Eve's Wine 101

Vintage Eve May 2013: The Wines of Calabria, Vino California 2013

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Below are my notes from Vino California’s Seminar One: “CALL TO CALABRIA, Discovering the Wines from the “Toe” of Italy’s Peninsula”, that I recently attended at the Skirball Cultural Center. I am sharing what I learned with readers as it fits the Wine 101 mantra: Learn by tasting, and if possible, have experts to lead you. Next week I will share the notes from a second seminar, “FROM LAGREIN TO NEGROAMARO, Exploring the Rare Varietals of Italy.”

Event Description

Eve on the wine down tv showLed by Anthony Dias Blue, Editor-In-Chief of the Tasting Panel magazine, this seminar delves into the extraordinary wines hailing from the southern region of Calabria. Celebrating traditional Calabrian varietals such as Greco, Magliocco and Gaglioppo, this seminar will outline the unique features that make Calabria one of the premier wine regions of Italy.

Piero Selvaggio, owner of Valentino restaurant and Jonathan Mitchell, General Manager of Locanda del Lago restaurant, joined Blue on the panel.

Introduction

Blue began by saying that the people of Calabria normally drank all of their native Italian varieties and didn’t export their wine until recently. The area is on the tip of the boot in Italy and one of its first settlements.

The Greco grape, according to Blue, was one of the first brought into Italy by the Greeks. The Mediterranean diet also started in Calabria.  The Calabrian wines match with Calabrian food – which is mostly seafood as three sides of the area is surrounded by water.  It’s not an opulent Italian area, and they have been “eating nose to tail since the second century.”

One final note, Blue said all of the wines were inexpensive; the most expensive is maybe $35, most about $20.

Selvaggio said that these are wines for today, with medium bodies, a fresher style, and, in general, no further aging is needed. The mountain and sea region of the area produces simpler foods like goat and mutton, with seafood being “the blessing of the area.”  A poor region, people often left it for other countries.   There are no Calabrian restaurants in the U.S., according to Selvaggio, but they do influence the menus in our Italian restaurants.  Of note, he said technically, the wines of Calabria will improve.

Tasting

  1. Azienda Agricola Ceraudo Roberto Graysusi et. Arg. IGT val di Nieto 2011

Rich rose petals, Luxardo cherries, white pepper – a really rich nose.  Acidic, cherry fruit and stems, palate drying, tingly finish.  Mitchell suggested pairing with smoky meats. A favorite.

  1. Statti Mantonico IGT 2010

A honey nose, ripe cantaloupe, deep color, mouth coating viscosity, pear/fruit salad.  Selvaggio suggested this wine to pair with a light seafood pasta.

  1. Azienda Agricola Biologica Santa Venere White Ciro DOC 2012

A steely, mineral, fresh cut grapefruit nose.  Acidic and fruit forward with burst of yellow peach and lime. Selvaggio said this was indicative of the food and wine pairing found in the region, and it lends itself to a seafood Carpaccio, maybe with the addition of olives and capers. I was pleased with this one.

  1. Le Moire SRL Mute DOC Savuto 2011

Obscure grapes were used in this wine per Blue.  Dusty dark blue fruit on the nose.  Astringent, dry, green pepper, dry/dark plums, palate drying finish.  I wanted more fruit on the palate.  Selvaggio thought it could stand up to pork or pasta with a good ragu sauce, due to tannins.   Mitchell noted that the grape had a thick skin but the wine was not aggressively tannic.  Blue thought it was charming.   Everyone wanted cheese to pair it with.

  1. Casa Vincola Crisera SRL Nerone di Calabria IGT 2008

Nice fruit-forward nose, plum, blackberry, somewhat candied.  On the mouth it was tart, dark chocolate, cigar.  Selvaggio thought that other than a robust fish, this would go well with Calabrian boiled meats – called bollito. Blue liked that the length goes on an on.   Mitchell thought it would pair well with items from his restaurant menu.

  1. Vintripodi Scilla IGT 2010

This wine is a three-grape blend.  Brown edge, stewed mushrooms, mint, and plums on the nose.  Dark cherry skins, astringent, blackish tannins.   (There are 100 plus grape varietals in Calabria per Selvaggio.)

  1. Cantine Viola Moscato Passito IGT Calabria 2010

Sugared apricots, nut fruit, honeysuckle, French toast and syrup.  Honey coating, pears and peach in vanilla bean ice cream.  (This was a rare wine per Blue.)

Five Inventions that Changed the World of Baking

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PITTSBURGH, PA (PRWEB) – The winter months are wrapping up, and spring is right around the corner. However, the brisk temperatures and the mass amounts of snow that keep falling are just enough to make you want to stay home on a Friday Night! Whether you’re snowed in or staying in, this weather has us craving sweets. InventHelp reminds us that this time of year calls for exploring new recipes and tempting comfort foods which wouldn’t be possible without these five inventions.

GF-hompage-14-342-ideaOven

The first cooking took place over open fires during ancient times. Simple ovens and hearths were used throughout ancient Greece and into the middle ages, but it wasn’t until 1490 when the first oven was built out of brick and tile.
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However, the first oven that closely matched ovens we are familiar with today was patented in 1826 by British inventor James Sharp. He created the first gas oven and stove which began to be widely used in the United States much later in the early 1900s. The electric oven became another popular option in the late 1800s, although historians debate about who first created it. William Hadaway was issued the first patent for an electric oven in 1896. He went onto later develop the first toaster.

Electric Mixer

Herbert Johnson was intrigued by a baker mixing bread dough with a metal spoon and knew he could create a machine that would do this much more conveniently. In 1908, Johnson, who was an engineer for the Hobart Manufacturing Company, invented an electric standing mixer. The 80 quart mixer became the standard equipment for most large bakeries and newer iterations are still used today. In 1919, Johnson created the KitchenAid Food Preparer, a smaller mixer for the home, which is still very popular.

Teflon Pans

After earning multiple organic chemistry degrees, Dr. Roy Plunkett took a job with DuPont working with synthesizing new forms of refrigerant. In 1927, he and his assistant were experimenting with a potential gas refrigerant and Dr. Plunkett discovered when the gas was frozen, it became a waxy white powder. The newly discovered substance was useful because it was slippery, non-corrosive, stable, and had a high melting point. The substance had various uses until the 1960s, when it was mainly marketed as Teflon, a coating for non-stick pans. Teflon is still used today in cookie sheets, baking dishes, and other non-stick pans.

Parchment Paper

Before parchment paper was used for baking, people used regular white paper in layers, but this often came with a warning that if it was burned, your dish would have a strange odor to it. Everyone knows that greasing pans can be a pain and can affect the way your baked goods turn out.
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So, parchment paper was quite the blessing. Parchment paper was invented by the ancient Egyptians but was eventually reformulated for baking. It is created by running sheets of paper pulp through a bath of sulfuric acid or zinc chloride, partially dissolving the paper and giving it non-stick properties.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ruth Wakefield accidentally invented chocolate chip cookies in 1930 when she was trying to make cookies with a chocolate dough. She substituted Nestle’s semi-sweet chocolate for baker’s chocolate, and since the chocolate didn’t melt, she made a cookie with chocolate chunks. This classic recipe is still considered America’s favorite cookie, so it’s clear that this baking innovation has made a lasting impression.

The inventions above were not invented by InventHelp clients.

InventHelp is a leading inventor service company based in Pittsburgh, PA. For more information about InventHelp services visit http://www.inventhelp.com.

TEXSOM International Wine Awards Announces 2017 Winners

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Dallas, Texas – TEXSOM Co-founders and Master Sommeliers James Tidwell and Drew Hendricks today announced the final results for the 2017 TEXSOM International Wine Awards. The Awards garnered 3,581 entries representing 29 countries and 19 U.S. States, a record for the competition.

Entries in the TEXSOM International Wine Awards were blind-tasted and judged by 71 internationally renowned industry influencers from 5 countries. Of these entries, the judges awarded 2,480 medals: 310 Gold medals, 901 Silver medals, and 1269 Bronze medals. Suggested retail pricing of medal-winning entries ranged from US $2.99 to over US $700.00. Vintages spanned 40 years, with the oldest being 1977.

Judges’ Selections winners, those wines that were judged best for their categories, were announced at a reception sponsored by Enterprise Greece during ProWein 2017 at the Greek national pavilion on Monday, March 20. The event was a culmination of a series of award announcements by both Texas Monthly and the TEXSOM social media channels of all the Award-winning wines. All winning wines are listed on the Texas Monthly website at http://www.texasmonthly.com/article/tiwa2017/. Texas Monthly was the presenting sponsor, and has been instrumental in promoting the competition.

Last year, Greek wines showed well at the TEXSOM International Wine Awards, finishing 4th in medals received among the 25 countries entering wines. Enterprise Greece, the Greek government agency responsible for export promotion, is sponsoring some of Greece’s leading wineries at ProWein.
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“We had a record year for the TEXSOM International Wine Awards,” said Tidwell. “That paired with the international recognition at ProWein, indicate that the TEXSOM International Wine Awards has become one of the most internationally influential competitions in the world. From the caliber of the judges to the quality of the entries, the Awards set the standard for what key tastemakers and industry influencers believe are the world’s top wines.”

Award entries were arranged by category of beverage, place of origin, and type. The final list of all winners includes: Judges’ Selections, Traditional Method Sparkling Wines, Other Sparkling Wines, Fortified (Dry and Sweet), Sake, White Wines, Rosé and Blush Wines, Red Wines, Ciders, and Fruit, Flavored and Honey Wines.

TEXSOM-Interntional-Wine-Awards-Texas-ResultsWines chosen for Judges’ Selections were nominated by judging panels for specific categories, then blind-tasted by special panels to determine the winner of each Selection. Judges’ Selections demonstrate quality and unique character that are exceptional even amongst their medal-winning peers.

Unique among all other wine competitions, the TEXSOM International Wine Awards involved 42 rising-star sommeliers (separate from the judges) and three editors who have written detailed descriptions of a selection of medal winners. These notes will be highlighted for Featured Wines on the TEXSOM International Wine Awards website over the course of the year, and in the publication TEXSOM presents SOMMELIER. In addition to their duties in crafting notes for the selected award winners, the sommeliers participated in an educational retreat where each attended a series of seminars and observed judging by sitting with a judging panel, and also had the opportunity to receive direct instruction and feedback from a Master Sommelier or Master of Wine on blind tasting of wine.

The TEXSOM International Wine Awards was supported by 71 judges and more than 80 volunteers and staffers working together to make the competition happen. A list of judges may be found on the website at http://texsomiwa.com/.

ABOUT TEXSOM
Founded in 2005, TEXSOM was started by Master Sommeliers James Tidwell and Drew Hendricks to help promote professional wine service standards, outline paths for further wine education and certification, and raise public awareness about the professional standards and certifications for sommeliers. Today the conference draws more than 1,100 attendees, of whom more than 800 are sommeliers and other beverage industry professionals. The TEXSOM group purchased the competition now known as the TEXSOM International Wine Awards in April 2014. One of the largest, most respected, and longest-running in the United States, the competition was founded in 1985 by journalist and wine expert Rebecca Murphy.

Visiting Greece, Via Ktima Gerovassiliou

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Cori Solomon, organizer of #LAWineWriters, recently arranged for our group to meet with Thrass Giantsidis of Greece’s renowned Ktima Gerovassillou all-estate winery. The plan: To boldly go where…wait…to be led through a tasting of his highly-awarded wines along with some small plates at Downtown LA’s Ledlow restaurant.

I did a little research on Ktima Gerovassiliou before the luncheon, and besides learning that they make a wide range of whites (including a Viognier) and reds (hoping to try the Syrah), the winemaker Vangelis Gerovassiliou has created a Wine Museum at the winery filled with all types of tools used in viticulture…including an impressive collection of corkscrews. I was starting to look forward to tasting and learning more.

Greek Wine Lesson

Giantsidis began by explaining a little about the range of climates in Greece. Some vineyards that are close to the sea are in the Mediterranean region (Ktima Gerovassiliou is in this group) while some regions are warm. The land “is mountainous” with 66,000k hectares growing vitis vinifera. However, there are more table grapes than wine grapes being cultivated. It’s just a small portion (3.9 million hectares) of the whole of Greece that is devoted to grape cultivation. And there are more than 300 species of their own native grapes made into wine. (Note: 2.5 acres is equal to 1 hectare.)

More:

Winemaker Vangelis Gerovassiliou saved the Malagousia grape from extinction. It is known for its aromatics. 50% of this grape is in their Estate White blend.

Vangelis Gerovassiliou was with Greece’s Porto Carras for decades.

Domaine Gerovassiliou has 63 hectares of estate grapes.

These wines, a little costlier than other Greek imports, are a quality we may have not yet seen.

The estate is sustainable and all work is done by hand.

A majority of the Greek wineries use indigenous grapes.

All wines have received “lots of distinctions”, according to Giantsidis, and the entire portfolio is estate grown.

The average person visits historical sites such as Athens, however, the wines of Greece are not found in the normal tourist spots.

The North is more red producing while the South makes more white.

greek wines

Greek Tasting (As usual my notes on aroma and flavor are divided by “;”)

2014 Estate White

Malagousia an Assyrtico

Limeade, pear, Meyer lemon, jasmine, steely; white peach, lemon-lime, lovely mouth-feel, medium acid. Wanted a chilled seafood salad with this. 90 Eve pts.

2014 100% Malagousia

White peach, pears in light syrup, pink grapefruit, reminds me of a Viognier on the nose, honey; mouthfeel, again a medium acid, more lemon, grapefruit, more Sauvignon Blanc on the palate. (This wine had some time in “seasoned oak” which meant that the barrel had been “seasoned” by being filled with wine before. What is also referred to as “neutral” oak. Both distinctions mean that the wine will not have any predominate oak characteristics.) 90 Eve pts.

2013 Fume Sauvignon Blanc

(As this had some time with oak that’s why the word “Fume” is used in its name.) Bruised golden delicious apples, honey, white honeysuckle flowers, toast; fruit cocktail, lemon hard candy, medium acid again and a nice mouthfeel, again.

89 Eve pts.

2014 Chardonnay

(most planted of the foreign varietals in Greece.) About 800 cases per year. Lemon butter, oak, perfumy, white pepper; toasted oak, cream, lemon. 88 Eve pts.

2010 Viognier

Color – golden yellow – that is indicative of some age. Can you say HONEY, wow, I sure could! Smells like a late harvest wine with cling peaches also on the nose; not as sweet on the palate as it is in the aroma, with citrus, tang, stainless steel, medium-high acid. 88 Eve pts.

2010 Estate Red Blend

Syrah, Merlot and Limnio

Dusty, black fruit, black cherry, mushroom, velvety, milk chocolate, pepper; nice tannin structure, my whole tongue wanted more, blueberry, blackberry. 90 Eve pts.

2008 Avaton

Limnio, Mavroudi and Mavrotragano

The wine’s name, Avaton, means “inaccessible and impossible to reach.” This was the first wine that they made with indigenous Greek wines. Also to know, the word Mavro means black. Stewed plums, dried cherry, clove, tri-color peppercorns, mulled wine, charred steak; dark and dry fruit, balance is dead on even with extra firm tannin, oak, same black fruit. Need charred steak to have with this. 90 Eve pts.

2008 Evangelo

Petite Sirah, 92%, the balance is Viognier. Malolactic fermentation, and some oak – 15 months.

Gerovassillou explained that the Viognier stabilizes the color and makes it a “feminine wine” style. The whole barn is in your glass! It was rich, thick, earthy, gamey, minty, and with a hint of chocolate covered berries; more youthful on the palate than expected, red to black fruit, spice, tannic, dry. 92 pts.

2009 Late Harvest Malagousia

Caramel covered apple, peaches in heavy syrup, white pepper, Monet’s Garden; huge mouthfeel, lovely long finish, potpourri, and local honey. 91 Eve pts.

About Ktima Gerovassillou

From the website: Deep knowledge and use of up-to-date technology combined with more traditional and conventional wine-making methods lead to the production of high-quality wines with distinct micro-climate (terroir) characteristics. All Ktima Gerovassiliou wines are produced from grapes cultivated in the privately-owned vineyard. Every year the Gerovassiliou wines gain significant international distinctions for their high and consistent quality. 30% of Ktima’s production is exported to other European countries, the USA, Canada, Japan, Brazil, Australia and Singapore… The efforts of Vangelis Gerovassiliou and his partners’ along with the high and consistent quality of Gerovassiliou wines are recognized with European and global distinctions. Ktima Gerovassiliou is included in the 100 top wineries for six years, Vangelis Gerovassiliou is among the six best wine-producers worldwide and the Gerovassiliou wines receive every year very important distinctions.

http://www.gerovassiliou.gr/

http://www.gerovassiliou.gr/en/shop

http://www.gerovassiliou.gr/en/museum

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. You can also seek her marketing advice via Eve@EveBushmanConsulting.com

To be a Tourist in Greece on the Edge of Uncertainty, by Barbara Barrielle

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When planning a trip to Europe months in advance the last thing you anticipate is that the country will be on the brink of financial disaster and in danger of being kicked out of a powerful union. I mean, I had been to Greece 18 months before and everyone talked about the dire financial situation and unemployment bu, being removed from the European Union and going back to the drachma? Never would have crossed my mind.

Greek cuisineBut, it was on that earlier trip sponsored by a Greek travel commission that I discovered the reason for my return….no, not the men or the monuments but the wine and the food it makes better. I was invited by some wineries I had helped promote in Los Angeles and was looking at putting together high end wine tours to Greece (launching this Fall).

There were murmurs as we were preparing to head to Greece to visit two famous wine areas in northern Greece as well as Athens.
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Flying Premium Economy on Lufthansa and landing in the capital welcomed by Best Travel’s Mercedes limo is a good way to start but entering the city and seeing long lines at ATM machines gave a clue to what the week would be like.

The hotel we found through Hotwire, Athens Ledra, for $89, turned out to have some of the best beds I have ever slept in and a commanding view of the Acropolis from the rooftop pool. But, as I found out, most places in Athens have views of the famous hill and its classic Parthenon. At least the Ledra had a shuttle to the heart of the historic area.

We headed to the Acropolis and Acropolis Museum early, getting there by 10 AM, which was still too late with the hordes of tourists ready to spend 12 Euros just to walk around the ruins…well, they are some pretty incredible ruins and are so worth the walk and the people. On the way, I hit an ATM with no line and easily withdrew 150 Euros which turned out to be a wise decision given the fact that soon credit cards would no longer be accepted by most restaurants and shops.

After the Acropolis, head either to its Museum, or at least to the Museum entrance where you can look down into some excavated ruins. On the other side of the Acropolis, walk toward the Agora area where you can see even more ruins and some beautifully preserved sculpture.  And then a Greek salad and some tzatziki in a charming taverna in the Plaka area can make anyone forget a country in turmoil.

Athens is the heart of the political action so there was buzz everywhere and opinions ran rampant. Any bar, restaurant or hotel lobby had Athenians tuned to the latest news as if there were updates on a minute-to-minute basis. The whole country was on alert and preparing for the YES or NO vote occurring on Monday, July 6th, everyone planning the pilgrimage to their home district for the historic vote. Vacations were canceled, spending was curtailed and worry lined the faces of older Greeks.

But, for tourists, food was plentiful and wine flowed. People were kind and did not trouble visitors with their concerns although happy to share their “no” opinion if asked.
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Heading to the wine country of Naoussa (via Thessaloniki), we found a wealth of unique family wineries that produce the rich, fruity Xinomavro wines that are as much fun to drink as the name is to pronounce. We ate well with lots of little courses call “mezzes” of chicken, beef and even goat, but restaurants were noticeably more empty than usual.

We then headed to another area where wine is plentiful called Domaine Porto Carras. Owned by a large Greek family that bought the vineyards and its five star resort out of foreclosure, they have brought the largest vineyard in Greece back to its vibrant life and have actually rescued and given re-birth to forgotten varietals like Limnio and Malagouzia. The all-female winemaking team manages a vast amount of varietals like Assyrtiko, and native and French blends across the board.

The stunning Porto Carras Resort was completely sold out when we arrived but most of its beachfront and marina-side rooms were occupied by foreigners unaffected by the crisis. Greeks visitors had been canceling a bit but business was brisk, restaurants were packed and cocktails flowed in between bottles of wine. Laying on the beach with a mojito or swimming in the crystal blue Aegean seems a far cry from closed banks, ATM lines and conference rooms in Brussels. Greece will remain historic and proud, their olives and wines unique and the warmth of the people unforgettable. The best we can do for them now is visit, eat, drink, spend money and enjoy sunsets, warm seas and history.

Vintage Beacon Circa Oct. 2010: A Peep Sent me a Pic…for a Scotch Tasting From Vom Fass

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The photo, if I’ve done my job right, is here in this post. What appears to be Scotch Casks turned out to be much, much, more. So much more that I’m planning a field trip with other students of the current Wine & Spirits Education Trust (WSET) so that they too can sample Spirits, Liqueurs and more “From The Cask”. (See the e-mail from one of the owners of Vom Fass, and my story, below.)

Hi Eve,

Vom Fass casksThe short answer is yes, we do cask scotch tastings.  But there is so much more.  Vom Fass (meaning “from the cask” in German) is an international company with approx 250 stores worldwide but only 5 in the U.S.  Vom Fass Westlake Village is the first Vom Fass store in California. (Editor’s note: The Westlake store is now closed, this is the closest Vom Fass now: 451 E Main St, Ventura, CA 93001)

In our store customers are allowed to taste all of our products before choosing a bottle of a size to their liking to take the product home.

On one side of the store are wonderful olive oils, infused olive oils (citrus and herb infused such as tangerine, basil, rosemary, oregano, truffle etc), nut and seed oils (pistachio oil, pumpkinseed oil, hazelnut oil etc), wonderful aged balsamic vinegars and fruit vinegars such as calamansi, pear, chili-fig and date.

On the other side of the store are single malt whiskeys, cognacs, armagnacs, grappas, liqueurs (including the Green Fairy–Absinthe!) and other spirits. We do have a wine section as well. From your background you I’m sure have much more experience with wine then we do but we are learning fast!

Customers can sample anything in the store (including the wine…and the Absinthe!) and then select from a multitude of bottle sizes (50 ml to 750ml) to take the selected products home.  If they choose an oil or vinegar they can bring the bottle back and we will refill it for them as well. We do private tasting and cooking events as well.

We have chefs on staff who can provide you with a full tour of our offerings and suggest various pairings and uses for our products.  But allow yourself an hour or so if you want to experience the whole store.

We would love to have you come in and look, taste and enjoy with us! My partner Mike Romance and our General Manager Chef Matt Belzano will be in the store tomorrow and would be happy to host you and give you the tour. Let us know if this would be convenient and we will look forward to meeting you.

Eric Alcorn

Owner

Vom Fass Westlake Village

 

So, off I went

The only thing that comes prepackaged at Vom Fass? The wine. Although they are happy to open up a bottle, along with anything else in the store, for a sampling. I kept my sampling to things I’d never tried before: Grappa, 144 proof Absinthe and cask strength single malt Scotch.

You could have three tastes of the spirits on the house, and then pay $1 for additional tastes, but Vom Fass isn’t a bar. It’s a store. And this is what I found on their shelves: spirits, liqueurs, Absinthe, Grappa, fruit brandies, Cognac, Armagnac, domestic and imported wines, Scotch and Irish Whiskey.

But that’s not all.

Then came the extra virgin olive oils, wellness oils, nut and seed oils, infused oils…whew…and you have to have the vinegars to pair with the oils right? They have aged fruit vinegars, wine vinegars and Aceto Balsamico Di Modena, the “king of sweet and sour seasonings”. Tastes of the oils and vinegars are unlimited and free.

I tried truffle oil, ginger sesame oil, grape seed oil, lemon oil and…and learned that they were imported from all over Greece, Spain and Italy.

A drop of very special vinegar was then added to the oil in my tasting spoon – “Aceto Balsamico Di Modena Maletti Riserva Speciale. OMG, I had died and gone to heaven in Italy.

The liquor items were stored on the other side of the brightly lit shop. I made my move…

Mike Silk, one of the store chefs, and Matt Belzano, a chef and the General Manager, were there that day to help me. Mike told me that his years with the culinary school in Oxnard as well as his restaurant experience with the Plug Nickel and Mariann’s Italian Villa, suited him to staff a shop like this. And Matt, with equal culinary credentials and management experience, led me on to my first Absinthe tasting.

With 72% alcohol and 140 proof I was happy to watch the “Absinthe Fountain” dilute the star anise liquor from its bright green color to a more manageable shade. The fountain trickled water over a waiting sugar cube and into a small glass. From that I had my first, and possibly not my last, taste of Absinthe. If for nothing else, go to Vom Fass for that!

By the time I got to the single malt Scotches I had grown anxious – as I was keeping track of so many new favorites! So I took advantage of their bottling. I could get any size glass container, and in a wide choice of unique styles, of whatever I liked. I have a square bottle of absinthe, a couple of mini pitchers of the Modena vinegar and the truffle oil, and two small (compared to my normal stash) bottles of single malt.

The smaller sizes made it easy for me to take home more “samples” of what I liked.

I watched as they hand-wrote on each bottle with a thin white marker. What a show that was! I’m planning on making a show of them again later when I have friends over! No doubt that my find was truly unique. Who’s to say that when you go, and you shall, you might choose the same item in the same container?

While my order was being wrapped up I learned that Vom Fass, established 17 years ago, has 250 stores in Europe. This one, in Westlake Village, is the only one in California so yes, dear reader, I drove almost an hour for this. And, I will again!

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 guest judge for the L.A. International Wine Competition.  You can email Eve@EveWine101.com to ask a question about wine or spirits that may be answered in a future column. You can also seek her marketing advice via Eve@EveBushmanConsulting.com

TEXSOM CELEBRATES 11 YEARS AS NATION’S PREMIER SOMMELIER EDUCATION CONFERENCE

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Registration open for TEXSOM 2015 Conference 

Dallas, TX – Presently celebrating its eleventh year, TEXSOM, the most prominent and influential sommelier education conference in the world, announces that registration is now open for TEXSOM 2015. The TEXSOM 2015 conference will take place August 8 -10, 2015 at the Four Seasons Resort & Club Dallas at Las Colinas, Texas.

TEXSOMTEXSOM 2015 will include presentations by Master Sommeliers, Masters of Wine, Certified Wine Educators and other industry experts. In fact, roughly 25% of the all the professionals who have earned the title of Master Sommelier in the nation will be in attendance this year. Seminars will include regional spotlights, variety intensives, two iconic winery retrospectives, and industry/sommelier roundtable discussions. The sessions will concentrate on wine, but also include spirits, beer, coffee, tea and other beverages. Some of this year’s seminars include:

  • “The Lineage of the Pinot Family”
  • “White Grape Varieties of Greece”
  • “Wines of Process: Sparkling, Oxidized, Fortified, and Beyond”
  •  Iconic Winery Retrospectives on Maison Trimbach & Kumeu River Wines
  •  Sake’s Secondary Styles
  • “Wild Beers: Old and New World”
  • “Guildsomm Presents: Wines of the Rhone Valley, Australia and New Zealand: Commonalities of New Wave Producers”
  • “Calvados: From Cidre to Apple Brandy”

TEXSOM is the only conference with presenting sponsors from four of the major wine education and certification organizations in the world: Court of Master Sommeliers – Americas; Guild of Sommeliers Education Foundation; Society of Wine Educators; and Wine and Spirit Education Trust. The conference is expected to draw a total of 1,000 attendees, of which 700 will be sommeliers, retailers and wine buyers.

TEXSOM 2015 will offer participants a chance to attend 24 different seminars, each featuring up to eight beverages. Attendees will also have the opportunity to evaluate more than 400 wines at the Grand Tasting and Awards Reception, which is sponsored by the Wine and Food Foundation of Texas.

In addition, the conference will again host the TEXSOM Best Sommelier Competition, sponsored by Texas Monthly, which is a challenge to young sommeliers to pit their knowledge and expertise against their peers’.  For the first time, the competition will be open to qualified candidates who not only live in Texas, but also those residing in Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and New Mexico. The winners of the contest will be announced at the Grand Tasting and Awards Reception on the closing night.

Attendees will have the opportunity to read about a selection of TEXSOM International Wine Awards medal-winning wines in the conference program, which will include articles and descriptions about the competition and the wines. In addition, two hospitality suites, open to sommelier and trade attendees, will highlight a selection of these sommelier-selected, medal-winning wines in a unique setting.

The registration fee for TEXSOM 2015 is $425 and includes lunches, access to hospitality suites, and admittance to the Grand Tasting and Awards Reception. Rooms are available (while supply lasts) at the Four Seasons Resort and Club Dallas at Las Colinas. To register, interested parties should visit http://www.texsom.com.

About TEXSOM

Founded in 2005, TEXSOM was started by Master Sommeliers James Tidwell and Drew Hendricks to help promote professional wine service standards, outline paths for further wine education and certification, and raise public awareness about the professional standards and certifications for sommeliers. Today, the conference draws a total of 1,000 attendees, of whom 700 are sommeliers, retailers and wine buyers.

Book Review: Oz Clarke’s The History of Wine in 100 Bottles

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At first glance I thought wow, this is a beautiful book, with glossy pages and photos, this will be one I won’t be highlighting or making marks and notes in the margins on. Though it will be a lovely textbook of review, it looks like a book I’d pick up at an art museum. Now…to the reading!

My Review

baqdqif6qxeb1ij2vqmuWriter Oz Clarke gives a bottle-by-bottle retelling of wine’s most historical moments, one hundred of them, satirically most of the time so it’s a highly entertaining read. Along with that, he dedicates two pages – one filled with a photo or two and captions and the other with text – making it also an easy read. Some of the points, like the history of rules governing Bordeaux and Phylloxera, I’ve read (and possibly wrote about) before so I will share with readers just some of the interesting tidbits of knowledge I may not have shared before. Suffice it to say, you need to pick up your own copy for the full skinny.

Our story begins in 6000 BC with clay pot wine from the Republic of Georgia. Noah, yes that Noah, is credited as our first vineyard owner. In ancient Greece water was purposely used to dilute the flavor of wine. Between 300 BC and 200 AD a wine called Opimian was known to burst into flames if lit. The German wine, a 1540 vintage Steinwein, is the oldest known vintage of wine. (Oz has a theory as to why that’s the case.) The “steel worm” corkscrew, the grandfather of what we use today, appeared first in 1581. Louise XIV, and his conservative court, didn’t like bubbles in their Dom Perignon Champagne.

Why was there a straw flask wrapped around the bottle of your parent’s Chianti? (It wasn’t for appeal in making a candleholder.) Cork is shaven off of trees and regrows, so there is no harm and that’s why there seems to be an endless supply. The “Blood Vintages” in Champagne are 1914 and 1915…do you know why? Roederer Cristal Champagne comes in a clear bottle wrapped in orange cellophane to protect the contents from sunlight; I was surprised to learn the original reason for its use. During the 1940s Mateus was rumored to be more expensive and a better choice than Champagne. (Of course this is a rumor shared by our author – for our amusement or not?) Also during the 1940s, Hitler confiscated one half million bottles of French wines for his own cellar. Professor Emile Peynaud is credited for stopping the use of rotten grapes in wine production, cleaning up wineries, cooling down cellars, using new oak barrels and introducing secondary labels for lesser-quality wines from the same winery.

Boxed wine started in 1963 in Sweden? Gallo’s 1964 “hearty burgundy” was the best wine at the time? Why did a wine called Retsina have pine resin in it? Nouveau Beaujolais wine is made in 6 weeks? A 95 point score from critic Robert Parker equals a million dollars to a winery? The Garagiste movement began in France? A sparkling wine made in England was the best in the world in 1998? Yep, these tidbits of wine knowledge will be covered in the book as well as many others including wine fraud, prohibition, White Zinfandel, corks and screw caps.

Very much worth the time of any wine lover!

From the press release, “A former leading West End actor, Oz Clarke is one of the world’s best-known wine experts, whose formidable reputation is based on his extensive wine knowledge and accessible, no-nonsense approach. Known for his phenomenal palate, irreverent style, accurate predictions, and enthusiasm for life in general, Clarke is Britain’s most popular wine writer.”

The History of Wine in 100 Bottles

by Oz Clarke

Sterling Epicure

ISBN: 978-1-4549-1561-4

$24.95 ($27.95 Can)

Hardcover

224 pages

Publication date: April 28, 2015

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 guest judge for the L.A. International Wine Competition.  You can email Eve@EveWine101.com to ask a question about wine or spirits that may be answered in a future column. You can also seek her marketing advice via Eve@EveBushmanConsulting.com

Kutrubes Travel launches wine tour in Macedonia, Greece, Bulgaria

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Discover a region which has been honing its winemaking skills for thousands—yes, thousands—of years. This rich tradition of Balkan wines, a secret which has been largely unknown to Western palettes, has begun to gain recognition among mainstream wine connoisseurs.
balkan_wine_1Balkan wine producers are no strangers to this concept. A New York Times article from Sep. 22, 2010, titled, “Macedonia, the Lure of the Grape,” lauds Popova Kula Winery founder Jordan Trajkov for his vision of building a thriving Macedonian eco-tourism industry based on the country’s stellar wineries.
Kutrubes Travel has joined forces with Mr. Trajkov and other premier winery owners, from Macedonia to Greece to Bulgaria, to offer travelers an unprecedented cultural wine-tasting experience in a region which may safely be considered one of Europe’s best-kept secrets.
The tour begins in Skopje, Macedonia, and makes its way to the hidden lakeside gem of Ohrid, taking in medieval buildings, archaeological sites, and even an old bazaar. Guests will enjoy wine tasting at some of Macedonia’s premier wineries, including Bovin, Stobi, Tikveš, and, of course, Popova Kula. Guests will also have the opportunity to take a riverbank walking tour, bicycle around scenic vineyards, join a local ornithological club guide for birdwatching, hike to ancient fortresses, and more.
Next, the tour will take in city of Melnik, Bulgaria, to witness historic hillside architecture and natural sandstone pyramids before visiting several small, high-quality wineries. This region has been active in wine production for nearly 8,000 years and was mentioned by Homer in both The Iliad and The Odyssey. From here, the adventure continues to the Greek cities of Drama and Thessaloniki; along the way there will be no shortage of archaeological interest—including the largest tomb ever found in Greece, believed by some to belong to Alexander the Great—as well as ample opportunity for wine tasting.
Kutrubes Travel specializes in off-the-beaten-track tours that satisfy the most curious and discriminating traveler, with customized itineraries that are tailored to the interests of both individual and group clients. Balkan experts since 1905, Kutrubes has the experience and regional understanding to make a trip to the Balkans insightful, personal, and memorable. The Balkan region is just beginning to blossom as a top-choice tourist destination. Now is the time to visit, while this area can still be considered Europe’s hidden treasure!
For Details, Contact:
Kathy Kutrubes
328A Tremont St, Boston, MA 02116

The Greeks are Coming to LA and They’re Bringing Wine, by Barbara Barrielle

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Greek wines are no longer the Retsinas of your cheap-drinking college days!

Greek wines have history and substance and the rich flavors and aromas that come from growing grapes in a region for thousands of years.

Naoussa fountainsGreek wines are bursting on the wine scene because of their ease in pairing with food and their relative affordability given the quality of the production.

I first discovered Greek wines when actually on a trip to Greece two years ago and, since then have tasted some amazing wines in tasting groups and seek them out on creative wine lists whenever possible.

Four winemakers producing the rich “black” grape with the sexy name, Xinomavro, from the region of Naoussa in Northern Greece where even fountains flow with wine, will be bringing the experience of the region to share with wine aficionados in Southern California. Although the calendar is still evolving, there will be food and wine tastings on Monday, March 30th 4-6 PM at the Beverly Hills Womens Club, 1700 Chevy Chase Drive in Beverly Hills. Cost is $25-35 and includes a gorgeous crystal souvenir glass as well as great food and wine. Check out www.bhwomensclub.org/events to register.Naoussa winemaker

On Tuesday, March 31st from 5-7 PM at Luna Vine Wine Bar, wine will be poured and food will be paired as well as a bit of educational chit-chat. Free event at 3206 Magnolia Blvd., Burbank 91505.

A media lunch on Tuesday, March 31st and a trade tasting on Wednesday, April 1st are planned. Email the writer at barbarabarrielle@gmail.com for more details or if you have questions.