by Debbie Trenholm
By Debbie Trenholm, Accredited Sommelier and owner of Savvy Company www.savvycompany.caWine tasting may seem intimidating, but there are so many resources available to the wine novice now that it’s easy to plan an evening of wine in the comfort of your own home. Wine events can be a fun and interactive exploration into the world of wine, and there’s no need to feel like you’re smelling or tasting the wrong thing – it’s whatever you experience! Here is a step-by-step guide to hosting a wine tasting for clients, employees or friends.Step 1 – PLANNING YOUR WINE TASTINGFormat Depending on how formal and structured you would like the experience, a wine tasting can be conducted in a classroom style format with rows of wine glasses awaiting to be sampled, or as simple as a cocktail s...
by Debbie Trenholm
Fresh Chèvre from Clarmell Farms is the closest reflection you can get of the goat’s milk from which it’s made – in partnership between Paul and Grace Mussell (5th generation Mussell family farmers) and Glengarry Fine Cheese. An elegant chèvre - it’s truly an expression of artisan cheesemaking mastery, and as Ottawa’s most “local” cheese, well worth a farm visit down River Road to Manotick.This soft, unripened goat’s milk cheese, with its rich, snow white, “fluffy” textured paste gives a creamy, clean, fresh, tangy, taste with mild citrus flavors that linger long after you’ve savored the first bite. Perfect for spreading (on anything!), crumbled on seasonal salads or melted over grilled vegetables/BBQ’d kabobs as a finishing touch. Clarmell’s chèvre is best enj...
by Emily Barclay
Corporate wine tastings are very popular throughout the UK and further afield. There are no restrictions as to what style of wine tasting you could hold – from formal professional led wine tastings, to laid-back networking events. This article will outline some of the best ways to hold a corporate wine tasting event.You could hold a wine tasting event as part of a team building event for new staff, or new departments. Attendees could work together to identify the different characteristics of different wines. This is not only fun but informative too. You could even try a wine and cheese team building event where participants have to match the correct cheese with the correct wine. If you’re feeling ambitious, why not bring in a more formal wine expert to lead a horizontal or vertical tas...
by Ron Kapon
The origin of the word Chianti can be attributed to the Etruscan term clante, a common name given to a person in that language or to the Latin verb clangor, referring to the noise of the battle. During the Middle Ages there were fierce battles between Florence and Siena over control of that part of Tuscany. The warring parties built castles and fortresses, which in peacetime were converted to the present day villas and stately homes.The Black Rooster is the symbol of the whole Chianti region. Florence wanted to fix the boundary line with Siena through the Chianti region and Siena asked to settle the affair by arbitration. A horseman would set out at cock’s crow from their respective communities and gallop down the highway. Where they met would be the frontier. The Sienese selected a fine...
by Doug Arnold
These days, it is more likely that people are more concerned about the foods they consume. But, a new trend seems to be that people are beginning to watch what they drink as well. Alcohol is the usual suspect for a lot of long-term health related illnesses and diseases, but is this bad reputation actually deserved?? Many wine enthusiasts will tell you about it, pointing out the "French Paradox" as evidence, but many people will ask, 'Is red wine good for you?". There is ample evidence and research that will conclude that, despite having alcohol in it, there are plenty of health benefits in red wine, such as lowering blood pressure, lowering the risk of heart disease, reducing cancer, and extending people's lives for years. By reading this article, you can decide if red wine holds any healt...
by Carol A. Wilcox
For the size of the state, there aren’t a lot of Florida wineries and many of the ones we visited during a recent trip to the gulf coast of Florida produce sweet wines made with fruits such as strawberries, blueberries and peaches. A lot of these wineries in Florida also have the look and feel of a tourist attraction. Although there’s nothing wrong with wineries that appeal to tourists, we were in search of Florida wineries that could provide us with a more intimate experience; where we could learn about the terroir, the grapes, and the people who farm the soil and produce the wines.One of the Florida wineries on our list to check out was the Rosa Fiorelli Winery located just south of Lake Manatee in Bradenton. We turned onto a side road and followed a little sign directing us to the...
by Rosie Carbo
Two families, one from Spain and the other from Italy, have teamed to produce Voveti, a new Prosecco so rare that only 7,000 cases are available nationwide. In fact, not all states will have access to the new sparkling wine.“Texas is just one of seven states in which this sparkling wine will be available. In Dallas, we just launched it this week. It will also be available in Houston, Austin and San Antonio ,” said Liz Hartley, an associate marketing manager for Freixenet USA, owned by Pedro and Gloria Ferrer . Hartley said Voveti , which will retail for approximately $16.99 a bottle, will mainly be available on the east coast at independent retailers and Italian restaurants in New York, Connecticut, Maryland, Virginia, Illinois and Washington, D.C.“We came into this conservatively...
by Rosie Carbo
Dozens of print journalists, wine distributors and wine representatives converged on Dallas’ Old Red Museum recently to attend the 18th Annual Great Match, an annual wine tasting sponsored by Wines From Spain. Held in downtown Dallas, near the John F. Kennedy assassination site, the Spanish wine tasting event was hosted by renowned author, columnist and Master Sommelier, Doug Frost, MS, MW. This year’s theme was “Spain’s Vivacious Varietals,” and Wines From Spain and Vibrant Rioja organizers said it had been two years since the last Great Match, which brings together importers, wineries and the media, was held in Dallas. In explaining to attendees about the Valdeorras wine region in Galicia, an area known as “Green Spain,” Frost talked about the unpar...
by Stefanie Phillips
Maintaining a constant, cool temperature is the best way to preserve your wine collection. After all, wine is an investment and certain conditions are needed to keep it that way.Temperatures over 70 degrees Fahrenheit should be avoided, as that will age wine too rapidly. If heat is trapped in your wine storage area or wine cellar, it can have an effect on the taste of the wine. Also stay away from drastic changes in temperature. The rapid change from heat to air conditioning will force a wine cork outwards, allowing air to enter the bottle (air permits wine to oxidize). A little air, at the proper time, is good—as when letting a wine breathe before consuming it. Long-term exposure destroys the fruit flavors in a wine and gives it a brownish color. If you have a single rack or wine tower ...
by Rosie Carbo
I finally attended a cooking class at Central Market, which bills itself as a “gastronomical experience,” not a grocery store. And this year, through its Salute to Spain, it is living up to its moniker.The Texas-based chain, with stores in Dallas, Houston, Austin and San Antonio, is offering an array of Spanish wines, foods and Spanish cooking classes. All classes are led by Spanish chefs and winemakers in store classrooms statewide.I had been on the cooking class mailing list for several years. But procrastination always got the best of me. I had passed up Italian cooking classes, French cooking classes and even Mexican cooking classes. Then I heard about Central Market’s efforts to acquaint Texans with Spain’s food and wine.Being a huge fan of all things Spanish, I couldn’t ...
