New From Smith-Madrone

October 22, 2021 by evebushman

Earlier this year I reviewed the 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Riesling from Smith-Madrone. Eddie and I really liked the wines and my full three-bottle review is here if you would like to read it. To give you an idea of how much we appreciated these wines, here was my opening:

When was the last time you tried a new wine from Napa…but wait…let me re-phrase that: When was the last time you had a wine from Napa that you never had before, that has been around since the 1970s, and that you found to be damn good? Well I was what they say “today years old” when I had chance to review three new-to-me wines from Smith-Madrone…

Now it’s time to try the just-released 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon. I was really looking forward to sampling this new vintage, based on what I thought of the three I had already reviewed I hoped it would be just as great. I will share my tasting notes and then the notes from Smith-Madrone:

Eve’s Notes

Lovely bottle with a deep punt, the front label showing Estate Bottled, and the date they were established: 1971. Also made note of the 14.3% alcohol. Then I anxiously got down to the tasting. Noting the color first, it was opaque and reminded me of lush blackberries. After a few swirls I noted layers of blue and black fruit, dried cherries, forest floor, milk chocolate, toasted oak, spice tingling my nose and a very slight menthol/mint. Tasting the wine proved to be exactly what I was looking for: those same layers of both fresh and dried dark fruit, green peppercorns, followed by some spice – this time tingling my tongue – and a very long finish due to the drying tannins. Tried the wine again an hour later with food and it only improved. 94 Eve points indeed.

From Smith Madrone

Aromatically, the 2018 Smith-Madrone Cabernet Sauvignon fills your glass with a magic conjunction of red and black fruit, cedar, graphite and perhaps a hint of cinnamon and nutmeg.

The superb nose is followed by a palate sensation of impressive size, shape and amplitude. The wine is big and beautifully textured, but with such impeccable balance. The structure becomes a dimension in and of itself. The piercing, focused aroma leads to a solid core of dark Cabernet fruit. The wine is a veritable treasure trove of aroma and flavor; it finishes long and strong with moderate fine grain tannins that suggests a long and happy future.

It is often the case that the best older wines were once the best younger wines and we are betting our fifty years of experience that the 2018 Cabernet is further proof of the truth of this wise old adage.

WINE SPECS:

Vintage – 2018

Varietal – Cabernet Sauvignon

Appellation – Spring Mountain District

https://www.smithmadrone.com/

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.

Learning, Tasting and Joining: Vegas Drammers!

October 15, 2021 by evebushman

As we have been in Las Vegas a lot more these days I sought out all kinds of food and drinking establishments. Through my “research” I found the global Drammers club founded by Charlie Prince and their newly established Las Vegas Chapter run by Bob Brown. Eddie and I attended our first meeting at a strip location where we had more than enough brown and clear spirits to warrant a second meeting. Below is the second invitation to join the club, with liquor descriptions by Prince, shared with his permission and in italics are my notes:

Vegas Drammers!

We wanted to make sure everyone had seen that our next Drammers Las Vegas tasting will be Sunday, September 26th at 6:30pm. We’re coming hot off visits to both Scotland/Europe and to the Kentucky Bourbon Festival, so we’ve got a bunch of fun bottles in tow that you’re unlikely to get another chance to try! Drumroll please…

Very Old St Nick – Curia – Kentucky Bourbon Fest Exclusive. We’ll be coming to Seattle straight from the Kentucky Bourbon Fest, and we’ve got some fun bottles in tow to share. The team at Preservation (behind Very Old St Nick and Rare Perfection) released this bottle exclusively at the fest. It’s a bourbon bottled at 47.6% abv, and since it was released under the Very Olde St. Nick line, you know it’s not a young whiskey. I’ll try to find out more before we get there, but this is definitely a one-off-shot to pick this up. This was the first whiskey we tasted and was an immediate favorite for many of us. Charlie, along with his notes above, shared that this distiller was making wood-heavy bourbons before vodka took over in the U.S. The flavor was very popular in Japan before becoming well-liked again in the U.S. Aromas included sweet roasted and buttered corn, suede and no burn on the palate. Flavors like suede, toffee, corn nuts, creamy and smooth. Charlie said it had cherry cordial flavor and another bourbon lover noted fig.

Bardstown Bourbon Co. – Distillery Collection – Triple Stave Finish. Released to coincide with the Kentucky Bourbon Festival, this special release was only available at the distillery when we picked it up a few days ago and is almost certainly now sold out. It is a blend of straight whiskies finished with oak staves. 54.% abv. I asked Charlie about this bourbon, as I knew one of my favorite Napa wineries – Phifer Pavitt – collaborated on a bourbon with them. He said they do a lot of collaborations, using a barrel that held Phifer Pavitt Napa Cabernet Sauvignon being one of them. He hadn’t had the Phifer Pavitt collaboration but he had plenty of others, and that the distillery is “huge…well financed…(and) shockingly big like an Olympic swimming pool.” The one we tasted wasn’t a collaboration but instead they had incorporated a “Triple Stave Finish” instead. On the nose there was that cream, white pepper and a lot of vanilla bean and toasted oak. A new friend said she noted maple syrup and waffles, that we all had to agree with. That same maple syrup over waffles was also apparent in the taste with some burn, vanilla, walnut and Charlie noted sweet marmalade.

2 Expressions of Buzzard’s Roost Rye. Bourbon Bistro was arguably the first major whiskey bar in Louisville, a game changer that was way ahead of its time, and today it is rightly celebrated as one of the powerhouse drivers of bourbon culture in Kentucky. So it was particularly exciting to learn on our recent trip that they have launched their own line of whiskies – Buzzard’s Roost! We’ll be trying two of them this evening — a straight rye in a peated barrel (!), bottled at a delicious 52.5% abv (batch 1), and a barrel strength, also bottled at 52.5% abv (batch 2). These releases were limited to 800 and 1100 bottles respectively. We’ve tasted them, and we’re really excited about them. Charlie told a story about the Bourbon Bistro – a game-changing bar in Louisville with a secret menu of prohibition era whisky. Of course he got his hands on that menu, and spent about $1,000 that night enjoying drams from it. These ryes are a launch of their own whisky line. First came the barrel strength. My new whisky pal immediately noted that it was almost like a tawny port, I agreed. Aromas reminded me of sweet frozen vanilla custard, hazelnuts, a wood sauna; with flavors of sweet Kettle corn, caramel corn and a hint of banana. Next we sampled the rye finished in a peated smoked barrel – something none of us had heard of before. Peat bogs were not used, instead the rye was aged in a peated smoked barrel, giving it a more subtle peat flavor. Reminded me a bit of the Ardbeg An Oa. I noted salted nuts and smooth white chocolate on the nose; with a drop of water it became a very easy sipper, maybe a gateway for those new to peated whisky, lots of nuts and others noted flavors of gingerbread and that the peat in the nose came out after tasting it.

Mlody Ziemniak 2020 and The Barell Spirits Whiskey finished in a Pear Brandy Cask at 59.9$ abv, a Drammers Club pick. Whisky enthusiasts tend to be respectful of all other spirits categories except one — vodka. But these bottles might change your mind. The logic goes that by definition, the spirit needs to be tasteless and odorless, so what’s there to be proud of? The culprit here is that vodka is by definition distilled up to at least 96% alcohol, thereby eliminating a lot of the potential flavors. But what if you took the same distillate, and only distilled it once, stopping at 60% abv? And what if Poland’s most prestigious craft vodka distillery made a point to do it in a special limited edition series to highlight flavor differences among potato varietals? That’s exactly what Chopin did, and we were so blown away by the results, we flew to the distillery in Poland to do an event live with the founder, where our US members tried samples and voted to pick an exclusive batch for our club. That batch hasn’t arrived yet, but in the meantime, we’ve secured the very limited 2019 and 2020 special editions (From Eve: The 2019 was unavailable for this tasting) released under their “Mlody Ziemniak” (or “young potato”) line. These bottles can only be found in Poland currently, and in our opinion, they’re a game changer. Very anxious to cleanse my palate with a vodka, one where we could possibly taste the base potato spirit. Most of us didn’t care for this one much. On the Barell Spirits Whiskey Pear finish Charlie said that they make about 100 different weird finishes and this unaged version was finished in a pear brandy cask. Aromas reminded Eddie of bubble gum, while I noted dried berries, a boxload of Harry and David pears, flamed orange peel and fruitcake; with flavors of Triscuit crackers, hay, spam, Umami, and another person noted distinct “burnt popcorn”. This was not a favorite of the group.

Glenkinchie Distillery-Only Cask Strength Handfill. Diageo put a lot of money into revamping the visitor center at this Lowlands distillery just outside Edinburgh, and it opened in the middle of Covid, so that so far, they haven’t been able to welcome many visitors. If you haven’t heard of this distillery, it’s no surprise — over 90% of what they distill goes into the Johnnie Walker blends, so very little has been released under the “Glenkinchie” brand in the US, and of that virtually none of it is at cask strength, making this distillery only handfill bottle a particularly rare treat. Distilled in 2009, bottled in 2021, so approximately 11 years matured. I tried a small sip at the distillery, which was amazing, but otherwise haven’t really had a chance to try this yet. 55.2% Charlie said this was possibly 12 years old, hard to find, he picked up about 30 bottles just for his clubs. This was not the favorite in the line-up, but nothing wrong with it. While Charlie got notes of red apple cider, I noted toast, both sweet and spice notes, and a softness on the palate after adding some water.

Lagavulin Feis Ile Bottling 2020. About 10 of us had made plans to attend Feis Ile in 2020, and but for Covid, we just might have done it. If we had, the only way we would have had a shot at getting this bottle would have been if we’d camped out overnight at the distillery for Lagavulin’s big day. Instead, with the fest taking place virtually, we were able to pick up a bottle in their gift shop a couple weeks ago for us to taste! Bottle 1,924 of 6,000 bottles, it’s a vatting of 20yo refill and PX/Oloroso seasoned hogsheads personally selected by (then) distillery manager Colin Gordon and bottled at cask strength. Charlie said that before Covid maybe up to 3,000 people could score two bottles each of this whisky. This is a 13 year old. Found cream, grass, mushroom and umami notes on the nose, others also noted an earthy quality. The taste reminded me of olive brine and white pepper, another drammer noted Spanish olives.

That’s our lineup! And you never know with us, we might show up with a bonus surprise or two. We hope you can join us.

We’ll also provide yummy pizza as usual. A huge thank you to our Las Vegas chapter head Bob Brown for organizing!

Of course, we’re only getting started here in Las Vegas, and looking to continue to grow our chapter, so if you know anyone you think might be a good fit for the club, please feel free to invite them to join us…

Cheers,

Charlie Prince

President, Drammers Club

www.drammers.com

White Wine After Labor Day! A Round Up of Your Favorites!

October 8, 2021 by evebushman

There was a funny graphic on Facebook that I shared recently, about how it’s okay to have white wine after Labor Day. (Some crazy rule from the “Clothing Police” states we can’t wear white after Labor Day. So it’s a joke on that.) I used the graphic to get people’s attention and to ask what their favorite white wines have been so far this year. This is a roundup of their answers and a final one from me.

A few whites I have at home right now.

Sergio L: I enjoy the Koehler Reserve Chardonnay but the best? That’s hard. I’ve always loved the Rombauer Chardonnay. I know some think it’s a little too much but I love it.

Michelle T: Eek, I drink so little white wine that I can’t recall.

Karen B: Trimbach Riesling (Alsace) and White Burgundy. Grüner Veltliner for fall!

Michel D: Sauvignon Blanc – Ghost Block Morgan Lee Vineyard 2015, (and another is Sauvignon Blanc) Route Stock Napa 2015. Not a SB – my favorite is Pine Ridge Chenin Blanc Viognier fantastic.

PS: 2012 Pierres-Yves Colin-Morey Corton Charlemagne after 45 minute decant. Stunning.

Lynan Z: Quilt Chardonnay. And Cursive Chardonnay. I placed an order on Whole Foods and it popped up as available. Price point is excellent for every day. It works.

Donald S: ONX Wines Field Day is my go to white.

Jennifer M: Any white from Trisateum or Stoller!

Chris K: It would have to be that J Wilkes Pinot Blanc for a refreshing delicious anytime wine…

Briana O: I just had a St. Michael Eppan Pinot Blanc that was crisp, well balanced and summery. I’m trying to stretch out summer as long as I can.

Kristin S: Picpoul!

Shauna C: Pulchella Winery Latitude is my go-to white. (We also both enjoy their sparkling.)

Gerardo Z: Vinos Zanzonico 2020 Chardonnay.

Toni P: Eve, one of my favorite whites is Rodney Strong Chalk Hill Chardonnay Estate. Haven’t had it in a while, but no time like the present!

Benay L.: Yes! Brecon Albariño. It’s fantastic.

Betty S: Liquid Farm Four Chardonnay or their champagne.

Wayne L: Opolo Albariño frown in Edna Valley and Moon Vineyards Viognier from Manteca.

Michael H: Any number of white wines both commercial and from the home winery. Depends on Day, Dinner, and Company… Roussannes are serious enough whites for red wine enthusiasts. Orange-type whites with extended skin contacts are interesting challenges for food pairings. Bodega Paso Robles has a Granacha Blanc on the skins they’ve just released. Angeleno Wine Co usually has a white on the skins, the most recent one a Chardonnay.

Me: Like Michael H above I have a hard time only selecting a few specific white wines as there are there are so many good ones. Of the ones mentioned above I’m also a fan of white wines from our local Pulchella winery, J Wilkes Pinot Blanc made by winemaker Wes Hagen, the Trimbach Riesling and Chardonnay from Vinos Zanzonico delivered from Baja, California. Not a huge fan of overly-acidic or lemon-y Sauvignon Blanc, but been happy with one from Paso’s Justin recently and Entourage by Two Papas. An every day Chard we like is from J. Lohr, TW Ferm Chardonnay and a Hoyt Sparkling from our last Paso trip, Margerum white Rhone blends and all the whites made by Kunin that are both from Santa Barbara tasting rooms, Frank Family Chardonnay and Beringer’s Luminus label Napa Chard are currently in my cellar. We also like white Rhônes and white Bordeaux if we can get them conveniently. I’m absolutely positive that I haven’t remembered every white wine I’ve enjoyed lately, and for that I apologize to any winemaker reading this that did not see his winery listed!

Global Spirits Company Donates $500,000 to Support America’s White Oak Forests

October 6, 2021 by evebushman

WASHINGTON (PRWEB) – The White Oak Initiative, a diverse coalition of partners committed to the long-term sustainability of America’s white oak forests, today announced that it will receive a $500,000 donation from Beam Suntory’s Yamazaki brand as the company celebrates the limited release of Yamazaki 55, its 55-year-old Japanese single malt whisky.

The donation, which supports Beam Suntory’s Proof Positive sustainability strategy, represents $5,000 for every bottle of Yamazaki 55 sold this year and is meant to honor the forests that produced the casks in which components of this whisky were aged.

“Beam Suntory’s generous donation and partnership is a great example of the collaboration we are seeing in the spirits industry and across the board between end users of wood products and those that cultivate our forests,” said Melissa Moeller, director of the White Oak Initiative at the American Forest Foundation.

Founded by the University of Kentucky, the DendriFund and the American Forest Foundation, the White Oak Initiative has grown to a broad coalition between the spirits industry, conservation organizations, universities and forest products companies to ensure the long-term sustainability of America’s white oak forests. American white oak is a cornerstone tree species of the eastern United States, occupying more than 100 million acres of land. Not only vital for wildlife, white oak is the most commercially important timber oak, necessary for industries such as furniture, flooring, cabinetry, and wine and spirits. Without collective action now, the many benefits of these iconic trees could be lost to inadequate management, insects, disease and changing climate conditions.

“We support the White Oak Initiative because we are passionate about healthy forests and are committed to helping preserve the many benefits that American white oak forests provide,” Beam Suntory President & CEO Albert Baladi said. “Yamazaki 55 is an exceptional and unprecedented whisky that is carefully crafted at the Yamazaki Distillery, which is surrounded by nature and aged partially in American oak casks. We are proud to honor Suntory’s legacy, both as the pioneer of Japanese whisky and with our longstanding commitment of giving back to society.”

The $500,000 donation will support the White Oak Initiative’s work related to public education, technical assistance for foresters and loggers, testing and reporting, and on-the-ground activities such as improving forest management, site preparation work, and other important actions around white oak regeneration and sustainability.

About the White Oak Initiative
Founded in 2017 by the University of Kentucky, the DendriFund and the American Forest Foundation, the White Oak Initiative brings together industries, universities, state and federal agencies, private landowners, conservation organizations and trade associations that are committed to ensuring the long-term sustainability of America’s white oak forests as well as the economic, social and environmental benefits they provide.

About the American Forest Foundation
The American Forest Foundation is a national conservation organization that works with a broad coalition of partners to empower family forest owners to make a meaningful conservation impact around carbon sequestration, clean water, wildlife protection, wildfire reduction, sustainable wood supplies and support for rural economies. Because a large portion of America’s white oak is located on family-owned forestland, the American Forest Foundation has taken on a leadership role in the management and activities of the White Oak Initiative.

Sippd Introduces Hispanic and LatinX Wine Collection Featuring Traditional Food and Wine Pairings

October 2, 2021 by evebushman

WASHINGTON (PRWEB) – Sippd, the personal wine recommender and online marketplace, has released its “Celebrating Hispanic and LatinX Wines” curation, providing users with hyper-personalized wine pairing recommendations to traditional, cultural dishes.

In collaboration with Hispanics in Wine, an organization dedicated to showcasing Hispanic and Latinx roots in the beverage and hospitality industries, the “Celebrating Hispanic and LatinX Wines” curation allows users to browse through a list of 10 popular dishes and select the best wines for their palate with Sippd’s Taste Match technology. Featuring main plates and desserts like Choripan, Sancocho, and Churros, Sippd provides consumers with their individualized Taste Match scores to wines from countries like Chile, Argentina, and Spain.

“Hispanic Heritage Month is a time to celebrate history, culture, and progress toward a more equitable and inclusive society, and I’m proud to lead a diverse team of employees who believe representation matters,” says Blake Hershey, Co-Founder and CEO of Sippd. “As a permanent curated wine list on Sippd, users will be able to shop for wines that support Hispanic and Latinx wine professionals.”

Added as an expansion of its nationwide “Shop What Matters To You” collection that aims to elevate visibility for wineries and brands cultivating diversity, inclusion and sustainability, Sippd is making it easy for consumers to support and shop based on their palate and social values. Other shoppable social causes featured on Sippd’s “Shop What Matters To You” collection include Wineries For Animal Welfare, Black-Owned Wineries, Planet-Friendly Wines and COVID-19 Relief Wineries, which consumers can explore by downloading the free app here.

Along with the addition of the “Celebrating Hispanic and LatinX Culture curation,” Sippd has also updated its seasonal curation deck, aimed toward further simplifying consumer wine purchase decisions. The “I Just Love the Seasons: Fall Edition” deck features themes like “Tailgate Wines” to help users find a light red, white, or sparkling perfect for football season and “Beyond Napa Valley” to browse wines from cooler climate wine regions like Finger Lakes and Columbia Valley, ultimately making it even easier to find the best wines at any price point for the occasion.

To support and shop the featured causes, consumers can download the Sippd app, available for free on the Apple and Google Play stores, and scroll down to “Shop By What Matters to You” on the Home page.

About Sippd
Sippd empowers people to focus on enjoying their wine, not ordering it. Combining artificial intelligence and wine, Sippd helps wine lovers find and order wines that match their tastes. With our Taste Match capabilities, we’re able to provide you with personalized wine recommendations that continually evolves with your preferences, so you can effortlessly order the perfect bottle every time. Stop wasting your money on bottles you don’t like and instead, simplify and transform your online wine experience with Sippd, the AI-powered personal sommelier that knows your palate. Sippd’s free mobile app is available for download on the Apple store here and Google Play store here. For more information, visit sippd.com.

You can find us on:
» Instagram
» Facebook
» YouTube

Eve Reviews The Vice Wine Trio and The Tri Blend

October 1, 2021 by evebushman

Received some new-to-me Napa red wines for review, and the accompanying news release below. This “vice” wine sounded fun, as did sampling the trio of reds that go into their blend. Though these were unsolicited samples, aka free for review, I would buy any of these wines. My favorites were The Tri Blend and the Cabernet Franc, the St. Laurent was super interesting chilled, and the Malbec was pretty good too. (Note: I reviewed these over several days, therefore I did not try blending these on my own as suggested in the news release.)

2019 Saint Laurent, Single Vineyard

Unfamiliar with the St. Laurent grape I grabbed this from their website, “Meet ‘Majorelle,’ a highly chillable red wine made from rare, aromatic St. Laurent grapes. Delicate and intense, savory and smooth, it’s the ideal in-between bottle for late-summer afternoons and chilly fall evenings…” So, I took their recommendation and chilled the wine a bit before decanting for 30 minutes, and the wine was quite nice to have before dinner. Beautiful red cellophane color. A nose filled with cherry cola, blackberry, blueberry, plum, some red fruit, sweet pipe smoke, dusty. Tasted that same cherry cola as well as the red, blue and black fruits, well balanced with some slight tannins.

2018 Cabernet Franc, Oak Knoll District, single vineyard.

Cabernet Franc has been one of my favorite Bordeaux varietals for the past few years, so I chose this wine to open next. Greeted by lingering aromas of fresh black cherries, spicy plums, dark chocolate, cracked black pepper, toasted oak and cream just after opening. The dark fruit and spicy flavors on the nose transferred to the palate and were very appealing to me. I wanted the finish to go a little longer, but the spice tickled my tongue for a while as the tannins did their job gripping my tongue as well. Noticed the alcohol was 14.4 which accounted for some heat on the palate but no burn on the nose.

2019 Malbec, Oak Knoll District, Single Vineyard

We decanted this one as it was so young and I believe that, also with some additional swirling and time in our glass, it benefited the wine. Black cherry, cherry liqueur, dark and pungent, tri-color peppercorns, red earth and a wet forest floor all on the nose. Tasting the wine I noted that the spice danced on the palate, it was dry and dark but balanced, and was super yummy with our dinner of sous vide steak. 14.3 % alcohol.

2019 “The Tri Blend” Red Wine, Napa Valley

According to the informational postcard that came with the samples I followed their instructions and decanted for 30 minutes prior to serving. A very dark purple and opaque color, with notes of milk chocolate covered cherries, blackberry, crushed leaves, brambles, toasted nuts and pencil shavings on the nose. On the mouth there were hints of blue and black fruit together with peppery spices, mushrooms, tobacco and drying tannins that leaned into a long finish. Very pleasant.

Excerpts From News Release

The Vice Reveals the “The Tri” Tasting Kit

Deconstruct “The Tri” 2019 and Create Your Own Blend with The Vice’s Single-Varietal Napa Valley St. Laurent, Malbec and Cabernet Franc

The Vice Napa Valley Wines has revealed “The Tri” Tasting Kit, a unique tasting experience featuring “The Tri” 2019 and the single-varietal signature wines that are blended to create it: St. Laurent, “Majorelle” 2019; Malbec, Oak Knoll 2019 and Cabernet Franc, 2019.

A rare, complex blend, “The Tri”, named and inspired by founder/winemaker Malek Amrani’s passion for both wine and triathlon – is so much more than the sum of its parts. At once juicy and peppery, it’s an unlikely combination that simply just works, not unlike Amrani’s two greatest passions. In fact, the quantity of each grape in the blend – 18% Cabernet Franc, 52% St. Laurent and 30% Malbec – represents the 2016 Rio Olympics of swimming, running, and cycling time percentages of Olympic triathlete Joe Maloy. “The Tri” brings these stunning single-varietal Napa Valley wines together to create something completely different and uniquely stunning.

In partnership with the USA Triathlon Foundation, each purchase of “The Tri” Tasting Kit includes complimentary access to a series of live virtual tastings with Malek Amrani and Joe Maloy to provide a unique opportunity to deconstruct the blend, discover the process and experiment with blending yourself.

“The Tri” Tasting Kit – Napa Valley ($179.00/ 4 x 750ml bottles & tasting experience):

Tri Blend, 2019

St. Laurent, “Majorelle”, 2019

2019 Malbec, Oak Knoll District, 2019

Cabernet Franc, Los Carneros, 2019

Experience “The Tri” Tasting Kit with Malek Amrani and Joe Maloy during the event or save it for the perfect gift, tasting party or as your own foray into wine blending. A portion of proceeds are being donated to benefit the USA Triathlon Foundation.

Proceeds from each tasting kit will benefit the USA Triathlon Foundation, whose mission is to make the sport accessible to people of all backgrounds and abilities, so the pleasure of enjoying a glass of wine will contribute to someone’s healthy lifestyle, participation in sports, or even Olympic dreams.

About The Vice

The Vice is a Napa Valley luxury wine brand made in small batches. Each batch is crafted from single grape varietals sourced from hand selected vineyards that best express the grape varietal and the region that it comes from. The Vice is a result of passionate labor, sustainable farming, a long expertise of the wine industry and a current understanding of the consumer’s wine trend. The Vice is about as personal of a brand as it gets. Everything is done by the founders. We drive the truck to get our fruit, we crush, bottle, label; we do everything by hand when possible. We design the labels, work the market, and sell the wine. We believe that the best wines in the world aren’t the most expensive ones. We thrive at providing the best quality wine at the best value. For more information visit thevice.com and follow on @thevicewine.

Boulevardier or Negroni?

September 24, 2021 by evebushman

Have you had a Boulevardier or a Negroni before? Both have only three simple ingredients, and the only difference between the two is the base spirit – bourbon or rye in the former and gin in the latter. If you are a fan of either of these cocktails, or their base spirits, I think you would enjoy the other. First, a little bit of my experience of each:

The Negroni has been a favorite of mine for years. It is equal parts gin, Campari and sweet vermouth. I often make it up as an aperitif before dinner. I think the first time I had it might have been at Olive Terrace Bar and Grill when Jonathan Cross reigned supreme in the bar. If you are a gin fan and haven’t made it before I highly suggest that you give it a try.

I had my first Boulevardier at the High West Distillery in Salt Lake City, Utah, during a skiing trip with my family a few years ago. It came in a bottle, premade, and I liked it so much I bought a bottle to take home. Served it up to a few pals there, finished it and for some reason forgot about it and never had it again. I also never knew that the recipe was so simple.

Boulevardier recipe

Ingredients

1 ¼ ounces bourbon or rye (I used bourbon as I wanted it to be smoky and not too sweet. For a Negroni the only difference is that it would be made with one ounce gin instead of the rye or bourbon as mentioned above. Don’t use your most special bottle as it will be mostly drowned out by the other ingredients. And, one last thing, I’ve been known to go 1 ¼ of gin in my Negroni too.)
1 ounce Campari
1 ounce sweet vermouth
Garnish: orange twist

Steps

Add bourbon, Campari and sweet vermouth into a mixing glass with ice and stir until well-chilled.
Strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice.
Garnish with an orange twist.

The recipe above is from Liquor.com – click their name for more history on the drink. I added the section in parenthesis.

Both cocktails won’t kill any budget. I happen to always have Campari and sweet vermouth in my refrigerator (remember to keep them there once opened) making it easy to put together when you feel like it. Now that I’ve made the Boulevardier, I like the idea of having either as an aperitif. Both have a nice bitter and sweet taste, and if I begin my night with the Boulevardier, I will enjoy a brown spirit on the rocks after dinner. If I begin with the Negroni I usually have a nice gin on the rocks with a little Vermouth or Lillet Blanc after dinner.

Which will you try?

Your Favorite Celebrity-Backed Booze

September 17, 2021 by evebushman

A high school friend of mine, Don Sniffen, recently shared a screenshot from the news on television, showing the top brands of celebrity-endorsed liquor. Got me to thinking that though I don’t buy things just because a celebrity tags their name to it, I have noticed over the years that celebrities can get attention to certain worthwhile causes when they associate with it. Thinking mostly of Princess Diana and how she walked through a minefield decades ago, in the hopes of raising awareness and hopefully banning the practice of hidden bombs.

Okay, well celebrity-endorsed liquor is nothing like that. But it works the same way: a celebrity raises awareness of a brand by attaching their name to it. So, I took to social media to ask the question, “What are your favorite celebrity booze brands?” Some of the answers surprised me, and I may be making some additions to my liquor cabinet based on them. Here they are:

Marleen R: I have Aviation before I even knew it was Ryan’s (Reynolds). It’s delicious!! There’s Teremana by Dwayne Johnson I was curious about, but I don’t drink straight tequila.

Laura G: Brothers Bond Bourbon.

Paul O: Sam Heughan Sassenach Whiskey. You have to order it online from Reserve Bar. Sign up for their mailing list. sassenachspirits.com

Dorothy D: Fuzzy’s Vodka, Fuzzy Zoeller the golf pro.

Michael F: Casamigos Blanca…BEFORE it was bought by Diageo! Sammy’s Beach Rum, white and macadamia infused are great for mixers. Ciroc Vodkas, several, for mixers. (It’s actually won a few blind tastings against other premium labels.) Blue Chair Coconut Rum. Robert Cavalli Vodka is very clean, multi distilled.

Karen B: Mod Rosé Champagne – Drake.

Veronica T: Miraval Rosé – Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie.

Jacklyn B: Redneck Riviera whiskey from John Rich.

Pattie W: I like Kenny Cheney’s rums.

Tamar H: Sagamore Spirit Rye. By the owner of Under Armour. It’s my husband’s favorite.

Philip H: George Clooney for Casamigos Tequila.

And from the Nightclub and Bar Show: There’s a certain Texan that works with Long Branch Bourbon. (Looked that up, it’s Matthew McConaughey!)

What We Saw + Tasted at Pizza Expo 2021

September 10, 2021 by evebushman

The Pizza Expo is an event for pizzeria owners, some just starting out and some that have decades of experience, that all come to the Expo for the latest information on everything related to pizza. It’s held at the Las Vegas convention center annually. While we limited our day’s visit to the Expo floor many of the attendees attended four days of seminars for education and demonstrations on everything from employee retention to the newest products.

Photo credit: Ed Bushman

Marketing, the perfect pizza, top trends, menu development, pizza crust boot camp, what customers want in the pandemic, logistics of offering multiple pizza styles, fighting complacency, understanding cheese prices, working with family, using video to grow, cleaning procedures, building a beverage program, the pizza box, history, delivery and carryout – were just a few of the seminar topics. Speakers included pizza restaurant owners, consultants, business experts and culinary schoolteachers.

In the magazine program there were two pages of new products being shown at the Expo, a page of new exhibitors, and the alphabetical listing of all of the exhibitors was at least eight pages long. A category listing, again multi-pages, makes it easier to locate the vendor that sells what you may be looking for. These are just some of the categories: advertising, artichokes, automated systems, banners, bar equipment, beef toppings, bread, calamari, cannoli, cash systems, cheese alternatives, condiments, consultants, chicken wings, coffee, cookware, dinnerware, cutlery, cups, delivery bags, dough proofers, entertainment, flour, frozen products, Italian food and drink, marinades, meat alternatives, menu boards, mixers, oils, olives, onions, ovens, peppers, Philadelphia steaks, pizza cutters, pasta, non-meat pizza toppings, promotional items, barbeque sauce, hot sauce, salami, sandwiches, salad, tomato sauce, seafood, security equipment, slicers and dicers, table tents, soups and stews, tomatoes, vegetables and web development.

From my social media, “So much to see, learn and taste at yesterday’s Pizza Expo! From the grids you can see some of our favorites that included Dole for pineapple on pizza, Nutella for dessert, Eau Galle Cheese is so tasty, Vero Gelato for something cool, Bel Gioioso Cheese has always been a favorite of mine, Tomate San Marzano tastes so fresh I can’t believe it’s canned, Turano Bread is yum-worthy, Killer Brownie looked amazing, Bill’s Lemonade really is so good frozen, Peroni beer had a popular booth, Fire Within Pizza ovens look like something a firefighter would definitely want, Melinda’s Foods hot sauce for pizza, and Ooni Pizza Ovens for pizza at home! (Click this to see three photo grids. Photo credits: Ed Bushman.)

Pizzeria Industry 2019 Trends (From Pizza Today website)

If you want to get an idea of how much the pizzeria industry has changed, find a beautiful photo of pizza today and compare it to a comparable shot 6 – 8 years ago. Pizza is maturing as a cuisine.

Some of the key trends to watch for:

1. Third-party delivery seems to be an answer to many owners delivery problems, Grub Hub, Lyft, Uber and Amazon are all in the food delivery business. The key is agreeing to a contract that benefits both the pizzeria and the delivery service.

2. Online ordering and smartphone appsare critical revenue-generating tools for pizzeria chains and growing in popularity amongst independent operators as well.

3. The introduction of regional styleshas dominated the scene for the last three years. Where there was one style of pizza in most pizzerias, the current trend is to add an additional style or two. Pan pizzas, such as Detroit, Grandma and Roman seem to be the most popular right now.

4. Dome-top ovensdefinitely have the “look” pizzerias are searching for, traditionally fired with coal and wood, BUT gas and electric fired ovens are regaining popularity.

5. The use of Mobile pizzerias is growingfaster than we expected! Food trucks and trailers continue to become more advanced and efficient. Today they’re attracting not only weekend pizzaiolos, but many brick and mortar pizzeria owners are seeing the benefits to adding a mobile unit to their business.

6. Gluten Free pizzais here to stay. Flour millers now have GF flours that would satisfy even the most knowledgeable consumers.

As the industry’s leading source of Pizzeria Business Information, Pizza Today & International Pizza Expo look to accomplish two primary goals:

To increase the success rate of independent and multi-unit pizzerias over and above any other type of food service operation.
To maximize the efficiency and effectiveness of pizzeria industry suppliers’ marketing & advertising budgets through the use of Pizza Today, Pizza Expo and our other related services

Those have been our primary goals for the last 38 years and they’ll continue to be for at least another 38 years!

Hot 100 Independents by the Numbers

17% have a buffet
34% offer take-n-bake
49% sell spirits
49% offer online ordering
50% sell slices
63% serve pasta
74% have a gluten-friendly menu
75% cater events
77% serve beer
79% serve wine
81% serve sandwiches
89% serve appetizers
97% serve salad
99% use a POS system

Website: https://www.pizzaexpo.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PizzaExpo

Twitter: https://twitter.com/PizzaExpo

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pizzaexpo/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/PizzaTodayMagazine

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.

“Experience Summer at the Pace of Portalegre, Portugal” via a 2019 Quinta da Fonte Souto Branco

September 9, 2021 by evebushman

During this long summertime period the weight of the heat can be lifted…when I get a new-to-me wine for review. This time it’s a 2019 Quinta da Fonte Souto Branco, DOC Alentejo, Portalegre. Before I opened the bottle to make my tasting notes I learned (see “more information” below) that the word fonte means water and the other word foreign to me, souto, means chestnut grove. Wine made with water from a chestnut grove sounded just perfect to me. Also learned that this the grape, Arinto, a popular variety in Portugal, was blended with 25% Verdelho grapes to make this wine.

My Notes

Pretty light yellow with just the slightest tinge of shiny green grass in color, then came aromas that included sweet pineapple, green apple, cream, toast and a little ash – really different than what I’ve noted in any other white, must be the Arinto grape I’m unfamiliar with. On the taste, I noted crisp lemon-lime, lemon pith, tart apple, pineapple again and the fruit holding on for a long satisfying finish. There was a mild acidity, that also contributed to the finish, but it was the citrus – notably the lime and lemon – that really gripped the front of my palate. We enjoyed this wine with a Chicken Fettucine Alfredo, as I thought the crispness of the wine would serve to both cut through and complement the rich creamy sauce. And it did.

More Information

…experience the best of Portalegre in the Alentejo region of Portugal through Symington Family Estates’ expertly balanced offering. Hailing from a place where water “fonte” flows freely and the vineyards are touched by a sprawling “souto”, or chestnut grove, the 2019 Quinta da Fonte Souto Branco, DOC Alentejo, Portalegre (SRP $25) is a crisp white wine from Symington Family Estates’ foray in Southern Portugal.

…(this is) a white wine that truly embodies all the strengths of the estate’s unique terroir, like the freshness and balance afforded by the vineyard’s altitude of 1,640 feet and the concentration of flavor derived from mature, low-yielding vines which are nestled in schist and granite soils. In Portalegre, the 2019 vintage saw a dry and mild agricultural year, with shifts in diurnal temperatures in the hotter months resulting in even progression of maturity along with desirable preservation of acidity in the grapes.

The wine is a wonderful expression of the Arinto variety, which is widely regarded as Portugal’s finest white grape, and is accompanied by 25% of Verdelho. The grapes were handpicked and de-stemmed followed by a gentle crushing and then briefly fermented in stainless steel before aging in a combination of new French and central European oak. The result is a golden wine with aromas of subtle, smoky toast and hints of vanilla, floral, honeysuckle, and a touch of grapefruit. The palate gives way to a welcoming creamy texture, punctuated by hints of lichee, yellow plum, tea, and white pepper.