Wine 101: Part One Discovering the Largest Showcase of Japanese Food, Sake, and Specialty Supplies

October 13, 2017 by evebushman Leave a Comment

Just when I thought I might have seen and tasted it all – a statement in and of itself is a bit crazy – I attended my first Japanese Food and Restaurant Expo. Of course there were terrific samples of fine Japanese food, an array of incredible knives and the type of service ware that you would expect from a country that excels in culinary presentation.

What I didn’t expect was the wide selection of sake and shochu I would want to taste, and a couple of educational classes thrown in for good measure. You ready for your sample? (Most of the photos I took I compiled into three grids that can be seen here.)

For part one of my coverage I will share information from the classes offered at what was billed as “A Trade Show for Trade Professionals.” The first was on the use of shochu in cocktails, and the second on the differences between warm and cold sake. (If you want to know the difference between sake and shochu in general tune in next week for part two where we will be tasting quite a few of each.)

Shochu Cocktail Demo by Jaymee Mandeville

Mandeville is a national brand ambassador and former bartender with several certifications under her belt. The first thing she wanted us to know about shochu was that it was versatile, and thereby can used instead of spirits for bars and restaurants that don’t have full liquor licenses. It has a lower ABV (alcohol by volume) designation than full spirits have, but a higher ABV than wine or sake.

One idea Mandeville shared was that restaurants that feature shochu-based cocktails could present them on a bar menu as “Low Alcohol Content” drinks. I found this interesting as some people seem unaware that their shochu cocktail isn’t going to have near the alcohol as a full strength version. It appealed to me, but not so sure about the person who is out just for a buzz.

Mandeville, much like the best bartenders, believes in batching some of the ingredients ahead of time, so that when the cocktail is ordered the guest doesn’t have to wait too long until it’s in their hands. She also suggested keeping fresh citrus at the bar. The juice, slice and rinds can all be utilized in different cocktails.

Trends to watch included Frose (aka Froze) which is variations of rose wine with additional alcohol blended into a frozen cocktail; Tiki drinks (rum drinks from the past revived); Vintage cocktails like the Manhattan, Old Fashioned and Sazerac; Spice(y) which is going to be either the addition of spice for say a seasonal wintery drink (cinnamon, nutmeg) or spicy additions (like jalapeno or other peppers).

Shochu Cocktail class led by Jaymee Mandeville

The drinks Mandeville made for us to sample included a Frose (yummy and sweet), a gin and tonic (more savory with the shochu in my opinion) and a Berry Berry Spicy (with Jalapeno that I would’ve never ordered but was outstanding). One student in our class asked about using wasabi in cocktails, Mandeville said it would be best in a shochu-based Bloody Mary.

Sake Samurai Toshio Ueno and Chizuko Niikawa-Helton

Ueno was my sake instructor earlier this year, for the WSET (Wine and Spirits Education Trust) Level One in sake, so I was thrilled to be learning from him again. He also introduced fellow educator Niikawa-Helton as an expert in warm sake. This was interesting to me as once I discovered cold sake I never went back to warm.

Come to find out that just like seasonal cocktails, Japanese people drink their sake warm in the winter and cold in the summer. Warmed sake can make sweetness, bitterness and/or acidity more prominent. Heating sake is also a form of hospitality, obviously showing your guest that you care about their comfort.

What was even more interesting to me were two side-by-side sake tastings: one warm and one cold. After noting the aromas and flavors in both, and finding them starkly different, I declared, “Oh, these are two different sakes” only to find out I was dead wrong.

Wow. Sake epiphany! The same sake tasted completely different warm than it did cold! For me the cold sake had more floral and sweet notes, while the hot had more savory and umami (thinks soy sauce, mushroom) characteristics.

Niikawa-Helton said that warm sake pairs extremely well with thinly sliced prosciutto and cheeses like Gruyere, Romano and Pecorino – something I can’t wait to try with guests!

A note on heating sake: both Ueno and Niikawa-Helton recommended immersing the sake vessel (usually a porcelain carafe made to withstand heat) into hot water – never use a microwave. If seems too hot you should just “add more sake!”

Part Two, on the food and beverages shared at the show, will run next week on this site. Hope you check it out.

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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, authored “Wine Etiquette for Everyone” and has served as a judge for the Long Beach Grand Cru. You can email Eve@EveWine101.com to ask a question about wine or spirits. You can also seek her marketing advice via Eve@EveBushmanConsulting.com

Learning at the Western Foodservice and Hospitality Expo 2017, Part One

September 22, 2017 by evebushman Leave a Comment

I think this is the third time I visited the Western Foodservice & Hospitality Expo at the Los Angeles Convention Center and yet I always find several new items to taste, learn and see each time. If you work in the food industry, or own a bar, restaurant, catering business or winery you definitely should attend this multi-day event at least once.

I always take a slew of photos. If you don’t want to read my article take a gander at my slideshow here for the short version.

The favorites for me this year in both food and beverage include:

Kelvin Slush Company for several drinks including the Frose aka Frozen Rose made with wine and vodka, John Daly and Miami Mule; the “Resort Charger” that is a wine cooler/phone charger/beach table in one; St. Petersburg Vodka had a ever-so-slight sweet edge to it and “outscores Ketel One, Stoli, Grey Goose and Belvedere”; the Croqu Monsieur made with Ayoya Flatbread; Ginja 9 Cherry Liqueur can be purchased along with little dark chocolate cups; Lick’d natural ice cream bars; Pops Rumpopa Rum Cream Liqueur Almond flavor was yummy but they also make an original and banana; Torani syrup just came out with a lemonade flavor; Brooklyn Gin in its blue glass bottle was striking, as was its clean botanicals; Point Reyes cheeses; Don Chelada Michelada mix was perfectly spicy enough for a Michelada but would also lend itself well to a Bloody Mary or a spicy shrimp cocktail; Toguchi Japanese Whiskey from peated malt and grain aged in sherry and brandy casks; Kradjian olives and stuffed grape leaves; Breckenridge whisky; never skip watching the Honey Smoked Fish Co. “voted best smoked salmon” at least for the demo show they put on every year; Ohishi Japanese Whisky; Tailormade Foods cookies; Jozen Sake.

This year I attended two classes and share my notes from each below:

Driving Sales through Grass Roots Marketing, a Productive Team and Smart Operations.

I’ve heard Darren Denington from Service with Style speak before, may have even been the same topic. These are my takeaways this year:

Start with employee morale, if they are unhappy they are looking elsewhere, giving away freebies and talking about you negatively. Owners/Managers: spend time with your team.

Make sure your staff knows what items you make the most money from and push those.

Marketing starts with your guest’s perspective. Secret shoppers are one way to find out. You will need to impress a guest at least three times – by focusing on service. The “how can I help you” type of serve that In-N-Out and Chick-Fil-A are known for.

A whopping 85% of diners do the “one and done” with a restaurant due to staff with an “attitude of indifference.”

Staff need to allow just a 15-second statement to make to a customer that is not about the restaurant. (I highly recommend that you allow the staff to find their own script for that. It will come across more sincere if your cosmetic-loving waitress compliments a diner on her makeup.)

Once employee morale is high, then sell your promotions. Events, Happy Hour, whatever – if they are vested in the restaurants then their sales efforts will be effective and not forced.

Be aware of something the diner liked and offer a deal on a return visit. If the desserts slayed them then offer a free dessert at their next visit, etc. This gives them a reason to come back.

Partner with a non-profit on an event. Tests have shown that sales can go up afterwards.

Design a bulletin board to hold breakable items, add in what the cost is for each so that staff is tangibly aware of how things can add up.

Design different Happy Hours for each day it’s offered: Singles Nights, Legal/Biz Nights where they can invite potential clients.

Meat + 3 sides lunch campaign where less meat is offered than the full entrée, and less expensive sides are pushed.

Build your own marketing committee from your existing staff. This makes them listened to and engaged. Then plan one year in advance for all of the campaigns you want to do.

Lots to digest here so I’ll give you a week off and then you can return to read Part Two – all about what I learned from Bartender of the Year…Bar Rescue’s Rob Floyd.

Blue Nectar Tequila and iichiko Shochu Named Chairman’s Trophy Winner

May 28, 2017 by evebushman Leave a Comment

New York, NY – The Ultimate Spirits Challenge has awarded Blue Nectar Tequila and iichiko Shochu with their highest honor, the Chairman’s Trophy. Dubbed the “world’s trailblazing spirits competition,” the Ultimate Spirits Challenge is led by globally renowned spirits reviewer Paul Pacult and an expert panel of judges from around the world. The judges taste over 4 days in Hawthorne, NY, with upwards of 400 spirits to evaluate. iichiko BLU won for the Shochu category and took home a 90+ score for five of their expressions, while Blue Nectar’s Founder’s Blend won for the best Añejo within the 100% Agave Tequila category. Both of the brands are represented by Colangelo & Partners, a leading integrated communications agency specializing in premium wine and spirits.

“We’re thrilled that Blue Nectar and iichiko have been honored by the team at the USC, the best of the best in the spirits industry,” said Gino Colangelo, president of Colangelo & Partners. “We represent the highest quality spirits and often collaborate with members of the USC’s esteemed panel who guide spirits and cocktail trends, and develop some of the best drink menus in the world.”

Colangelo & Partners, which recently celebrated their 10 year anniversary, continues to be an important player in the spirits world by helping to build awareness for premium, entrepreneurial spirits brands. Since January 2017, the spirits team at Colangelo & Partners has expanded their clientele to include Aviation American Gin, Berentzen Liqueurs and Purus Vodka. Colangelo & Partners also represents Diplomático Rum, Lost Distillery Company Scotch Whisky, Sombra Mezcal, TY KU Sake, Consejo Regulador de la Denominaciones de Origen Jerez-Xérès-Sherry, Lepanto Brandy, Nomad Outland Whisky and London No. 1 Gin. Colangelo & Partners focuses on four strategic pillars of expertise: media relations, social media and influencer relations, trade relations, and events.

About Blue Nectar Tequila
Founded by father and son BN and Nikhil Bahadur, Blue Nectar Tequila (http://www.bluenectartequila.com/) is a small-batch, super-premium Tequila focused on agave-forward flavor profiles indicative of the terroir of “el valle” or the valley of the Tequila producing region. Using estate-grown blue agaves from “el valle,” Blue Nectar skillfully crafts and bottles its Tequilas in Amatitán, Mexico, widely recognized as the birthplace of Tequila. Since its launch in 2011, Blue Nectar has garnered numerous industry accolades in both the United States and Mexico. Current production includes Silver, Reposado Extra Blend, Reposado Special Craft and Añejo Founder’s Blend Tequilas.

About iichiko Shochu
iichiko’s shochu (http://www.iichiko.co.jp/en/) is the #1 barley shochu in Japan. Each iichiko shochu begins with only the highest quality barley and water drawn from natural springs deep beneath the earth. The flavors of iichiko’s shochu are refreshing and boast a crystal clear taste, truly embodying the essence of Japanese refinement. The lush greenery, pure water and cool breezes of Oita Prefecture, famously known for their hot springs, provide the perfect setting to house the distillery where iichiko shochu is produced. It all begins with carefully selecting the finest natural ingredients and water. Advanced distilling technologies are then applied to produce the highest quality shochu. Since 1958, iichiko has prided itself on putting quality first, the way it’s always been done and will always continue to be done.

About Colangelo & Partners
Colangelo & Partners (http://www.colangelopr.com) specializes in premium food, wine, spirits and lifestyle brands, and has long established relationships with the key press that drive these business categories and help determine the industry leaders. Agency principals have years of experience in retail and distribution as well as communications, a rare combination that gives Colangelo & Partners invaluable insights into consumer purchasing behavior. The agency focuses on ‘closing the loop’ between creative communications programs, distribution, promotion, publicity and the consumer in order to maximize the efficiency of its communications programs and deliver measurable results. Founded in 2006, Colangelo & Partners was honored as one of the year’s top integrated communications firms at the 2013 Agency Elite Awards and for one of the best digital marketing campaigns at the 2014 Digital PR Awards.

Master Classes, Courtesy FindRareWhisky.com

April 21, 2017 by evebushman Leave a Comment

There were several classes to choose from, however, by the time we arrived at the Find Rare Whisky show, known as the “Nth” (to the Nth degree!) Universal Whisky Experience, some were sold out. Lucky to be there as press at all, as this event is the epitome of whisky events for aficionados, we were thrilled to get in on three before they also sold out.

This was the offering of Master Classes at press time: Glenfarclas – Forty for Forty, Suntory Japanese Whisky – The Art of Blending, Macallan – What’s New with The Macallan, Classic vs Cult: Glenmorangie vs Ardbeg, Five Generations of Blending Excellence with Chivas, Brown Forman – A Family of Brands, The Glenlivet – Understanding the Wood from the Trees, The Ultimate Lagavulin, Interbevgroup – From the Caithness Coast to the Fertile Planes of Morayshire, Gordon & Macphail – Welcome to Scotland’s liquid library, Hennessy – From Grape to Glass, A demystification of Dewar’s Malts and A Sensory Exploration of the Redbreast 21 Year Journey.

These are the three we got in on:

What’s New with The Macallan

From new age statements, to a new collectable range, to our decanter series, there’s a lot going on with The Macallan this year. Learn all about these expressions and much more, with National Brand Ambassador, Kieron Elliott. Sherry Oak and Double Cask 12yr, Edition No.1 and No.2, Rare Cask and Reflexion.

Elliott set up six tastings with two of each from The 12’s, The Editions and 1824 Master’s Series. But before we settled in to nose and taste we reviewed:

The Macallan is from the Speyside region of Scotland.
A darker whisky is an older whisky, no color is ever added to a Macallan.
They have never released a non-sherry seasoned whisky.
They spend $1,000 per cask.

Of the 12-year-old aged sherry oak cask we got aromas and flavors ranging from cinnamon, nutmeg, clove and other spices. The 12-year-old Double cask, released six months ago, aged mostly in American ex-sherry cask, had some citrus, vanilla, butterscotch and Crème Brûlée. Onto The Macallan Edition #1, started in 2015 with only 130 casks and heavy sherry seasoning, caramel, toffee, chocolate and ginger notes in the nose and mouth. Edition #2 was released at he end of 2016 and is a collaboration with the number one restaurant in the world, Spain’s El Celler de Can Roca, here we found orange oil, orange peel, and butterscotch candy. Our third group started with the 1824 Master’s Series Rare Cask (a non-age statement, a range of 18 to 27 year-olds) had toffee, vanilla, coffee, chocolate, clove and more…outstanding. And our final whisky, coming in a $1,500 a bottle, the 1824 Master’s Series Reflexion was the second bottle in the Master’s series with lots of American oak, Hogshead cask, a much higher percentage of oak flavors that included vanilla, caramel, toffee, chocolate, dried fruit, cinnamon, raisins and cloves.

A Family of Brands (Jack Daniels and Woodford Reserve)

Join Chris Fletcher (Assistant Master Distiller at the Jack Daniels distillery) and Greg West Woodford Reserve (Woodford Reserve Brand Ambassador) discuss and savor you on both these iconic American Whiskies.

“As the most flavor and color imparting process of whiskey, aging the distillate in charred, white oak barrel is the single most important journey for Bourbon. Now if we are talking, Tennessee whiskey, we take it one step beyond and put Jack Daniel’s through a final progression called “The Lincoln County Process” which definitive of Tennessee Whiskey and law”.

Fletcher started by saying that he is the first Assistant Master Distiller Jack Daniels has employed, he moved up the ranks from his beginnings as a tour guide.
As far as the barrel importance all of the color is from the barrel aging and natural.
The second most important ingredient is the yeast they choose to add to the rye, malted barley and/or corn.

We started the tasting with the Single Barrel Select Whiskey that had notes of green apple, banana, apricot, vanilla, butterscotch candy, cream, toffee and espresso. The Single Barrel Rye Whiskey had aromas and flavors of caramel, banana split, butterscotch, cinnamon, sweet earth and a little mint. The Single Barrel Proof Tennessee Whiskey had caramel sauce, orange, leather, cinnamon, clove and oak.

Woodford Reserve Brand Ambassador West led us through a tasting of: The Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey used all white American Oak, with only seconds of toasting and charring, nine months of seasoning, loosing a whopping 50% in the angel’s share – evaporation – and had notes of malt, cream, orange peel, cinnamon, apple, melon, marzipan and spice. The Barrel Finish Select Double Oaked, with a lot more toasting, had notes of cream, oak, marzipan, molasses, anise, cinnamon and clove. The final tasting was of the Distiller’s Select Rye Whiskey that has been on the market for less than two years. Aromas and flavors included toffee, butterscotch and orange zest.

Dewar’s Malts – A Demystification of Dewar’s

Even though they look young and fresh faced, between them Gabe Cardarella, North American Dewar’s Ambassador, and Georgie Bell, Global Malts Ambassador from John Dewar and Son’s have over 20 years of experience in the whisky world and a plethora of awards and accolades to match. Of course, not as many as Dewar’s – the most awarded blended scotch in the USA. Join us as we investigate the complexities of blending and the integral single malts found within:

– Dewar’s 12 – Craigellachie 23 – Aberfeldy 16 – Aultmore 12 – Royal Brackla 16 – Dewar’s 18

Bell told us stories of John Dewar in the past: marketing his whiskies via bicycle and boat, for the latter Dewar put messages in spent bottles, chucked them over the side, and if you found one you were rewarded with a case.
The number one market for Dewars, Bell said, is with the U.S.

Dewars 12, a blend of everything we were to taste and no flavors coming from an “exhausted” cask, had notes of toast, honey, citrus, lemon, vanilla, toffee fudge. Aberfeldy 16, new to the U.S. though around since 1898, aged in a sherry cask, had notes of caramel, brown sugar, honey and walnut. The Aultmore 12, very light in color, had a nose and taste of cream, hazelnut, orange peel and seawater. Craigellachie 23 had notes of chocolate, vanilla, roasted nuts and coffee; we also got to try the 21 that had more of a sweet sherry note, with caramel and toast. Royal Brackla 16 had sweet raisins, powder, dust, chocolate, almond and what Bell described as potpourri. Our final whiskey, the Dewar’s 18 had more dense caramel then its 12 year old predecessor, as well as chocolate, walnut and earth.

Watch the event video here.

What You May Not Know About Sake (AKA What I Learned From WSET Level 1 Award in Sake)

March 31, 2017 by evebushman Leave a Comment

Last week in the SCV Beacon I shared all that I was expected to learn at my Level 1 Sake class awarded by Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET). This week I want to share some of what I learned that I thought readers might enjoy:

A small wine glass is “ideal for serving premium sake…tulip shaped to enhance aromas.” Well, that just about made my day right there. Those cute little cedar boxes called “Masu” are not ideal as the wood could impart flavor to the sake.

The word sake, Nihon-Shu in Japanese, just means an alcoholic beverage. Our teacher Toshio Ueno explained that if you travel to Japan and are asked out for sake, be prepared as it could mean anything!

Any kind of clean water can be used to make sake, however, harder water (like we have in LA) will produce a crisper, drier, richer sake while softer water produces a softer sake.

Just like baking bread, there is a fermentation starter of rice, koji (mold), water and yeast that goes into the main fermentation where the balance of the mixture is added.

The alcohol level of most sake is between 15% and 17% but may have started out at about 20%; water is added before bottling to lower the alcohol percentage.

There are two basic styles of sake that produce different aromas and flavors. Sake with more acidity, umami (savory), cereal and lactic – the brewer has polished away only some of the middle layers of the rice. Sake with flavors that are more floral and fruity, with less umami and acid – the brewer has polished away a higher ratio of the rice.

Sake rice and table rice are not the same. Table rice has more starch, and sake rice has a starch core, also known as a “white heart.”

If the term “Junmai” is on the label, or even just part of the terms on the label, no alcohol has been added. Other popular sake – daiginjo, ginjo and honjozo – have alcohol.

If you take this class you will learn some of the Japanese labeling terms found on the bottle.

Like wine sake should be kept cool, may remain fresh for a couple of weeks in the refrigerator, can oxidize if open for too long and bright light should be avoided. Unlike wine sake should be stored standing upright (the screw cap can rust!), be drunk young and kept refrigerated.

If you are warming sake use a warm water bath (thermometer should read 176 Fahrenheit) instead of your microwave to control the heat. Sake labeled Futsu-shu, junmai and honjozo can be served both cold and warm.

Tokkuri is the name of the sake carafe and the traditional cups are called o-choko. Why are the cups so small? Because refilling them frequently is a “tradition of Japanese hospitality.”

Pairing sake and food doesn’t just begin and end with Japanese fare like sushi or sashimi. Just like with wine pairing, go with foods that have a similar taste profile, i.e. sweet with sweet and savory with savory.

Eve Bushman has a Level Two Intermediate Certification from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust, a “certification in first globally-recognized course” as an American Wine Specialist ® from the North American Sommelier Association (NASA), was the subject of a 60-minute Wine Immersion video, authored “Wine Etiquette for Everyone” and has served as a judge for the Long Beach Grand Cru. You can email Eve@EveWine101.com to ask a question about wine or spirits. You can also seek her marketing advice via Eve@EveBushmanConsulting.com

Meeting and Tasting with Montes Winemakers Part One: Story and Starting the Wine Tasting

March 3, 2017 by evebushman Leave a Comment

Oh boy what a surprise and a treat was in store for me…

We’re hoping you can join Montes Winemakers Aurelio Montes Senior and Aurelio Montes Junior for an intimate wine luncheon on Thursday, February 23rd. The Father and son are coming together for the first time in Los Angeles, to share their passion for wine and winemaking.

…as my old friend Alex Guarachi (check out our videotaped interview and tasting back in 2012) with Guarachi Wine Partners, long-time importer for Montes Wines, was there too. I got some good quality time with Guarachi and both Aurelio Montes Sr. (Montes, Chilean wines) and Aurelio Montes Jr. (Kaiken, Argentinean wines) within the first half hour of the event. Before, while sipping on non-vintage Montes Sparkling (100% Chardonnay, only been making for a couple of years) and during the tasting I learned:

Father and son had a day in LA before taking a long flight back to Chile, where harvest has already begun. The seasons in the southern hemisphere are opposite what they are here in California.

Aurelio Jr. and Aurelio Sr.

Chilean wines are exported the most to Japan and U.S.

The father and son duo only jokingly refer to the tasting as Chile versus Argentina. Montes Wines is in Chile, and Kaiken in Argentina. While Jr. concentrates on Argentina, Sr. remains in Chile. They explained some of the differences, not limited to the fact that the two countries are separated by the Andes, Sr. said “Chile has a maritime climate” due to its proximity to the ocean while “Argentina is continental.” Both have rain, but at different times.

Guarachi said that Montes was founded 28 years ago, with four partners, and began selling in the U.S. with 60,000 cases of Montes and 2,000 cases from Kaiken. Now they are producing over 7 million cases collectively.

Guarachi joked that years ago when people were presented with Chilean wines they were unsure of where Chile was, mistaking South America (where Chile and Argentina are) with South Africa.

Aurelio Sr. has received several accolades as a winemaker, innovator and importer. Jr. is also receiving amazing reviews, Guarachi said.

Jr. became interested in wine after a trip to Napa with his father at the ripe age of fifteen. The younger man commented that he was “born in a wine barrel”…and looked to his father with curiosity about his passion for the wine industry.

Aurelio Sr. left us with this thought, when he plants on the hillside, and needs to have irrigation, “I play the music and the plant dances” and on the valley floor it’s the opposite. Jr. said that “a Malbec from Argentina is never less than good” and while Malbec got Argentina out in the world it is now time to “open the gates” for other wines.

Tasting – aromas and flavors separated by ;

Montes Alpha Chardonnay 2014

100% Chardonnay

Lemon zest, ripe pineapple, unsalted butter and wet stone on the nose; on the mouth I got lemon-lime, kiwi and a medium acidity. 90 Eve pts.

Kaiken Ultra Chardonnay 2014

100% Chardonnay

Apricot, apple and cool steel; then a balanced front palate with bruised apple and tropical fruit, lingering acidity on the back palate for the finish. 91 Eve pts.

Montes Alpha Cabernet Sauvignon 2014

90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot

Sweet plums, black cherry, blackberry, blueberry, mushroom, earth and charred steak all on the nose; black fruit, black pepper, tannins and a very long finish in the mouth. 90 Eve pts.

Kaiken Ultra Cabernet Sauvignon 2014

95% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Malbec

Aromas of red fruit, white pepper and milk chocolate; followed by big, dark, dry and dusty notes of blueberry, fig, spice and tannins in the mouth. 90 Eve pts.

Montes Alpha Malbec 2014

95% Malbec, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon

Dense red to blue fruit, sweet black cherry, and earth all in a velvety nose; with a spicy yet balanced palate filled with dried black berries. 91 Eve pts.

Kaiken Ultra Malbec 2014

100% Malbec

Chocolate, mint, dark berries, clove and concrete up front; flavors of dried cherry, the same dark fruit as in the aroma, dry and mildly tart. 90 Eve pts.

Stay tuned to this website on 3/10/17 for Montes Wine Tasting Part Two and Menu from The District by Hannah An.

Watch it in less than one minute here.

Aurelio Montes Senior in Chile: http://www.monteswines.com/en/

Aurelio Montes Junior in Argentina: http://kaikenwines.com/en/home/

Guarachi Wine Partners: http://www.guarachiwinepartners.com/

The District by Hannah An: http://thedistrictbyha.com/

The Wine House is pleased to offer the WSET Level 1 Award in Sake (Join Eve!)

February 26, 2017 by evebushman Leave a Comment

The Wine House is pleased to offer the WSET Level 1 Award in Sake course on Sunday March,19.

Instructed by Toshio Ueno, SSI WSET Certified Sake Educator, Certified Master Sake & Shochu Sommelier.

This course is ideal for consumers or those new to sake with the focus on:

Main sake ingredients

Main production steps

Principal categories and grades of sake

Speciality styles of sake

Controlled production steps

Japanese labelling terms

Storage and service

Common faults/How to taste Sake

Principles of food and sake pairing

Social and health issues
The class consists of a session of 6 hours that concludes with a short 30-question multiple-choice exam of 45 minutes. Successful candidates receive the internationally-recognized WSET® Level 1 Award in Sake.

The WSET L1 Award in Sake includes: 6 tuition hours by Master Sake Sommelier (SSI Japan) Toshio Ueno, printed study guide, tasting of 8 sakes, exam fee, certificate and lapel pin to successful candidates. Light sushi lunch is included.

PLEASE NOTE: SINCE THE EXAMS ARE ORDERED FROM LONDON, CANCELLATIONS ARE ONLY ACCEPTED UNTIL MARCH 1, 2017 AND ALL BOOKINGS BETWEEN MARCH 1, 2017 AND MARCH 19, 2017 ARE FINAL. THERE CAN BE NO REFUNDS AFTER THE STUDENT’S EXAM HAS BEEN ORDERED.

To sign up please go to :

http://www.winehouse.com/product.php?sku=WSETSAKE218&d=CLASSES/EVENTS

The Secrets of Saké: Tradition, Intuition and an Artist’s Guiding Hand

September 4, 2016 by evebushman Leave a Comment

POV’s ‘The Birth of Saké’ Follows Meticulous Method of Bringing the Fabled Japanese Drink To Life; Film Premieres Monday, Sept. 5, 2016 on PBS

A Co-presentation with the Center for Asian American Media (CAAM)

“A richly immersive documentary . . . achieves a remarkable level of intimacy without ever sacrificing its reserve or restraint.”
— Justin Chang, Variety

There’s a lot more to saké—the legendary Japanese rice wine—than most drinkers realize. The best bottles embody a 2,000-year tradition that is painstaking, precise, incredibly labor-intensive and increasingly rare. Its creation is a cross between producing great art and raising “an unruly child.”

Japanese-American filmmaker Erik Shirai goes inside the Yoshida Brewery, a 144-year-old family-owned company in northern Japan, to capture the traditional saké-making process in The Birth of Saké, which earned him a Special Jury Mention for Best New Documentary Director at the 2015 Tribeca Film Festival. The film has its national broadcast premiere on the POV (Point of View) documentary series on PBS on Monday, Sept. 5, 2016 at 10 p.m. (Check local listings.) Now in its 29th season, POV is American television’s longest-running independent documentary series and the recipient of a 2013 MacArthur Foundation Award for Creative and Effective Institutions.

The mystical nature of the libation is captured in the film’s opening statement: “Saké making is a living thing. If you compare it to human beings it would be like raising a child.” And not just any child. The employees who bring Yoshida’s traditional saké to life pamper it from inception. Nothing is left to chance. There are no shortcuts. All told, Yoshida’s employees spend about half a year in nearly monastic seclusion creating their world-renowned product.

While saké is often experienced as a warmed drink in the West, its northern Japanese birthplace is cold and forlorn. Shirai’s cinematic opening shots of snow and icy surf, accompanied by sparse traditional music, introduce a film that, like its subject, is unrushed, deeply reflective and rich with interesting symmetries.

Inside the brewery, for example, great clouds of welcoming steam rise above the white rice used to make the saké—mirroring the snow and ice just beyond the windows. As the rice cools it is treated with a special mold, koji-kin, which begins the two-stage fermentation process. Yoshida does not use the automated methods employed by many of its competitors. Like a fine musical instrument, its product is handmade.

Making saké the traditional way, says 68-year-old brewmaster Teruyuki Yamamoto, requires knowledge and intuition. These qualities are passed from generation to generation—in the Yoshida company’s case from Yamamoto to Yasuyuki Yoshida, the company’s 27-year-old sixth-generation heir. Shirai notes that while it is expected that the eldest son will take over the family brewery, it is rare for an heir to become an actual brewmaster: “Yasuyuki is unusual because he wants to do it.”

The film, two years in the making, is the first in-depth examination of the Yoshida operation and a rare look at the intense and relatively unknown (even within Japan) process of traditional saké making. Gaining access was not immediate or easy. After a long and exhaustive permissions process, the company’s owners allowed Shirai and producer Masako Tsumura to live at the brewery. Waking daily at 4:00 a.m., they were fully immersed and embedded with the workers and ate breakfast, lunch and dinner with them. Shirai and Tsumura captured not only the subtle art of making saké, but the sacrifices made by Yoshida’s employees.

Being separated from loved ones is the hardest aspect of the process, though there are times of levity, including time spent watching sumo wrestling. “They really aren’t human!” an employee laughs as he and colleagues enjoy a televised match. There are also group sing-alongs and talk of girlfriends left behind. But this is serious and exacting work. The slightest variation in the process, even a minor temperature shift, can negatively alter the final product.

The company is also under external pressure from a dwindling saké market. Consumption is down in Japan and worldwide, according to the film, while beer, whiskey and other types of alcoholic drinks have made significant inroads. This change is reflected in one crucial statistic: In the early 20th century there were 4,600 saké breweries in Japan. Now there are around 1,000.

Yasuyuki Yoshida, the young brewmaster, comes across as a happy warrior. After spending six months making saké, he spends the other half-year traveling the world to promote the fruits of his company’s labor. He finds a divided marketplace. Younger drinkers often prefer newer types of saké, while traditional drinkers complain that new versions are “weak and indistinct.” The latter are highly pleased when Yoshida presents them with daiginyo, his brewery’s top-of-the line traditional saké.

Shirai says he wants his film to create “not the desire to drink saké as much as an appreciation of the people who make it. We are talking about a dying art that should be kept alive.”

He continues: “We consider ourselves very fortunate to have been well-placed to explore and share this ancient handmade technique, so rarely used now in our mechanized world. We hope that The Birth of Saké will elicit solemn and profound introspection about our place in the history of making and consuming, and about our relationships with our own work and with those with whom we work.”

About the Filmmaker: Erik Shirai, Director
Erik Shirai is a New York City filmmaker working around the world on renowned documentaries and television shows. He was a cinematographer for the Emmy® award-winning Travel Channel series No Reservations with Anthony Bourdain and recently completed Eye What You Eat, a new web series for the Scripps Networks. Shirai’s food films were also featured at a TED conference in New York in 2012. In 2008, Shirai launched his own production company, Cebu Osani Creative, as a foundation for his creative ideals and to create films that are compelling, original and visually cinematic. Shirai’s main goal is to produce one-of-a-kind content with integrity and respect.

Credits:
Director, Cinematographer: Erik Shirai
Producer: Masako Tsumura
Executive Producer: Mark Karpeles
Editors: Takeshi Fukunaga, Frederick Shanahan
Music Composer: Ken Kaizu

Running Time: 86:46

POV Series Credits:
Executive Producers: Justine Nagan, Chris White
Vice President, Content Strategy: Eliza Licht
Associate Producer: Nicole Tsien
Coordinating Producer: Nikki Heyman

The Extraordinary Italian Taste to be Featured at the Western Foodservice & Hospitality Expo

August 25, 2016 by evebushman Leave a Comment

LOS ANGELES, CA – The Western Foodservice & Hospitality Expo is proud to announce a new partnership with the Italy-America Chamber of Commerce West to offer attendees an introduction to the Extraordinary Italian Taste campaign, raising awareness on authentic Italian food and wine products. The Expo, the premiere three-day event for the foodservice and hospitality industries, will take place August 28-30 at the Los Angeles Convention Center.

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“We are thrilled to have the opportunity to debut the finest Italian food and wine products through ‘The Extraordinary Italian Taste’ campaign at the Western Foodservice Expo,” said Genny Nevoso, Executive Director, Italy-America Chamber of Commerce West, Los Angeles. “In addition to our area on the show floor, we look forward to hosting an “aperitivo” reception in the New Product Showcase on the show floor on Monday afternoon to further highlight our companies and products for all of the attendees at the Expo to enjoy. In addition, trade representatives, along with food and wine media and influencers are invited to stop by our booth, learn about our program and enter their information for a chance to be selected for upcoming all-expense paid educational trips to Italy in the fall 2016 and spring 2017.”

“The Extraordinary Italian Taste” brand, launched by the Italian Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Economic Development, was created with the objective of stemming the spread of Italian food product imitations as much as possible; promoting authentic “Made in Italy” quality under one brand. The related consumer awareness campaign planned in North America is aimed at promoting and enhancing Italian products through diffusion of greater knowledge on specific characteristics of authenticity, with reference both to places of origin, nutritional and certifying aspects. The production processes and unique areas of origin characterizing Made in Italy are an essential and distinctive element of the products.

“We welcome the Italy-America Chamber of Commerce West to the Western Foodservice Expo and the opportunity to provide the restaurant and foodservice professionals who attend our event the chance to discover, taste and learn about authentic new foods and wines from the country,” said Ron Mathews, Vice President, Urban Expositions, producers of the event. “We have several other international areas on the floor, including Sabor Latino and the Japan Pavilion, both of which offer exciting new food and beverage products from their regions for the California culinary scene.” For more information on these pavilions, click here.

The Western Foodservice & Hospitality Expo gathers thousands of restaurant and foodservice professionals to gain experience and knowledge on how to become more informed, more educated, more competitive, and more profitable in the industry. The tradeshow and conference, started in 1936 is produced by Urban Expositions (www.urban-expo.com) and sponsored by the California Restaurant Association (www.calrest.org). The 2016 event will take place August 28-30 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. For more information, visit www.westernfoodexpo.com.

About Urban Expositions Based in Kennesaw, GA, and founded in 1995, Urban Expositions, owned by Clarion Events, produces and manages a portfolio of 36 events, serving eight industry sectors including Gift, Souvenir, Art, Aviation, Foodservice, Pet, Auto and Gaming. Urban has offices in Shelton, CT and Boca Raton, FL, and is represented by employees in California, Colorado and Illinois. www.urban-expo.com. Clarion Events operates over 200 events in 35 countries from offices in the UK, South Africa, USA, Brazil, Germany, Singapore, UAE, Turkey, and the Netherlands. Clarion can trace its roots back to 1947 and takes great pride in being one of the oldest independent event organizers in the UK. The teams at Clarion create uniquely effective and stimulating environments that can serve as a platform to build businesses, enhance customer relationships and accelerate product awareness. For more information, visit www.clarionevents.com

Vintage Beacon March 2011: Japanese and French Cuisine by Maru

November 24, 2015 by evebushman Leave a Comment

Today readers get to virtually enjoy gastronomic delights from Japan to France from Maru Sushi’s Jason Park:

Maru sushi – NOW MOVED TO SANTA MONICA

Jason, the menus on Valentines Day were over-the-top gastronomic delights! One appeared to be Japanese, the other, French? How did you design the menus and recipes?

Japanese and French are very similar in that they have a lot of detailed work and a lot of energy is devoted to presentation and of course flavor. My training is French from culinary school while I was also in undergrad at UCLA and I also studied Japanese cuisine including sushi at the California Sushi Academy. I learned under Andy Matsuda who opened Sushi Chef Institute and I spent additional time under the owner of the CSA Toshi Sugiura. From childhood to my young adult years, I spent a lot of time helping both my mother cook and father around the house. With my grandmother having graduated college in Japan, the food she raised my mother on was a mix of Japanese and Korean.

I have been doing a simplified version of a Kaiseki menu along with a California cuisine menu on Valentine’s Day for the past 9 years. Tastings are what I love to eat and my passion can be seen and tasted through them. There is a progression of flavors I like to take people through and one course is designed to follow the previous. If you were to swap a course for another one, it just will not be the same. Every component is thought out and designed to compliment the other flavors, textures, aromas, etc on the plate.

The menus are designed by some sort of inspiration. It can be something that I see at the farmers’ market or sometimes random ideas just pop in my head and I try to translate that onto the plate.

Does your daily menu reflect the fresh items you are able to purchase, and then you create the recipes?

Our menu is market driven. If I cannot get the best ingredients, then I will not make it. For instance, squab is not readily found fresh, so I have to tell my meat vendor when I want it so that the producer packs it fresh for me the day before I need it. Vegetables and fruit are the same. Just because it is available does not mean that it makes it onto my menu.

A lot of the time, I just see something that looks amazing so I buy it and think about how I can make something with it as I am driving back to the restaurant. I almost never have an idea which requires certain ingredients that are out of season and stick with it, resorting to tasteless out of season ingredients.

There are also some staple items, such as our filet, lamb, and cooked seafood items whose starches and vegetables may change based on what the farmers have. In either case, if it is not fresh and tasty, then it doesn’t make it on the menu since I pretty much print the menu daily. Look for the date at the bottom of it.

How is it that you can provide so many different culinary choices?

Valencia is a very unique environment when it comes to dining. Maru relates best to those who are used to dining out on the Westside and moved up here because they wanted a house after getting married and having a baby. There are also those who have lived in the outskirts of LA all their lives and are meat and potatoes people. Then there are the strictly organic fanatics, and so on and so on. Anyway, we focus our attention to those who know quality and to foodies who travel to eat.

People who love sushi have access to not just the best fish and sushi chefs in town but we also make the best steak in town. Many other places claim to be the best, but no one is as fresh, and no one carries the fish from Japan like we do, nor is any other sushi chef more skilled than are part of the Maru team. If I am not picking a fight or challenging all the other restaurants out there, I don’t know what this is. Bring it on!

As far as what I put on the menu is concerned, I make what I love to eat. I don’t care much for chicken, except for fried chicken, and I hate sushi rolls. So if you notice, I don’t have much of those on the menu. What I do love is all sorts of proteins from eggs to lamb and vegetables. Most of my plates have some sort of vegetable component, not just for flavor, but also for health.

What you eat is what you are made out of, so health has a lot to do with diet. A good diet gives a person great amounts of energy and poor one leaves a person in a fog. Things like cancer, diabetes, hypertension, etc all have something to do with one’s diet. Want to be thinner and more fit? Change what you eat. Did you know I consume at least 4,000 calories a day with some days where I consume 6,000? It’s what you eat and how you eat it that makes one full of energy and not fat. And no, I don’t work out everyday and I don’t run an hour a day. I just run for about 30 minutes once a week and I try to lift weights twice a week, but I can go for weeks without doing any of it and I still don’t gain fat.

Some of the fare I had on Valentines Day included a Seared Diver’s Scallop with a squash tortellini and beet nage (romantic bright red colors!), Lamb confit with creme fraiche and a ginger-syrah sauce (my kid stole mine but I love your sauces!), Chashu men braised pork with ramen (the kid refused to share), Lobster and Tomato salad (how did you get such sweet tomatoes – another veggie my kids snagged off my plate!)…and then the Guava cheesecake lollipops? What were you thinking? I mean, are these recipes in your noggin or do you just come up with whatever you have the best ingredients for, taste test and improvise?

At this point, most everything just comes out of my head. I can visually see how much of a certain ingredient I need before I even start cooking and I can taste it. It’s just a matter of how close I get to what is in my brain when I start throwing everything together. I almost never get it without having to do some minor adjustment, but sometimes I get very very close and I don’t have to do much adjustment. There have been times, when I had to scrap something entirely and start over with a substitution, but not this Valentine’s Day.

Desserts are an exception. They are conceptual in my mind, but when it comes to execution, I have to go back through my recipes and adjust them. For instance, mixing fresh guava into my cheesecake recipe resulted in 2 batches that were for staff only. The third time was a charm and so we made a bigger batch based on that.

I don’t really have any more questions. But, the last one made me remember how attentive your staff was to detail. They were so solicitous of our every need. And, not to mention, they queried us on what we thought of each course. I knew that they “were in on it” and you had made them samples beforehand. There wasn’t anything you could have done any better.

I actually didn’t tell anyone who you were so they didn’t treat you any more special because of me, but what people don’t realize is that a pleasant person is treated the best in the restaurant. Mean people just get the bare minimum so they don’t create a scene.

My staff love the food, and what they had that day is not within their means so the excitement they conveyed during service is understandable and I appreciate that from them. We tasted the food as I was getting their approval on the wine and sake pairings that I thought would work. I had to change a few out but for the most part, I was on target.

I think a lot of people don’t understand why the food is good here. They just like it. My staff does things pretty much textbook, meaning no short cuts, take the time to do things right, cook things the proper way. They went through a lot of training to understand that. It takes a lot of time to do it that way. People can’t have good food microwave fast. It is mutually exclusive. Also, there are some things that we do not do here. The greatest example is steak. We cook steaks the proper way. If a culinary textbook says that medium-rare is best for a filet, then we will not do it med-well nor well. I have served my filet raw even but not med-well or well done. On the other hand, if a short rib is best well done and cooked another 3 hours, then I will not serve that medium-rare. Also tuna. It is not to be served beyond rare and it is best just seared. Because we know these things, that is how we do it. The text book way. The right way. The only way. It’s like a sommelier serving a Foley Claret with a nice bone in ribeye and a customer wants it a little colder so he asks the sommelier to put in an ice cube. Are you serious? Is there a right and a wrong? Yes there is. Not everything is subjective and the customer is not always right. They can think that they are, but that does not mean that it is truth. The truth is that some things are best a certain way.