hong Kong’s experience of Speech customs, the doorway appeared to be showed to get Chinese suppliers expert some time very similar to post-WWII The states whereby them started to wide open so that you can those tips unknown plus getting increasingly comfortable with a small elements around everyday living as a consequence of it has the burgeoning huge selection. Mondavi’s understanding of nice lifestyle is definitely going very rampant amid China’s surfacing mid plus upper-middle training; having said that in such a case it’s never as a consequence of Asian our ancestors ties so that you can The eu.

Fairly, it’s its overwhelming desires for food to get thought of deluxe, primarily Bordeaux wine bottles, that’s driving a vehicle the following action. A Chinese’s lust for the greatest wine bottles out of Bordeaux is definitely well-documented plus this tends to never switch to the high-end; having said that as one, its escalating shopper platform is definitely accessible to homemade wine goes through out of Southern spain, Modern australia as well as UNITED STATES, like mid-tier wine bottles out of all these districts. Because of this escalating desires for food to get extra attainable, cost wine bottles, it’s only one topic of one's in advance of family wine bottles takes place so that you can supplant unknown wine bottles on the table.

Favor Winery, with the Shanxi appellation, now places standard to get Asian homemade wine; having said that it provides to gain it has the recreation to learn "flying winemakers" plus unknown choice visiting for township!

A Asian administration has brought organize tips by way of bit by bit including a North western potent in their Sino-centric customs. A Asian homemade wine industry’s pro-growth action is definitely the kind of beneficiary. Starting in Hong Kong quick continue years, the us govenment gave up overtax sales for homemade wine which includes a sophisicated eye sight with building your homemade wine taking customs. The best way have the following possibly be sophisicated? Perfectly, the us govenment the moment obtained more than enough experience to obtain this one time homemade wine is definitely accepted and perhaps embedded while in the general audience, there’s a proper possibility for build Chinese suppliers as being the leading vendor with homemade wine so that you can unique shopper platform, consequently having a blooming field. It appears to be exclusively sensible that your arise, primarily inside of a place who has a strong affiliate marketing online with maqui berry farmers, a number exactly who will be desperate so that you can play plus develop its breadth, that could establish handy in such a attempt. The following all of noises all of very well known. When currently have most people listened to the following narrative in advance of? Oh yeah certainly, in the states, exclusively this occassion a industry’s emergence is basically orchestrated versus surfacing without chemicals.

By using China’s large utilization while in the world’s homemade wine public auction plus Bordeaux durante primeur field (that is certainly eerily like computer bubble ages in the states), close ties think you are cast amongst government-run lawn care agencies plus unknown homemade wine buildings (principally German buildings) primarily while in the a lot of well known instances of Xinjiang, Shanxi plus Ningxia (the very last that a short while ago noticed Moët enter into this marketplace inside of a venture to have a glimmering homemade wine), a skin foundations think you are placed for your sizeable field. People aren’t now there nonetheless; having said that we’ll possible find the following recently established field will bring it has the initially sizeable tips in the near future and after that be equipped for when rendering it period. I actually exclusively contemplate just what exactly fateful occurrence is going to galvanize a Asian all over its family homemade wine field. Concerning a person way of thinking; however spells suffering so that you can individuals who are now benefitting, and perhaps banking on the following usa with incomprehensible huge selection by way of providing its wine bottles so that you can it has the individuals.

All things considered, it’s homemade wine that’s proved all over again that they are a nice variety with wishes that’s main a different large community battler so that you can grab hold of them, study on them, and after that cause it to unique.

The deal with cooling wines

The kitchen of nowadays is quickly becoming what we utilized to envision as the cooking area of tomorrow. What we employed to think about since the kitchen of the abundant folks, meanwhile, is starting to become the cooking area for any person.
Consider wine storage, for instance. It can be not likely that Joe , as it ended up) could have the require or resources any time soon to get a high-end wine cellar. Even now, people wine drinkers who consider their fruit with the vine critically desire to ensure that their occasionally expensive investments do not go sour on them.

Ask any person who is aware of about wine and they’re going to inform you that regular refrigerators usually chill excellent white wines far also much. Red wines, meanwhile, need to truly be served just a tad cooler than area temperature (whichever that happens to be, depending on the geographic environment, your thermostat setting as well as the time of 12 months).

In either case, serving a wine at the incorrect temperature can either destroy your appreciation from the vintage by masking its character or maybe turn it into a thing undrinkable. Especially don’t do this with good wine from wine gift baskets.

So what to do? Property wine racks arrive in many attractive and trendy shapes and sizes, but they still call for some planning from the wine by itself. The idea at the rear of a wine cellar is the fact that high-priced and scarce vintages are stored in the ideal temperatures all the time, and therefore are consequently greater preserved and can be served with out any complicated temperature modifications.

An excellent and relatively cheap option to the wine cellar is now the dedicated wine cooler. These are generally primarily small refrigerators designed exclusively for that objective of retaining wine maintained at an appropriate temperature without having to be concerned about meat rotting or milk likely sour in the very same time.

The top part is these units are developed particularly for smaller locations from the kitchen area or bar, and will simply be installed below counters or maybe held on a countertop.

When hunting for a wine cooler to your property, you can find a number of issues to think about, specifically if you do take pleasure in finer vintages through which you’ve made a significant expense.

The initial will be the approach of cooling. Many models that use conventional compressors can vibrate the tiniest bit, which might often unsettle sediment that rests within the bottom of wine bottles. As being a consequence, when opened the wine will taste like what was in the bottom of the bottle, and that’s rarely an appetizing prospect. Thermoelectric coolers trigger no vibration and are fairly silent.

Another factor to contemplate is lighting. In the event you are investing in scarce and pricey wines, it can be natural to suit your needs to want men and women to find out them as they relaxation within their fruity suspended animation. The issue is always that units that use normal incandescent bulbs can create sizzling spots near the bulb, leading to inconsistent temperatures all through the cooling chamber. Light emitting diode (LED) lights provides excellent illumination, but without any hot spots.

Also bear in mind that wine bottles occur inside a assortment of shapes and sizes, therefore the racks on which the bottles will rest need to have to be adjustable. This is true with wine gift baskets as well.

Pondicherry Tamil from Paris, born in Vietnam, producing Argentine wine in Mendoza

¨I am a foreigner in any country¨, This is how Aziz Abdul responded with a smile when I asked him to which country he belonged. ¨What is your mother tongue?¨. He smiled again, greeted me in Tamil, switched to English with heavy French accent and then completed the conversation in fluent Spanish. He was born in South Vietnam where he lived for the first fifteen years. He speaks Vietnamese like a native. His mother is half-Vietnamese and her mother local Vietnamese. His father, a Tamil from Pondicherry. When Saigon fell in 1975, his family lost everything. They went back to Pondicherry and started a new life running "Chez Aziz" a gourmet restaurant .

Aziz went to the French school there and improved his Tamil language. He went to Paris for higher education. He studied mathematics and thereafter computer science at the University of Orsay. He fell in love with Najma from Madagascar who was studying Sanskrit in Paris. I raised my eyebrows … With his trade mark smile, he said Najma chose to learn Sanskrit since she wanted to get back to the root of her original country. She is an Ismaili muslim of Gujrati origin and speaks fluent Gujrati. They have two daughters. Aziz has named his wine Chateau Hana, a combination of the initials of his family- H- Hema his first daughter (his wife is a fan of Hemamalini), A- Anjuli, the second daughter, N- Najma, the wife and A for Aziz.

Aziz produces high-end wine which sells for 90 pesos ( 22 US $ ) in the wine shops of Argentina. His wine is served in the upscale hotels such as Park Hyatt and in exclusive restaurants and high-end wine shops in Buenos Aires, Bariloche, Mendoza, Mar del Plata, Cordoba and Rosario. Info on his wine http://www.chateauhana.com

He is planning to start exports soon. How about exporting to India?, I ask him and he beams with yet another smile. When we served his wine at our embassy receptions, the guests were ecstatic. We told our guests, it is an Argentine Wine made with Indian hands and spirit.

Picture: Aziz in El Paraiso ( paradise ), his house on the left, winery on the right and vineyard behind.

Aziz worked for 20 years in the IT department of the French multinational group Lagardere. But he did not want to end up life staring at the computer screens. He wanted to become his own boss and longed to have a quiet life in countryside. He was saving money to pursue his dream- to own a vineyard and make his own wine.

Aziz Abdul…drinking and making wine? I could not hide my puzzle. Aziz smiled again and started another story. It was his father, a Muslim who enjoyed alcohol and let his son also follow. He was liberal and cosmopolitan and inspired his son too. While studying in Paris, Aziz tried wine and liked it. He was a frequent visitor to the cellar of the home of one of his university friends. He was very excited to drink a 21- years old Morgon on the 21st birthday of his friend. The taste for wine lead him to explore the vineyards in France and beyond. He visited the wineries and got to meet wine makers such as Alexandre Thienpont and Denis Lurton. He studied viticulture and enology.The taste for wine became a passion. As soon as he had the minimum savings he started looking to buy a vineyard. The French and European ones being expensive, he tried India. He visited the wine growing areas of India hoping that he would be able reroot himself to his fatherland. But it did not work out.

Thereafter, Aziz came to Argentina, the fifth largest wine producer in the world. He bought a 15- hectare vineyard on the outskirts of San Rafael city in Mendoza province in 2008. He put up a brand new boutique winery, with a capacity of 85, 000 litres. He is into his fourth crop this year. He grows malbec, cabernet sauvignon and bonarda varietals. He manages the farm himself with the help of a local husband-wife pair who live in the farmhouse. During harvest season, he hires extra help. He takes the help of an Argentine enologist too. He uses certain French practices in the growing of grapes, pruning of the plant and in the making of wines, different from the the local Argentine way of doing things. He enjoys taking care of the plants and the processing with an eye for every detail. Aziz's favourite quotation ¨God had created water, men the wines- Victor Hugo¨.

Aziz has integrated well in the small town San Rafael society. He speaks fluent spanish and has made a number of friends. While he makes upscale wine he himself leads a simple life. He enjoys working with his own hands in the vineyard and the winery. He literally breathes the aroma of his wine every day and night since his house is full of wine cases all around. When he gets time, he plays tennis and goes for skiing in winter. He is connected to his family in Paris by skype. His wife shares her time between the husband in Argentina and the daughters who live in their apartment, a few blocks from Eiffel tower in Paris.

Like Aziz, many foreigners are investing in vineyards in Mendoza for the pleasure and pride of having their own vineyard and boutique winery. Of course, it is a solid investment too, given the constant appreciation of the price of the land and the profitability of wine business. Aziz had bought the vineyard from an American investor. A few retired people also settle down in the farm houses surrounded by their own vineyards or spend a few months every year. The Argentine prices are affordable and vineyards and land are available. There is no restriction on foreign investment. Aziz's own investment in the vineyard and winery is about 500,000 dollars. The cost of living in Mendoza is low while the quality of life is excellent with peaceful atmosphere and friendly local people. The climate is perfect for the grapes with warm days and cold nights and sunshine throughout the year.

The Argentines have started producing and exporting more wine in recent years. Their exports reached 864 million dollars in 2010. The Argentine wines are getting more recognition in international markets. It has overtaken the Chilean wines in the US market. Malbec has become famous around the world as the signature wine of Argentina.


I spent two days last month visiting his vineyard and listening to his stories over many glasses of Chateau Hana wine. After this, I have become an admirer and started calling him as Che Aziz. In Argentina, Che is a colloquial way of saying ¨friend¨, as Che Guevara.

Finca Las Moras becomes a benchmark of San Juan

It is one of the most leading wineries in San Juan, which combines grapes from the Pedernal, Zonda and Tulum Valleys to achieve excellent-quality wines.

Finca Las Moras has been a pioneering winery in the high-end winemaking in San Juan, since the vineyard restructuring developed by Richard Smart, in 1993. Its vineyards were surrounded by mulberry trees (whose fruit in Spanich is called “Moras”), hence its name.

“At the very beginning, our winery’s operation was experimental, but after years of studies and researches, it became the first high-end winery in San Juan”, according to Pablo Ghiorzi, Sales Manager at Las Moras.

In order to make a more precise reference to the winery, the professional said, “The winery’s commitment to nature and the deep respect to ethnic culture are combined with a passionate winemaking to create exceptional and really Argentine wines.”

Owning over 1,100 ha of vineyards located in the Pedernal (1,350 meters asl), Zonda (950 meters asl) and Tulum (650 meters asl) Valleys, the winery is focused on sustainability, continuous innovation and micro-region development culture, granting complexity and elegance to all its wine lines. “Las Moras Gran Shiraz comprises these factors, reflecting the careful selection of the best Shiraz grapes grown in the valleys”, highlighted Ghiorzi.

Fincas Las Moras makes varietals wines from Syrah, Malbec, Bonarda, Cabernet Sauvignon, Tannat, Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir, Sangiovese, Viognier, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Grigio. The winemaker responsible for them is Eduardo Casademont.

Currently, the winery offers the following lines: Mora Negra, Finca Las Moras Extra Brut, Alma Mora and 2008 Finca Las Moras Syrah Reserva.

Winery’s facilities

Its crush capacity amounts to 11,000,000 kilo. It also has a surprising vat capacity: 9,325,000 kilo, distributed in stainless steel tanks (8,500,000 liters) and oak barrels (825,000 liters).

In addition, its storage capacity reaches 1,500,000 bottles, whereas its bottling line enables operators to reach 10,000 bottles per hour.

A strong export performance

The winery exports to over 34 countries. Its main markets are Mexico, Brazil, the United States, Colombia, Venezuela, Caribbean, England, Denmark, Ireland, Finland, Italy, Norway, the Netherlands, Belgium, Japan and Austria.

“It is noteworthy that Las Moras is currently in 12th place in Argentina exports, and in the first one leading the United Kingdom market, followed by Mexico, Sweden, Canada and Ireland”, underlined the sales manager.

In terms of income, Finca Las Moras reaches USD 15,000,000 per year from exports, whereas its total turnover amounts to USD 26,918,000.

Sherry-Lehmann’s Adams Optimistic About High-End Wine Business, Expanding Into New Territory

Sherry-Lehmann Wine & Spirits, the 77-year-old retailing powerhouse in New York City, has enjoyed steady growth in the wake of the recession and continued success of its Bordeaux business after Diageo pulled out in 2010. Led by CEO Chris Adams, who was also named chairman in November 2010, the Manhattan institution totaled $44.5 million last year, and Adams says sales were up 13% in the first half of 2011. Shanken News Daily recently spoke with Adams to discuss current retail trends and Sherry-Lehmann’s outlook for the future.

SND: What changes have you seen in sales this year?

Adams: There has been a perceptible trade-up happening for us. In 2008 and 2009, we saw customers trading down: buying sparkling wines instead of Champagne, buying petite chateau Bordeaux instead of cru classé. And the 2009 Bordeaux futures campaign in the summer of ’10 sort of marked a point at which the customers felt like they could spend more money. And then that was brought home even more so in the fall of 2010 and into the holidays when we saw great Champagne sales. So there’s reason to be optimistic. For a long time it was cautious optimism, but we’re feeling much better this year than we have for the last few.

SND: How do you feel about Bordeaux’s 2010 vintage?

Adams: I’m concerned with 2010 on two fronts. One is that there is higher international demand than there’s ever been. And then we’ve lost quite a bit on currency. Having said that, we’re seeing that there’s less wine being made available to the market, so that increases the demand for what is available. At many points it becomes for the consumer a chance at access. Price becomes not completely secondary but it’s two functions: 1) Can I even get the wine? And 2) If I am getting it, where is that price relative to the market? And our position is that we’ve been doing Bordeaux futures since the 1959 vintage so we have a track record of being able to offer these wines. We feel that America should still be an attractive market and that Sherry-Lehmann should be the place that customers go to get these wines.

SND: What other trends are you seeing in lower-tier wines or in general?

Adams: We’re seeing strength in New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs. Argentine Malbec for us is still a growth category. Our private label there is Miguel Mendoza Malbec made by Enrique Foster. And we’re still seeing a lot of people following these wines at the $15-to-$20 price point, especially in the warmer weather. We’ve had great success in the past year with the 2009 Beaujolais. There are some benchmark wines made there, and as soon as I bring a container in, I find myself ordering another a few weeks later. So it’s nice to see the focus on affordable fresh wines still there.

SND: What regions do you sell the most of?

Adams: Most of our sales are from France—Bordeaux, Burgundy, Champagne. Obviously, we follow the Rhône, Loire and Alsace as well. And then after that we sell a lot of wines from California. Even in the down economy, we were able to position our offerings from California to meet the right price points. And then of course Italy, Spain, Germany, Chile, plus South Africa is coming back a little bit.

SND: Spirits account for roughly 5% of your sales. Where are you seeing growth in that category?

Adams: We’re seeing a trade-up there as well. People are spending a little bit more on their vodkas and whiskies. When we moved into our current location (in 2007), spirits became a growth category for us but it’s leveled off. There’s still a little bit of growth, but it’s not astronomical like it was when we first moved here.

SND: How do you feel about wine being sold in grocery stores?

Adams: We don’t believe that it’s the right thing. And for me it’s a matter of, you can’t just suddenly change the rules and tell people that all the business models they’ve built for decades or years are no longer applicable. It just doesn’t seem that any proposal I’ve seen for wine in grocery stores deals effectively with the people who have existing businesses. Is it impossible? I’m not going to say that, but they haven’t shown anything (that seems fair).

SND: What are your plans for the future? Are you still considering opening new stores?

Adams: Now that the economy is getting brighter, there are a few things I’ve been thinking about. I can’t disclose too much, but yes, we’re interested in positioning this store outside of New York state the way it should be positioned. I’m taking it quite seriously. I hope that we can do something in the next 12 to 18 months. I’m optimistic that it can be fulfilled.

A Labor Free Weekend…K Travels, the High 5 of Tuscany

I spent a Labor Free Weekend in Tuscany last weekend…and realized on this trip how much of the world I’ve been soaking up lately.  This summer: Morocco, Luxemburg, Croatia, Spain, Dresden/Poland, Bavaria, and now Tuscany. Given that Germany’s skies have been less than clear and blue I feel grateful for some sun action these past few months.

The spirit of Tuscany is about slowing down….way down, in “order to taste life” which reminded me of Solta. I traveled there with a girlfriend, who easily became a compadre via driving our Fiat Panda up the windy country roads, giggling about interactions with the locals, and of course, yapping away while eating and drinking and drinking and then eating. A few Italians insisted that the occasion to drink meant an occasion to eat, and we couldn’t agree more….
Here are the highlights from labor day, 2011.

 

View from the Museum...Ponte Vecchio

1. Exploring the Uffuzi in Florence.  This museum moves me. Having visited it over a decade ago (as a recently graduated college student) yes, I LIKED it THEN.

But this time, I ADORED it. Over two hours , I ambled through the rooms, paused at the end of the corridor of windows and took my time. A favorite snapshot, taken as I gawked out to the sparkling Arno and famous Ponte Vecciho, I poured myself over intense favorites (think Botecelli’s Primavera, which spent almost 500 years unknown in a dude’s country house) and then paused over and over at lesser known offering that aroused my spirit. Crespi’s THE FLEA, a picture of a rural woman rising from a bed, shifting her shirt, apparently living in
impoverished conditions, but cradled in light…and the inscription “you do not bother me, and I will not bother you” at the foreground. Illuminating…

2. Chowing down on one of the most delicious sandwiches I’ve ever encountered, in a lovely street right next to Dante’s house. In Florence. The placeis called Da Vinaterria and the students who work there are AWESOME.  Ha! There I was, perched on a wooden small stool outside on the very street itself, guzzling 2 euro dry red wine and crunching a Panini of figs, walnuts, goat cheese and prosciutto. Of course, did I take a picture? No! I was too busy chomping and feeling so grateful for each. And every. Bite.

Prosecco O Clock...at a place called Flow...where the men know how to flirt

3. Convivum Wines & Gastronomy (San Spirito street) in Florence, where the interior smacks of a high end restaurant set in a 200 year old cellar.  I initially hesitated because I discovered my liking of Prosecco (a north Italian–or Venetian–sparkling white wine) won me over than the local cherub of Chianti. Here, the hunky Angelo taught me and my girlfriend that Chianti is almost always 100% Sangiovese grape aged for under a year in French oak. Angelo poured us Prosecco, then a white grape called the Vernaccia, two types of Chianti, a syrah and then a Super Tuscan. This wine, as he explained, is NOT traditional, Tuscan style.  The winemakers take a lot of leeway in their blending decisions to prepare the “best flavors.” But the wines ARE made from grapes most beloved of the Tuscan region. Of course, the super Tuscan tasted the best, and my friend nabbed a bottle for 11 Euro. For this lengthy tasting session, Angelo’s attention and education, we paid 2 euros each.
4. Le Vena Di Vino,  in Volterra where the tradition is to leave an offering to the wine gods…in the form of your bra. Since I was sipping 2 Euro cuvee (my palate likes the cuvee of cab and merlot more than the bitterness of sangiovese chianti) named “Emergency,”I figured: “it’s now or never.” I have never taken off my bra or left it anywhere in public. And thus, this “it’s not on my list, but

Yep, mom...that's mine!

should be” act. I removed and signed  a very plain white bra, without fanfare or self censorship. It is a memory that will be cherished and most likely to cause a smirk for many years to come.

5. Wine tasting in the “hills” at Villa Pillo. This is a big estate owned by an American couple. Located smack dab in the center of Tuscany, it is is HUGE (21 hectacres) and very successful. A little apprehensive that is was the “most trendy,” we went in with low expectations. And were FLOORED with FAVOR (I even bought a wooden wine box from there and an opener).

Why? They had some pretty awesome wines and the service was impeccable (reflective of a California wine tasting style).  And only ONE Chianti in a line up of 7 or so wines which was good given the hour long revelry from the day before that started with “do you feel bad we don’t like Chianti as much as we are supposed to?”. We LOVED the Borgoforte, made like a supertuscan, blended up in a tightly tannin filled berry hopped concoction of Sangiovese 60%, Cabernet Sauvignon 40%, Merlot 10%. We each nabbed a bottle (look! It’s a 92 on Wine Spectator) in addition to a surprisingly flirtatious sparkling Muscato, new to their line-up. We even enjoyed their boxed wines that rival the flavor punch of my favorite go to table wine (2 Buck Chuck’s Cab).

You can order their wines online (and get a good deal on FREE SHIPPING to Europe through Christmas).
So! There you have it! Super-Tuscan High 5….a perfect labor free weekend. (PSST? Do you like Chianti????)

Tampa-based wine maker Paul Clear believes the best Florida wines come from … Spain.

A list of most improbable career choices in Tampa might include snowboard instructor. Mountain climbing guide should rank up there, too. Winemaker would definitely make my top five.

Yeah, yeah, I know there are locally made wines. But (how do I say this nicely?) — they suck.

Paul Clear's Tampa-based Terroir Wine Cellars wines certainly don't suck. That's because his wines are not made in the Sunshine State. Try Spain.
You see, Paul is what you'd call a negociant, a fancy French term for someone who typically owns no vineyard or winery but who arranges (negotiates) to have other folks make it for him. In Paul's case, those folks work for a very special winemaker in a tiny town in southeastern Spain called Albecete.

Now before you think Paul is some South Tampa dilettante who's dabbling in wine making, you should know that he's a guy who's been working around wine since before he could legally drink it. His first taste of the wine business was stocking shelves at a local wine shop just out of high school in Buffalo, New York. Hardly a glamorous gig. But the more Paul learned about what was in all those bottles, the more he wanted to learn.

A stint as a regional wine sales rep soon led to consulting jobs with high-end wine shops around the country. Tapped by wineries for his nose for business and wines, he found himself preferring to hang out with the winemakers instead of those in the front office. More than a decade later, Paul not only knew the wine biz — he knew what makes a great wine.

Which is just what he decided to do eight years ago. His goal: Make great, affordable, wines.

A lover of Spanish wines, Paul knew the only way to find the right winery was to walk the vineyards, talk with the winemaker and taste the wines. Three trips to Spain and visits to more than 120 wineries later, Paul drove up one day to a small winery in the town of Albecete in his ludicrously puny rental car.

As soon as he tried the wines, he knew he'd finally found what he was looking for.
"I fell in love with the winery right then," Paul said recently at South Tampa's CRU Cellars, where he shared some of his wines. He moved to Tampa five years ago, and since then the portfolio of wines he makes and imports through his Terroir Wine Cellars has grown from one to nearly a dozen, sold in more than 20 states.
His first, Palarea Tinto 2005, arrived in the U.S. last year. "This one's my baby," Paul said. "It's wonderful."

After tasting it myself, I'd agree. Made from a blend of hand-harvested cabernet sauvignon, merlot and syrah, it's a bold wine. One that'll stand up to anything your grill can throw at it. You'll also taste some smoke, lavender and rosemary it in. And like all of his wines, it's light on your wallet, at only $16 a bottle.
His Palarea Merlot 2006 ($15), spicy and jammy, will make you rethink long-maligned merlot.

A sparkler, Grand Pasion Brut Reserva, is fruity and light. Lovely. And at around $10 a bottle, it's criminally inexpensive. It's now his most popular wine.
He's also just begun importing Grandalla Gran Reserva 2004. He showed me one of only 30 bottles in country. As decorated with awards as a five-star general, this one carries a price tag to match ($125).

Paul's also begun importing Spanish wines made by a pal. Organic and biodynamic, Lobetia brand wines are, like his other wines, very good and affordable ($10 to $16). In other words, perfect for every day.

The Lobetia Chardonnay 2010 was zingy and fresh. The Lobetia Viognier 2010 was nicely floral, with tastes of nuts. The Lobetia Tempranillo 2010 was dry and tasted of strawberries. I also enjoyed the plums and bacon (honest) in the Lobetia Syrah 2010. I especially liked the Lobetia Tempranillo/Petit Verdot Roble 2010 blend, big and juicy.

I'm drooling just typing this.

oDD Café welcomes an appellation of boutique wines

Greenside, Johannesburg, Wednesday, 31 August 2011: In a world where for every business mogul to own a wine estate is fashionable and supermarkets are making their own wines, finding good wine can be a daunting exercise. Step in, Appellation South Africa, the new kid on the block! Appellation South Africa (ASA) specialises on the distribution of fine wines from some of South Africa’s best boutique wine estates. In celebration of Spring, oDD Café will be hosting a wine tasting evening with ASA on September 1, 2011 from 18h30 to 19h30. That’s an even better reason to ditch that plonk at home!

Janine Lyn Sievers is the front runner of ASA. She is a wine connoisseur who studied wine making with Stellenbosch University and has been running the distribution company for 4 months now. ASA’s specialty is unique high end wines from small wineries. They distribute only one of each wine varietal within specific price brackets. An affordable Chardonnay would be the only Chardonnay in the affordable range, as would be a Shiraz in its respective bracket. “The concept behind Appellation South Africa is drawn from the tradition of wine appellation and in this regard, our wine selection criteria is fine wines from boutique estates,” says Janine.

For Spring day at oDD Café, ASA will engage patrons in a tasting of 4 varietals from 3 wine estates from Stellenbosch. These are Kleinood Farm’s Tamboerskloof Syrah, Uva Mira’s Sauvignon Blanc, Uva Mira’s Merlot/ Cabernet Sauvignon blend and Crystallum’s Chardonnay. These wine estates each possess a unique characteristic that is epitomized in their wines and distinctly separates them from the rest.

Tamboerskloof Syrah

Kleinood Farm houses multiple award winning wines that continue in the signature of South African winery. It stands out from other wine estates in its emphasis on winery design thanks to Gerard de Villiers, the winery design extraordinaire. He has worked with over 150 wineries including such reputable estates as Rupert & Rothschild, Graham Beck, Boschendal, Bellingham and Plaisir de Merle.

It is therefore no surprise that the design of Kleinood Farm would be flagship. De Villiers’ design lies in the intercourse of cutting edge technology and centuries old French tradition; all in the backdrop of simplicity. Because of this genius, he has been contracted to work on the design of such international wineries like Nyetimber Estate in the UK and Gusbourne Estate in Kent. It is in this ‘mise-en-scene’ that the Tamboerskloof Syrah is produced. This elegant wine has scooped awards locally and internationally in the UK and the USA. With a John Platter Wine Guide rating of 4 ½ stars, the Syrah is a certified pleasure to drink.

 Uva Mira Merlot/Cabernet Sauvignon

Uva Mira is perched high on the Helderberg Mountains of Stellenbosch. This high altitude setting ensures their elegant reds and aromatic whites. Here, new world meets family tradition in the partnership of estate owner Denise Weener and youthful winemaker and viticulturalist, Matthew van Heerden. The inspiration of Uva Mira’s wines lies in the picturesque setting of the estate with 360 degree views of Table Mountains and Robben Island. Against this backdrop, the Sauvignon Blanc and Merlot/ Cabernet Sauvignon are produced. With numerous accolades to their name, including the Michelangelo Grand d’Or award, Uva Mira wines are indeed a celebration of elevation.

The Crystallum brand boasts of superlative hand crafted wines that reflect estate owners Andrew and Peter-Allan Finlayson and the territory on which the estate rests.With just over 4,000 bottles released in their first vintage selection in 2007 under the banner Walker Bay wine of origin, Crystallum bring a new dimension to winery.

 

Crystallum Chardonnay

The young wine estate has been an active participant in Wine Cellar Tastings in Cape Town, whose chosen favourites set the trends in wine making. With acclaimed attention to detail, Crystallum is part of the young wine estates that will ruffle feathers as they question, “…do we really need a textbook to make wine?” The Crystallum Chardonnay is part of their 2008 vintage collection in which resides also the Pinot Noir and the Sauvignon Blanc. Because Crystallum sources their berries from high altitude Elgin, one can expect an aromatic chardonnay. What a way to welcome spring!

Four wines to usher in the beautiful weather, all in the comfort of delicious food, Spring day will undoubtedly be memorable at oDD Café. Patrons will be able to order their wines through Christina or Janine.