Chablis Dinner at The Bouley Test Kitchen

Last week, I attended the Chablis Dinner at The Bouley Test Kitchen.  It was a fabulous evening, full of great wine, plates, and company! Winemakers Christian Moreau and Jean-Marc Brocard were in attendance and my favorite pours of the night were Chablis 1er cru Vaillons 2009 Christian Moreau Pere et Fils, and Chablis Grand Cru Preuses 2007 Domaine Nathalie et Gilles Fevre, which is all about mica, and was served with Organic Connecticut Farm Egg with Comté Foam, Polenta and Carrot Powder.  Divine!

Read Full Post »

Eataly’s Bierreria & A Food And Wine MBA At Bologna

A few days after opening, Eataly’s Bierreria, the new rooftop beer garden with a bird’s eye view of the Flatiron, gave way to an event to announce the new Food and Wine MBA at Alma Graduate School at the University of Bologna.  There was a panel with Italian food personality, Lidia Bastianich, and the owner if Eataly, Oscar Farinetti.  But it was Fabio Parasecoli, the coordinator of the New School Food Studies Program, who best summarized the marriage between the MBA and Food and Wine.  ”How do we manage to brand–to promote– to understand the value of food…Consumers are interested in understanding stories, histories…What do I buy when I buy this food?  How do I create an industry around this tradition?”  And so, since it’s always a good time to recreate oneself, which can best be done through travel and school, the curious should consider and if interested, apply for one of the ten full-scholarships that are currently being offered, for this one-year immersion program.  Deadline is July 15th.  Apply here.

Read Full Post »

Drink.Think

Brainchild of Kara Newman, author of Spice & Ice, and more…, Drink.Think is a spoken-word event “dedicated to celebrating what we drink.” Next Wednesday, I’ll be reading wine poetry at Lolita Bar, alongside a host of talented writers. It’s bound to be a fabulous evening. You can read more about the event here. I hope to see you there!

Read Full Post »

Champagne Grand Tasting 2011

Celebrating Monday’s Champagne Grand Tasting 2011, at the Plaza with a bit of prose in notes:

Disgorged just seven months back

This dame’s done her time

On lees

A whiff of perfumed talc

He breathes deeper as she passed

Apple stalked by savory

She takes her own hand

And circles

Becoming one with herself

-St. Chamant Brut Blanc de Blanc 1999

Read Full Post »

Wines of Romania

In 2006, when Ellen and I were in Romania, this is how we bought wine.  Sec or Demi-Sec.  Those were the options at the co-op in Suceava, and I remember thinking that the wine wasn’t bad.  It was certainly better than what we’d been drinking in bottles, and it was fresh.  But, unlike Bulgaria–where Ellen and I had just visited, after spending time there in ’96, years before we met–Romania was still producing wines that didn’t seem qualified for export.  Bulgaria’s wine industry had exploded in the past ten years; we couldn’t believe the variety and quality of wines we could get.  In Romania–blame Ceausescu–if such a market was in existence, we hadn’t been able to find it.  And so, five years later, I was delighted to attend the “Select Wines of Romania,” a tasting downtown featuring six Romanian Wineries.

Read Full Post »

Wine Media Guild & California’s Centenary Wineries

The other week, the Wine Media Guild of New York hosted a luncheon to showcase a number of California’s Centenary Wineries.  Schramsberg, Wente, Buena Vista, Charles Krug, Beaulieu, Simi, and Gundlach Bundschu–all the players were there.  And with a number of older vintages on hand, this was an awesome opportunity to taste the state of west coast wines before they fell victim [in]to the vat of jam.

Read Full Post »

Jenny & François Tasting at Astor Center

Unable to attend the trade’s portfolio tasting on Monday, I swung by Astor Center on Saturday, with David and Ellen, to taste a few new releases from Jenny & François Selections.  And though there were a number of wines with light acidity thrown into the mix, I give Jenny & François great credit–for two of my most favorite producers on that day were from California, and I cannot remember the last time I left a tasting (other than their 2010 fall portfolio event) screaming the praises of wines from the West Coast.

Read Full Post »

An Few Words with Jenny Lefcourt of Jenny & François Selections

In anticipation of the upcoming Natural Winemakers’ Week, Imbibe New York sat online for an interview with Jenny Lefcourt, of Jenny & François Selections-one of the country’s top importers of natural French wines.

Read Full Post »

La Soirée des Grands Cru

On a frigid night following one of the gazillion God forsaken snowstorms that we’ve had thus far, I headed downtown for La Soirée des Grands Cru–a lux goods sponsored fine wine event.  At 82 Mercer, wearers of gold bands (including early access ticket holders and press) arrived early to peruse the spacious warehouse floor, dark and slightly underground, and lined with tables showcasing 17 young chateau owners from Bordeaux.

Read Full Post »

Terry Theise at City Winery

Last week, I attended the Terry Theise (and Mark de Grazia) Spring Tasting, presented by Michael Skurnik Wines at City Winery. It was a Tuesday afternoon, cold and wet, and I was coming from the South Bronx, so of course I got there late.  But what a event…the house was packed with bodies and wine…I wish I’d had more time, for Terry Theise is a seeker whose wines you can trust.  Like I’d written earlier about Jenny & François–if you’re ever unsure of what wine(s) you should buy, make your selections based on the importer and you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

Read Full Post »