Vintage Eve Circa 8/2018: The 2018 Western Foodservice and Hospitality Expo!

March 2, 2021 by evebushman

The Western Foodservice & Hospitality Expo is the only all-encompassing event in California for the restaurant and foodservice industry, making it THE one-stop source for everything you need to succeed in today’s market.

My Takeaways from the Foodservice Expo

The 2021 show is set!

I think this is my 4^th year at the food show and though I see a lot of the same vendors and classes, I also seek out the new – and always finds many things worth reporting on. This time my photos show that we enjoyed: making a beeline to Chris Uhde (partner with Impex Beverage Incorporated, the @whiskyredhead on Instagram and Los Angeles Magazine’s “The First Name for LA Whisky”) as he was signing up to do Cocktails on the Roof 9/7! Enjoyed tasting Togouchi, Kilchoman and Kurayoshi – all whiskeys from Japan!

From there, while in the Beverage Pavillon, I met with David Carbonell the GM for Drink Specialties that gets fermented beverages into bars that can’t serve distilled drinks and Philip Reis, National Sales Manager for CannaVinus, that makes a wine-based beverage with “exotic fruits and herbs” that is meant to be “the perfect wine pairing for the Cannabis lover.” Also had a few sips of Whistle Pig rye and Jefferson’s Bourbon with Bourbonblog.com

Just outside of the Beverage Pavilion was a large display for Somabar – a machine that stores up to 7 spirits for making a plethora of pre-programmed cocktails. There was a version for fermented beverage programs (those with just wine and beer licenses that make cocktails) and a full spirits program. You pick the drink, place your cup below, push the button for the cocktail you want, ice drops in and them the drink is made. Meant to go on the back bar I thought this would get much more play if the customers could do themselves, with the addition of some garnish and a bartender or server to watch over and, of course, charge accordingly.

Moving into the main convention floor things that got my attention included a plastic wine glass shaped like a rose with “petals” layered inside of it for aerating wine, JoeFroyo blended coffees, cheesewich slim breadless sandwiches, Longanisa garlic pork sausage from Argentina, tempting breads from both Melrose Bakery and Kings Hawaiian, Rishi Tea and Botanicals, the Kelvin Slush Manhattan, Pecans.com and Potatoes.com.

PR Bootcamp for Restaurants in Memory of Fifi Chao

How does an enterprising restaurant attract the attention of credible food and beverage journalists along with legitimate food critics? Is a public relations firm perhaps needed or realistically even affordable? Who better to provide some insightful answers than a high-profile panel of experienced food journalists and restaurant critics.

This distinguished panel (Andy Harris) was the brainchild of the late Fifi Chao, the beloved restaurant critic and food writer for the OC Business Journal for over 26 years until she retired last year due to illness. Fifi’s impression (based on a lot of experience) was that chefs & restaurateurs could benefit from sound, practical advice on how to approach the editorial food media. The panel members wholeheartedly agree and PR Boot Camp for Restaurants is a tribute to her memory. Fifi truly enjoyed promoting the restaurant business and generously guiding inquisitive young chefs with absolutely no strings attached.

The panel was moderated by Andy Harris of the “SoCal Restaurant Show” on AM 830 KLAA and included Farley Elliott, Eater LA; Gretchen Kurz, Orange Coast Magazine; Anne Marie Panoringan, Freelance Food and travel writer; Patric Kuh, former restaurant critic for Los Angeles magazine.

My Takeaways From Andy’s Course

Thrilled to attend a class moderated by my #LAWineWriters friend Andy Harris, and also thrilled by the caliber of industry professionals that joined him to discuss restaurant public relations. These are just some of the things I learned:

Critics will sometimes visit a restaurant anonymously 3 to 4 times before writing a review. Sometimes up to six visits if there is a wine list and/or cocktail program to review as well. They pay every time, nothing is accepted for free.

They don’t always publish a negative review. And if they do they sometimes will be passive aggressive about the issues they found.

Critics feel it’s unfair to the business owner to review their restaurant until they’ve been open for 60-90 days. Yes, the restaurant should be ready, but the critics want to give the owners time to manage their precious baby before being reviewed. The want to allow for a “long, fair start.” (Also some new restaurants shutter at that 90-day mark, so no point in doing a review anyway.)

There is a difference between an editorial and advertorial, and the consumer has to be made aware of what they are reading.

Reviewers should use less adjectives, while also avoiding “lists” of menu items alone.

Food journalists can help new chefs via forums and conventions that can help to educate.

Restaurants have to work around Yelp and Instagram.

Press releases need to include an image, be short and be written for a specific media outlet’s needs. Think elevator pitch.

Public relations professionals have to be passionate about their clients.

Digital publications like Eater LA are somewhat different in that they review the latest openings as that’s what’s expected from them.

Shout Outs

As I only took in one day of the multi-day convention it would be a disservice not to mention a few other things going on. Along with all of the vendors – I couldn’t possibly visit with all – there was also a Healthy Food Expo and a Coffee Fest located within the Western Foodservice Expo, The Beacon Award for a female leader in the industry was won by Dominique Crenn, Chef and co-owner of Atelier Crenn; The Torch Award for talented chefs and/or restaurateurs went to Caroline Styne who is the sommelier and restaurateur of The Lucques Group; some of the chefs lecturing or presenting included Mareya Ibrahim, Bernard Guillas, Mary Sue Milliken, Niki Nakayama, Nina Curtis, Tati Polo, David Rose, Fabio Viviani, Ben Diaz, Betty Fraser, Shaun O’Neale, Holden Dahlerbruch and Bruce Kalman.

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.

Sokol Blosser Winery Marks 50 Years as a Family-Owned Willamette Valley Original – with a flash sale + more!

February 15, 2021 by evebushman

DUNDEE HILLS, Ore. /PRNewswire/ — Sokol Blosser Winery, founded in 1971 by Bill and Susan Sokol Blosser and now under second-generation leadership, will mark 50 years of growing and making signature Willamette Valley wines in 2021 with a year-long celebration.

As part of the celebration, Sokol Blosser will revisit its first vintage with a 1970s Flash Sale on Tue., Feb. 2. For one day only, its 2018 Redland Estate Cuvée Pinot Noir will be available on its website for $6.75 per 750 ml bottle – the very same price of the winery’s first vintage of Pinot Noir in 1977. (Limit of 12 bottles per person, while supplies last).

“This is a major milestone for us,” said Alison Sokol Blosser, CEO of Sokol Blosser Winery. “We are one of the few founding wineries in the Willamette Valley that has not only remained family-owned and operated, but has continued to grow. My brother Alex and I learned the business from working alongside our parents, and we’re so grateful for the strength and wisdom that’s enabled us to not just survive but thrive for 50 years. We’re excited to celebrate all year long with our customers, trade and industry partners!”

On top of its 1970s Flash Sale, Sokol Blosser will mark the occasion with a series of special bottlings, tasting room activities (when it’s safe) and wine club offerings including:

Exclusive anniversary bottling of 2018 Old Vineyard Block Dundee Hills Pinot Noir with a retro label that evokes the brand’s original 1970’s label design and shape (SRP $60; available direct from the winery only).
A special Instagram and Facebook Live tasting with wine expert Leslie Sbrocco on Feb. 10 featuring Susan Sokol Blosser and Alison Sokol Blosser.
Fireside chats and online tastings (via Zoom) with Bill and Susan Sokol Blosser for media, trade and consumers.
When the tasting room reopens, guests will step back to the 70s with 50^th
Anniversary flights featuring family favorites and library wines, a 1970s Spotify playlist (free to download!) with a groovy soundtrack, and special surprises for guests who arrive in ’70s cars or are celebrating 50^th milestones of their own.

“It’s a privilege to farm these vineyards and create wines that reflect the exact hillsides where our parents started 50 years ago,” said head winemaker Alex Sokol Blosser. “Our wines have improved year after year, and it’s a testament to our parents’ original belief that the Dundee Hills and Willamette Valley would indeed be a fine place to grow grapes and make wine.”

A Half Century of Accomplishments
In December 1970, Bill and Susan Sokol Blosser purchased five acres of land in the Dundee Hills (a former prune orchard), and soon thereafter planted it to Pinot Noir and other varietals. By 1980, the Sokol Blossers had expanded their holdings to 72 acres and today the winery farms 105 acres of estate vineyards under vine. Over its 50 years, Sokol Blosser has made history with a number of accomplishments:

Sokol Blosser opened the first purpose-built winery tasting room in Oregon in 1978.
Sokol Blosser was first recognized for its environmental stewardship in 1983 by the U.S. Soil & Water Conservation District.
Evolution Lucky No. 9 White Blend was introduced in 1998, paving the way for a whole new category of white blends in the marketplace.
Sokol Blosser was the first winery in the world to have a LEED-certified winery building in 2002 for its underground barrel cellar.
Sokol Blosser’s Estate Vineyard received full USDA organic certification in 2005.
The second generation took the reins in 2008 as co-presidents. Today, Alison Sokol Blosser is CEO and Alex Sokol Blosser is Winemaker.
In 2013, Sokol Blosser opened a stunning new tasting room designed by Brad Cloepfil from Allied Works Architecture which raised the bar for hospitality and wine country experiences in the Willamette Valley.
In 2015, the winery received coveted B Corp Certification for its high standards of social and environmental performance and accountability.
Sokol Blosser introduced Oregon’s only nationally distributed box wines in 2020, with Evolution Pinot Noir and Lucky No. 9 White now available in 1.5- liter boxes.

About Sokol Blosser Winery As one of the pioneering wineries of the region, Sokol Blosser has played a key role in developing and shaping the now-prominent Oregon wine industry. The winery remains family owned and operated, with the second generation now at the helm: siblings Alison and Alex Sokol Blosser. Achieving B Corp certification in 2015, the winery creates wines of world-class quality, produced in a sustainable manner, reflecting the distinctive flavors of the grapes, soil and climate. The winery produces Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, sparkling wines, Riesling and small quantities of single block Pinot Noir under its Sokol Blosser brand, and a white wine, red blend, Pinot Noir, sparkling wine, Riesling, and Chardonnay and Oregon’s first nationally distributed box wines under Evolution label. Visit http://www.sokolblosser.com/ and follow @sokolblosser and @evolutionwines on Instagram and Facebook.

One Bottle Post: 2004 Poggio Il Castellare Brunello Di Montalcino

January 29, 2021 by evebushman

In keeping with my “Rona” series, aka more one-bottle blog posts because I can’t go out for wine, this week I give you the 2004 Poggio Il Castellare Brunello Di Montalcino, a remarkable Brunello made from Sangiovese grapes. (In my experience a Brunello take less time to aerate than their equally famous cousin, the Barolo made from Nebbiolo grapes. And I’m talking 90 minutes in a decanter for a Brunello compared to about seven or more hours for a Barolo – give or take an hour. This matters to me most as I don’t always know by 11 am what I’ll want to drink at 6pm, or worse: I do know what wine I want with dinner but the wine wasn’t ready to drink by dinner time. Back up bottles have become more important to me for this situation.)

Now back to this wine! This is the social media post I shared last month on this Brunello, with tasting notes and scores:

What great wine have you found in your glass lately? I found this in our cellar, hoping Eddie has another bottle: 2004 Poggio Il Castellare Brunello Di Montalcino, 14% alcohol, decanted for 90 minutes and oh, so good. On the nose this Sangiovese delivered dark cherry, toasted oak, black peppercorn, sweet char off a good filet, espresso, sandalwood and a sweet bread note reminiscent of a waffle cone. The taste had the same notes, very peppery, tannic with all dark fruit and dark chocolate. The finish had a nice sweet note to it as well. Did a little Googling and found that K and L has it on their wait list and sells for $46.95, which I think is a good price, Wine Spectator gave it 96 points in 2009 and awarded it the #11 spot for the Top 100 wines of the year. Cellar Tracker gave it 92, Wine Enthusiast 91. Some recommended to drink by 2013 but I thought it was great now in 2021.

After the tasting I did a little more research on this particular vintage and the winery. I learned from looking at images of the winery that it would be spectacular to visit. From their Instagram I learned that they also have an incredible restaurant on their Montalcino property. On their website there are tabs for Private Dinners, their Tavern, and more.

Also, since I brought it up in my opening paragraph, in regards to length of time to decant a Barolo I searched the internet and learned that anywhere between one and two hours seemed to be the sweet spot for most vinophiles. Looking further I found that Wine Folly says two for a Brunello and three for a Barolo. So this is just an FYI for you when you want to try these varietals.

From the winery website:

In Tuscany there are places that can tell ancient stories and characters. The Baroncini family already started producing wine in 1489. So from father to son, 500 years have passed, and still today in Montalcino, Bruna and Samuele, produce wine as if to testify how time cannot scratch the traditions.

The high quality of the wines produced in the Montalcino area was already known at the time of the Etruscans, who had developed active settlements on these hills. The name “Tenuta Poggio Il Castellare” given to the company brings us back to the historical roots of the place: to the finds of an ancient settlement with the remains of houses and towers on the top of the hill of the same name.

For those that like to geek out from tech sheets, this is also from their website:

Production Area: Montalcino
Mixed Grapes: 100% Sangiovese Grosso
Terrain: Pliocene origins lands of predominantly clayey marl. They tend to reach considerable depth, offering great minerality
Growing System: Spurred cordon with dug soil
Density: 3500 vines/hectare
Average output per hectare: 45 hectolitres
Altitude: 500 metres
Microclimate: The climate is typically Mediterranean, with showers concentrated in autumn and spring. The middle hill area is frequently windy, which is ideal to keep the vines healthy. The climate is generally mild, with a high rate of sunny days during the whole vegetative phase: these conditions guarantee a gradual and complete ripening of the grapes.
Production Process: Manual harvest when the grapes are perfectly ripe. Alcoholic fermentation with controlled temperature (26°C) for about 10-12 days on the skins. Malolactic fermentation in steel vats. Refining in 2500lt Slavonian oak barrels for 30 months and in 225 lt French oak barrels for 20 months. Further refining in bottles for 4 months before the sale
Organoleptic Properties:
Colour – ruby red verging to garnet-red;
Bouquet – very intense, lingering, with hints of cherry fruit and spices;
Taste –well-balanced, with velvety tannins and a long aromatic grip on the palate
Alcoholic Gradation: 14,5% VOL
Serving Temperature: 22,0°C
Pairings: seasoned cheese, red meat, roasts, braised meat, game

Instagram: @PoggioIlCastellare

https://www.facebook.com/poggioilcastellare/

http://www.tenutetoscane.com/castellare/english/cellar-castellare.html

https://poggioilcastellare.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.

Symington Family Estates Launches “School of Port”

August 22, 2020 by evebushman

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., – Symington Family Estates, producers of some of the finest Ports in the world for five generations and owners of the renowned Port brands W. & J. Graham’s, Cockburn’s, Dow’s and Warre’s is excited to launch School of Port, an online educational platform developed in response to the coronavirus lockdown and current limits of in-person meetings. The new initiative will consist of a series of free digital workshops and online video courses, designed for wine trade professionals working with Port.

Requests for the first training module, “School of Port – The Essentials”, can be made online at www.schoolofport.com. The contents include how Port is made, the different styles, serving and pairing suggestions, as well as best practices for selling Port both on and off premise. The workshops will be delivered by a professional Port wine educator via Zoom, followed by a short test; successful participants are awarded a certificate.

The dynamic School of Port Instagram account supports these workshops, providing an informal, behind-the-scenes look at various aspects of how Port is made and consumed. Short videos and infographics are punctuated by regular Instagram Lives with special guests and Port wine experts. Weekly Expert Q&As have proved popular, allowing a broader audience to have their Port queries answered.

“A big part of our work is educating people about the Port category. Often people who don’t know about Port become really enthusiastic once they learn more and taste the wines. We do a lot of consumer education through our tours and tastings in Porto and the Douro, but another crucial aspect is training the trade. People who work in wine shops and restaurants can be great ambassadors for Port, if they have sufficient knowledge and an affinity for the category. We are excited to use School of Port to deliver engaging, contemporary and useful Port education to wine trade professionals all around the world.”

Rob Symington – 5th generation Port producer @ Symington Family Estates

More information:

www.schoolofport.com

www.instagram.com/schoolofport

About Symington Family Estates — The Symingtons of Scottish, English and Portuguese descent have been Port producers in northern Portugal since 1882. For five generations they have combined their passion for producing premium Ports and wines with a deep commitment to the region’s land and people. Today ten Symingtons work across their four famous Port houses – Graham’s, Cockburn’s, Dow’s and Warre’s – as well as their Douro wine projects – Quinta do Vesuvio, Quinta do Ataíde, Altano and Prats & Symington (of Chryseia fame) – and a new venture, Quinta da Fonte Souto in the Alto Alentejo.

Symington Family Estates is a leading premium Port producer and the family is the leading vineyard owners in the Douro Valley, with 26 Quintas covering 5,527 acres and 2,530 acres of vineyard. Their vineyards are managed under sustainable viticulture practices and 276 acres are organically farmed, the largest area of organic vineyards in the Douro. In 2019 Symington Family Estates became the first winery in Portugal to achieve B Corp certification. Symington Family Estates is unique amongst the major Port companies in that each working family member farms their own vineyard, alongside those under the family’s joint company ownership.

Sippd Introduces an AI-Powered Personal Sommelier

August 15, 2020 by evebushman

WASHINGTON (PRWEB) – Sippd, the personal wine-recommender that identifies the best wines for the best prices during your online wine shopping experience, announced its launch on July 20, 2020. The Sippd Chrome extension is the first installment in the company’s initiative to create the most customer-centric, powerful solution to shop for wines with confidence. By providing users with personalized wine scores and notifications when prices drop on their wishlisted bottles, Sippd offers data for consumers to predict the best wines for their tastes before they’ve ever tried them.

With more than 70,000 new wines coming to market each year, consumers are overwhelmed with options leaving a world of incredible wines that consumers don’t have the opportunity to discover. The technology, branded Taste Match, provides the most accurate ranking for a user’s personal affinity to various wines, surpassing the accuracy of wine critic scores and community reviews, which doesn’t account for a consumer’s personal tastes or budget.

Using AI and machine learning, the technology behind Sippd provides personalized wine recommendations by amalgamating ratings for an accurate ranking of personal affinity to various wines. Recommendations continually evolve with the consumer’s palate, allowing for seamless, effortless and confident wine orders for an individualized, hyper-personalized experience.

Sippd currently connects to wine.com to provide personal Taste Match scores to more than 40,000 wines. The personalized Taste Match indicates how much an individual will enjoy each wine— the higher the score, the closer to preference. Sippd is also working to expand integration onto other online wine retailers and same-day delivery sites, like Drizly.

By leveraging your history of wine orders and ratings to refine the taste profile, Sippd improves the overall wine purchasing experience while providing unbiased ratings and tasting notes. Sippd also provides users with food pairings for each wine so you can pick the right bottle for the occasion as well as for your tastes and budget. If consumers are not ready to buy the bottle just yet, users can add to their Wishlist and be notified when the bottles go on sale, ensuring they secure the best deal every time. Users can also keep track of all of the wines they’ve ordered and rated right on their Profile with their personal wine list, allowing for a quick recap of their favorite bottles and an easy reorder of their top Taste Matches.

Sippd’s customer-centric platform significantly reduces the complexity of shopping for wine online by providing an effortless, personalized journey to users exploring the world of wine. To see how the Sippd extension works, please view the release video here. Raise a glass to the new way to experience wine and install Sippd on desktop here.

ENDS

About Sippd
Sippd empowers people to focus on enjoying their wine, not ordering it. Find the perfect wines for your taste, everywhere, every time. Combining artificial intelligence and wine, Sippd helps wine lovers find and order wines that match their tastes. With our AI-powered Taste Match capabilities, we’re able to provide you with personalized wine recommendations that continually evolves with your tastes, 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 personal sommelier that knows your palate. The Sippd extension is available for install prior to nationwide release on the Chrome Store here. For more information, visit sippd.com.

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July 12-18: Orange County and LA Join Forces – Including Santa Clarita – with Foodbeast and The Fork Report To Celebrate/Support SoCal Restaurants With “Burger Week”

July 1, 2020 by evebushman

(Orange County, CA | Los Angeles, CA) – Coming together to celebrate restaurants all throughout Southern California, Orange County and Los Angeles join forces with Foodbeast and KFI AM 640’s favorite food show, The Fork Report Hosted by Neil Saavedra to introduce Burger Week, which will be held from Sunday, July 12^th, 2020 through Sunday, July 18^th, 2020! (THIS JUST IN: Burger Week is waiving this year’s fee to participate, so every restaurant – including those in Santa Clarita – can participate FREE OF CHARGE!)

Georgia’s Restaurant Spicy Crispy Chicken Sandwich – photo credit acuna-hansen

Burger Week, produced by the Orange County Restaurant Association will be a first-time event in Los Angeles and the second annual event in Orange County, which was created to encourage diners throughout the Southland (Orange County, Los Angeles County, Long Beach, and Pasadena) to celebrate and support all SoCal restaurants while enjoying America’s favorite food – the Burger!

“Restaurants have just experienced one of the most challenging times in recent history and the only way to help them is to come together as a culinary community to show our support,” says Pamela Waitt, President of the OC Restaurant Association. “In addition to our incredible sponsors, Shamrock Foods and Maker’s Mark, we are thrilled to partner with Foodbeast and The Fork Report Hosted by Neil Saavedra while bringing Orange County and Los Angeles together to officially introduce Burger Week 2020. If there was ever a time to support your local eateries, it’s definitely now.”

Burger Week will feature Burgers from participating restaurants all across Southern California and during this week-long event running from Sunday, July 12^th through Sunday, July 18^th, 2020, diners will be able to explore a variety of Burgers, ranging from classic to creative, featuring proteins including beef, chicken, turkey, mushroom, and plant-based options, on menus priced at $10, $15, $20, and luxe menus at $25. Many restaurants will also be featuring special Dine-in, Takeout and Delivery packages, along with specialty featured Cocktails made with Maker’s Mark, Hornitos Tequila or Knob Creek Bourbon Whiskey. The restaurants participating in Burger Week, their Menus, and their featured Cocktails will all be listed and highlighted at BurgerWeek.com.

Sponsors: Burger Week is made possible by the generous support of our sponsors which include Shamrock Foods and Maker’s Mark, along with support from KFI AM 640, The Fork Report Hosted by Neil Saavedra, Los Angeles Times, Orange Coast Magazine, OCfoodies, and more.

General Information: Burger Week will be held from Sunday, July 12^th, 2020 through Sunday, July 18^th, 2020 all throughout Orange County, Los Angeles County, Long Beach and Pasadena. To learn more about Burger Week, find out about sponsorship opportunities or how to participate during Burger Week, please visit BurgerWeek.com. To find out more about the Orange County Restaurant Association, please visit OCRestaurantAssociation.org.

Please follow Burger Week on Facebook @BurgerWeekOfficial and Instagram @burgerweek.official

Participating restaurants in Los Angeles and Pasadena include:

1212 Santa Monica – Santa Monica

Ayara Thai – Los Angeles

Brewery Dracconum – Newhall

Casita Del Campo – Los Angeles

Crepes & Grapes Cafe – Whittier

Drago Ristorante – Los Angeles

Faith & Flower – Los Angeles

foothill – Pasadena

George’s Burger Stand – Los Angeles

Harold & Belle’s – Los Angeles

Honeybee Burger – Los Angeles

Jinky’s Cafe – Multiple Locations

Jon Smith Subs – Palmdale

Lil Simmzy’s on the Deck – El Segundo

Lunetta – Santa Monica

Magnolia House – Pasadena

Maple Block Meat Co. – Culver City

M Café – Los Angeles

Mendocino Farms – Multiple Locations

Mi Piace – Pasadena

Momed – Los Angeles

Newhall Refinery – Newhall

Oh My Burger – Gardena

Open Face Food Shop – Los Angeles

Plants + Animals – Eagle Rock

Salt Creek Grille – Valencia

Santuari Restaurant – Los Angeles

Spartina – Los Angeles

Stacks Pancake House – Multiple Locations

STK Steakhouse & The Hideout – Los Angeles

The Corner Butcher Shop – La Verne

The Old Town Junction – Santa Clarita

The Original Rinaldi’s Deli – Multiple Locations

The Raymond 1886 – Pasadena

Tom Bergin’s – Los Angeles

True Food Kitchen – Multiple Locations

Wood & Vine – Hollywood

Zapien’s Salsa Grill – Pico Rivera

Participating restaurants in Orange County & Long Beach include:

17th Street Grill – Tustin

Andrei’s Restaurant – Irvine

Bello By Sandro Nardone – Newport Beach

Bosscat Kitchen & Libations – Newport Beach

Braizen Sexy Sandwiches – Santa Ana

Bru Grill & Market – Lake Forest

Cambalache – Fountain Valley

Cappy’s Cafe – Newport Beach

Champagnes Bistro & Deli – Newport Beach

Chapter One: the modern local – Santa Ana

Daily Grill – Irvine

Dublin 4 Gastropub – Mission Viejo

Fable & Spirit – Newport Beach

Falasophy – Irvine

Fleming’s Steakhouse – Newport Beach

Flights And Irons Urban Kitchen – San Clemente

Georgia’s Restaurant – Anaheim & Long Beach

Haven Craft Kitchen + Bar

Helmsman Ale House – Newport Beach

Hopdoddy Burger Bar – Newport Beach & Tustin

Hopper & Burr – Santa Ana

Little Onion Mexican Restaurant – Irvine & Santa Ana

Matador Cantina – Fullerton

Medii Kitchen – Anaheim

MFK MODERN FILIPINO KITCHEN – Anaheim

Mendocino Farms – Multiple Locations

Mix Mix Kitchen Bar – Santa Ana

Mozambique – Laguna Beach

Paul Martin’s American Grill – Irvine

Pickled Monk – Fullerton

Pokeworks – Laguna Niguel & Irvine

Prime Cut Cafe – Orange

Rancho Capistrano Winery – San Juan Capistrano

Remix Kitchen Bar – Long Beach

Restauration – Long Beach

Salt Creek Grille – Dana Point

Scarlet Kitchen & Lounge – Ladera Ranch

Selanne Steak Tavern – Laguna Beach

Sessions West Coast Deli – Irvine & Newport Beach

Side Door – Corona del Mar

Skyloft – Laguna Beach

Strong Water – Anaheim

Sundried Tomato – San Clemente & SJC

Taco Mesa – Multiple Locations

Taco Rosa – Multiple Locations

Tanner’s Huntington Beach – Huntington Beach

Tavern House kitchen+bar – Newport Beach

The Country Club – Costa Mesa

The Penalty Box – Garden Grove

The Winery Restaurant & Wine Bar – Tustin

Toast Kitchen & Bakery – Costa Mesa

Trevors at the Tracks – San Juan Capistrano

True Food Kitchen – Multiple Locations

VBurger – Long Beach

Villa Roma – Laguna Hills

WAVE Gourmet Burgers -Huntington Beach

Wineworks For Everyone – Mission Viejo

General Information: Burger Week will be held from Sunday, July 12^th, 2020 through Sunday, July 18^th, 2020 throughout Orange County, Los Angeles, Long Beach and Pasadena. To learn more about Burger Week or find out about sponsorship opportunities during Burger Week, please visit BurgerWeek.com. To find out more about the Orange County Restaurant Association, please visit OCRestaurantAssociation.org.

Visit Temecula Valley Lists 12 Most Instagrammable Spots

March 12, 2020 by evebushman

TEMECULA VALLEY, CALIF. (PRWEB) – The scenic beauty in Temecula Valley Southern California Wine Country is a photographer’s dream. Though there are picture-perfect scenes most everywhere in the destination, there are a dozen photogenic spots that visitors seek to include in their Instagram posts.

Sunset Skies
Temecula Valley is known for its majestic sunsets that are seen and photographed from just about anywhere. However, pink and orange skies are most often taken at Avensole Winery and Callaway Winery. Visitors are welcome to arrive early to dine at their restaurants among the vines and sip a glass of wine while relaxing and enjoying live music under the sunset.

Picturesque Scenery
For the “want to be there” beautiful setting, visitors are choosing the patio against the vines at BOTTAIA Winery, the hilltop gazebo at Rose Haven Heritage Garden, the top of the stairs at Oak Mountain Winery, and the round sofa in the pool at The Cove at Pechanga Resort Casino.

Iconic Spots
Locations that creatively identify where the photograph was taken are found at the giant wine bottle or vineyard arch at Wilson Creek Winery, the weaved basket fountain at Town Square Park and the wooden bridge on Main Street in Old Town Temecula, the MotoDoffo sign at Doffo Winery, and the neon sign at Batch Mead.

For more information about Temecula Valley, where to stay and what to do, go to VisitTemeculaValley.com.

ABOUT TEMECULA VALLEY AND VISIT TEMECULA VALLEY
Laid back, picturesque Temecula Valley Southern California Wine Country welcomes nearly three million visitors each year. It is a year-round vacation destination, located 60 minutes from San Diego, Orange County, and Palm Springs; 90 minutes from Los Angeles.

Temecula Valley Wine Country is widely recognized for its scenic vineyards, award-winning wines, and experiential wineries. The popular boutique destination includes the Temecula Valley A.V.A. (American Viticulture Area) as well as historic Old Town Temecula, and Pechanga Resort Casino. It also was named as a 2019 Wine Enthusiast 10 Best Wine Travel Destination.

Visit Temecula Valley is the region’s official tourism marketing organization and resource for visitors. The Visitors Center is located in Old Town Temecula. For visitor information and assistance, please call (888) 363-2852 or go to The scenic beauty in Temecula Valley Southern California Wine Country is a photographer’s dream. Though there are picture-perfect scenes most everywhere in the destination, there are a dozen photogenic spots that visitors seek to include in their Instagram posts. Sunset Skies Temecula Valley is known for its majestic sunsets that are seen and photographed from just about anywhere. However, pink and orange skies are most often taken at Avensole Winery and Callaway Winery. Visitors are welcome to arrive early to dine at their restaurants among the vines and sip a glass of wine while relaxing and enjoying live music under the sunset. Picturesque Scenery For the “want to be there” beautiful setting, visitors are choosing the patio against the vines at BOTTAIA Winery, the hilltop gazebo at Rose Haven Heritage Garden, the top of the stairs at Oak Mountain Winery, and the round sofa in the pool at The Cove at Pechanga Resort Casino. Iconic Spots Locations that creatively identify where the photograph was taken are found at the giant wine bottle or vineyard arch at Wilson Creek Winery, the weaved basket fountain at Town Square Park and the wooden bridge on Main Street in Old Town Temecula, the MotoDoffo sign at Doffo Winery, and the neon sign at Batch Mead. For more information about Temecula Valley, where to stay and what to do, go to VisitTemeculaValley.com. ABOUT TEMECULA VALLEY AND VISIT TEMECULA VALLEY Laid back, picturesque Temecula Valley Southern California Wine Country welcomes nearly three million visitors each year. It is a year-round vacation destination, located 60 minutes from San Diego, Orange County, and Palm Springs; 90 minutes from Los Angeles. Temecula Valley Wine Country is widely recognized for its scenic vineyards, award-winning wines, and experiential wineries. The popular boutique destination includes the Temecula Valley A.V.A. (American Viticulture Area) as well as historic Old Town Temecula, and Pechanga Resort Casino. It also was named as a 2019 Wine Enthusiast 10 Best Wine Travel Destination. Visit Temecula Valley is the region’s official tourism marketing organization and resource for visitors. The Visitors Center is located in Old Town Temecula. For visitor information and assistance, please call (888) 363-2852 or go to VisitTemeculaValley.com. [VisitTemeculaValley.com __title__ VisitTemeculaValley.com].

500+ Wineries Add Augmented Reality to Labels en Masse

December 22, 2019 by evebushman

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.

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.

“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

2017 Holiday Gift Guide Round-Up

November 10, 2017 by evebushman

Every year, or at least every year that I remember, I do a round up of holiday gift ideas from very creative pals and a few things I’ve seen myself. This year there are some new gift ideas in my list and from new sources too, check it out:

Wine Stoppers by Beth Greenwald

Cork Wine Stoppers: Great for party favors, stocking stuffer, party/ raffle baskets, attached to a wine bottle as an additional small gift for holiday parties. $5 each. Contact Beth Greenwald: bethgreenwald@yahoo.com

Wine Dogs: Wine Dogs is the definitive guide to dogs living and working in the vineyard, winery and tasting rooms of wineries around the globe. Established in 1997, Wine Dogs is the original documenter of the winemaker’s best friend – their faithful hound, the winery dog. The first Australian Wine Dogs book was published in 2003 and quickly became a best seller. There are fourteen volumes of Wine Dogs editions including the latest Wine Dogs Australia 4, Wine Dogs California 2, Wine Dogs New Zealand 2, Wine Dogs USA 3 and Wine Dogs Italy editions and a host of other products such as our very popular Wine Dogs Calendars, our Wine Cats book and Footy Dogs, the dogs of Australian Rules Football. Find books (some with essays by yours truly), calendars and other merchandise here: http://www.winedogs.com/

Custom Handcrafted Serving Trays: Give a unique one of kind gift this Holiday season with a custom, hand crafted, reclaimed serving tray. Approx. 14”x28” $65. Contact Michael at Barn Doors By O for design consultation.
barndoorsbyo@yahoo.com www.BarnDoorsByO.com www.facebook.com/barndoorsbyo

Custom Hand Crafted Serving Trays

Santa Ynez Valley Winter Wine Pass: Get your pass for just $45 and enjoy 15 wine tastings in the Santa Ynez Valley through January 31, 2018. http://bit.ly/2ypPisW

Universal Whisky Experience, aka The Nth: Buy tickets now for the multi-day event happening early April. We loved our first time this past April! Classes and tastings so you won’t be disappointed: Universal Whisky Experience Presents The Nth 2018 At The Five Star Encore At Wynn Las Vegas. Offering Fantastic Show Ticket Levels; Guaranteed To Amaze With Once In a Lifetime Experiences. The Nth 2018 will be a spectacular whisky master event, showcasing the best whiskies and brands in the world. This affair is a singular opportunity for serious whisky aficionados to come together to taste, savor, discuss and learn more about fine rare whiskies in the lavish, opulent atmosphere of the Encore at Wynn Las Vegas. During this 4-day destination event in exciting and entertaining Las Vegas, you’ll indulge in exceptional whisky tasting opportunities, mingle with master distillers and blenders, and take pleasure in epicurean delights. Come experience the most unique event of its kind – Nth 2018. https://universalwhiskyexperience.com/ https://universalwhiskyexperience.com/the-nth-2018/

Frame Those Corks: Fast Frame Valencia says they will frame your corks if you collect them: https://fastframe.com/valencia/

Scotch Trooper: When we discovered Scotch Trooper on Instagram we were really impressed with the way he would take a toy figure from Star Wars and find a way to pair them with a dram or bottle of whisky. Now he has barware and t-shirts. Check it out here: https://www.sipdark.com/collections/scotch-trooper-whiskey-accessories

Honey Gift Boxes: Holiday gift boxes featuring honey and custom Carmel Honey Company logo items are now available from the company, which was founded by 14-year-old Carmel student Jake Reisdorf, who was 11 at the time. The gift boxes are available online or at the company’s store in Carmel.

Eve Bushman has a Level Two Intermediate Certification from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET), a “certification in first globally-recognized course” as an American Wine Specialist ® from the North American Sommelier Association (NASA), Level 1 Sake Award from WSET, was the subject of a 60-minute Wine Immersion video, authored “Wine Etiquette for Everyone” and has served as a judge for the Long Beach Grand Cru. You can email Eve@EveWine101.com to ask a question about wine or spirits. You can also seek her marketing advice via Eve@EveBushmanConsulting.com

Tasting the Hard To Find: TOP Winery

November 3, 2017 by evebushman

Wasn’t sure if there really was a TOP Winery in Paso Robles as when I first heard about a luncheon with TOP my Google search came up with, you guessed it, pages of top wineries in Paso. I voiced my concern, and demanded more info…

That’s when I learned from fellow wine writer Don Sunderling that Top Winery just got some nice reviews from Jeb Dunnuck, their second release reportedly sold out in 24 hours, and production had only been about 200 or so cases. There was certainly a buzz now.

Come to find out, when I joined a few others in the #LAWineWriters group for a wine paired luncheon at Marina Del Rey’s Café Del Rey, that Top Winery is most definitely on social media: @TopWinery on Facebook, @TopWinery on Instagram and http://www.topwinery.com on the Internet. And they deserved to be considered a top winery too.

Here’s why YOU want to find them, aka my tasting notes

2015 “Poise” Roussanne, Adelaida District

100% Roussane, 30% new French Oak

Aromas of pineapple, dried apricot, peach, pear and wet stones were followed by flavors of a fresh fruit cocktail, with a low acid and a nice balance. Very drinkable and a fine first for the winery.

2014 “Precession” Grenache, Willow Creek District

100% Grenache, 25% new French Oak

Lovely Luxardo cherry, plum, fig and a bit of dust – think of it as tasting age – all on the nose. In the mouth I got notes of bright cherry to dark cherry, black plum, jam, black pepper and a nice dryness. This was one that Café Del Rey General Manager Brian Cousins said of the pairing with Pork Loin: that the two were “singing to each other.”

2014 “Lever” Mourvedre (This was a surprise addition, so I only had a chance to make some brief tasting notes.)

100% Mourvedre

I noted dark berry, green peppercorn, soft and velvety aromas followed by big, dark and spicy flavors.

2014 “Exert” Syrah, Willow Creek District

Syrah, Grenache, Mourvedre

50% new French Oak

Aromas of black fruit, black pepper and cinnamon were most welcoming. On the palate I got a mouthful of dark and brooding fruit, black pepper, that cinnamon again, tannic and a very long finish. I purchased three of these from the Martinez cellar as this wine, like most of the others we tasted, had already sold out. Better stay tuned to the next releases…

Lunch

Once again Café Del Rey impressed the entire group with their inspired dishes. The first course was Salt Spring Mussels in a smoked potato fennel broth paired with the freshness of the Roussanne. Our number two was a Tri-Peppered Pork Loin and a roasted winter squash with raisins, nuts and cous cous. For that dish we had the Grenache, see above where I noted what restaurant owner Brian Cousins loved about that pairing! For our third course we feasted on Grilled Venison Loin, a sundried tomato risotto with a cognac mushroom sauce; we had that delicious dish with the Syrah I bought. After this second meat I told Cousins that both the pork and venison were outstanding cuts. Our final course was a nice palate cleanser of fruit sorbets. They were perfect but I have to admit, I let them sit a bit while I revisited each and every TOP wine.

More About TOP Winery

Husband and wife, Stanley and Elena Martinez, met in high school, pursued their college degrees, then married, made a home for themselves in Sherman Oaks – and were bitten by the wine bug. Their first vintage was 2014.

Using fruit primarily from West Paso as that is where Elena proclaimed is where “our heart and our future is” they crafted their first white wine.

Currently they are busy with the “long growing year” and are still in harvest for what will be the 2017 vintage, which promises to provide over 1,000 cases.

Also, according to Sunderling, Stanley has been mentored by Nick Elliott of Nicora Wines.

Why the “TOP” branding? No, not to be seen as the top but because, as Elena eloquently states, because the spinning top “tries to maintain balance…and wine gives us that balance.”

Stanley, credited for cooking Elena’s food, is also credited for “making my wine.” A nice pairing indeed.

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