Picture this if you will: a 3 milliliter bottle sealed with wax, with a miniscule label that I have to use a magnifying glass on to read “Grain Whisky, Scotland”, and the only other identifying marking is a small group of letters and numbers. That’s all I get in playing my new favorite blind tasting…
ENGLEWOOD, Ohio – The American Wine Society brings a world of wine to Costa Mesa, Calif. for its 49th annual national conference Nov. 3-5. The nation’s oldest and largest organization of wine consumers released the agenda for the conference, which includes 49 sessions presented by internationally-known leaders such as Peter Mondavi, Jr. of Charles Krug…
A few weeks ago I teased Beacon readers about the new Scotch tasting club membership that I purchased for my husband, Eddie, for his birthday from ForScotchLovers.com. Well, five wax-sealed sample bottles arrived, along with the proper nosing glass, and we were off! Our first allocation, as there would be several more in the upcoming…
I met Oscar when he offered his bartending talents to benefit the recent Speed Rack competition in LA (Here is the link for that article and a 9 second video of Oscar!) and I noticed him for several reasons. First, he seemed to be the only male bartender shaking up drinks in a pink bandana…
On Monday, June 6, Wines of Portugal is hosting a Perfect Portuguese Pairings Duo Chef Luncheon, hosted by Master Sommelier Evan Goldstein and featuring dishes from République’s Chef Walter Manzke and Portuguese Chef Telmo Faria. We will be pairing 3 flights of wines with both an American-rooted dish and Portuguese-inspired dish with Wines of Portugal’s US Ambassador, Eugenio Jardim, speaking on behalf of the wines. Wow, that invite above sure got my attention….
Getting caught up on unsolicited (wines sent that I didn’t expect) and solicited (new friends that have the gift – of wine) produced this hodgepodge of tasting notes: Hawk and Horse http://www.hawkandhorsevineyards.com 2007 Red Hills Lake County Cabernet Sauvignon 14.1% alcohol The color was a clear, beautiful ruby with slight tawny edge in one ounce…
There are a few events that I try to go to every year. The annual Family Winemakers of California event is one of those. I’ve written extensively in the past about the important work this organization does for the wine industry as an advocate for wineries and ultimately benefiting the consumer. The organization has been…
Novelist and column writer Auberon Waugh (1939-2001) wrote a wine book in 1986, that albeit is very dated when it comes to specific wine reviews, shows great wit. I found this interesting as my wit has all been drained from me after completing the Wine & Spirit’s Education Trust Level 2 course, that trains sommeliers…
The last time I co-chaired a big wine event, Pour Into Haiti with Roman Weiser and David Schutz, I counted on these two very capable men to harness the winery help while I could focus on being the social networking butterfly. With the Circle of Hope (COH) taking over the Betty Ferguson Foundation’s Vine 2…
What is making the tenth Vine 2 Wine the new CLASSIC? It’s not classic because it’s a decade old, it’s now the CLASSIC because the wine chair, from the former SCV Wine Classic, Jeff Jacobson, has joined Circle of Hope’s event committee. Within a matter of weeks Jeff has gone from a half a dozen…