Taste of Wine: Meetup with the Austin Hope Family Wines - Coast News

sela.indah.link

The group of wines shown above represent the legacy cabernets personally selected by Austin Hope, a man who has spent the better part of two decades growing grapes and making memorable wine in Paso Robles.

This “legacy tasting,” welcome to all who visit, is the best representation of Austin Hope and Treana wines.

From left to right, say hello to the Austin Hope Paso Robles Signature Cabernet Sauvignon 2019 ($65), displaying a richness that has brought reward to the winery from Wine Enthusiast Magazine, which recently rated this wine as No. 7 in its list of the Top 100 Wines in the world for 2020.

Next up, the Treana 2019 ($32) was created as a cabernet to honor the three men who helped influence Hope’s path: Austin’s father, Chuck Hope, and his Uncle Paul, who instilled in him life lessons of perseverance and determination, while famous Napa Valley winemaker Chuck Wagner taught him the greatness of crafting world-class cabernet sauvignon.

The Quest 2018 ($27) is a new wine that expresses the potential and excitement of Paso Robles. It’s a cab sauv and cab franc red blend that showcases the luscious fruit-forward softness and depth of taste that finishes with a toasty vanilla finesse.

The Liberty School 2018 ($16) is a fundamental cabernet, a versatile wine with a deep crimson color and a wine with great value. Finally, Troublemaker (NV $20) shows a richness in color and texture with a scent of black pepper that produces a bold flavor from the dark fruit and a signature splash of blackberry cobbler, finishing with smooth, silky tannins.

Vittorio’s, in Carmel Valley, was the recent stage for the lineup of the Austin Hope Family Wines. It coincided with National Wine Day on May 25. The sold-out event featured three Treanas and the famed Austin Hope Cabernet, the just-released 2019. Vittorio’s owner Victor Magalhaes paired it with his ever-popular herb-crusted lamb chops, Yukon mashed potatoes and spring vegetable medley served au jus. The reaction to Hope wines went over the top.

Meanwhile the Paso Robles Wine Association, at its latest annual Wine Festival, held a virtual auction and called for exciting and attractive packages from its winery members. True to form, Austin Hope provided a package that included two magnum bottles of his award-winning signature cabernets with his signature on the wooden box and bottles.

Another box held six bottles of recent vintage 750 ml cabernet bottles. The market value was $900. The winning bid was nearly three times the market value.

Congratulations to the association for making such a smart choice for a bidding package. Learn more at austinhope.com.

Wine Bytes

• Happy hour is now back Monday-Friday, 3 to 6 p.m., at the bars of the three North County locations of Vigilucci’s: Cocina in Leucadia, Trattoria in Carlsbad and Seafood and Steakhouse in Carlsbad. Celebrate Dad on Sunday, June 20, and reserve a dinner at one of the Vigilucci’s restaurants at vigiluccis.com.

• A new “wow” trip event has been opened, the X Wine Railroad from Los Angeles to Santa Barbara, with multiple tasting trip dates of Saturday, June 19, from 9:15 a.m. to 9:45 p.m.; Sunday, July 11, from 9:15 a.m. to 9:45 p.m.; and Sunday, Aug. 8, from 9:15 a.m. to 9:45 p.m. Cost is $399 per person. It includes round-trip business-class seats, luxury ground transportation in Santa Barbara, a vineyard tour with vineyard-style lunch and lots more. For details, call 702-234-4124.

Frank Mangio is a renowned wine connoisseur certified by Wine Spectator. Reach him at [email protected]

June 01, 2021 at 11:35AM
https://ift.tt/2S3cCeG

Taste of Wine: Meetup with the Austin Hope Family Wines - Coast News

https://ift.tt/31lUVcw
Wine

Greek wine 101: What it is and why you should be drinking it - USA Today 10Best

sela.indah.link

"Greek wine has the greatest affability to food of any country," says Evan Turner — Photo courtesy of Krasi Meze and Wine

Advertisement

Greek wine is having a moment. Take it from wine director – and Greek wine expert – Evan Turner at Krasi Meze and Wine in Boston, Massachusetts.

"Everybody is far more adventurous with wine, spirits and food," says Turner. "Everyone wants to try something new and exciting, and to be on the cutting edge. That’s been great for Greek wine."

Turner’s first brush with the country was over 40 years ago. To this day, he still recalls the vivid details, from conversations to aura, of his first meal in Greece.

Turner went on to train as a sommelier and established Helen Greek Food and Wine in Houston, Texas. Since opening in 2015, Turner’s witnessed an uprise in Greek wines, especially in restaurants with 100 percent Greek wine lists throughout the country – he mentions Taverna Khione and Emilitsa, both in Maine, Taxim in Chicago and Milos Wine Bar at Hudson Yards in New York City.

Turner says the majority of Greek labels that make it stateside – around 85 percent – are from producers that are no more than two decades old. He clarifies, however, that the earliest winemaking in Greece dates back 6,500 years.

“There are all these beautiful old vineyards sitting around in Greece,” says Turner, who explains that when the Ottomans invaded Greece, families were still allowed to make wine for their personal use, so farmers planted vineyards in their backyards.

These are the vineyards that still exist today; some vines are as old as 400 years. Turner elaborates that due to the isolation of these vineyards, the vines avoided the phylloxera outbreak in the 1800s, and thus preserved these “unbelievably old” vines that produce grapes rich in flavor and history.

Turner emphasizes that it’s these indigenous grapes, along with the terroir, that are responsible for Greek wine’s most recognizable qualities: high acid, high tannins and lower alcohol (the average ABV runs between 12.5 to 13.5 percent).

“Everybody thinks of Greece’s beaches and white houses with blue roofs, and it’s actually one of the most mountainous nations in the world, with a lot of their soils sandy and volcanic in nature,” says Turner. “To enumerate them, Greek wines tend to be less jammy and fruity – whether they’re reds or whites – and more about these wonderful secondary flavors of earthiness, minerality and herbaceousness.”

Greek wine is having a moment — Photo courtesy of Krasi Meze and Wine

As for what’s not in the wines, Turner explains that sugar is not added during the winemaking process, and new oak is used sparingly for aging, favoring stainless steel, used or “neutral” oak, instead. Wineries also tend to harvest early due to temperamental weather in the mountains, and in less volume, due to family-run constraints.

These minimalist techniques lend themselves to prominently natural, organic and biodynamic wines. The trending organic and biodynamic wine movement, therefore, creates a favorable opportunity in the market for Greek wine, in addition to the ongoing acceptance of orange wines. Turner says it’s these two movements, as well as the ability of sommeliers to exhibit the wines to customers, which will permit the category to thrive.

“It’s not a question of the quality of the wines, it’s a matter of getting them into customers’ hands,” emphasizes Marc Provencher, owner of Taverna Khione in Brunswick, Maine. “Most people who come in do not know about Greek wines or the grapes. It’s all about educating them.”

Education is especially important surrounding the grape varieties, with tongue-twisting nomenclature, like assyrtiko, aidani, limniona and moschofilero. Whether you’re a first-time consumer of these wines and unable to pronounce them or perhaps visited Greece and enjoyed a variety but don’t recall the label, Provencher suggests this difficulty as one of the hurdles for the category to overcome.

“If you have a wine that you like and cannot pronounce the name of the grape, you're probably not going to remember it for the next time,” says Provencher.

When it comes to educating diners at Krasi, Turner’s method is to relate the wines to familiar varieties. For white wines, Turner likens the crisp minerality of Santorini's assyrtiko to “the child of a stunning Sancerre and a bone-dry riesling.” Malagouzia, from northern Greece, is a richer, rounder variety that presents tropical notes and stone fruit on the nose and palate, similar to viognier.

Moschofilero from the Peloponnese (one of the coldest growing climates in all of Greece) is aromatically floral, like a white blend from Alsace, where you get notes of gardenia, jasmine, cinnamon and clove on the nose, but on the palate is bright and clean with a dry finish.

Terra ambera is a minimal invention muscat made with Alexandria grapes grown organically on the volcanic soils of Lemnos island — Photo courtesy of Krasi Meze and Wine

As for reds, agiorgitiko (originally from the south) is the most widely planted Greek red grape, frequently blended with Bordeaux varietals; its light to dark cherry notes draw comparisons to Chianti classico or Rioja reserva.

“It’s a great red wine to give to someone if they’ve never had Greek reds because it’ll feel the most familiar,” explains Turner.

Limniona, from just south of Mount Olympus, is reminiscent of an earthy pinot noir from Oregon. Lastly, xinomavro frequently gets compared to nebbiolo for its high acidity and tannins that Turner says “pairs gloriously with long-cooked meat dishes you so frequently see in Greece.”

In fact, Turner advises that all Greek varieties allow for exceptional pairings due to the meze style of cuisine the country is renowned for. “Greek wine has the greatest affability to food of any country,” says Turner. “Greek cuisine in general was never a one-plate, one-course meal, we pile stuff in the middle; so you’d want to make wines for that!”

As Greek wines continue to garner popularity in the United States, back in Greece, Turner hopes to see more oenotourism throughout the country. The Peloponnese currently draws the most attention for wine aficionados, but Santorini, Nemera and Crete are also authoritative starting points to a self-guided tour.

Turner predicts the eruption of wineries from lesser-known regions of Greece to continue to revolutionize the category.

He concludes, “Using rare indigenous grapes, from various far-flung areas across both the islands and the mainland, these wineries are at the vanguard of new Greek winemaking. They are the future.”

June 01, 2021 at 11:00AM
https://ift.tt/3canzSy

Greek wine 101: What it is and why you should be drinking it - USA Today 10Best

https://ift.tt/31lUVcw
Wine

How Beer And Poop Factor Into The Future Of Food - Forbes

sela.indah.link

Root galling caused by root-knot nematode infestation.

Maite Gandariasbeitia et al

For decades, chemical pesticides have been a go-to method of protecting crops for industrial agriculture, but the practice can often come at the cost of environmental and other damages.

The resulting demand for more organic and sustainable pest control alternatives has fueled quite a bit of research, including a new study out of Spain that finds promise in a combination of used materials from beer and food production and cow manure.

“Rapeseed cake (the remainder from vegetable oil extraction) and beer bagasse (spent grains) are two potential organic treatments which have shown really positive results in previous studies,” explains lead author Maite Gandariasbeitia from the Neiker Basque Institute for Agricultural Research and Development.

“Their high nitrogen content promotes the activity of beneficial microorganisms in the soil, which helps to break down organic matter like manure and kill off nematodes and other parasites which damage crops.”

Nematodes are a common parasite that invade roots through the soil, where they lay eggs, damaging the roots and slowing the plant’s growth and crop yields.

After adding the beer and rapeseed waste into soil along with fresh cow manure, the researchers saw a major improvement in root health from just a single treatment.

The experiment stretched out over a year, and treated plots of plants showed about 15 percent higher yields compared to control plots over the time period. The researchers say the new organic treatment also increased the amount of healthy microorganisms in the soil.

MORE FOR YOU

“There are still many questions to answer so that we can gain a better understanding of what happens in the soil during and after these biodisinfestation treatments,” says Gandariasbeitia.

The hope is that similar methods could be found to tackle other soil parasites.

The study is published in Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems.

May 31, 2021 at 11:30PM
https://ift.tt/3vCk1As

How Beer And Poop Factor Into The Future Of Food - Forbes

https://ift.tt/2NyjRFM
Beer

‘A Cathedral of Beer’: Belgian Abbey Reopens Brewery After Two Centuries - The Wall Street Journal

sela.indah.link

GRIMBERGEN, Belgium–The boss of beer giant Carlsberg A/S had a question before he picked the site for a pricey new microbrewery at the 900-year-old abbey here: Where did the last one stand before French revolutionaries torched it?

Those are the kind of questions that matter these days to executives at big brewers like Carlsberg CEO Cees ’t Hart, who are responding to beer drinkers’ thirst for exclusivity.

Grimbergen Abbey on Thursday relaunched a brewery inside its walls for the first time in more than 200 years. The resurrection has furnished its sponsor, Carlsberg, with its own kind of holy grail: unique and authentic brews.

Marc-Antoine Sochon, master brewer for Carlsberg, holds a glass of fresh beer in the microbrewery within the Grimbergen Abbey.

Photo: Ksenia Kuleshova for The Wall Street Journal

The facility will produce beers inspired by ingredient lists found in ancient manuscripts in the abbey library—the kind of niche brews that have helped upstart competitors take chunks out of Carlsberg’s mainstay market of mass-produced lagers.

The Danish beermaker has spent millions of euros on the project, making it one of the company’s most expensive per hectoliter produced, says its chief commercial officer, João Abecasis. One reason was the age of the building site and efforts to respect traditions.

Global brewing conglomerates including Dutch Heineken N.V. and AB InBev, the Belgian brewer of Budweiser, have snapped up craft rivals in recent years to try to boost growth as beer drinkers turn away from bland lagers.

“It’s very important for our growth, now and in the future,” Mr. ’t Hart said at the launch at the abbey Thursday. “It’s a fantastic story. It’s appealing to everybody that likes beer.”

Centuries ago, monks were the original craft brewers, using local ingredients to create small batches of singular beers. But the number of monks to beer the brew has dwindled. Global brands have stepped in, hoping to cash in on demand for specialty brews like abbey beers, which have become a commercial hit for big brewers.

The brewery at Grimbergen Abbey, on the northern outskirts of Brussels, has burned down three times since it was founded in 1128 by Norbertine priests. Beer likely tasted very different then and was often preferred to water for sanitary reasons, says Father Karel Stautemas, a 57-year-old former accountant who takes care of the abbey’s finances, as well as its beer. A cow bone, used in the brewing process to purify the water, was discovered during construction and dated to before the French Revolution, he says.

Marc-Antoine Sochon, Carlsberg master brewer, shows the beer bottle to Father Karel Stautemas.

Photo: Ksenia Kuleshova for The Wall Street Journal

Beer bottles, the first to be brewed within the abbey walls for two centuries.

Photo: Ksenia Kuleshova for The Wall Street Journal

When priests returned in the early 19th century, they didn’t restart brewing. But in 1958 a Belgian brewer offered to pay royalties to the abbey to produce beers under its name. The relationship was common at the time as monasteries struggled with aging communities and weakening finances. Abbey beers, including InBev’s Leffe, are produced at commercial facilities that have little in common with houses of worship, leading to criticism that they are inauthentic.

Several Trappist abbeys where monks still oversee production created a label in 1998 with strict rules in order to demonstrate their authenticity, including that the beer should be brewed inside the abbey walls and any profits should be spent on the community or charity. Father Karel says he checks in every day on the three brewers from Carlsberg who work in the new brewery.

In 2016, Father Karel says, he told Mr. ’t Hart of his idea to restart brewing, and he says the chief executive was enthused. Carlsberg had already launched other microbreweries with adjoining bars in France, Norway and Sweden that focused on the historical connections of its brands, said Mr. Abecasis, the chief commercial officer.

Sales of beers branded Grimbergen grew 35% in the three years before the coronavirus pandemic. Craft and specialty brands, which make up one-tenth of Carlsberg’s portfolio, managed to inch up 1% last year.

The abbey brewery will initially produce three beers, blending tradition with exotic twists. One uses smoked malt of the kind popular in medieval times. Another combines hops from Belgium and Australia.

The beers will be sold in kegs and bottles to Carlsberg’s main European markets. The brewery will continue to experiment with new flavors that will be tested at the bar and restaurant at the abbey, which has doubled in size and has a window into the facility, so visitors can see the brewing process.

“A cathedral of beer,” says Father Karel.

The Belgian Abbey of Grimbergen.

Photo: yves herman/Reuters

The priests, who rise to pray at 7 a.m. and then breakfast in silence, have blessed the brewery. They have final say over the beers, Carlsberg executives say. In their white habits, the priests stand out as they glide through the glitzy bar and brewery with its modern equipment.

The royalties from Carlsberg help pay for the upkeep of the abbey’s buildings and the priests’ pastoral and charitable work, says Father Karel.

How much does Carlsberg pay the abbey? Father Karel leans forward and, after a pause, whispers: “That’s a commercial secret.”

In the brewery, a skateboard leans against the wall under a simple wooden cross.

Not mine, says the abbot, Erik de Sutter. “I am not so sporty,” adds the 57-year-old.

Marc-Antoine Sochon.

Photo: Ksenia Kuleshova for The Wall Street Journal

It belongs to Marc-Antoine Sochon, the 28-year-old Carlsberg brewer who has overseen this project.

In the brewery on Wednesday, Father Karel ribbed Mr. Sochon about his first strands of graying hair. Mr. Sochon spoke of good-natured squabbles over beer with Father Karel, who is not a fan of sweeter tastes.

“We usually find a compromise,” says Mr. Sochon.

Father Karel chides a visitor who asks whether the abbey’s 15 priests still drink beer. “What do you think?” he says.

Not every day, of course, he quickly adds, but usually on Sunday evenings.

“We have a full panel of tasters right here,” says Mr. Sochon.

Write to James Marson at james.marson@wsj.com

Copyright ©2020 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8

June 01, 2021 at 02:50AM
https://ift.tt/34wOfIX

‘A Cathedral of Beer’: Belgian Abbey Reopens Brewery After Two Centuries - The Wall Street Journal

https://ift.tt/2NyjRFM
Beer

Summer craft beer running tour returns to Brevard breweries for six weeks starting June 1 - WKMG News 6 & ClickOrlando

sela.indah.link

BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. – How do you take the sizzle out of a Space Coast summer day?

Try sipping a pint of cold craft beer. But only after earning it with some exercise.

Since 2016, the Running Zone, Melbourne’s retail center for all things running, has hosted the Summer Brewery & Running Tour, with weekly stops at craft breweries across Brevard, according to News 6 partners Florida Today.

[TRENDING: Fla. drivers can soon use hazard lights in rain | Woman in parked car ejected, killed in crash | Police search for ‘armed and dangerous’ woman]

Last year’s free tour was cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and Denise Piercy of the Running Zone Foundation said she was eager to revive the tradition.

“We couldn’t wait to be able to continue it,” she said. “The breweries are so excited about it, too.”

The six weekly runs and walks start Tuesday at Bugnutty Brewing Co. in Cocoa Village and end July 6 at Dirty Oar Beer Co., also in Cocoa Village.

It’s free to participate. The Running Zone team sets up the three-mile route at each location and provides water. Each brewery offers specials for participants.

While there’s no cost to participate, and registration is not required, Piercy said this year the Running Zone is offering a VIP package. For $30, runners and walkers will get a commemorative T-shirt and a pint glass. The shirt features a map of Brevard highlighting the location of each participating brewery. The dates of each run are on the back of the shirt.

“We thought it was kind of a fun idea,” Piercy said, “like a concert tour, with all the concert dates on it. Because we all missed it so much last year, we wanted to make it extra special.”

Runners who register can check in each week to receive electronic badges.

Shirts and pint glasses can be picked up after June 2 at the Running Zone, 3696 N. Wickham Road, Melbourne.

More than 100 runners have already signed up.

“I’m so excited for the Summer Brewery Tour,” said Kevin Charles of Suntree. “I have done it previously and it was very nice. It’s a great way to support our local breweries, re-connect with old friends and find new friends.”

Shelley and Scott Sutherland of Rockledge will be participating for the first time this year.

“Summer running can be brutal, but when you add a cold beer from one of our local breweries…it’s not so bad,” Shelley said. “My husband and I have been looking forward to the Summer Brewery Tour. Run, beer, friends. It doesn’t get any better than that.”

The Running Zone hosts races most weekends the rest of the year, so the fun runs give people a chance to get together during the summer and take advantage of the season’s later sunsets, Piercy said.

“The mix of heat, beer, sweat, beer, friends, beer is what I’m looking forward to the most,” Sutherland said. “Oh yeah, and the run too.”

Summer Brewery & Running Tour schedule

The events are at 6:30 each Tuesday, June 1-July 6. Here’s the schedule:

• June 1, Bugnutty Brewing Co., 225 King St., Unit B, Cocoa Village
• June 29, Carib Brewery (formerly Florida Beer Co.), 200 Imperial Blvd., Cape Canaveral

To register, visit runsignup.com/Race/FL/Melbourne/SummerBreweryTour2021.

May 31, 2021 at 08:32PM
https://ift.tt/2R6B926

Summer craft beer running tour returns to Brevard breweries for six weeks starting June 1 - WKMG News 6 & ClickOrlando

https://ift.tt/2NyjRFM
Beer

Victoria Beer Celebrates Its Ties to Mexican Tradition in Summertime Campaign - Adweek

sela.indah.link

First brewed by Austrian immigrants back in 1865 in Toluca, Constellation Brands’ Victoria remains one of Mexico’s most recognizable beers. With a logo that sports the mythical king Gambrinus—fabled to be able to put back 144 pints in a single session—Victoria has a history of embracing its jovial side while celebrating tradition.

Recommended articles

June 01, 2021 at 12:00AM
https://ift.tt/3wKIP9l

Victoria Beer Celebrates Its Ties to Mexican Tradition in Summertime Campaign - Adweek

https://ift.tt/2NyjRFM
Beer

Wine Press - 3 Affordable, Young Red Wines Ready To Enjoy Now - MassLive.com

sela.indah.link

Red wines get better with age.

That old chestnut of wine wisdom has been making the rounds for years, right up there with always serve white wine with fish and never wear white pants to a wine tasting.

Actually, I made that last one up, but given my track record with food and clothes, I’d say it’s a good recommendation for many messy eaters like myself.

But otherwise, you can throw most of the wine rules out the window.

Many red wines taste great with fish. (Pinot Noir and salmon go perfectly together.)

White wines should always be served cold. (Let a great Chardonnay warm up a little.)

And while many red wines do get better with age, some of them taste just fine soon after they were bottled.

Part of this might have to do with changing tastes and the way wine is made nowadays in many parts of the world.

Most people don’t have vast wine cellars where they can store fine wines for decades.

Instead, many people buy wines when they need them.

I can say this was certainly the case when I worked in a wine store a decade ago. Some people would come in to buy wine because they were having someone over for dinner. If I suggested buying one or two additional wines instead of a single bottle – just in case anyone wanted more wine – many people looked at me like I had two heads.

In response, some people would ask what should I do with the wine if no one drinks it?

You can save the other bottles and drink them another night, I replied.

Again, more blank stares.

But that’s the way some people approach wine. It’s simply something they buy when they need one.

In response, many winemakers have started making wine designed to be consumed soon after it’s bottled.

I once read an interview with a winemaker in France’s Burgundy region who said he was no longer going to make wines the way his father made them – wines designed to be aged for decades. Instead, he planned to make wines people can drink now.

And over the years, many wine makers have personally told me they believe most of their wines can be enjoyed soon after someone buys them.

I still believe certain wines benefit from a few years (or sometimes many more) of aging, especially when it comes to some French, Italian or Spanish red wines.

But for the most part, I’ve come around to the opinion that many young, red wines taste delicious now.

That’s why I wanted to highlight three, young red wines ready to be enjoyed right away.

One’s from California. The other two are from France and Italy.

Best of all, these three wines are readily available and very affordable. They range in price from just under $8 a bottle to $16 a bottle.

Whichever wine you choose, I hope you enjoy these young guns ready to show us old guys a few new tricks.

WINES RECOMMENDED THIS WEEK

2020 Bonterra Young Red ($16 Suggested Retail Price)

2019 Montepulciano d’Abruzzo 90 Plus Cellars ($9.99 at Table & Vine in West Springfield)

2019 House Red Cabernet Sauvignon ($7.99 at Table & Vine)

WINE TASTING NOTES

2020 Bonterra Young Red

Region - Mendocino County, California

Grapes - Blend of Grenache and Malbec

Tasting Notes - This was the wine that initially inspired this column. I will admit I was a bit skeptical about such a young wine. But I fell in love on the first sip. This bright, lively, dry wine made with organic grapes has vibrant fruit flavors (hints of raspberry and blackberry) without being sweet or overpowering or overwhelming. The winemaker recommends serving this wine slightly chilled. However, I found the wine tasted just fine at room temperature. Then again, we do keep our house pretty cool. A truly wonderful wine perfect for lazy summer afternoons or evenings.

2019 Montepulciano d’Abruzzo 90 Plus Cellars

Region - Abruzzo, Italy

Grapes - Montepulciano

Tasting Notes - 90 Plus Cellars has a knack for finding great, affordable wines from around the world. Last year, I raved about a French red wine from this winery. This Italian wine from the Abruzzo region on Italy’s Adriatic coast is another home run. This wine will appeal to people who enjoy their wines on the very dry side. Austere and understated, this powerful wine has hints of dried blackberries, toasted almonds and other dense flavors that seem to last forever after each sip. Perfect on a cold spring night or with robust foods that require a substantial wine.

2019 House Red Cabernet Sauvignon

Region - Pays D’Oc, France

Grapes - Cabernet Sauvignon

Tasting Notes - I started writing this wine column nine years ago primarily in search of affordable wines, especially ones that cost less than $10 dollars a bottle. That search has become harder over the years, especially as prices slowly start to climb higher. Fortunately, such great wines still exist. And I’m always thrilled when I find great new ones. This showstopper from France hits all the right notes. Straight out the bottle, this wine has subtle fruit flavors (cherry, raspberry) and a vibrant, light finish. Very quickly, those flavors become more understated, more graceful, more elegant. A truly great wine at an absolutely unbelievable price.

Cheers!

Wine Press by Ken Ross appears on Masslive.com every Monday and in The Republican’s weekend section every Thursday.

Follow Ken Ross on Twitter and Instagram and Facebook.

June 01, 2021 at 01:01AM
https://ift.tt/2S25Y8x

Wine Press - 3 Affordable, Young Red Wines Ready To Enjoy Now - MassLive.com

https://ift.tt/31lUVcw
Wine

Elegant and Crisp: The Indigenous White Wine Grapes of Central Italy | Wine Enthusiast - Wine Enthusiast Magazine Online

sela.indah.link

Central Italy is home to classic white wines made from native grapes that yield dry, delicious pours with character and energy. The best, like top Verdicchios from the Marche region, also have surprising longevity.

In the past, overcropping to increase quantity tarnished the reputation of many of these fantastic wines. However, today’s quality-minded producers make elegant, focused white wines that should be on every wine lover’s radar.

Romagna Albana

Region: Emiglia-Romagna

Giovana Madonia vineyard in Emiglia-Romagna / Photo courtesy Giovana Madonia

From the southern part of Emilia-Romagna region, where northern Italy meets the central part of the peninsula, this is the region’s premier white.

Known as Albana di Romagna until 2011, it’s made with a minimum of 95% of native grape Albana, though most producers exclusively use the variety. It’s cultivated in a diverse area of undulating hills and valleys that stretch between the Apennine mountains to the Adriatic Sea. The area has diverse soils including clay and limestone, while cooling sea breezes temper the Mediterranean climate. Perhaps most famous for its sweet wines and passitos made from withered grapes, the dry Secco versions range from crisp and linear to enveloping, complex and fresh. Typical aromas include wildflowers, stone fruits and honey, while flavors range from yellow peach to apricot to bitter almond.

Suggested producers: Celli, Giovanna Madonia, Tre Monti

Vernaccia di San Gimignano

Region: Tuscany

The winery at Tenuta Calcinaie / Photo courtesy Tenuta Calcinaie

Celebrated for structured reds like Brunello, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and Chianti Classico, Tuscany is also home to the white wines of Vernaccia di San Gimignano. Poured at noble courts throughout Europe at the end of the 13th century, it’s one of Italy’s most storied wines.

Vernaccia di San Gimignano’s growing zone lies on hillsides between 656 and 1,312 feet above sea level in the municipality of San Gimignano, in the Siena province. Soils are marine deposits of Pliocene origin and consist of yellow sand and clay. It’s not uncommon to find ancient marine fossils as you walk through the vineyards. The sandy soils lend savory notes to Vernaccia di San Gimignano.

Made with at least 85% of the Vernaccia grape, this dry, delicately scented white comes in two styles. The straight version is fresh, floral, fruity and ready to enjoy immediately, while the more complex Riserva versions take on notes of honey and flinty mineral with age.

Suggested producers: Montenidoli, Tenuta Le Calcinaie, Teruzzi & Puthod

Verdicchio

Region: Marche

Once more famous for its unique green amphora and fish-shaped bottles than for the wines they contained, Marche’s flagship variety, Verdicchio, is now one of Italy’s greatest white wines.

Wines made from the variety range from crisp and easygoing to complex and seriously ageworthy. Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi, the larger of the two dedicated denominations, extends across the hills around the town of Jesi, in the province of Ancona. The wine comes in several versions that include Classico, Classico Superiore and Riserva. The growing area has calcareous, clay and limestone soils, and it boasts a relatively dry maritime climate influenced by the Adriatic.

The tiny Verdicchio di Matelica appellation, further inland, has a more continental climate that produces racy wines with even higher acidity. It also has a Riserva version that ages well.

For decades, quality had waned. Verdicchio became associated with cheap, uninspiring wines destined for immediate consumption. Legendary producer Ampelio Bucci is credited with ushering in quality winemaking during the early 1980s with his Villa Bucci Riserva. Made with low grape yields and aged in large Slavonian casks, it has incredible elegance, complexity and longevity.

Top-tier Verdicchios feature floral and beeswax aromas, citrus, with yellow stone fruit and white almond flavors. The best Castelli di Jesi offerings also have savory saline mineral notes, while top expressions from Matelica are focused, with intense energy.

Suggested producers: Bucci, Colle Stefano, Umani Ronchi

Orvieto

Region: Umbria

Harvest at the Decugnano dei Barbi vineyard in Orvieto / Photo by Nick Cornish

Known as the “Green Heart of Italy,” Umbria is the only landlocked region in the central part of the country, bordered by Tuscany, Marche and Lazio. Known for full-bodied reds like Montefalco Sagrantino, the region also makes crisp, refreshing whites. Orvieto, the region’s most storied white, is named after the town where it’s found. The wines are produced in both sweet and dry styles.

The Oriveto denomination, which has a Classico, or original growing area, stretches from Umbria to Lazio. Wines are made from a blend that includes Procanico, a clone of Trebbiano, and Grechetto. Orvieto’s array of soils includes tufaceous zones of volcanic origin to the south, clay in the center, sand interspersed with marine fossils in the northeast and silty alluvial soil along the Paglia River.

Dry Orvieto is crisp, with exotic fruit, peach sensations and tangy acidity. Classico Superiore versions have creamy textures and fresh acidity, while those made in volcanic soils around Lake Bolsena have salty notes.

Suggested producers: Barberani, Decugnano dei Barbi, Marchesi Antinori Castello della Sala

Pecorino

Regions: Marche, Abruzzo

A native grape from Central Italy, Pecorino thrives in the gentle hills around Ascoli Piceno in Marche, and in neighboring Abruzzo.

Nearly extinct in the early 1980s, the grape was saved by local trailblazers like winemaker Guido Cocci Grifoni. After years of experimentation, Grifoni made his first vintage of 100% Pecorino in 1990.

More wineries in both regions now produce this wine, thanks to its intense floral aromas of acacia and jasmine, white stone-fruit flavors, creamy texture and savory mineral notes. Tastings of older vintages prove that when made with care, Pecorino can be surprisingly ageworthy.

Suggested producers: Cantina Tollo, Clara Marcelli, Tenuta Cocci Grifoni

Trebbiano d’Abruzzo

Region: Abruzzo

Trebbiano d’Abruzzo harvest at Emidio Pepe / Photo by Anca Emanuela Teaca via Alamy

Normally a workhorse grape, Trebbiano is planted widely throughout Italy, and it usually produces uninspiring wines at best. However, one clone, Trebbiano d’Abruzzo, has been cultivated for thousands of years in this region. It has an extremely long growing season that generates complexity and longevity.

While up to 15% can include other white grapes, the best iterations tend to be made entirely from Trebbiano d’Abruzzo. Top bottlings have elegance, depth and mineral-driven sensations that develop with age.

Suggested producers: Amorotti, Emidio Pepe, Valentini

May 31, 2021 at 06:37PM
https://ift.tt/3i5Z6BS

Elegant and Crisp: The Indigenous White Wine Grapes of Central Italy | Wine Enthusiast - Wine Enthusiast Magazine Online

https://ift.tt/31lUVcw
Wine

Summer wine tasting at ‘The Vintages Trailer Resort’ - KOIN.com

sela.indah.link

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) -- This Monday, we honor the men and women of the United States military who paid the ultimate sacrifice for our country.

Earlier Monday morning, the Oregon Department of Veterans' Affairs held a hybrid Memorial Day service at the Oregon Korean War Memorial in Wilsonville. The ceremony, which was livestreamed online, was complete with a color guard, a wreath-laying ceremony and Taps.

May 31, 2021 at 08:03PM
https://ift.tt/3g3FJa2

Summer wine tasting at ‘The Vintages Trailer Resort’ - KOIN.com

https://ift.tt/31lUVcw
Wine

'Black Is Beautiful' Beer By Black Brewer Helps Pour Money Into Social Justice Reform - NPR

sela.indah.link

Marcus Baskerville, second from the right, at Black Brew Culture's Fresh Fest, August 11, 2019. Weathered Souls Brewing hide caption

toggle caption

Weathered Souls Brewing

Marcus Baskerville, second from the right, at Black Brew Culture's Fresh Fest, August 11, 2019.

Weathered Souls Brewing

The turning point for Marcus Baskerville came one morning when he was driving down the highway, and heard on the radio about the fatal police shooting of Breonna Taylor. Joining a street protest wasn't his style, but what could he, as one of the few Black brewers in America, do to make a statement?

His answer? Create a beer called Black is Beautiful and share the recipe with brewers across the country.

"It's a call to breweries within the United States to participate in a collaborative effort. They would brew a stout, [then] release 100% of those proceeds to local organizations, charities, foundations that support equality, inclusion and social justice reform," he says.

With that high-minded genesis, Baskerville thought it would have limited appeal among his fellow brewers. But at last count, nearly 1,200 breweries in all states are making Black is Beautiful, as well as brewers in 22 different countries, such as Japan, China, Germany, Guatemala and Rwanda.

And Walmart recently announced that it is selling Black is Beautiful beer in 300 stores nationwide.

When Baskerville launched his concept a year ago, he also wondered how it would go over with craft beer drinkers. After all, a recent academic book titled Beer and Racism, states "...craft beer seems fundamentally brewed by, owned by, catered to, distributed by, advertised to, bought by, discussed by, and consumed by white men."

"I mean, you look at my customer base and let's be honest," Baskerville says, "it's mostly middle-aged Caucasian males. So you're starting a platform called Black is Beautiful and it's like, OK, you want to do it within a strategic point to not upset your customer base."

The 36-year-old Californian started brewing at his home in Sacramento. He moved to San Antonio to take a job in fraud prevention at Citibank, but in his spare time Baskerville kept turning grain, hops, malt, yeast, and water into beer. Eventually he got so good at it that he quit the bank and became a full-time brewer. He and another beer lover opened Weathered Souls Brewery in 2016.

When he saw the deaths of Breonna Taylor and then George Floyd, he recalled his own story of police mistreatment.

"I'm somebody who has dealt with a form of police brutality before in my youth," he says. Baskerville tells of being jailed overnight in connection with a stabbing that he had nothing to do with, and of being repeatedly racially profiled when he drove his Ford Mustang through the predominantly white neighborhood where his family lived.

"I think I just reached my boiling point of wanting to actually do something," he says.

As co-owner of Weathered Souls, Baskerville is one of only a handful of Black brewers among nearly 9,000 breweries in the United States.

"Even in the state of Texas with 380-plus breweries, I think there's two Black brewers, I'm the only Black owner," he explains.

Black is Beautiful is a stout: dark and potent, at 10% alcohol content, and intensely flavorful. Every can produced around the world carries the same eye-catching graphics. The recipe calls for chocolate malt, roasted barley, and flaked oats, but Baskerville encourages individual creativity.

In the town of Taylor, northeast of Austin, J.D. Gins at the Texas Beer Company is brewing his own version of Black is Beautiful.

In the town of Taylor, northeast of Austin, J.D. Gins at the Texas Beer Company is brewing his own version of Black is Beautiful. John Burnett/NPR hide caption

toggle caption

John Burnett/NPR

In the town of Taylor, northeast of Austin, J.D. Gins at the Texas Beer Company is brewing his own version of Black is Beautiful.

John Burnett/NPR

"We chose to do a smoke stout," Gins says. "Taylor is a barbecue town and we wanted to make sure that we're showing off what's important to us."

All proceeds go to the Bill Pickett Educational Foundation, a local nonprofit named after the world's most famous Black rodeo cowboy and a Taylor native. Gins estimates he will donate about $5,000 toward causes that help underprivileged kids of color. He was already brewing a Bill Pickett Porter and earmarking the profits for the foundation.

"When Marcus came along with Black is Beautiful," he says, "it was a natural fit for us."

But Gins has another reason to pour a pint of this smoky stout when his customers belly up to the bar.

"Bringing up this conversation is sometimes extremely difficult especially for white business owners, for white people and white privilege," he says. "If you have the opportunity to discuss it over a beer, it's not combative and it shines a light on something that people should be talking about."

May 31, 2021 at 04:00PM
https://ift.tt/3p6JDD9

'Black Is Beautiful' Beer By Black Brewer Helps Pour Money Into Social Justice Reform - NPR

https://ift.tt/2NyjRFM
Beer

Here are 6 new things to check out this summer in the Milwaukee area, from beer gardens to outdoor public art - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

sela.indah.link

CLOSE

Kelsey Montague takes flight with her Zurich wings, one of the many international pieces she has created as part of her #WhatLiftsYou series.

 (Photo: Courtesy of the Montague Sisters)

As Milwaukee-area residents re-emerge from more than a year of being cooped up, they are being met with new places to eat or drink and new experiences to have. 

From beer gardens to outdoor public art, here are six new local things to check out this summer. 

1. Photo op mural 

Famous street artist Kelsey Montague will create a peacock mural on the north façade of the UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena, 400 W. Kilbourn Ave, in July, Milwaukee's downtown business district and the Wisconsin Center District announced in May. 

The about 15-foot by 15-foot mural will be part of Montague’s #WhatLiftsYou project, which has provided people worldwide with interactive photo ops. This will be Montague’s first Wisconsin mural. 

For more information, visit milwaukeedowntown.com/bid-basics/community-projects/what-lifts-you. 

RELATED: Milwaukee Downtown is presenting a variety of visual and performing arts this summer through Jumpst(ART) campaign

2. Rooftop bar, lounge with city views

Picture yourself looking at the city from a bird's-eye view while sipping a glass of sake. 

That's what's offered at Skyline Bar + Lounge, which opened in May on the top floor of Nō Studios, 1037 W. McKinley Ave. 

There's a glass-enclosed bar and lounge with unobstructed views of the city and two outdoor rooftop patios. 

Skyline specializes in sake and has a wide range of the Japanese rice wine, including flights and cocktails. It also has a full bar beverage selection. 

Public hours are 5 to 11 p.m. Thursday through Saturday. Nō Studios members get additional access.

For more information, visit nostudios.com/skyline-lounge.

Skyline Bar + Lounge will be opening on the top floor of Nō Studios May 8.

 (Photo: Submitted)

3. Summerfest's format

Summerfest traditionally has been an 11-day event from late June to early July. But starting this year, it's being held on three weekends instead. 

The largest music festival in the United States is scheduled for Sept. 2 to 4, 9 to 11 and 16 to 18. 

The lineup, which was released in May, features more than 100 headliners. 

There will also be three special shows on Sept. 1, 8 and 15 when the rest of Maier Festival Park will remain dark. 

The fest was canceled for the first time in its 53-year history in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

For more information on this year's fest, visit summerfest.com.

Autoplay

Show Thumbnails

Show Captions

Last SlideNext Slide

4. Beer gardens

Veteran local tavern owner Nick Marking recently launched The Tap Yard beer gardens in Waukesha and Glendale under the business Primetime Events LLC. 

The beer gardens feature craft taps, live music and rotating food trucks.

The Tap Yard Waukesha is located on a future development site within the Shoppes at Fox River shopping center, 1150 W. Sunset Drive. The Tap Yard Bayshore is at 5689 N. Bayshore Drive. 

Hours of operation are 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, 4 to 10 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday, according to The Tap Yard website. 

Marking is also planning to open a third beer garden, overlooking the Milwaukee River, at 1301 N. Edison Street, in June. 

For updates, visit facebook.com/thetapyard. 

RELATED: 2021 guide to Milwaukee-area beer gardens: Estabrook, Hubbard Park, Whitnall and more

5. Outdoor public art

There will be new outdoor public art to check out around the city thanks to Sculpture Milwaukee. 

The fifth season will feature a titled exhibit for the first time, a work by Betty Gold that's to be installed permanently on the Milwaukee Art Museum campus and more. Fifteen sculptures from the 2020 exhibition will remain on view as well. 

Limited in-person tours and programming will be back. Free self-guided audio tours will also be available. 

The sculptures were planning to begin installation later in May and will remain up until autumn. 

For more information, visit sculpturemilwaukee.com. 

Autoplay

Show Thumbnails

Show Captions

Last SlideNext Slide

6. Places to refuel

While many local restaurants and bars closed as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, others opened for the first time. 

Some that popped up in the area recently include, Q, 2730 N. King Drive, Blackwood Brothers Restaurant and Social Club, 3001 S. Kinnickinnic Ave., and Good City Brewing's Wauwatosa taproom, 11200 W. Burleigh St., at the Mayfair Collection. 

Autoplay

Show Thumbnails

Show Captions

Last SlideNext Slide

Jim Higgins, Tom Daykin and Piet Levy of the Journal Sentinel contributed to this report. 

Contact Hannah Kirby at hannah.kirby@jrn.com. Follow her on Twitter at @HannahHopeKirby.  

Our subscribers make this reporting possible. Please consider supporting local journalism by subscribing to the Journal Sentinel at jsonline.com/deal.

Read or Share this story: https://ift.tt/3fZ0ymK

May 31, 2021 at 06:01PM
https://ift.tt/3fZ0ymK

Here are 6 new things to check out this summer in the Milwaukee area, from beer gardens to outdoor public art - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

https://ift.tt/2NyjRFM
Beer

Business Monday: Aspen liquor store, grocer to face off in beer trial this week - Aspen Times

sela.indah.link

It will be up to a Pitkin County district judge this week to decide whether to put a lid on the sale of full-strength beer at Clark’s Market.

Aspen Wine & Spirits and Clark’s Market are scheduled to face off Wednesday through Friday in a court trial presided over by Judge Chris Seldin, who will determine if the liquor store has the exclusive right to sell fully potent suds and seltzers from its location at the Clark’s Market shopping complex on Puppy Smith Street.

Attorneys for Clark’s Market say the grocery store is within its contractual rights to sell the beer and other carbonated adult beverages, which returned to the Aspen location’s shelves earlier this month after a near one-year hiatus.

---

---

The trial will come after Aspen Wine & Spirits filed suit in September 2018 seeking legal recourse to stop Clark’s Market from selling full-strength beer, arguing the grocer was only allowed to sell lower-strength beer with 3.2% alcohol content.

So far, the litigation has yielded mixed results.

---

---

The sale of full-strength beer and such alcoholic beverages as White Claw at Clark’s Market are being contested by the grocer’s hallway neighbors, Aspen Wine & Spirits. The two sides are scheduled to go to trial this week in Pitkin County District Court. (Rick Carroll/The Aspen Times)

A favorable one for the liquor store came July 14 when Seldin remanded Clark’s application to sell full-strength beer to the Local Licensing Authority, which in July 2018 originally voted 4-1 in the application’s favor. Seldin’s ruling concluded the LLA hadn’t fully reviewed the application, which is why he sent it back to the board for further review.

As a result, Clark’s stopped selling beer or alcoholic beverages of any sort. Yet the LLA once again approved the grocer’s application to sell beer at a Nov. 18 hearing, and on May 1 the supermarket returned full-strength beer — as well as hard cider, seltzer and kombucha — to its coolers.

Clark’s Market is located across the hallway from Aspen Wine & Spirits.

The liquor store is seeking of $33,872 for the full-strength beer the grocer sold in 2019 and disgorgement of $38,813.38 in net profits Clark’s made through the sale of full-strength Clark’s fermented malt beverage products for a portion of 2020, according to court records.

Attorneys for Clark’s Market have argued it is allowed to sell beer not only because it has the LLA’s approval but for other reasons also.

For one, the sublease Aspen Wine & Spirits agreed to in 2000 when it took over the location is not applicable to the current situation. As a third-party beneficiary to the lease, Clark’s was not allowed to sell full-strength beer, but attorneys for the grocer said the beer clause only applied to the supermarket’s relationship with the predecessor of Aspen Wine & Spirits.

As well, while the sublease said Clark’s could sell only 3.2 beer, the supermarket contends the weaker brew is not available in Colorado anymore in the aftermath of last decade’s passage of a state liquor law allowing supermarkets to sell full-strength beer.

“Rather, the lease expressly allows Clark’s to sell full strength beer if the 3.2 category of beer no longer exists or is changed,” Seldin wrote in a May 19-dated trial order summarizing each side’s argument. “Following an overhaul of Colorado’s liquor licensing regulations passed in 2016, effective Jan. 1, 2019, 3.2 beer is no longer separately regulated, and that category is no longer sold by Clark’s distributors. Therefore, both Clark’s liquor license and lease allow it to sell full-strength beer.”

Aspen Wine & Spirits, however, has argued that when Clark’s Market in the spring of 2018 applied for its license to sell 3.2 beer, it did with the intent to replace it with the full-strength version at the start of 2019. Whatever the case, it should not be selling full-strength beer in Aspen, contended the plaintiffs. Weaker beer also is available for distribution in Colorado, Aspen Wine & Spirits claimed.

“If beer containing 3.2% alcohol by weight or less is brewed and available, as it is, Clark’s may sell it. But Clark’s may not sell full-strength beer.

Richard Neiley Jr., who is counsel for Aspen Wine & Spirits, and Hoskin Farina & Kampf PC, which is the law firm representing Clark’s Market, did not return messages last week seeking comment.

rcarroll@aspentimes.com

 

 

 

 

 

May 31, 2021 at 01:06PM
https://ift.tt/3yKP7b7

Business Monday: Aspen liquor store, grocer to face off in beer trial this week - Aspen Times

https://ift.tt/2NyjRFM
Beer

Locally inspired beer set to launch - Chico Enterprise-Record

sela.indah.link

Princeton brewery, the Farmers Brewing Co., has announced the release of Summer Kickback, a locally inspired beer.

The new unfiltered lemon lager will launch on June 1 and can be found on tap and in six-packs throughout Northern California.

Founded in 2017, Farmers Brewing Co. is owned and operated by Bill and Kristin Weller, both fifth-generation farmers. The Weller’s operate their business from the family farm that began in the 1800s. The company grows its own grains so that all ingredients come directly from Princeton, something they describe as “farm to glass.”

Starting as a small operation in their garage, the brewery has expanded to modern facilities, producing beer that can be found all throughout Northern California including at their brewery-located taproom. A second taproom is planned to open in January 2022 in Chico’s Meriam Park.

The new summer lager joins a selection of locally-inspired ales, IPAs, lagers, and Belgian-style brews.

“This unfiltered lemon lager is brewed to be crisp, refreshing, and easy-drinking–ideal for the hot weather in the north state. The subtle addition of lemon zest brings a pleasant citrus flavor to the smooth finish,” the company said.

As Summer Kickback is a seasonal beer, the Famer’s Brewing Co. will be retiring the limited-run Spring Planting lager for the time being. Two more seasonal varieties are planned for later in the year: Fall Harvest and Winter Migration.

“We’ve been waiting patiently to finally make this beer again,” said founder Bill Weller. “It’s definitely a local and brewery favorite.”

May 31, 2021 at 06:02PM
https://ift.tt/3vGucnm

Locally inspired beer set to launch - Chico Enterprise-Record

https://ift.tt/2NyjRFM
Beer

Grand tastings, new dates, community awards: how a New Orleans wine fest is coming back - NOLA.com

sela.indah.link

It was just a few months ago when the New Orleans Wine & Food Experience and Hogs for the Cause each separately announced they would be back in June this year.

That counts as scant lead time in the events world, but it still left plenty of room for questions about how the pandemic response might change and what people would be ready to do by then. 

Now, both of these annual food events and fundraisers are coming up, and a great deal has changed.

When I caught that first big whiff of the grill, I knew it wasn't coming from just one. It was a parking lot full of grills. Soon I realized j…

Official restrictions have been largely retired statewide, and New Orleans dropped or greatly loosened its own rules just last week. Limits on gatherings and event sizes have changed, and mask requirements are up to individual venues and businesses now.  

Also, many people are clearly ready to party, as the advance ticket sales for each event prove.

These were among the first big New Orleans events called off in 2020. We’re taking a look at how each is coming back now. In addition to the NOWFE story below, see details on Hogs for the Cause at nola.com/wherenolaeats.

NOWFE uncorked again

During an event at the New Orleans Wine & Food Experience, visitors sample wines in a French Quarter wine cellar.

Contributed photo from NOWFE

The New Orleans Wine & Food Experience was technically not canceled last year. It was postponed, and, eventually, some aspect of the event did come back in different forms later in 2020, including wine dinners at restaurants and a seated wine tasting.

NOWFE executive director Aimee Brown says that experience helped convince its board members to bring back the festival in June.  

A wine dinner for the New Orleans Wine & Food Experience unfolds at the Palace Cafe in downtown New Orleans.

Contributed photo from NOWFE

“We’re learned a lot from the events we’ve done through the pandemic and we’re still applying those lessons here,” she said.

The group knew they could pull it off, and were compelled to make it happen to continue funding NOWFE’s beneficiaries, including Café Reconcile and the New Orleans Culinary & Hospitality Institute.

This year's event will unfold over six days, June 8-13.  

Every Thursday we give you the scoop on NOLA dining. Sign up today.

Sampling rosé wines at the Tournament of Rosés event at the New Orleans Food & Wine Experience. 

Contributed photo from NOWFE

The Royal Street Stroll, usually the most freewheeling of NOWFE events, won’t happen this year. Other familiar features will return though, including the Grand Tastings and the higher-end Vinola tasting; small group seminars, food and drink “experiences” and wine dinners.

Most NOWFE events returning this year are seated. The exceptions are the Grand Tastings and Vinola. These are “walk around” events, where people stroll between tables to sample different wines. This year, they’ll also have tables and chairs where they can return with their food and drink. Smaller total ticket sales and staggered start times are also part of the approach to manage the gathering size. Masking is encouraged but not mandated.  

Ritz-Carlton hotel staff assemble the gold-medal winning desserts called "Café Crema" at the NOWFE grand tasting on Friday, April 5, 2019. It is made with coffee caramel mousse topped hazelnut sable cookie with a vanilla creme center and hazelnut feuilletine croquant. (Photo by Michael DeMocker, NOLA.com | The Time-Picayune)

More restaurants are participating in NOWFE this year than ever. NOWFE is giving them greater flexibility and reduced the number of servings they’re asked to provide, Brown said, and the event is also paying to defray costs of participation, in recognition of the struggle these businesses have faced through the pandemic.  

For many years, NOWFE was held around Memorial Day weekend, but the event date has shifted over the past few years (it was scheduled for March in 2020, just before the pandemic arrived). Now, NOWFE is looking to June as the permanent time frame for the event, and it has already staked out June 2022 for the next edition.

Brown said moving away from Memorial Day led to much higher participation by wineries.

Another change this year is the format for the group’s annual Ella Brennan Lifetime Achievement Award, which normally goes to an individual or family in the hospitality business. This time, the honors are called the Ella Brennan “Stand Up for Your Hometown” Awards, and 13 people, organizations and businesses will receive them for their roles supporting the community during the pandemic.

The award gala begins the NOWFE week on June 8 and takes place at three locations: the new Galerie de Galatoire, the Rib Room and Broussard’s Restaurant.

 

What: New Orleans Wine & Food Experience

When: June 8-13, 2021

For NOWFE event details and ticket information, see nowfe.com.

It was just a few months ago when the New Orleans Wine & Food Experience and Hogs for the Cause each separately announced they would be ba…

From his stand inside the Circle Food Market, Johnny’s Jamaican Grill co-owner Adam Haughton packs takeout cartons with tawny jerk chicken dri…

Purchases made via links on our site may earn us an affiliate commission

May 31, 2021 at 03:59PM
https://ift.tt/2SKIwwt

Grand tastings, new dates, community awards: how a New Orleans wine fest is coming back - NOLA.com

https://ift.tt/31lUVcw
Wine