Starward Australian Whisky, Penfolds and Chocolate! Oh My!

March 5, 2021 by evebushman

Most of you know that Eddie and I are both wine and whisky fans, so we were thrilled to try a little Shiraz wine along with a lot of Australian whisky (all aged in wine casks) in a Zoom meeting via the Southern California Whisky Club:

Starward Tasting Room in Australia.

We are delighted to welcome David Vitale, the founder (and maker) of Starward Australian whisky, for a virtual Masterclass. Founded in 2004, in an airport hangar in Melbourne’s Essendon Fields, the Starward distillery has built a fine reputation over the years. Inspired by Melbourne’s foodie culture, Starward has developed a world-class, premium whisky that challenges people’s perceptions of what whisky can be. The distillery is focused on 3 things: whisky, culture and flavor. Starward has embraced its Melbourne roots, maturing almost all of their whisky in big, Aussie red wine barrels, and even Apera casks (basically sherry, except they can’t call it that). Although they have a foot firmly in the single malt world, they’re also not afraid to draw outside of traditional constraints.

From Vitale and Sean O’Connell, Starward Whisky Brand Ambassador:

Vitale said that “single malt is craft beer grown up” and he began his journey into scotch with Johnny Walker Black and Chivas as his “repertoire of whisky.”
All of their whisky hits their sweet spot at 3 years of age, there are no aging years shown on the bottles.
Water is added before aging, so they are aging the water, but it makes for a better product Vitale said.
Bourbon is the number one brown spirit in Australia.
If you want to know when their whisky is released you can register at their website (below) or check with Wally’s (also below).

The line-up (my tasting notes are in bold)

Penfold’s Bin 2 Shiraz Mataro (2017, South Australia) – The wine, with 14.5% alcohol was spicy and filled with dark tannic fruit, quite quaffable and a great palate cleanser before tasting all the whisky.
Starward Two-Fold (wheat + malted barley / red wine barrels) 40% ABV – No burn on the nose, sweet, kernel, buttercream chocolate, Bourbon like.
Starward Nova (red wine barrels) 41% ABV – Again, no nose burn, pineapple, lemon bar, cream and toast with lots of spice on the palate. This was my favorite, but I really liked all of them.
Starward Solera (fortified wine barrels) 43% ABV – Aged in Apera (like a Sherry) casks, menthol, pine needles, creamed corn, dried fruit with a lot of spice and cream in the long finish.
Starward Wally’s Single Barrel Cask #3330 55.6% ABV – Didn’t need to really add water to the previous tastes, this one I definitely did though. (Water opens up flavors and aromas in whisky, also lessens heat.) This was a barrel chosen and carried by Wally’s. Tobacco, sweet cream, florals, huge flavors. This was Eddie’s favorite.
Starward 10th Anniversary 52% ABV – Lots of cream again, apricot, suede with flavors that included spices, dried fruit and caramel.

+ Violet Crumble bar (Australian honeycomb toffee coated in chocolate) Eddie tried to steal both bars, this stuff was like crack, especially paired with the whisky!

Starward Australian Whisky website [link]

SCWC website

WSKYCVLT
SCWC Facebook

Wally’s Starward Page

Eve Bushman has a Level Two Intermediate Certification from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET), a “certification in first globally-recognized course” as an American Wine Specialist ® from the North American Sommelier Association (NASA), Level 1 Sake Award from WSET, was the subject of a 60-minute Wine Immersion video (over 16k views), authored “Wine Etiquette for Everyone” and has served as a judge for the Long Beach Grand Cru and the Global Wine Awards. You can email Eve@EveWine101.com to ask a question about wine or spirits.

Vintage Eve Circa 8/2018: The 2018 Western Foodservice and Hospitality Expo!

March 2, 2021 by evebushman

The Western Foodservice & Hospitality Expo is the only all-encompassing event in California for the restaurant and foodservice industry, making it THE one-stop source for everything you need to succeed in today’s market.

My Takeaways from the Foodservice Expo

The 2021 show is set!

I think this is my 4^th year at the food show and though I see a lot of the same vendors and classes, I also seek out the new – and always finds many things worth reporting on. This time my photos show that we enjoyed: making a beeline to Chris Uhde (partner with Impex Beverage Incorporated, the @whiskyredhead on Instagram and Los Angeles Magazine’s “The First Name for LA Whisky”) as he was signing up to do Cocktails on the Roof 9/7! Enjoyed tasting Togouchi, Kilchoman and Kurayoshi – all whiskeys from Japan!

From there, while in the Beverage Pavillon, I met with David Carbonell the GM for Drink Specialties that gets fermented beverages into bars that can’t serve distilled drinks and Philip Reis, National Sales Manager for CannaVinus, that makes a wine-based beverage with “exotic fruits and herbs” that is meant to be “the perfect wine pairing for the Cannabis lover.” Also had a few sips of Whistle Pig rye and Jefferson’s Bourbon with Bourbonblog.com

Just outside of the Beverage Pavilion was a large display for Somabar – a machine that stores up to 7 spirits for making a plethora of pre-programmed cocktails. There was a version for fermented beverage programs (those with just wine and beer licenses that make cocktails) and a full spirits program. You pick the drink, place your cup below, push the button for the cocktail you want, ice drops in and them the drink is made. Meant to go on the back bar I thought this would get much more play if the customers could do themselves, with the addition of some garnish and a bartender or server to watch over and, of course, charge accordingly.

Moving into the main convention floor things that got my attention included a plastic wine glass shaped like a rose with “petals” layered inside of it for aerating wine, JoeFroyo blended coffees, cheesewich slim breadless sandwiches, Longanisa garlic pork sausage from Argentina, tempting breads from both Melrose Bakery and Kings Hawaiian, Rishi Tea and Botanicals, the Kelvin Slush Manhattan, Pecans.com and Potatoes.com.

PR Bootcamp for Restaurants in Memory of Fifi Chao

How does an enterprising restaurant attract the attention of credible food and beverage journalists along with legitimate food critics? Is a public relations firm perhaps needed or realistically even affordable? Who better to provide some insightful answers than a high-profile panel of experienced food journalists and restaurant critics.

This distinguished panel (Andy Harris) was the brainchild of the late Fifi Chao, the beloved restaurant critic and food writer for the OC Business Journal for over 26 years until she retired last year due to illness. Fifi’s impression (based on a lot of experience) was that chefs & restaurateurs could benefit from sound, practical advice on how to approach the editorial food media. The panel members wholeheartedly agree and PR Boot Camp for Restaurants is a tribute to her memory. Fifi truly enjoyed promoting the restaurant business and generously guiding inquisitive young chefs with absolutely no strings attached.

The panel was moderated by Andy Harris of the “SoCal Restaurant Show” on AM 830 KLAA and included Farley Elliott, Eater LA; Gretchen Kurz, Orange Coast Magazine; Anne Marie Panoringan, Freelance Food and travel writer; Patric Kuh, former restaurant critic for Los Angeles magazine.

My Takeaways From Andy’s Course

Thrilled to attend a class moderated by my #LAWineWriters friend Andy Harris, and also thrilled by the caliber of industry professionals that joined him to discuss restaurant public relations. These are just some of the things I learned:

Critics will sometimes visit a restaurant anonymously 3 to 4 times before writing a review. Sometimes up to six visits if there is a wine list and/or cocktail program to review as well. They pay every time, nothing is accepted for free.

They don’t always publish a negative review. And if they do they sometimes will be passive aggressive about the issues they found.

Critics feel it’s unfair to the business owner to review their restaurant until they’ve been open for 60-90 days. Yes, the restaurant should be ready, but the critics want to give the owners time to manage their precious baby before being reviewed. The want to allow for a “long, fair start.” (Also some new restaurants shutter at that 90-day mark, so no point in doing a review anyway.)

There is a difference between an editorial and advertorial, and the consumer has to be made aware of what they are reading.

Reviewers should use less adjectives, while also avoiding “lists” of menu items alone.

Food journalists can help new chefs via forums and conventions that can help to educate.

Restaurants have to work around Yelp and Instagram.

Press releases need to include an image, be short and be written for a specific media outlet’s needs. Think elevator pitch.

Public relations professionals have to be passionate about their clients.

Digital publications like Eater LA are somewhat different in that they review the latest openings as that’s what’s expected from them.

Shout Outs

As I only took in one day of the multi-day convention it would be a disservice not to mention a few other things going on. Along with all of the vendors – I couldn’t possibly visit with all – there was also a Healthy Food Expo and a Coffee Fest located within the Western Foodservice Expo, The Beacon Award for a female leader in the industry was won by Dominique Crenn, Chef and co-owner of Atelier Crenn; The Torch Award for talented chefs and/or restaurateurs went to Caroline Styne who is the sommelier and restaurateur of The Lucques Group; some of the chefs lecturing or presenting included Mareya Ibrahim, Bernard Guillas, Mary Sue Milliken, Niki Nakayama, Nina Curtis, Tati Polo, David Rose, Fabio Viviani, Ben Diaz, Betty Fraser, Shaun O’Neale, Holden Dahlerbruch and Bruce Kalman.

Book Review: Wine For Normal People by Elizabeth Schneider

February 26, 2021 by evebushman

Always interested in learning about wine, and even more in masterful ways it can be delivered painlessly and with a little fun I was happy to read and review the book, Wine for Normal People by Elizabeth Schneider. This an excerpt of some of the information. I will follow up with my review below.

…author, certified wine educator and Court of Master Sommelier-certified Elizabeth Schneider will give it to you straight. In Wine for Normal People: A Guide for Real People Who Like Wine, but Not the Snobbery That Goes with It (Chronicle Books), Schneider gives real talk about wine without talking down to the audience and with a dash of humor to boot. Schneider carries her knowledge, personality and wit over onto her Wine for Normal People podcast, which boasts 7 million unique downloads, placing it firmly in the top five percent of all podcasts produced in the United States.

“I was a normal wine person before I became a wine dork. I understand the struggles that people have with wine and why they don’t like it,” she explains. “Because of that, I can show them things that actually matter to them and that will shift their thinking to enjoy wine more.”

Schneider is well versed in:

How to create wine pairings that really work (and why pairing wine with chocolate is almost always a mistake)
How to choose a wine that will impress a date
How her approach to wine is different than that of “the wine world”
Why it’s important to make wine accessible to all
The key to communicating difficult ideas in wine to an audience of all levels

Eve’s Review

Starting with the flyleaf we are told that we will “learn how to buy, sip and talk about wine” which is really what it’s all about! Of course that is just a snippet, and the rest of the jacket shares short statements, easily digestible by us normal people. We will also learn about tasting, tasting jargon, winemaking and winemaking jargon, how to pair with food, and if you want to push the edge or your envelope Schneider has included sections on Old and New World wine areas.

The 340-page books includes eight chapters, as well as travel tips, tasting sheets, serving temperatures, a bibliography and for us lazy readers: an index. It begins with “Introduction: Everything You Need to Know About Wine in Two Pages” that I found interesting indeed as she promises to give us “the basics plus more.” Especially enjoyed when Schneider gets her first taste, not of wine, but of what she calls “schmuck-ery” from a wine snob. Oh, how I both hate and enjoy those encounters!

There are helpful Q and A sections in the book, in boxes, as well as sidebars. This makes things easy as Schneider hopes to answer any question or thought you may have as you read.

As a seasoned wino myself I always look for things I didn’t already know or have forgotten, and the more wine-educated Schneider reminded me of: the different smell and taste descriptors often found for certain varietals (page 67), the old world wine names and the new world name for the same grapes (page 82), how to pronounce some of those pesky names (page 85), regulations and classifications for new world wines (page 90-91) and old world wines (page 93), two chapters with detailed descriptions of old world wine regions and new world regions with maps to help you find your way.

Further in the book we have a section on food and wine pairing, a question I often get, so this is great for peeps to just grab the book and look up for themselves. Schneider explains why foods go better with certain styles of wines and her own three-step process. She pays close attention to weight, structure and dominant flavors.

More charts end our lesson, so don’t ignore these great reference materials, especially if you need/want a quick answer to things like serving temperature and vocabulary.

Following 350% Increase in Online Sales in 2020, Gary’s Wine & Marketplace Continues to Innovate

February 24, 2021 by evebushman

SAN FRANCISCO (PRWEB) – Gary’s Wine & Marketplace, one of the largest fine wine businesses in the New York metropolitan area with four locations in New Jersey and a recent expansion to Napa, has launched the Gary’s Plus membership program, an annual membership offering unlimited free nationwide shipping and local delivery, as well as exclusive member discounts, to meet the exploding demand for online shopping options.

“In 2020, we experienced a 350% increase in online sales placed on garyswine.com and our mobile app year over year. More than 35,000 users downloaded the Gary’s Mobile Marketplace app,” says Gary’s Wine & Marketplace owner Gary Fisch. “We are family owned and operated company since 1987. However, we can compete on the national stage given our wide-selection, low prices, white-glove customer service and operational excellence.”

To meet customers’ growing demands for Gary’s online business, the Gary’s Plus Membership allows guests to access unlimited free shipping on all orders for an annual price of $48.99 or free local delivery for $19.99. In addition, members of this program also receive a 15% discount on 6 or more Gary’s Direct wines purchased online and discounts on virtual wine classes led by one of their wine experts.

The program is intended to reward loyal Gary’s customers and increase the frequency of purchases. “On average, an online customer will purchase from the Gary’s Wine website or mobile app 3 times per year. An increase in the frequency of purchases by just a few percentage points would lead to a substantial increase in our overall revenue,” says Mike Fisch, Director of Innovation at Gary’s Wine & Marketplace.

U.S. beverage e-commerce experienced 10 years’ worth of growth in three months’ time at the start of the pandemic (1) and Gary’s has felt its immediate impact. Gary’s reported that 35% of total sales in 2020 were placed online, compared to 12% of sales in 2019. Further, in 2020, customers placed 46,193 local delivery orders and 65,488 curbside pickup orders online. Mobile adoption accounted for much of the growth, with 56% of online orders placed through the Gary’s Wine mobile app.

Highlights over the past year tell the story of a continued effort by Gary’s Wine & Marketplace to engage with guests online:

Gary’s introduced live chat in August 2020, offering guests the opportunity to chat with a wine expert as they shop online. Guests took fondly to this offering, engaging in over 12,000 live chat sessions in the 5 months since launching this program.
In July 2020, Gary’s introduced five new wine club offerings, perfect for all guests, ranging from the novice to the expert wine consumers.
Gary’s introduced virtual wine tastings in April 2020, a white-glove service that offers groups a personalized, unique tasting experience. Through this effort, Gary’s facilitated over 600 private events in 2020, hosted by its expert wine team, each event ranging from 10 to 300 attendees. This represents another shift in pushing digital engagement and e-commerce; 64% of wineries have hosted at least one virtual tasting since March. (2)

These new initiatives are a natural transition in the changing retail landscape and the growth of e-commerce, with sales increasing an estimated 42% by value in 2020, to $24 billion across 10 core global markets according to ISWR. (3)

About Gary’s Wine & Marketplace

Gary’s Wine & Marketplace began as a small wine shop in Madison, N.J., in 1987, and has grown to become one of the largest fine wine businesses in the New York metropolitan area, with four stores in northern New Jersey and a fifth store in Napa Valley, California. Gary’s team of wine experts makes it the preferred white-glove partner for major corporations for customizable events, including virtual tastings and corporate gifting. Commitment to friendly, attentive service by its expert wine team, and a myriad of wine and food events for the public, sets Gary’s apart from other wine stores.

(1) https://www.svb.com/globalassets/trendsandinsights/reports/wine/sotwi-2021/svb-state-of-the-us-wine-report-2021.pdf
(2) https://napavintners.org/covid19/docs/April_28_Evaluating_DTC_Survey.pdf
(3) https://www.theiwsr.com/beverage-alcohol-ecommerce-value-grows-by-42-in-2020-to-reach-us24-billion/

Vintage Eve Circa 8/2018: And the Best of Show Goes To…?

February 23, 2021 by evebushman

By now you’ve (hopefully) read my two articles on judging the first annual Global Wine Awards; you may have even seen a third installment on the winners. But what you haven’t seen, or had your virtual taste of, is the wine the judges awarded a Gold, then a Double Gold, and then finally the Best of Show to: Martellotto 2016 Il Cappocia Riserva (Barrel Aged) from Happy Canyon, Santa Barbara.

So, I’m here to rectify that. I ordered a bottle for myself, just for a little R and D, and to give me a full opportunity to savor over. For good measure I thought it wise to try another red from the same winery and same AVA, the 2016 La Bomba Cabernet. So, without further adieu, here are the results:

2016 Martellotto Il Cappocia Riserva

(Barrel Aged)

Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec

Happy Canyon, Santa Barbara

Best in Show and 97 points at the Global Wine Awards

https://martellotto.com/products/2016-martellotto-riserva-il-capoccia-happy-canyon-of-santa-barbara

Color: Dark purple with some raisin-coloring on the edge.

Aroma: Crushed black cherry, blueberry, char, dark chocolate, cream, cigar, dried leaves and the tiniest whiff of menthol.

Flavor: Blue to black fruit, cracked black pepper, dark chocolate again, velvety at the start and then a great bite of spice and tannin, yet balanced and just as good as I remembered. Excellent blend of Bordeaux grapes.

Pairing: Cheese and charcuterie board was our dining choice for the evening but this would pair well with anything from a juicy steak, Bolognese pasta to chocolate crème Brûlée.

Conclusion: As I noted when I had my taste: just as good as I remembered and well deserving of the Best of Show award we gave it. I was really looking forward to trying the Cab next…

2016 Martellotto La Bomba Cabernet Sauvignon

Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Verdot, Malbec and Cabernet Franc.

Happy Canyon, Santa Barbara

Double Gold Medal at the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition; Double Gold and Best of Show at the Central Coast Wine Competition.

https://martellotto.com/products/martellottocabernet

Color: Beautiful opaque blackberry.

Aroma: So, knowing that La Bomba translated is The Bomb I was looking forward to what I would find on the nose: a LOT of fresh and ripe blueberry, plum, green peppercorn, rich, spicy, coffee bean and no nose burn. The nose definitely called you in for the taste.

Flavor: bold red fruit followed by dark fruit in luscious layers and incredible balance, nice spicy qualities that lingered in the palate, both green and black pepper with the same velvety quality on the palate as the Il Cappocia Riserva.

Pairing: I had this with a bacon-wrapped filet mignon smothered in sweet onion and sautéed mushroom. Yea, that was pretty great. But I also imagined this with a robust charcuterie board filled with Mortadella with pistachio, chorizo and both hard and soft cheese.

Conclusion: I found both an unexpected flavor and balance – akin to a young Napa Cab – for a SBC Cabernet. Very well done. Makes me want to seek out Happy Canyon and the winery to learn more.

From the Winery

Martellotto Wines is the only winery in Santa Barbara County to be winning this many awards for Cabernet Sauvignon and Bordeaux varietals, specifically from Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara.

The Rise of Santa Barbara Wines

As you know, this area is already well regarded for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay production (which I also make). However, were you aware that our region is also producing some outstanding Cabernet Sauvignon and Bordeaux varietals? The TTB established the Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara AVA in 2009 given its distinctive climate in the far eastern part of the Santa Ynez Valley. This warmer climate is proving to be fertile ground for high quality Bordeaux varietals, especially since the diurnal temperature changes are so dramatic.

Today, a handful of producers are leading the way. I’m pleased to report Martellotto Winery is one of those wineries. In fact, Martellotto is one of the few wineries in California bottling varietally labeled wines of each of the five noble Bordeaux varietals: Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Malbec, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot.

Martellotto Winery

100 Los Padres Way #7

Buellton, CA 93427

(619) 567-9244

*Tastings Available by Appointment Only

My Fave Spirits: A Part Two on The Year When Drinking Spirits Became Everyone’s Favorite Pastime

February 19, 2021 by evebushman

The article I did on the wines I had in 2020 was a lot longer read than this will be, but since I do divide my time between reviewing both I wanted to share some of the spirits, and some of the cocktails, I enjoyed last year.

Single Spirits

NEFT Vodka is made from pure Austrian spring water, is a San Francisco World Spirits Competition winner for BEST VODKA, and has been awarded many GOLD and DOUBLE GOLD medals from other competitions! Tasting: Aroma from two inches away and swirling: reminded me of a very fine sake, like a daiginjo where the sake rice has been milled down to 50%. With a gentle sweetness, as well as a creaminess, and some slightly buttery and even nutty notes. Flavor: Smooth, burn on the mid palate only and not immediate. Still reminding me of a fine cold sake but of course, this is definitely a smooth and creamy vodka. The mouthfeel makes me want to sip alone, not masked by ingredients in a cocktail or even with ice. If I hold on the palate, the way whisky master blender Richard Patterson instructs for tasting single malt scotch, the mouthfeel only becomes rounder and more balanced.

Gonzalez Byass Familia de Vino and The Dalmore: In three small wine tasting glasses we sampled the Alfonso, Apostoles and Matusalem sherries. Almost immediately we noted similar aromas and flavors found in The Dalmore definitely came from these three different sherry casks that they had aged in. Quite remarkable. Also of note, even though the three sherries grew sweeter on the nose as we tasted through them, that didn’t transfer to high sugar in the mouth… The Dalmore 12 yo was an entire bowl of fancy roasted and slightly salted nuts, vanilla bean and a hint of banana. The 15 yo, my favorite of the three, had a sweeter nose; rounder, more fruit, creamy, with a little toasted almond and pineapple. And the 18 yo, following a trend, had the sweetest nose, with lots of toasted oak and more spice. Simply outstanding.

Enjoyed a virtual tasting and happy hour via Zoom with the founder of Empress 1908 Gin, Peter Hunt, complete with a bottle of their gin, fancy bar tools, unique recipe cards and a list of ingredients I would need to make “seasonal focused cocktails…” I was already a fan of the gin, now even more so!

House of Suntory and their distilleries, blended and single malts, different oaks for aging, rare and some discontinued = amazing tasting and lesson! It was the Yamazaki 18 that stole Eddie’s heart, and wallet if we could ever find it! While I was completely content with the Hibiki Harmony blend that benefitted from five different types of oak barrels. Lots that we learned thanks to the Suntory Brand Ambassador Jonathan Armstrong and the Southern California Whiskey Club.

El Sativo, the 2020 Tequila of the Year at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, launched last summer. 100% Blue Agave – Single Estate – 100% USDA Organic – 100% NON-GMO – Certified OK Kosher… And this is what I thought: Notes of vanilla bean, heavy sweet cream and toasted popcorn kernel – with no burn whatsoever – on the nose. The taste was smooth yet peppery – so interesting – and flavors reminiscent of buttered popcorn, and that same cream, ending with a spicy finish. Really liked having it both smooth and spicy! Then tried it with a little bit of squeezed lemon and it was like a lo-cal Margarita. This is not a tequila to shoot!

Had a great time sampling Country Smooth whiskey with a bunch of Women Who Whiskey LA members as well as Country Smooth founder, Lori Carcich, and two members of her team, Kyle Cammon and Scott Touchton. The approximately $25 whiskey – find at Total Wine all over Cali – was both spicy and sweet and didn’t get washed down in the cocktails we made with it.

Cocktails

Gin Martini: 2-3 ounces of the highly aromatic and flavorful Monkey 47, 1/2 ounce of Lillet Blanc (a white Bordeaux wine with quinine and other botanicals), shaken or stirred, then drained into a chilled Martini glass, with orange peel on rim and as garnish.

Sazerac: Build in a shaker with ice: 2 ounces rye whiskey (husband prefers Bulleit), 3 dashes bitters, 1 teaspoon simple syrup, stir or shake. Grab an iced Coupe glass from your freezer (we keep a couple of Coupe and Martini glasses there), and pour about a tablespoon of Absinthe in to coat the empty glass. We like that flavor so I tend to make sure the entire inside of the Coupe is coated, then discard the Absinthe. Pour your cocktail into the coupe, garnish with one Luxardo cherry.

My Grand Negroni: When there’s only time for one, make it big! With 1.5 to 2 ounces gin (as opposed to only 1 ounce) to 1 ounce sweet vermouth and 1 ounce Campari, shaken over ice, poured into an iced Martini or Coupe glass and garnished with orange peel.

Gin and Tonic: Use Empress 1908 Gin that changes to a lighter purple/pink hue when you add tonic, and constructed the way we had G and Ts all over Spain: In a large round wine glass (aka a Pinot glass) 1/2 filled with ice, add 2 ounces gin, 4-6 ounces of tonic, garnish with lime or orange peel.

The go-to Martini: I’ve been making this one for my husband for years. Build in a martini shaker filled with ice: 2-3 ounces Ketel One Vodka, 1/2 ounce Domaine De Canton Ginger Liqueur (think candied ginger), shake like mad, pour into a chilled Martini or Coupe glass, use lemon peel on rim and garnish.

Whiskey Sour: In a martini shaker without any ice build 2 ounces your choice of whisky – I used Dewars 12 YO scotch whisky as I had taken a class on them years ago and loved all of the single malts that go into the blend. You can use single malt or Bourbon If that’s your preference. Then add 3/4 ounces of freshly squeezed lemon juice (not from a bottle), 1/2 ounce simple syrup, 3 generous dashes of Angostura bitters and 1 egg white. Shake for 7-10 seconds, then add a few ice cubes just to cool off your drink and shake again for an additional 7-10 seconds. Strain (super important as no one wants a glob of egg white in their glass) into a chilled coupe or serve on the rocks, add a Luxardo cherry for garnish.

My Blue Martini: In a martini shaker over ice build 2 parts Empress 1908 Gin, 1/4 to 1/2 creme de violette, shake like mad, pour into a chilled coupe or martini glass, garnish with orange peel and feel very refreshed!

The Queen Bee: With Empress 1908 Gin, lemon juice, honey syrup, apricot jam and grated cinnamon! I also tried my hand at the Cranberry 75, also with Empress 1908 Gin, lemon juice, cranberry juice, simple syrup and Prosecco on top! (Google Empress for the measurements.)

Amaro Spritz: You only need three ounces of soda, two ounces of Amaro and a little squeeze of lemon or orange! Build in a tall Collins glass, stir, add ice and enjoy as an aperitif before dinner like we did or as a digestif afterwards!

Gin Old Fashioned: Build in a shaker two ounces your choice of gin, 2 dashes bitters (which gives it some color), about 1/2 teaspoon of simple syrup based on your own preference (if you muddle a sugar cube that’s about one teaspoon) and garnish with orange peel. Shake or stir, pour into an iced coupe or rocks glass.

Whiskey Buck: over cracked ice in a copper mug add two ounces rye whisky, juice of 1/2 lemon, and then fill as far as you like with ginger beer and give it a stir. It has a LOT more flavor that the traditional Moscow Mule made with vodka, and that same kick from the ginger and tart from the lemon. Trust me, in times like this when the vodka may be running low, get into your rye whisky for a change!

From Restaurants, on patios and to-go

Margaritas from Dario’s, classic Mai Tai at Eighth and Rail, Martinis from Old Town Junction, Backwoods, The Social and Salt Creek Grille. Loved the new Espresso Martini at Newhall Press Room! At SY Kitchen in Santa Ynez William Perbellini made us his Smoked Old Fashioned and a Barrel Aged Negroni, both outstanding. And last but not least we sadly had our last cocktails from Newhall Refinery.

In Paso: We made a quick stop at Azeo Distillery but made the time to taste and grab some swag from our friend David Vondrasek, the distiller, who is also the winemaker for Artisan Uprising! We sampled through rum, tequila, vodka – all very good, and we also saw his giant still! Definitely visit with them the next time you are in Paso and tell them I sent you, you won’t regret it!

Hollywood: Went to the Japan House LA for a “fun evening of Japanese Craft Spirits”, specifically to learn about and taste distilled spirits Shochu and Awamori alone and in a wide range of amazing cocktails.

Vintage Eve Circa 8/2018: What Did We Love the Most at Live and Dine LA?

February 16, 2021 by evebushman

Angeleno‘s annual Live & Dine LA event honors the city’s most distinguished chefs and restaurateurs that continue to shape and evolve L.A.’s culinary scene. Guests will be treated to exclusive culinary demonstrations prepared by award-winning chefs, which will be paired with delicious wines and artisanal cocktails. This evening of culinary indulgences and refreshing libations is sure to make for a memorable date night, with its luxury lounges and unique tasting experiences under the stars and the Fairmont’s iconic (and romantic) fig tree.

Count me in! The last time I covered an event at the Fairmont Miramar – on Wilshire Blvd. just a block from the beach – was a Union des Grands Crus (UGC) Bordeaux Tasting in one of the large convention rooms. This time, as promised, we were outdoors under their enormous fig tree. Being outdoors was fine with me, as long as it was away from the street that, if you’ve been reading the news, is littered with abandoned electric scooters, the latest “craze” that may be dismantled by the time this article runs.

But lets move on, sorry about that, my attention had definitely been happily taken over by all of the restaurants, wineries and spirit companies – no scooters needed. (Read on or skip to the photos here.)

The crowd of smart couples and singles meandered from one welcoming table to another. My favorites of the tables (I couldn’t do it all!) started with

Menhir Salento Winery represented by Gaetano Marangelli, where I tasted Italian wines from Puglia. Between the Pass-O white blend to the Primitivo – I was enchanted. I hope to go through a tasting of their complete line up soon!

From there I inhaled: the Crab Guacamole with shaved Truffle from The Nixon in Whittier, Garlic Crostini from HomeCooked, the incredible Burrata cheese from di Stefana, a refreshing Lillet-based (a white Bordeaux wine made with quinine and citrus) cocktail made simply with tonic, Chick Souvlaki from Cleo, Roasted Peppers from FIG, Provence’s Domaine de Cala Rose wine, Ocean Prime Watermelon Salad, looooved the Mongibello blood orange juice with Tito’s vodka, and Deviled Green Eggs and Ham from Boa Steakhouse stole the show until I had a Deviled Egg from Yardbird that was equally yum-worthy.

Moving to the other side of the fig tree my taste buds were further delighted with wheat-based Carbonadi Vodka from Italy, AN Catering Garlic Noodles, a carved tri-tip sandwich from Grand Food and Beverage, really tasty cocktails from Gratitude, and Viva Tequila 32 Reposado in my favorite cocktail of the day made with Grapefruit and lime juices, agave, orange bitters and Aperol!

Still not done I munched on a heavenly slice of Grilled Cheese with Summer Truffle from Salt in Marina Del Rey (well worth a short wait in line), killer Reposado cocktails from Gracias Madre in West Hollywood and more lovely Burrata from Mozza. Of final note guests really appreciated the two open lounge spaces that served delicious Brugal Rum from the Dominican Republic and chilly gin cocktails from Sipsmith.

Restaurants and Beverage Companies

Sponsors

Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows, Hornburg Jaguar Land Rover Santa Monica, CBS 2, KCAL 9, Italy-America Chamber of Commerce West, and nonprofit partner City of Hope.

Eve Bushman has a Level Two Intermediate Certification from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET), a “certification in first globally-recognized course” as an American Wine Specialist ® from the North American Sommelier Association (NASA), Level 1 Sake Award from WSET, was the subject of a 60-minute Wine Immersion video (over 15k views), authored “Wine Etiquette for Everyone” and has served as a judge for the Long Beach Grand Cru and the Global Wine Awards. You can email Eve@EveWine101.com to ask a question about wine or spirits.

My Fave Wines From 2020: The Year When Drinking Wine Became Everyone’s Favorite Pastime

February 12, 2021 by evebushman

Lots pop into our heads when we think of 2020, and of course we aren’t out of the woods yet, or even close, so far for 2021. For me it was a windfall of wines sent for review, often accompanied by a Zoom tasting led by the winemaker. I (virtually) traveled to Germany, Spain, Argentina, France, Italy and more in those meetings and via my own cellar. And before Covid shut things down I did have quick trips to Los Olivos, Paso Robles and the Lompoc Wine Ghetto. Below is a collection of some of my favorite wines from 2020. If any of this sounds good to you, go find these wines!

It turns out that I had about 50 wine tastings, if not more, in 2020. These shout-outs are from EveWine101 website articles: the 2020 Gambero Rosso Master Class, 2017 Bordeaux presented by the Union des Grand Crus, Vega Sicilia collectors dinner with Pablo Alvarez, Fontanafredda Barolo, wine from New Zealand’s Waipapa Bay, Folded Hills Winery with winemaker Angela Osborne, California Wine STARS 2020, LA County Wines (Byron Blatty, Acri Wine Company, Angeleno Wine Company and Cavaletti Vineyards), Zoom tasting with Suzanne Phifer Pavitt and their 2012 Date Night Cabernet, Camins 2 Dreams, Gary Farrell single vineyard Pinots with winemaker Theresa Heredia, revisiting Montemar, catching up with winemaker Mark Cargasacchi and Jalama wines, also visiting Ampelos and Zotovich in Lompoc, Switchback Ridge via the Grand Reserves Reward Master Card, tasting from family-owned wineries with Dr. Laura Catena, Anne Trimbach, Laure Colombo and Alessia Collauto Travaglini, great wines that stole my palate but not my wallet from Guarachi Wine Partners, reviewing DAOU’s Soul of a Lion, Tenuta Montemagno sparkling Barbera, Castello di Fonterutoli with Giovanni Mazzei, Paul Kornell Sparkling…

In SCV Elite Magazine this year I got to write about wine tasting in Paso Robles just before the shutdown. Had exceptional experiences at Thacher Winery, Tablas Creek Vineyard, Derby Wine Estates, Steinbeck Wines, Cass Wines, Eberle Winery, Oso Libre Winery, HammerSky vineyards and the Allegretto Vineyard Resort.

January started out great with my first, and last, visit and dinner at Marstons with my VP/BFF Michael Perlis, our wonderful spouses, all over lots of wine ($10 corkage!) including 2013 Audacious Grenache/Syrah/Cab blend by Law Estate, 2013 Comstock Rockpile/Sonoma County Zinfandel, 2009 Regusci Zinfandel Napa Valley…

At Wine 661: Lucas And Lewellen tasting where we sampled five of their Santa Barbara County wines, including a Rose of Pinot and a Bordeaux blend. Had a couple of wines off of the Happy Hour menu. This was not the last time I went to Wine 661 in 2020…

Now some single bottle shout outs:

Vinos Zanzonico 2017 Syrah Reserva: 100% Syrah, 13.5% alcohol, from the Valle de la Grulla area of Baja. With a regal dark purple color, I was drawn in to fantastic aromas of sweet black cherry, plum, tri-color peppercorns, layers of rich bark, milk chocolate…all very welcoming. I went in for a taste and was rewarded with a very rich and layered mouthfeel, with dark and dry blue to black fruit, grilled mushrooms, peppery spicy goodness and tannins that held my back palate at attention for a length that just would…not…quit. 99 Eve points.

2014 Old Vine Zichichi Family Vineyard Zinfandel from the Dry Creek Valley: The 14.8% alcohol didn’t translate at all to a hot wine on the palate, instead it delivered incredible substance. It started with a nose full of sweet dark plums, pipe tobacco, black licorice, toasted oak, black pepper and popcorn kernel. Going in for a taste my mouth was filled with delicious dried blueberry and blackberry, that same black pepper, tannins that held firm, and a great balance of the dark fruit and tannins to keep it lingering a long time on the palate. This was a new Zin discovery for me, will definitely be looking for it again!

Entourage by Two Papas Wine barrel fermented (1) and stainless steel (2) 2019 Chardonnay, Thompson Vineyard, Santa Barbara County: 1. Barrel: Designated by a gold wax top (the stainless has a silver wax top) I was amazed that this was a young 2019 vintage! It had lovely notes of creamy butter, pineapple, golden delicious apple and popcorn kernel that morphed into caramel apple on the palate, mild acidity, with a long, balanced and lush finish. 2. No barrel: Our stainless sibling gave off nicely scented whiffs of Meyer lemon, both cantaloupe and honeydew melon, and a little unsalted butter. When I tasted the wine I got homemade fruit cocktail, wet pebbles, low acidity and a medium finish.

2018 Kindred Rose of Pinot Noir: The color of rose gold, complete with sparkles! Then on the nose I found pink grapefruit, lemon pith, French Toast, Creme Brûlée, and Mandarin orange = all very inviting! In for a taste next, there is a very round mouthfeel, and the same citrus fruits I found on the nose – grapefruit, lemon and orange – with a medium acidity. Enjoy now, with or without food IMO!

2015 Phifer Pavitt XRoads Cabernet Sauvignon: Crushed dark cherry, wet forest floor, grilled steak and mushrooms, dark chocolate, black licorice, pipe tobacco, toasted oak, a hint of sweet cream and more all on the nose. Flavors included that same black cherry as well as blackberry, blueberry, a gamut of spices, velvety and firm drying tannins that of course require that you go back in for another sip…and another.

2012 Regusci Patriarch Proprietary Red: aroma: dark berries, dried leaves, figs, toasted oak and a bit o’ mint. Some of the same aromas in the flavors with the addition of dark chocolate.

2001 Giacomo Conterno Cascina Francia, a Nebbiolo from Barolo, Piedmont…I looked for the roses, tar, licorice and red berries (notes from a professional critic) and also found tart berries, spice and tannins after decanting for 7 hours. So interesting.

Have you tried Guentota, aka the “Soul of Cuyo”, a “100-YR-OLD-VINE PREMIUM 2016 MALBEC” from Mendoza, Argentina? It’s from Belasco De Baqueano and was awarded 91 points from James Suckling. And I was far too busy lapping it up to make any tasting notes. But find it at Newhall Press Room. (Truth be told I had a LOT of wine from Newhall Press in 2020!)

2002 Joseph Phelps Insignia, I have no notes as I was also too busy drinking to take any. A stellar wine as it’s been proven vintage after vintage.

1999 Bartolo Mascarello Barolo: The nose and taste had really changed and mellowed over the 7 hours, with aromas of dried dark fruit, grilled mushroom, balsamic, dust and oak; on the palate I got both bright and dark fruit in a very fine balance.

From my local Pulchella Winery we had: Suspect sparkling wine, 2019 Latitude Sauvignon Blanc and Viognier blend, 2017 Mercenary Zinfandel blend, 2018 Witness Grenache…among others!

A note on Los Olivos: this was a non-press trip so no notes were taken. With that in mind we loved: Barbieri and Kempe are “Boutique wines made by Master Sommelier Paolo Barbieri” along with his wife Erin Kempe = bought a case! The second, Bella Cavailli Farms and Vineyard, produces some amazing wines against a backdrop of a working horse ranch, as well as some fun distilled spirits from Dorwood Distillery. Jeff Lockwood is the winemaker and his brother Jay the head distiller. We left there with both wine and spirts to enjoy at home.

A note from Wine on the Porch: During the summer months we enjoyed Hanzell Chardonnay, Saintsbury Chardonnay, Parhelion Cellars Light Pillar Chardonnay, St Supery Virtu Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc blend, Pagter Brothers 2018 Viognier, and from Hoi Polloi I snatched up their 2018 Rose of Grenache and Double-Gold Best-Of-Class 2018 Chardonnay!

A note about spirits: Yea, I wrote a lot about spirits this year too, stay tuned for a roundup of those next!

Vintage Eve 7/2018: What Did I Find at The Latest Garagiste “Urban Exposure” in Santa Monica?

February 9, 2021 by evebushman

Garagiste festival co-founders Stewart McLennan and Doug Minnick (locals know Doug from his shared wine tasting room in Downtown Newhall, Double Trouble) as well as countless experienced volunteers, succeeded once again to bring nearly 50 small producing wineries under one roof – Santa Monica Bay Women’s Club – to be discovered by wine lovers.

Left to right: Erik Siering, Mark Wasserman, me, Paul Quinn and James Schreiner.

(Photo: My favorite people – and wine – at Vinemark Cellars and TW Ferm Co! — left to right: Erik Siering, Mark Wasserman, me, Paul Quinn and James Schreiner.)

Urban Exposure features artisan winemakers from across California, including Paso Robles, Santa Barbara County, Mendocino, Napa, Sonoma, Los Angeles County and more. The Garagiste Festival is Los Angeles’ only wine festival that exclusively features high quality wines from commercial California ‘garagiste’ winemakers, offering Angelenos a unique opportunity to discover hard-to-find wineries, taste hundreds of their wines, and meet the winemakers…Over 70% of the wineries pouring at the festival do not have tasting rooms, and most are not on “wine country” maps and difficult to find except at the Garagiste Festival.

Pretty sure I’ve covered every Garagiste event that has been produced in Los Angeles for the past five years, as well as a couple in Paso Robles. I look forward to trying the new vintages from wineries we’ve discovered before, and wines from new wineries added to the event. This year I tried to taste as many Rare and Reserve offerings as I could as well, before palate fatigue set in.

Will now share a few of my take-aways (oh how I wish I could’ve taken some of the wine home with me!) from the event. (Too thirsty to read on? Shoot over here to see the event photos.)

Wineries Tastes (I have only noted the wines I enjoyed – keep in mind I did not try every wine that was offered at every winery table.)

Bellante Family Winery: 2016 Viognier, Los Olivos, Camp 4 Vineyard, and 14.9% alcohol.

Betwixt Wines: 2012 Grenache, Boer Vineyard, Sonoma (sold out) and 2010 Syrah.

Byron Blatty: Mark’s brand new Rose of Grenache, LA County, $27 and 2016 Tremor blend of Grenache, Syrah and Merlot, LA County, $58.

Caliza Vineyards: 2013 Estate Grenache, Paso Robles, only 50 cases made, $75

Cutruzzola Vineyards: 2012 Riesling, Riven Rock Vineyard Estate, San Luis Obispo County, 12.5% alcohol, 450 cases, $28 and the 2015 Riesling with 128 cases and $30.

Dusty Nabor: “K” Super Secret Syrah, Ballard Canyon, 27 cases, $45 and 2016 Super Secret Grenache, Ballard Canyon, 27 cases, $45.

Frisco Cellars: 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon, Central Coast, Yattes and DiPietro Vineyards, $56.

Gordenker Wines: 2012 Sylvia Drive Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, $68. (Parker gave this wine 93 points.)

Hoi Polloi: Everything: Pinot Noirs and Syrah! Love Minnick and happy to support local business!

Kaleidos Wines: 2014 Praying Mantis, 100% Syrah, Paso Robles, 88 cases, 15.6% alcohol, $65.

Leverage: 2014 Trajectory, GSM, Paso Robles, 85 cases, $60.

Parmeson: 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley, 149 cases, $60.

Pulchella Winery: My all-time favorite local winery was serving up their Rose of Tannat, “Rogue Rose of Tannat”, Bella Colina Vineyards, 120 cases, $35 as well as six 2016 releases.

Record Family Wines: 2013 Reserve Merlot, Paso Robles, 100 cases, $35.

Siela Wines: 2015 Chardonnay Dry Creek Valley. (SF Chronicle Wine Competition gave this a Silver in 2017, I would’ve given it a Gold.)

TW Fermentations: 2014 “Cultivator” Bordeaux Blend of Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Paso Robles, 14.7% alcohol, $68 and a Malbec with 14.9% alcohol.

Vinemark Cellars: All 2014s: Reserve Pinot, $41; Cabernet Sauvignon, $32; “Mezzanotte” Primitivo/Petite Sirah blend, $32.

Volatus Wine: 2015 White Rhone Blend, $25; 2016 Bolter Rose blend of Tannat, Grenache and Viognier, $14; and Reserve Red blend of Syrah and Malbec, Paso Robles, 65 cases, $45.

All Wineries

Alma Sol+, Ann Albert, Ascension Cellars+, Bellante Family Winery+*, Betwixt Wines, Brophy Clark, Byron Blatty+, Caliza Vineyards, Cavelletti Vineyards, Cloak & Dagger+, Cutruzzola Vineyards, Domaine Kreger, El Lugar Wines, Frisco Cellars*, Golden Triangle, Gordenker Wines, Hoi Polloi+, In Vino Musicas+*, Kaleidos Wines, Kitson Wines*, LA Wine Project+, Lavender Oak Ranch+*, Magna Vita Cellars, Malibu Ridge+*, Marin’s Vineyard, Mastro Scheidt, Metrick Wines+, Monochrome Wines, Murder Ridge, On Your Left, Pulchella Winery+, Record Family Wines*, Siela Wines*, Stolo Family Winery, Sweezter Cellars+, Sycamore Ranch+, The Blending Lab+*, Tlo Winery, Torch Wines, TW Fermentations, Vinemark Cellars+, Volatus Wine, Wildwood Oak Winery* (*First time pouring at the festival, +Based in LA County)

Festival Sponsors: ETS, Glenn Burdette,, Farm Credit, Laffort, Digital Dogma, mWEBB Communications, Travel Paso, Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance. For sponsorship info, email info@garagistefestival.com.

Keep track of where the next Garagiste festival will be offered here: http://garagistefestival.com

For special discounts and updates on Urban Exposure, Taste of Garagiste mini-tastings and other Garagiste Festival events and news, sign up for The Dirt at http://garagistefestival.com/sign-up/,

Follow on Twitter (@GaragisteFest) or Facebook (http://on.fb.me/1rgBC80).

Eve Bushman has a Level Two Intermediate Certification from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET), a “certification in first globally-recognized course” as an American Wine Specialist ® from the North American Sommelier Association (NASA), Level 1 Sake Award from WSET, was the subject of a 60-minute Wine Immersion video (over 15k views), authored “Wine Etiquette for Everyone” and has served as a judge for the Long Beach Grand Cru and the Global Wine Awards. You can email Eve@EveWine101.com to ask a question about wine or spirits.

Tasting Penfolds 2018 Kalimna Bin 28 Shiraz With Old and New Friends

February 5, 2021 by evebushman

From Penfolds, in the Barossa Valley, Australia, comes this 2018 Kalimna Bin 28 Shiraz. Had a lot of bins (just a numbering system Penfolds uses, they have many bins, aka Batch Id Numbers) and never had one I didn’t like. I also adore the little food and wine bar that had decided to host a tasting: great wine, service and under five minutes from my house – the Newhall Press Room!

The Tasting Details

…we are exploring one of the oldest and most prestigious Australia wineries, Penfolds. Instead of creating a flight, we wanted to take a deep dive into the history of Australian wine making along with experiencing Penfolds Shiraz Bin 28. 94 points James Suckling, 93 points Robert Parker.

From Vivino on Bin28

Following the creation of Grange, Max Schubert’s vision was to create ‘a dynasty of wines which all had an unmistakable resemblance to each other. The first wine created in the series was Bin 28 Kalimna Shiraz in 1959, a wine initially made while Grange was still being crafted in secrecy. Originally a single vineyard wine, Bin 28 now characterizes Penfolds contemporary winemaking philosophy, with fruit sourced from premium vineyards across several regions, including the Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale.

What We Learned

Treasury Estates Representative Scott Bowden shared many things about Penfolds. New for me was that Penfolds has an “old world approach in the new world”, the use of seasoned American oak barrels, they are the oldest iconic winery in Australia, they benefit from both warm and cold climates and they’ve had a fair share of 90 to 100 point wines. For this bin 28: They use ten different growing regions, it’s 100% Shiraz and the original Kalimna fruit source dates back to 1959. One more thing: stay tuned to Penfolds in March for news about their collaboration with California vineyards!

The Tasting and My Takeaway

We decanted the wine at 5 pm, tasted at 5:30, 6:00 and 6:30. At the start it was all red fruit, earth, cigarette, stewed fruit, dust, fig and tannins. The next time the wine was more open with more red to blue fruit, more pepper, more richness and more “grip” according to Bowden. Then again, nearly 90 minutes later there was an incredible balance. Quite remarkable.

You might expect my takeaway to be about the wine…it is but in a roundabout way. One of the things Bowden mentioned, when I asked about his favorite Penfolds wine, is that it’s never just the wine, or the pairing or the company, but you have to have it all for it to remain in your memory as a favorite. For me, it was virtually chatting with NPR’s somm Laura Raden like we have done at the bar many times. It was two of the three bar owners, Charles “Chaz” Potter and Dan Zebrowski, calling me out to “unmute” as I “always have something to say during a tasting.” It was chatting with people that I had never met before, again something I did often at their bar. For me, the best Zoom by far for in making me feel those experiences again. Cheers to the Press Room indeed.

The Latest from Newhall Press Room

It’s been an interesting year for all of us. We started off with a super fun January with our 50% by the glass wine and quickly moved into a great Spring. Once March hit, we had all had to figure out what was next. Luckily we started our grocery delivery business in support of the community and we were able to spin up our order online and food delivery business. This opened the door for us to deliver wine by the glass and offer new to go bottle pricing that matched or beat retail wine stores. We’ve been working hard to expand the amount of wine we have by the bottle in addition to adding new features such as espresso, cheese boards to go, along with wine related gifts and retail items.

To date, we’ve been recognized by Elite Magazine and The Signal as the best wine bar in Santa Clarita, and we have been recognized with back to back 2019/2020 award of excellence by Wine Spectator Magazine 2019/2020.

Our Monday through Friday lunch service is back and strong as ever, and now you can order your food through our website or app for delivery or pick-up.

If you are looking to have some fun with friends, family or need food for an event or business meeting, we’ve got you covered. We love our community and look forward to see you soon! (Editor’s note: At press time we have learned that the Press Room has re-opened for patio dining as well has hiring a new Cordon Bleu Chef!)

https://www.newhallpressroom.com

https://twitter.com/newhallpress

https://www.instagram.com/newhallpressroom/

https://www.facebook.com/newhallpressroom