Eve's Wine 101

Milam and Greene Whiskey Wins Double Gold

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BLANCO, TEXAS (PRWEB) – Milam & Greene Whiskey was recognized as a producer of the finest whiskies in the world with two Double Gold medals bestowed by the prestigious San Francisco World Spirits Competition. Milam & Greene Straight Rye Whiskey Finished in Port Wine Casks won a Double Gold in its first year on the market, and Ben Milam Barrel Proof Straight Bourbon has been recognized with a Gold or Double Gold medal for three years in a row.

e 20th annual San Francisco World Spirits Competition is the world’s largest competition of its kind, with almost 3,000 entries and judges from all over the world. The 51 judges of the 2020 Competition are well known spirits-industry experts who evaluate entries in blind tasting formats. The Double Gold designation is awarded when every judge on the panel declares the entry as a Gold Medal winner. Only a very select few of the finest products in the world ever earn this recognition.

“The San Francisco World Spirits Competition is considered to be the most influential spirits competition in the world and is a clear endorsement for whiskey drinkers to know that our bourbon and rye are among the best on the shelves today,” says Heather Greene, CEO and master blender of Provision Spirits, makers of Milam & Greene Whiskey and Ben Milam Whiskey. “We believe that our combined 58-years of whiskey-making among us and innovative approach in the independent whiskey space creates some of the finest American Whiskeys available.”

The Milam & Greene Whiskey team distills both in their hometown of Blanco, Texas and in master distiller Marlene Holmes’s home state of Kentucky. Milam & Greene Whiskey casks, grains and people come from all over America. In addition to distilling on-site and off site, the team blends, batches, sources, finishes, and hand-bottles. In 2020, the team will be sending casks to various parts of the US to study the effects of U.S. geography on whiskey. The team plans to sell its award-winning bottles across the nation in the coming months.

“We think of Milam and Greene as a truly American Whiskey experience strengthened by our renegade Texas heart,” says master distiller, Marlene Holmes.

The Blanco, Texas based Milam & Greene Whiskey distillery has currently turned its attention to the community during the COVID-19 pandemic by producing hand sanitizer for the healthcare community and first responders. In addition, it is supporting local charities and providing assistance to service industry employees directly impacted by the closure of bars and restaurants.

About the Whiskies

  • Milam & Greene Port Finished Straight Rye Whiskey is a gorgeous ruby colored whiskey with luscious aromas of cinnamon, chocolate, and dark fruits such as black currants and blackberries. Robust flavors are carried in a rich, velvety whiskey with a long warm finish. Casks are brought from Indiana to Texas where they are first batched in the Blanco rickhouse and then finished in old Port wine casks from Portugal. The casks are meticulously curated, vatted for consistency, and monitored for flavor. The Texan sun and varied humidity levels influence the rate and strength of flavor imparted into the 94-proof whiskey, making this a tricky whiskey to produce.
  • The Ben Milam Barrel Proof Straight Bourbon is an expertly batched combination of aged Tennessee whiskeys that sparkle with notes of toffee, candied nuts, oak, and baking spices. It is a rich and complex Bourbon bottled at cask strength, 114.6 proof, allowing whiskey fans an opportunity to play with water and ice to find the perfect balance for their palates.

Pricing and Availability
Milam & Greene Whiskey is soon to be distributed nationally and is currently distributed statewide in Texas at the finest liquor stores and at the distillery itself. Milam & Greene Straight Rye Whiskey Finished in Port Wine Casks retails for a suggested retail price of $47.99, while the Ben Milam Barrel Proof Straight Bourbon is available for a suggested retail price of $79.99. Find the nearest retailer with https://milamandgreenewhiskey.com/find-our-whiskies/.

About Provision Spirits
Provisions Spirits was founded in 2017 and produces both the flagship brand of Milam & Greene Whiskey and Ben Milam Whiskey. The distillery is led by an all-star team of whiskey experts with more than 58 years of American whiskey making experience including CEO, partner and master blender, Heather Greene, veteran Kentucky master distiller Marlene Holmes and chief brewer Jordan Osborne. Provision Spirits Milam & Greene is named for the partnership formed between Texas entrepreneur Marsha Milam and whiskey expert Heather Greene. Provision Spirits believes brilliance in independent whiskey making requires the integration of the highest quality distilling, aging, blending, batching, proofing, sourcing, finishing and bottling practices to achieve complexity and balance to please the most demanding palate. For more information visit: http://www.milamandgreenewhiskey.com.

James Beard Foundation Now Accepting Scholarship Applications for 2020-2021 Academic Year

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NEW YORK (PRWEB) – Now more than ever, we are reminded of the essential role that the food and beverage industry plays in our everyday lives and the value of shared experiences around a table. In keeping with its mission to nurture chefs and other leaders contributing to American food culture, the James Beard Foundation announced its 2020-2021 Scholarship Program application period for aspiring and established culinary professionals.

As of 2019, the Foundation had awarded nearly $8 million in financial aid to over 2,000 recipients and will award nearly $650,000 in 2020.

While eligibility requirements vary by opportunity, in general, applicants must be enrolled or planning to enroll in a culinary program at a licensed or accredited culinary school, hospitality institution, college, or university in fall 2020. International students may qualify for many of the scholarships and are encouraged to apply.

“Since the inception of our scholarship program in 1991, the range of food-related disciplines and educational opportunities has expanded greatly,” said Clare Reichenbach, chief executive officer of the James Beard Foundation. “With a number of scholarships, tuition waivers, and grants available this year, we are proud to support the ever-increasing interests of the next generation of culinary leaders.”

In response to the impact the COVID-19 pandemic, the Foundation also recently established the Food and Beverage Industry Relief Fundto provide critical financial assistance in the form of micro-grants to independent food and beverage businesses in need.

The scholarship program is administered by International Scholarship and Tuition Services, Inc. (ISTS), an independent company that specializes in managing sponsored educational assistance programs. ISTS hosts the online application process, selects recipients and disburses awards. For more information about the program and to begin the application process, visit jamesbeard.org/scholarships. The deadline to apply is June 11, 2020.

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About The James Beard Foundation
The James Beard Foundation promotes good food for good™. For more than 30 years, the James Beard Foundation has highlighted the centrality of food culture in our daily lives. Through the James Beard Awards, unique dining experiences at the James Beard House and around the country, scholarships, hands-on learning, and a variety of industry programs that educate and empower leaders in our community, the Foundation has built a platform for chefs and asserted the power of gastronomy to drive behavior, culture, and policy change around food. To that end, the Foundation has also created signature impact-oriented initiatives that include our Women’s Leadership Programs aimed at addressing the gender imbalance in the culinary industry; advocacy training through our Chefs Boot Camp for Policy and Change; and the James Beard Foundation Leadership Awards that shine a spotlight on successful change makers. The organization is committed to giving chefs and their colleagues a voice and the tools they need to make the world more sustainable, equitable, and delicious for everyone. For more information, subscribe to the digital newsletter Beard Bites and follow @beardfoundation on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

The James Beard Foundation is a national not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization based in New York City.

Vintage Eve 3/2017: Idaho Wine Country and the Wine-Y Women

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I studied just a half page on the wines of Idaho when I was preparing to be tested (and pass) my American Wine Specialist® Certification course last year. Frankly, I was pretty intrigued by all of the U.S. states that found a way to make wine that fit their location, climate and soil conditions.

But I  didn’t expect to receive an entire case of wine from Idaho to taste and review. To do that, in a timely manner, I called in the “Big Guns” to help me: The Wine-y Women Unwind meet-up group led by Kathy Lockhart. Within three hours of her announcement, of a guided tasting and lesson for free (the wine was free, so it wouldn’t be right to charge for the tasting) our class was booked. The only thing we asked the 20 ladies in attendance to do was to bring a dish to share, and be prepared to take notes on aroma and flavor, with some help from me, so I could write up this article as a “collective tasting.” 

Idaho Tasting Notes

(The first three or so descriptors in both aroma and flavor are mine, additional descriptors are notes from the Winey Women, overall favorites also noted.)

  1. Cinder Small Lot Series Sauvignon Blanc, 2014

Aromas: Dried pineapple, honeydew melon, apricot, peach, Meyer lemon, green Granny Smith apple, grapefruit, pear, pepper, stone.

Flavors: The same flavors we found in the aromas also presented in the palate as well as black and white pepper and oak.

 

  1. Fujishin Family Cellars Reserve Viognier, 2015

Aromas: Fruit cocktail, pear, tangerine, apple, floral, vanilla, strawberry, kiwi, passion fruit, almond, eucalyptus and lychee.

Flavors: Lavender, same fruit again as we found on the nose, as well as lavender, lemon, and cloves, with a back palate that was slightly bitter and earthy.

 

  1. Hat Ranch Winery Dry Moscato, 2015

Aromas: Honeysuckle, Meyer lemon, kiwi, orange, tropical fruit, melon, lavender soap, grapefruit, cinnamon, yeast.

Flavors: Lemon twist, limeade, grapefruit, shorter finish.

 

  1. Clearwater Canyon Cellars Estate Syrah, 2014 (Favorite #1)

Aromas: Blue to black fruit, raspberry, milk and dark chocolate, black pepper, dark cherry, prune, cigar, oak.

Flavors: Spicy, jam on toast, cherry, plum, coffee, raisins, chocolate, cedar, black pepper, juniper, ginger.

 

  1. Crossings Winery Cabernet Franc, 2012

Aromas: Pinot Noir like, with tart cherry, teriyaki beef jerky, smoke, marshmallow, prune.

Flavors: Tart bright cherries, strawberry, spice, meaty, slightly sweet, leather, pepper, oak.

 

  1. Sawtooth Estate Winery Trout Trilogy Carmenere, 2013

Aromas: Luxardo cherry, mint, plum, vanilla, white pepper, blackberry, black cherry, raisin, cinnamon, artichoke, leather, earth.

Flavors: Big, spicy, red fruit, plum, blackberry, spice, vanilla, pepper, cedar, earthy, dry.

 

  1. Bitner Vineyards Tempranillo, 2013 (Favorite #2)

Aromas: Chocolate covered cherries, blackberry, raisin, rose petals, perfumy, oak.

Flavors: Bright to dusty fruit, spice, cherry, cloves, cardamom, dried fruit, long finish.

 

  1. Huston Vineyards Malbec, 2014

Aromas: Tobacco, black licorice, dried blueberry, blackberry, fig, suede, mushroom, wet earth.

Flavors: Lingering blueberry, blackberry, black pepper, jam, chocolate, leather, wet earth, woody, licorice, tannic.

 

  1. Ste. Chapelle Panoramic Series Petit Verdot, 2012

Aromas: Dusty chocolate, blueberry, black cherry, white pepper, plum, prune, toasted marshmallow, black currant, spice, cream, oak, violet, mint.

Flavors: Dry fruit, raspberry, raisin, plum, black currant, cinnamon, vanilla, chocolate, vanilla, pepper, almond, marshmallow, tannic.

 

  1. Williamson Orchards & Vineyards Sangiovese, 2012

Aromas: Raspberry, cherry, fig, vanilla, tobacco leaves, cinnamon, caramel, rosemary, fig, sweet.

Flavors: Dried fruit, red currant, spicy, pepper, musty, earthy, sweet tobacco, nutmeg cinnamon, perfumy, nuts, mint, dry.

 

  1. Indian Creek White Riesling, 2015

Aromas: Pears in syrup, pineapple, orange blossom, tropical fruit, peach, apricot, lime, ginger, hibiscus, white pepper, honey, rose petals, steely and wet stones.

Flavors: Lemon hard candy, kiwi, pineapple, pear, honey, syrup, sweet strawberry, orange, almond.

 

  1. Koenig Vineyards Botrytis Single Berry Select Late Harvest Riesling, 2014 (Favorite #3)

Aromas: Apricot, sweet pink grapefruit, pear, mango, passion fruit, honey, floral, vanilla.

Flavors: Viscous, peach, pear, apricot, orange, marmalade, caramel, jam, freshly cut hay.

 

From The Idaho Wine Commission

Rich, fertile volcanic soils. Abundant sun and water. High-elevation vineyards. An ideal climate, with winter dormancy and a warm growing season. Idaho wineries benefit from all of these natural advantages and more. Simply put, Idaho is a great place to make wine.

Oregon and Washington welcomed Idaho to the Northwest wine party in 2007, when the Snake River Valley became Idaho’s first American Viticultural Area. Idaho winemakers have a blank slate, in an absolutely gorgeous corner of the Northwest, that’s more affordable than other territories. Idaho is like Oregon was 20 years ago: as-yet undiscovered and finding its way. The market isn’t crowded, and it’s delightfully unrestrained by convention.

This leaves Idaho winemakers free to focus on their own private journey and simply make the best wine they can without worrying about it having to meet a particular flavor profile. They can make obscure varieties of wine that people will take to fast if done well.

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.

Vinexpo New York creates advisory board to support strategic vision

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NEW YORK – As plans ramp up for its third annual show, Vinexpo New York has assembled an Advisory Board of 11 U.S.-based wine and spirits industry leaders to help guide its future path. The show, which has quickly established itself as the leading international exhibition for wine and spirits professionals in North America, returns to Jacob K. Javits Convention Center March 2-3, 2020.

With the help of the Advisory Board, which comprises both past exhibitors and attendees of Vinexpo New York, show organizers are creating a strategic vision that will maximize the show’s value to North American wine and spirits professionals. The board will lend its collective expertise and contribute to the planning and growth of the show.

The inaugural members of the Vinexpo New York Advisory Board include:

·       John Beaudette, President & Founder, MHW Ltd. With more than 35 years of industry experience, Beaudette founded MHW, a national beverage alcohol import, distribution and service company, in 1995. He is a board member and former chair of The National Association of Beverage Importers Inc., sits on the board of The Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, and is a frequent speaker and lecturer at wine and spirits industry events.

·       Cheryl Murphy Durzy, CEO, LibDib. After managing wholesale sales for her family’s 80,000-case winey for more than 17 years, Durzy launched LibDib in 2016 as the first alcohol distributor and technology company to offer a three-tier compliant web-based platform. She sits on several boards, including the California Sustainable Wine Association and Free the Grapes.

·       Valerie Gerard-Masuura, VP Operations, Sopexa U.S.A. Backed by 20 years of experience, the past 10 in the U.S., Gerard-Masuura plans integrated programs promoting the products of European wine and food regions and appellations through consumer and trade activations. The French native has earned the Chevalier du Merite Agricole award for outstanding contribution to agriculture by the French Ministry of Agriculture and has been inducted into the Confrérie du Jambon de Bayonne.

·       Monique Huston, Vice President Wholesale Spirits, Winebow. Huston launched her spirits career more than two decades ago at Omaha, Nebraska’s Dundee Dell, one of the world’s largest whisky and spirits collections. She joined The Winebow Group in 2015 and rose to her current position in 2017. Huston has been featured in Whisky Advocate, Forbes and the Wall Street Journal.

·       Helen Mackey, Vice President of Enterprise Beverage Strategy & Innovation, Darden Restaurants. A 20-year industry veteran, Mackey leads beverage strategy and innovation for wine, spirits and beer for each of the Darden concepts including Capital Grille, Eddie Vs, Seasons 52, Olive Garden, Longhorn Steak House, Yard House, Bahama Breeze and Cheddars Scratch Kitchen. A frequent lecturer, she is a Wine Spectator panel expert on the U.S. wine market and alcohol trends, and was named Wine Enthusiast’s 2016 Wine Director of the Year.

·       Vela McClam Mitchell Thomas, Chief Executive Officer, Lemae Group Wines. Thomas and her late husband founded Lemae Group Wines, a wine importing company headquartered in Atlanta, in 1999. The couple’s original mission was to bring the fine wines of Portugal to the U.S. It has since expanded to include wines from estate vineyards in France, Italy and Spain as well. Thomas has led the company for the past 10 years.

·       Steve Melchiskey, Managing Member, USA Wine West. Since working the grape harvest in the Rhinegau in 1976, Melchiskey has built an illustrious career in the wine industry. He founded USA Wine West in 1996 and is also owner/winemaker at Maine Coast Vineyards and a licensed attorney specializing in wine law. Melchiskey currently advises wine portfolios in developing their U.S. distribution and marketing strategies.

·       Brandy Rand, Chief Operating Officer, Americas, IWSR Drinks Market Analysis. Rand oversees demand generation and strategy for North America, Canada and the Caribbean for IWSR, the leading source of global beverage alcohol data and trends. She brings to her position 18 years of prior management experience in the industry, including Allied Domecq Spirts & Wines, William Grant & Sons, and Bacardi Limited. She also ran her own brand-building practice for many years, consulting for Anheuser-Busch, Beam Suntory and other brands.

·       Brian Rosen, President, BevStrat. A leading authority in the three-tier system, retail off premise, marketing, and go-to-market strategy for the adult beverage space, Rosen has more than 30 years of industry experience. Since 2007 he has led BevStrat, America’s leading brand sales and marketing arm for brands under 100,000 cases in market. Rosen is also vice president, global brand development at MHW Ltd.

·       Manilay Saito, Senior Manager North America—Wine, Beer & Spirits, Business France. Saito brings 15 years of industry experience in Japan and the U.S. to Business France, the French Trade Commission in North America. Since assuming her current role in 2013, she has served as a liaison between North American industry professionals and French producers, supervising a diverse team across the U.S. and Canada.

·       Aaron Sherman, Chief Executive Officer, SevenFifty. Sherman co-founded SevenFifty, an online platform for the beverage alcohol trade, in 2012. He brings to his role more than a decade of industry experience in a range of capacities, from sommelier at leading New York restaurants like WD-50 and L’Artusi to beverage director at SLS Hotel in Los Angeles. As CEO, Sherman oversees SevenFifty’s overall company vision and growth.

For more information on Vinexpo New York, or to register to attend, visit https://www.vinexponewyork.com/.

About Vinexpo

Since its establishment in Bordeaux in 1981, on the initiative of Bordeaux Gironde’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Vinexpo has been a leading organizer of events for the wine and spirits industry. In 37 years, Vinexpo has developed a unique understanding of the market and an extensive network of key distributors around the World. The brand currently runs exhibitions in four set locations (Bordeaux, Hong Kong, New York and soon Paris), and the touring event Vinexpo Explorer. The Group also publishes every year the Vinexpo/IWSR Report, which is the most comprehensive survey of the global consumption of wine and spirits. For more information, visit www.vinexpo.com. Join Vinexpo on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube and LinkedIn 

500+ Wineries Add Augmented Reality to Labels en Masse

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GEELONG WEST, Australia /PRNewswire/ — Augmented reality and artificial intelligence are propelling more than 500 wineries across the globe into futuristic marketing that cleverly connects wine-labels with millennial wine-lovers.
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Winerytale is a groundbreaking app and platform that lets every winery and wine producer create, manage and market an augmented reality experience for their own labels via a smartphone app.

See AR wine demonstration video

App creator and Winerytale founder Dave Chaffey said 524 wineries from across the world were already part of the trial and accessing the marketing potential of a marriage of artificial intelligence and augmented reality.

Chaffey said in the past few years a handful of wine producers have created augmented reality apps for their specific brand.  Winerytale aims to blow the augmented reality door open to any winery in an inexpensive and easy way.

“I don’t believe anything like this has been done to this level before – bringing together artificial intelligence, augmented reality, clever technology, 500 different wineries with different visuals and branding, as well as different languages,” Chaffey said.

“This platform is purpose-built for mass adoption and accessibility to any winery wanting to take advantage of a brand marketing and sales future that will undeniably involve augmented reality.”

The technology behind the App is designed to work on any wine label, using artificial intelligence to scan and recognize labels, and augmented reality to showcase the wine’s backstory by beaming it from an imaginary space inside and outside of the bottle.

Through that technology, multimedia branding content comes alive including winery tour videos, wine tasting notes, food pairing suggestions or nearby stockists.

The Winerytale team has also created a “fanwall” for every wine label. Through the use of augmented reality, the fanwall appears to be inside the wine bottle and – driven by hashtags – displays images of the wine’s biggest fans inside the bottle.

Given this potential, field testing of the Winerytale App has attracted world-wide interest and a selection of leading wine producers are on board from across Australia and New Zealand, as well as from wine regions in South Africa, France, North America, Canada, Croatia, Lebanon and Mexico.

Chaffey said the wineries involved in testing the beta version of the App are small to mid-level where the App has the ability to help them reach a broader market, boosting brand recognition and sales.

“Current world consumers – millennial or not – live their lives through their phones and being able to give them the information they need, in a way they want, influencing the choices they make and harnessing that purchasing power is a no brainer,” he said.

“When you switch the Winerytale app on, it becomes instantly activated on every bottle. And having every bottle activated is like having thousands of marketing machines all going to work for these wineries.

“The app allows them to tell their story, and through the App’s connection to social media, gives insta-obsessed customers their own virtual connection to the brands they love to love.”

Through the App field trials, Winerytale is also rolling out location-based services (where the wine bottle in your hand knows where it is and adapts the content) with self-translating wine bottles to follow in 2020. For example, a European traveler in Asia, could easily view information about a wine, which changes if they are within a winery’s boundaries, in a language they can fully comprehend.
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“Through Winerytale, the wine industry is becoming an early adopter of technology that has the potential to be used across multiple industries like pharmaceutical and grocery,” Chaffey said.

“It will just build on our current internet-based consumer habits. Want to know something about a product? Ask your artificial intelligence and augmented reality-powered App!”

Download the App

San Jose’s 10th Street Distillery Wins Double Gold and More

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SAN JOSE, CALIF. (PRWEB) – San Jose’s 10th Street Distillery has earned Double Gold at the 2019 New York World Wine and Spirits Competition for its Peated Single Malt American Whisky, which expanded distribution to Southern California on November 1. 10th Street Distillery Single Malt American Whisky offers discerning whisky enthusiasts an award winning, super-premium American Single Malt that draws inspiration from both Scottish whisky-making tradition and Californian ingenuity.

10th Street Peated Single Malt American Whisky (ABV 46 %, MSRP $65) is the first whisky produced in San Jose. It is crafted by a small, passionate team with painstaking attention to detail, combining time-tested methods with a unique sense of adventure. The carefully crafted harmony between the wood, malt and peat has resulted in a delicate, balanced whisky with subtle complexity which has already won Best in Class Gold at Whiskies of the World.

“We wanted to make an authentic peated whisky with California provenance. So, we needed a malted barley that had been dried over a peat fire to give it that essential peat reek with a touch of smoke,” explains 10th Street Distillery co-founder Virag Saksena. “At the same time, we also wanted it to be distinctly Californian, incorporating local terroir.
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”

After months of searching, partners Virag Saksena and Vishal Gauri found a maltster who created a custom peated malt that perfectly complements the alkaline, mineral-rich water of the Bay Area – the essence and key ingredient in their distillate. The gentle heathery notes of the peat used for malting allowed them to craft a flavor profile which is distinctly peaty yet extremely approachable.

10th Street Distillery founders are engineers with a steadfast passion for making things better. They refused to accept the status quo of making whisky in America (where whisky is spelled with an ‘e’). First, they learned the old ways of making Scotch whisky from the masters; then, they reinterpreted these techniques with an engineer’s precise, meticulous attention to detail and a willingness to erase boundaries. The culmination of eight years of design and development efforts in San Jose’s first modern distillery.

10th Street Distillery’s alembic-shaped, double-pot copper stills are derived from traditional copper pot designs with unique custom modifications for a complex flavor profile. The top-quality, ex-bourbon barrels slowly age and develop the whisky’s smooth, velvety expression without overpowering it with wood. The influence of local microflora during the extended fermentation adds a touch of the local terroir. A premium whisky that respects tradition while breaking new ground, 10th Street’s Peated Single Malt American Whisky promises to be a new American classic.
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Peated Single Malt American Whiskey Tasting Notes:
Nose: Citrus, with a peat smoke essence
Color: Light golden
Palate: Creamy full flavors of vanilla and dark red apple peels, turning into rounded peat flavors. A delicate balance of fruity and smoky notes.
Finish: Full bodied, buttery, with a lingering peaty finish

About 10th Street Distillery:
San Jose’s first craft distillery, 10th Street Distillery was founded by two engineers with just one objective – creating world-class whiskies. A grain-to-glass distillery, it reinterprets time-honored traditions using modern techniques and engineering ingenuity to create its award-winning products. Their first product is a Peated Single Malt Whisky, a new American classic that respects tradition, but is not afraid to forge a new path.

FireFly Farms, Among the Most-Awarded in the US, Proudly Celebrates Another 15 Awards for its Handmade Cheeses in 2019

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ACCIDENT, MD. (PRWEB) – FireFly Farms, nationally and internationally-awarded maker of artisan cheese, proudly celebrates another successful year earning fifteen new individual awards won by its acclaimed line of cheeses in national and international cheese judging programs in 2019. Six of these awards were earned at October’s World Cheese Awards, making FireFly Farms one of the most awarded cheese makers in the United States.

Moo and Blue cheese from FireFly Farms website

“It has been a great year for FireFly Farms,” remarked National Sales Director, Cristi Menard. “These fifteen new awards bring FireFly Farms’s individual award count to a staggering one hundred and twenty!”

“FireFly Farms is proud of its respected place among American cheese makers,” remarked FireFly Farms’ President Mike Koch. “American cheese making is booming, and the quality of American cheeses now rivals that of our European peers. We’re proud that as the competitions grow, FireFly Farms’ cheeses continue to be recognized among the very best!”

The cheese judging programs recognizing FireFly Farms’ cheeses included:

  • The Good Food Awards hosted by the Good Food Foundation and held in January in San Francisco, California. The Good Food Awards were created to redefine ‘good food’ as being tasty, authentic and responsible.
  • The American Cheese Society Competition & Judging, the leading competition of American-made cheeses which takes place each year in conjunction with the annual American Cheese Society conference. The ACS cheese judging, held in July in Richmond, Virginia, is the largest annual competition held in the United States with nearly two-thousand individual entries from hundreds of American cheese manufacturers. Three awards were earned by FireFly Farms at the 2019 ACS Competition and Judging.
  • The Maryland Cheese Guild’s annual Maryland Artisan Cheese Contest held in conjunction with the Maryland Wine Festival annually in September at the Carroll County Farm Museum. Five awards were earned by FireFly Farms at the 2019 Maryland Artisan Cheese Contest.
  • The World Cheese Awards hosted by The Guild of Fine Food in the United Kingdom and held this year in October in Bergamo, Italy. This worldwide event is the largest cheese competition on the planet. Six awards were earned by FireFly Farms at the 2019 World Cheese Awards, making it one of the most highly recognized cheese makers in the United States.

Ten of FireFly Farm’s cheeses, including four recently launched cheeses, were recognized with new awards this year:

  • Piloted in 2015 and launched this year, its soft-ripened cow’s milk cheese Bloomy Breeze received a prestigious Super Gold Medal at the World Cheese Awards. The Super Gold designation was awarded to eighty-four cheeses in this year’s competition, only six of which are manufactured in the United States.
  • Piloted in 2015 and launched this year, its long-aged cow’s milk blue cheese Moo & Blue received a prestigious gold medal at the World Cheese Awards and a second gold medal in the Maryland Cheese Guild’s Artisan Cheese Contest.
  • Launched in 2017 for FireFly Farms’ fifteenth anniversary, its soft-ripened spruce-banded goat’s milk cheese Merry Goat Round Spruce Reserve received a gold medal and a Judge’s Choice Award in the Maryland Cheese Guild’s Artisan Cheese Contest and a bronze medal in the World Cheese Awards.
  • Launched this year, FireFly Farms’ herby harissa flavored fresh goat cheese received a bronze medal in the Maryland Cheese Guild’s Artisan Cheese Contest.
  • FireFly Farms’ fresh goat cheese received a silver medal in the Maryland Cheese Guild’s Artisan Cheese Contest.
  • Its soft-ripened goat’s milk cheese, and one if its three originally launched products, MountainTop received a Good Food Award and a bronze medal in the World Cheese Awards. These two new awards bring MountainTop’s total individual award count to thirty – FireFly Farms’ single most-awarded cheese. Previous awards include a 2005 selection by Saveur Magazine editors as one of their 50 favorite American cheeses and its international recognition at the World Cheese Awards in 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2013, 2014, and now 2019.
  • Its washed-rind goat’s milk cheese Cabra LaMancha received a third-place award in the American Cheese Society Competition & Judging and a silver medal in the World Cheese Awards. These two new awards bring Cabra LaMancha’s total individual award count to twenty-two. Previous awards include a 2005 selection by Southern Foodways Alliance as one of the “Top 10” American goat’s milk cheeses and its international recognition at the World Cheese Awards in 2008, 2009, 2012, 2015, and now 2019.
  • Its long-aged goat’s milk blue cheese Black & Blue received a second-place award in the American Cheese Society Competition & Judging. This new award brings Black & Blue’s total individual award count to twenty. Previous awards include a total of seven first-place finishes in the ADGA commercial products competition in 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2015 and 2016.
  • Its long-aged goat’s milk Italian-style cheese Bella Vita received a second-place award in the American Cheese Society Competition & Judging in the ACS’s highly competitive Italian-style cheese category open to all milk-types. This new award brings Bella Vita’s total individual award count to thirteen. Previous awards include a 2010 first-place award at the American Cheese Society Competition & Judging, and a Super Gold Medal at the 2010 World Cheese Awards

“These fifteen new awards for our handmade cheeses are just fantastic,” commented FireFly Farm’s head cheese maker, Dan Porter. “We are especially proud of the recognition for our newly launched cow’s milk cheeses. It’s so nice to see the efforts of farmers and our cheese makers recognized.”

About FireFly Farms Inc.
Founded in 2000 by partners Mike Koch and Pablo Solanet, FireFly Farms now comprises a community of cheese makers and cheese mongers dedicated to making excellent cheese and creating value for their regional farming community as well as Garrett County Maryland’s rural economy. They are committed to ensuring their operations are sustainable and protect our natural environment for future generations. FireFly Farms is a proud member of the Maryland Cheese Guild and the American Cheese Society. They enthusiastically support the growth of sustainable farming, food production, and artisan cheese making in their region and across the nation.

Vinexpo New York returns to the Javits Center for a third year, March 2-3, 2020

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NEW YORK  – The leading international exhibition for wine and spirits professionals in North America, Vinexpo New York returns for a third year, March 2-3, 2020, at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center. The 2020 show promises to build on the momentum of the March 2019 program, which drew 400 exhibitors and 3,000 wine and spirits professionals—three-quarters of whom indicated they are directly involved in purchasing.

Jointly organized with Diversified Communications, Vinexpo New York is open exclusively to trade professionals. It features two full days of educational programming, networking opportunities, and an exhibition hall strategically organized to foster business relationships between both domestic and international producers and American importers, distributors, retailers, brokers, e-commerce representatives, on-trade buyers and sommeliers. Registration for attendees is now open, with an early bird rate offered through Nov. 30.

The 2020 show will introduce several significant new features, among them a new Importer Pavilion that will provide importers with an efficient platform to showcase their wine and spirits portfolios to top buyers and decision-makers from all regions of the U.S. and Canada. Also new is a Key Buyer Program offering VIP perks to high-volume wine and spirits buyers from top distributors and importers. Key buyers enjoy free entry to the exhibit hall, including all networking events, special events, One to Wine Meetings, conferences and master classes. They also have exclusive access to a Key Buyer Lounge that provides a comfortable place, stocked with complimentary refreshments, to meet with their team during the expo. Key buyer nominations are being accepted at keybuyer@vinexponewyork.com .

Vinexpo New York 2020 will also see the return of popular signature offerings like the complimentary One to Wine Meetings matchmaking service and WOW! World of Organic Wines, an exhibit and tasting area devoted exclusively to organic and biodynamic wines and spirits from around the world. More details of the 2020 program will be announced shortly.

Mary Larkin, president of Diversified Communications remarked, “We’re excited to continue our partnership with Vinexpo and to once again bring its power to America, where wine and spirits producers from around the globe have an unequalled opportunity to showcase their products to the largest wine-consuming market in the world.”

Added Vinexpo CEO Rodolphe Lameyse, “The strong results of the past two Vinexpo New York shows, and the early interest we are seeing from exhibitors for 2020, illustrates just how vital it has become in three short years to the international wine and spirits business. The show remains the single best opportunity for U.S. importers, distributors, sommeliers and other trade professionals to meet hundreds of international producers in one location.”

For more information or to register to attend, visit www.vinexponewyork.com. 

About Vinexpo

Since its establishment in Bordeaux in 1981, on the initiative of Bordeaux Gironde’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Vinexpo has been a leading organizer of events for the wine and spirits industry. In 37 years, Vinexpo has developed a unique understanding of the market and an extensive network of key distributors around the World. The brand currently runs exhibitions in four set locations (Bordeaux, Hong Kong, New York and soon Paris), and the touring event Vinexpo Explorer. The Group also publishes every year the Vinexpo/IWSR Report, which is the most comprehensive survey of the global consumption of wine and spirits. For more information, visit www.vinexpo.com. Join Vinexpo on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube and LinkedIn.

Vintage Eve Circa 10/2016: Sampling Montefalco Rosso

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Today we will be tasting one bottle of Terre de la Custodia Montefalco Rosso DOC, with suggestions for serving on your holiday table and details on the grapes used in this particular bottling.

Tasting

Aromas and Flavors separated by ;

Greeted by a dark garnet color I was drawn into aromas of dried black cherry, crushed black plums, stewing mushrooms and green peppercorn; in the mouth it was dark and dusty, filled with blackberry and blueberry fruit, tannic yet well balanced. Wholly appealing. 89 Eve pts.

Serving Suggestion 

Thanksgiving is a time of family, togetherness, and entirely too much food to handle, not only in terms overall quantity, but also in the overwhelming kinds of dishes found on the table. Many families have their own food traditions that are served in addition to the American staples, creating what can often be a cacophony of dishes.

With all of these drastically different choices, how can you possibly choose the right wine?

The answer is Montefalco Rosso DOC. Not only is it a sturdy red, perfect for late fall, but each varietal is able to stand up to the varied and specific elements of sides and main dishes on the Thanksgiving table…

Wine Details 

Montefalco Rosso DOC (SRP: $19-25) is a stellar combination of Sagrantino and Sangiovese and presents itself in a deep ruby red with purple tints. The bouquet offers up wild fruits, plum, and toasted aromas.

The Sagrantino: provides depth and structure and stands up to heartier dishes such as ham, duck, truffled mushrooms, au gratins with Stilton and other aged cheeses, and dark chocolate.

The Sangiovese:  lends its brightness and fruitiness to stand next to lighter, fresher dishes such as cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes, Brussels sprouts, salads, apple pie – and, of course, turkey.

Eve Bushman has been reading, writing, taking coursework and tasting wine for over 20 years.  She has obtained a Level Two Intermediate Certification from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust, has been the subject of a 60-minute Wine Immersion video, authored “Wine Etiquette for Everyone” and recently served as a judge for the Long Beach Grand Cru. You can email Eve@EveWine101.com to ask a question about wine or spirits that may be answered in a future column.

Twisted Roots Wine branches off into creating hard cider

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CARMEL VALLEY, Calif. — Winemaker Josh Ruiz insists he began bottling hard cider out of necessity. So naturally, he believes it’s necessary that we drink it.

The longtime owner and vintner at Twisted Roots Wine has branched out (literally) into fermented apples, culminating in the birth of Twisted Roots Hard Cider.

Ruiz and his wife Julie sensed a growing market for a light, crisp, easy-drinking cider — once a favored beverage in colonial America until Prohibition destroyed the industry. Hard cider has exploded in growth in the U.S. over the past few years, buoyed by an adventurous, health-conscious younger set, and the fact that cider (unlike beer) is gluten-free.

The couple spent time researching the cider culture in England, and found that it varied greatly depending on the region, the weather and the fruit, just like wine.

They wanted to create the antithesis of a typical American cider that is often over-carbonated and sweet — something Ruiz called “candy apple ciders.”

“People were ready for something else, especially those who love our wines.”

So they created Twisted Roots Hard Cider, a light, crisp beverage that is low in sugar and carbs — “something clean, simple and refreshing.”

Twisted Roots uses a combination of five fresh apple varieties, each of which add unique elements to the finished product:

Golden Russets enhance the bouquet and aromatics, and contribute complexity and fruit flavor Granny Smiths add tannic structure and tartness, adding to the mouthfeel Galas help deliver a clean, refreshing finish Fujis lend just the right amount of sweetness Red Delicious bring rich mouth-feel and a distinctly apple aromatic quality Twisted Roots Hard Cider has 6 percent alcohol, and a 22-ounce serving contains only 140 calories. For Ruiz, the beauty of making a hard cider without high amounts of sugar and carbohydrates?

You can drink more of it!

Tastings of Twisted Roots Hard Cider are available at the wine tasting room in Carmel Valley, 12 Del Fino Place. For information or to purchase bottles online, visit www.twistedrootshardcider.com or call 594-8282.