Throwback to when I was on the cover of Beverage Media Magazine

Everything about this was fun! It was a highlight of my career in this business!

Ultimate Wine Challenge 2015

I had an opportunity to help out behind the scenes at this years Ultimate Wine Challenge.  I had such a great time!

"Ultimate Beverage Challenge’s mission is to create and establish a new and higher standard of evaluation for spirits and wine that provides accurate, meaningful and useful results in recognizing and promoting the quality of beverage alcohol products. It accomplishes this by the integrity of its people and approach, its innovative and exacting methodology, and through the credibility of its results."

http://www.ultimate-beverage.com

I had a chance to watch the judges in action during the challenge. I came on the very last day so I didn't have a chance to meet all of them. 

Here is the back of the house. No judges allowed back here! All wines that are poured are marked with their own unique code.

The staff are really in sync with each other and return every year to work the challenges. Great knowledge, experience and chemistry is so important during these times.

It was pretty great working with everyone. I got to see some labels and varietals that I have never heard of before. I wish everyone luck who entered the challenge!

Here I am goofing off with the wines.

I swear these wines talk to you when no one else is in the room!!

Hello there!

Winemaker dies after falling into a vat of vino

A woman in Spain fell into a massive vat of wine and drowned when she lost her balance from the pungent fumes given off during the fermenting process. 

Winemaker Nerea Perez, 25, was stirring the batch when she caught a whiff of the overwhelming odor and lost her balance — resulting in a tipsy tumble into the giant barrel, Central European News reports. 

Winemaker dies after falling into a vat of vino http://nyp.st/1ozwviz 

No Need To Spend the Big Bucks All the Time On Bubbles

Prosecco has become one of the more popular sparkling wines these days. Not too surprising, since it's delicious and generally costs less than champagne, its well-known competitor.  Prosecco, which is also the name of the grape, comes from the Veneto region of Italy. What helps keep this bubbly affordable is the method by which it's made, called the "Charmat Method." Unlike Champagne, this wine gets its bubbles in huge stainless steel tanks as opposed to other methods where the wine gains its bubbles in each individual bottle and is carefully monitored by the winemakers. This less labor-intensive process helps keep down costs, generally  under $20 for a delightful bottle.

So whether you're celebrating, toasting, making mimosas or just want something light and fun- give prosecco a thought!

Wine-Speak

This week's blog is a quick primer in "wine-speak."  People shopping for wine will often ask for a "dry" wine, meaning a wine that is not sweet. The technical definition of a dry wine is one that has less than one percent residual sugar per liter after fermentation. Industry insiders reserve the word "sweet" for describing dessert wines.  In reality, we all use the word "dry" so often in describing wines that it's become over-used and inaccurate.  All your everyday drinking wines are "dry" unless otherwise described on their labels or elsewhere as "semi-dry" or "off-dry," meaning they have a little sweetness to them.  What many perceive as "sweet" is the intensity of the grape in the wine.  Joel Gott "Shatter" Grenache from France is a great example of this.   It's a big wine, with a lot of extraction from the grape, full flavor, and "inky."  It's so big that it initially comes across as "sweet," but then finishes off "dry" -- with no lingering sweetness at all.  What do we mean when we describe a wine as "acidy?"  If you feel like you're salivating after sipping on a particular wine, that's acid. White wines usually have higher acid levels than reds. Pinot Grigio and Sauvignon Blanc are pretty high in acid.  Last: "tannins."  When you detect a little bitterness after sipping a red you're tasting the tannins.  Tannins come naturally in red grapes and if handled correctly during winemaking, can balance out a wine perfectly. Castello Di Nieve Barbaresco from Piedmont, Italy is a prime example of a red wine with good acid and tannins that balance out beautifully. These are just a few of the most commonly used wine terms I hear these days and thought it would be nice to clear them up.  Now, don't make me explain "oak-y"…...

Tequila: Why I Need It In My Life

With Cinco De Mayo around the corner, I have two things on my mind: Tequila and who am I going to call to pick me up from the bar when I had too much of it. Lets take care of whats most important of the two: the type of tequila I will be drinking. 

You will often see four types of tequila on our shelves, Silver (blanco), Gold (Mixto), Anejo and Resposado. Mexico was given the international right to use the word "tequila" and it is split into two categories: 100% Blue Agave, and Tequila Mixto (Mixed). "Blanco" tequila is the Blue Agave in its purest form. It is clear and typically un-aged. It can be bottled right after distillation or held in a steel tank to settle for up to four weeks. "Gold" tequila is usually a Mixto with colorants and flavorings added to it and used in bars and clubs for mixed drinks...or done as shots on a dare when you have already had too much to drink and you should have been home hours ago. "Resposado" tequila means "rested and aged". It's aged typically in American or French barrels anywhere between two and eleven months. The spirits will take on a golden hue and become a nice balance of agave and oak flavors. "Anejo" tequila can take on this name after being aged for more than one year. It becomes more of an amber color with flavors that are more smoother, richer, and complex. 

Red Wine and Fish

Red wine & fish don't always get along and it's all because of science! It turns out that iron content in wines (which red wine usually has more of) breaks down certain fats in fish too fast which gives off a very 'fishy" odor. Light bodied wines such as pinot noir and roses are wonderful pairings with fish because they have the great acid but still have the flavor of some of your favorite reds. Acrobat Pinot Noir from Oregon is great for sipping and with lighter foods. Sofia Rose from California is a favorite because it’s a little heavier in body and flavor, with acid that rushes right it, cleansing your palette. Higher acid wines are great because it causes you to salivate. Trust me, that's a good thing! The light flesh of most fishes need to stay light in taste and shouldn't be overpowered by heavy wine. I am a huge believer in pairing wine with food and I think it can either ruin or enhance your dining experience. Let me help you! 

Warm and Cold Climate Wines

Ever wonder why you love, say, one pinot noir but find another unremarkable?  The climate where the grapes are grown could be the reason and might help you narrow your search for that "perfect" bottle.  Warm weather regions like California, South Africa and Southern France have longer growing seasons unlike cold weather regions like Germany, Oregon and Finger Lakes, NY. As a result, wines from warmer areas are able to ripen more fully than cooler areas. Typically, with warm weather regions you will get wines with higher alcohol, more body and more fruit flavors like plums, blackberry jam and licorice. The cooler regions produce less alcohol, a lighter style and delicate flavors like raspberry, strawberry and green apple. This a very broad subject and there are, of course, many more factors at play, but I hope this helps when you're thinking about trying a new wine.  For example, a California Pinot Noir can be described as dark and rich, showing toasty mocha oak flavors, with a beam of wild berry, vanilla and spice. The same wine from Oregon is light in color and texture, displays pretty watermelon and cherry flavors, and hints at mint in its finish. Same grape but very different tastes based in part on warm versus cold climate. I won't overwhelm you -- just giving you another reason to sit back, relax and savor a glass of wine.

Breuckelen Distlling: Guys who make good stuff because they love it

Breuckelen Distlling made such an impression after learning that everything they sell is made entirely from scratch on 19th Street in Brooklyn, NY. All grains are sourced from organic NY farms and the entire process takes place in a one room operation just barely over 1000 sqft. One of the great perks about working at a wine shop is that I have the pleasure of tasting through hundreds of wines & spirts. Even though its easy to get lost through this process being that I love each and every one that come to our store, some really seem to stick out amd these guys are one of them. We have their "Glorious Gin" which is amazing,elegant and a true expression of juniper, lemon, rosemary, ginger, and grapefruit. We also have "77 Whiskey" which is their wheat spirit aged in new American Oak. Absolutely amazing. 

My New Favorite Wine: Buena Vista's "The Count"

What do wine lovers and alligators have in common? ...The Count! The founder of this wine was eaten by an alligator. Let's hope you can bring this up during dinner at some point...

Buena Vista is California's oldest winery. In honor of it's founder, Agoston Haraszthy, who proclaimed himself the "The Count of Buena Vista," the winery has produced "The Count, a gorgeous red blend.

Haraszthy, regarded by many as "The Father of California Viticulture,” founded Buena Vista Winery in 1857. Born in Hungary, Haraszthy moved with his family to the United States, settled in Sonoma and brought with him an eccentric personality that helped define his life and his wines, leading him to experiments with winemaking that have paid off huge for the generations that have followed.  Haraszthy's bold vision has brought us luscious examples of what he called "purple gold" and permanently changed California winemaking.   

With "The Count", you'll savor the wine's rich aroma of cherries and the hint of espresso. Coupled with flavors of plum, blackberry and a long, silky finish this wine is destined to be a favorite.