Eve's Wine 101

The Grenache Association Welcomes International Grenache Day on Friday, September 15 with LocalWineEvents.com/GrenacheDay

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List your events celebrating Grenache for free at LocalwineEvents.com/GrenacheDay and Find a Celebration Near You 

AVIGNON, France, /PRNewswire/ — The Grenache Association – a not-for-profit coalition of fans of the Grenache grape – welcomes the world to celebrate the 13th International Grenache Day on Friday, September 15, 2023. This annual event, held on the third Friday of every September, has been instrumental in spreading the “gospel of Grenache” through social media initiatives, in-person and virtual wine tastings, and events at wineries, wine shops, wine bars, wine academies, and restaurants.

This year, the Grenache Association welcomes a new partnership with LocalWineEvents.com which created a portal specifically for #GrenacheDay on its website: LocalWineEvents.com/GrenacheDay. Participating venues, industry professionals, and others can post their public events on the site which wine lovers can search for by city or browse all events worldwide.

Local Wine Events is the world’s biggest site for neighborhood wine and food event listings in over 63 countries. Their weekly e-newsletter The Juice reaches over 300,000+ subscribers with an average readership of 500,000 wine and food enthusiasts weekly.

According to LWE founder Eric Orange, “Our mission at Local Wine Events is to make wine events easily accessible wherever you are in the world and to help promote wine shops, restaurants, wineries, and wine! Grenache is one of our favorite varietals and #GrenacheDay is a great opportunity to list fun events to promote it.”

ABOUT GRENACHE: Grenache is planted on six of the seven continents and delivers a “sense of place” or expression of its terroir in every sip. It is enjoyed by wine mavens and newbies who embrace its earthy fruitiness and complexity, long finish, and medium body which translates to a velvety, voluptuous mouthfeel. This versatile varietal is the cornerstone of great wines like Châteauneuf-du-Papes, GSMs, and many rosés.

Laurence Ferraud of Château Pegau loves how Grenache morphs into “1000 variations and nuances,” reflecting the varied soils — pebbles, sand, clay– that give birth to her award-winning wines: “Grenache is our King, no other grape variety matches better the terroir in Châteauneuf-du-Pape. It gives full expressions as it ages, from its deep black fruit to its range of spices. Our Domaine du Pegau wines are 80% Grenache. This grape has been the heart and soul of my family for generations, since the start of Domaine Pegau in 1987 and my own Chateau Pegau since 2012.”

GRENACHE ASSOCIATION: Thanks in part to the Grenache Association’s campaign, Grenache has also been recognized as a major player in the wine world as a standalone single-varietal wine. The late Stephen Spurrier, Michel Bettane, Walter McKinlay of Domaine du Mourchon, and Nicole Sierra-Rolet of Chêne Bleu wines launched #GrenacheDay in 2010 with their grassroots association run by volunteers.

CLIMATE CHANGE WARRIOR: Grenache is considered by many as the most climate-change-friendly grape grown. Its wind and drought-resistant deep root system reaches the water table, making it less dependent on rainwater or irrigation for hydration.

Comments Grenache Association co-founder Nicole Rolet of Chêne Bleu: “More and more superstar winemakers are turning to Grenache to build their blends and even more are embracing it as a single blend wine. The word “Grenache” should be in every wine lover’s lexicon.” 

How to Celebrate #GrenacheDay:

Log an Event: www.localwineevents.com/GrenacheDay

Post #GrenacheDay photos and videos:

Twitter: @grenache_global,

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GrenacheSymposium or Instagram.

Download a #GrenacheDay image:

http://www.grenache-association.com/index.php/grenacheday/ to email to friends, post on your social media, or create an invitation.

Stocking Up For Summer

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If you happen to live in a part of the world that gets quite a bit of heat in the summer, you have learned to delay wine club shipments and wine deliveries of all kinds until the heat is lessened. I’ve tried the two-day air thing once, and though my wine did arrive in good condition, I wasn’t comfortable with it.

Obviously liquor stores and fine restaurants continue to fill their cellars as needed, summertime or not, but their wines hopefully arrive in a refrigerated truck and not via the normal UPS, FedEx and other delivery services that may use non-air conditioned trucks with your wine packed in Styrofoam alone. But I don’t order nearly as much as they do! (Note on FedEx: they are the only ones I know that will attempt a delivery more than once before holding at one of their centers or sending back. That means a lot more time in the heat for your coveted wine.)

What I tend to do is fill my cellar with enough whites and pinks in advance of the summer, getting club shipments sent earlier sometimes does the trick. But, still doesn’t solve the problem of getting the wine when more is needed during the heat of the summer. Do you just trust that the wines you buy from supermarkets, liquor stores and wine bar shelves – that are not all kept in a chilled atmosphere – will be good enough?

So, it’s definitely a conundrum. So, knowing me, do you know what I did next? I asked people on social media and in my Eve Wine 101 Facebook group how they handle it. (Some remarks were the surprise in finding out that heat could damage wine!) Here are some of your answers:

Lauren G: Well, heck, I just learned something new!

Diane G: I used to have it delivered, but when GSO used to deliver in private vans to my workplace, it arrived HOT. Even though it was supposed to be guaranteed to be refrigerated. Now I have them hold it.

Gail L: I didn’t know this. I learned something new today. Thanks for the info.

Jenny K: Do not have current wine club, but when I did, I let them decide when they feel it’s safe to send it; like you, I turn to the wine shops if I am in need of something.

Find Fine Wine: Two-day air. Temperature controlled shipping. Ice packs also help. I’ve had all these. Execution needs to be clearly worked out and understood. Also a lot of folks will hold orders until fall. (And) they’ve got a new kind (of ice pack). Often they don’t make it all the way intact but provide relief for a portion of the trip which is often enough to ease the distress on the wine. Best of luck, cheers!

Kai H: I have canceled all mine, too much wine on hand right now, but I noticed one local winery wouldn’t ship again until October!

Donny T: I’m asking this question about my medications being delivered to my mailbox, which inside probably is at least 160 degrees.

Steve R: I usually have them hold the purchase until fall, and have them ship when the weather is cooler. I’ve had wine delivered here in Las Vegas via “Cold Shipment” and the bottles were ruined. If you truly want to receive a shipment here in Las Vegas then have them “Cold Ship” to a FedEx pickup location and go get it yourself. If you have it delivered to your home then the wine sits on the delivery truck all day and the ice packs melt; thus, the wine gets ruined. I once had a shipment from a prestigious, Napa Valley winery whom insisted that having the wine shipped via cold shipment would be perfectly safe, and when the wine was delivered, the corks were peeking halfway out of the bottle as it had gotten that hot. So the wine got so hot that it pushed the corks up halfway out of the bottles. Summer here in Las Vegas is not to be played with!

Jennifer M: Some places will pack with ice, so if it’s May ill let them ship with ice packs. Usually though I have them ship no later than April or wait until October. During the summer, the wine shops get a lot of our business.

Bob B: Drink whisky! It’s less high maintenance.

Shauna C: All of our memberships are close enough to pick up and one drops off directly when we are home.

Linda O: Many times you request cold packs in your shipment. It may be an extra charge though.

Jenny W: I live in Palm Desert where temps can get triple digit and have had no issues. My wine club offers ice packs and insulated boxes, as well as temperature control shipping. If any wine is not good, free replacement. In 5 years I have had only one bottle with problems.

Dawn P: I have them shipped to my office so they don’t sit out at all.

Cathy M: Of the 3 wine membership clubs we belong to, none of them ship in the hot summer months. IF I ever ran out of wine, (god forbid) I would go to my local Ralphs. They have a refrigerated wine section for high-end wines. Even during the peak summer heat, off the shelf wines would be a relativity good choice. They keep those types of stores very cool. My next choice would be boutique wine store followed by a big box wine store. Very last choice would be a liquor store. My reasoning is…as the name implies liquor, hard liquor with no expiration dates. Wine NEEDS to be rotated. I can’t imagine a liquor store clerk having the knowledge to rotate the wine. The beer delivery guys take care of their section in a liquor store. Its always fresh and it moves quickly. Cheers

Sam H: Wineries I do business with all say “weather permitting” for the shipment dates. Wine ships in April and late October, so it’s not really an issue. Saxum Vineyards attaches a temperature tag to one bottle, so you can see if the wine got hot during shipping. A couple of times wineries have added a small ice pack. Everything ships to a UPS Store in Mesquite NV. The store is air conditioned, so a couple of days at the store is no big deal.

Conclusion: Draw your own. Looks like no matter what you decide to try it’s guesswork, now at least you are making an educated guess.

Eve Bushman has a Level Two Intermediate Certification from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET), a “certification in the 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 Proof Awards, Cellarmasters, LA Wine Competition, Long Beach Grand Cru and the Global Wine Awards. You can email Eve@EveWine101.com to ask a question about wine or spirits

Great Finds From the Bar and Restaurant Expo, And Pizza Expo Too!

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We’ve covered the Bar and Restaurant Expo and the International Pizza Expo in Las Vegas for a few years now. Before I retired Eve Bushman Consulting I sat in many of the classes to keep up with the latest in the industry and share those updates and ideas with clients. I learned a lot, and while I took notes for my clients I also shared those notes in Eve’s Wine 101 for anyone.

Fast forward to the past few Covid years, with the event like all others being postponed and I decided to close my business with the move to Las Vegas (while keeping our home in Santa Clarita) in 2020. Now when I attend the Expos I focus on the new products as well as fresh ideas being introduced. Today’s article features everything we discovered at the recent 2023 shows.

Bar and Restaurant Expo

Sections were made for the Japanese Food and Beverage Showcase, Non Alcohol Chill Zone, Kitchen Equipment Showcase, a Tea Bar and The Bar for complementary cocktails and bites of food. If you want to see all of the exhibitors go here. And more details of the show are on their website: https://www.barandrestaurantexpo.com/

At the Kickoff Party, held the night before the show opened, this was my social media post:

OMG, does it look like we had fun at the Ayu Dayclub at Resorts World for the Bar And Restaurant Expo’s Kickoff Party? We certainly did! And hold the phone – we discovered White Claw, of canned Hard Seltzer fame, is distilling their own slightly sweet and distilled-from-corn vodka! And then, I got to meet Soprano Boss “Vito” aka Actor/Chef Joe Gannascoli, and get a taste of Rocavaka vodka “the vodka that rocks” distilled from grapes! Then, one of my fave vodkas of the night was from New Zealand and distilled from Whey – VDKA 6100! Ringside vodka was a tasty one, also distilled from corn. Kurvball Whiskey was there, with their BBQ whisky this time in a Pineapple Margarita! Can’t wait to re-visit all of them at the show! (Photos from Kickoff Party are here.)

From the main event, this was my post:

Oh what a great Bar and Restaurant Expo! What looks good to you here? We had a fab time rubbing elbows with fellow industry friends like Troy Hooper as well as Duane Fernandez with Uncle Nearest, VDKA 6100 vodka, Ringside Vodka, White Claw vodka, trying new-to-me brands like Choya Japanese Liqueur, Mario’s Hard Espresso, XXI Martinis, Lux Ice Diamond Shapes, Rolling Barrel Bourbon Whiskey, Black Infusions, Ohoro Gin, Middle West Spirits, the impressive ready-to-travel Blackbird drink cart, Food and Liquor from Mutual Trading and JFC International, Tillen Farms from Stonewall Kitchen, Koeze Co. chips and the best brand awareness via the PR%F Awards,…the list goes on! It’s just THE best event to discover the latest trends for bars and restaurants! (Photos from main event are here.)

We covered what we could – the vendors we met with are marked in bold here. Spirit, canned cocktail and beer vendors included 22 Salute Spirits & Coffee, Bare Zero Proof Spirits (zero proof being another growing category) Flavour Blaster, Heritage Distilling Co., Mario’s Hard Espresso, Middle West Spirits, Ole Smokey Distillery, ROCAVAKA, Sip Shine, Sugarlands Distilling Company and Takahashi Shuzo Co., Uncle Nearest 1856 Premium Aged Whiskey, Waterbird Spirits and XXI Martinis, COOL CAT Cocktails, Margarita Man, Don Elias Premium Tequila, Asahi Beer, EZ-Jello Shots, Heineken and Meta Hard Elixir among others.

Sake brands included JFC International, Kikusui Sake USA, Mutual Trading Co., Hakutsuru Sake of America, Joto Sake/Kobrand Corp., Kubota Sake USA, Sake Generations Inc. and Takara Sake USA.

Find on Instagram:

@LuxIceUSA @Koeze_1910 @ChoyaUSA @WhiteClaw @Rocavaka @VDKA6100 @KurvballWhiskey @LuxIceUSA @xxiMartinis @MariosHardEspresso @Koeze_1910 @StonewallKitchen @Choya_USA @Black.Infusions @ProofAwards @UncleNearest @MiddlewestSpirits @JFCInternational @MutualTrading @BarAndRestaurantExpo

International Pizza Expo

For the first time, and I hope the last, I had to miss the Pizza Expo and relied on my husband, Eddie, who normally serves as photographer, to cover the event in full. With repeated instructions (we are married!) he was to take copious photos of anything interesting, and get samples if available for further review. He did great his first time out of the chute! We went over his photos and he was able to caption them for me on social media, as well as help with this post:

What happens when Eve’s Wine 101 Staff Photographer arrives at the International Pizza Expo without Eve? He does a full report! Check out the pics – starting with the Hot Wings gal – and cool video of chocolate Gelato topped with Calabrian chili olive oil and salt, and more pics of his favorite booths! Among the tasty treats you will want to see on the menu of your favorite pizza place also includes a Cheeseburger Pizza with what looks to have pickles, tomatoes, sausage and yellow cheese; Stanislaus Tomatoes Ravioli, a great table display of fresh vegetable toppings, Prosciutto and olive oils; Amoretti Premium Syrups – his fave was the uniquely flavored cream of pumpkin pie; an assortment of Italian red wines; Caputo Parmesan cheese and their own Semola pizza flour; tasty Jones cane sugar soda; Red Gold tomato ketchup; both Marzetti and Ken’s salad dressings; the always great Chef Paul Prudhomme Magic seasonings; Polly-O cheese; Columbus vegetable oils; Marin French Cheese Co and Grain Craft kitchen utensils! (Photos and video here.)

Find on Instagram:

@StanislausTomatoes @Amoretti @CaputoFlour @JonesSodaCo @RedGoldTomatoes @Marzetti @KensDressings @MagicSeasoningBlends @Polly_OCheese @Columbus_veg_oils @MarinFrenchCheese @PizzaExpo

Eve Bushman has a Level Two Intermediate Certification from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET), a “certification in the 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 17k views), authored “Wine Etiquette for Everyone” and has served as a judge for the Las Vegas Proof Awards, LA Wine Competition, Long Beach Grand Cru and the Global Wine Awards. You can email Eve@EveWine101.com to ask a question about wine or spirits.

GRAND RAPIDS DISTILLER AWARDED TOP HONORS for WHISKEYS, MOONSHINES

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GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Grand Rapids-based distiller Sip Shine, LLC, which produces Sip Shine Moonshine, Kyodie Whiskey and Gannett Peak Whiskey, is the winner of twelve 2022 PR%F Magazine Awards for best brand cocktails.

The Fourth Annual PR%F (pronounced “proof”) Awards Spirits, Wine & Beverage competition winners were recently announced in the January edition of PR%F the Magazine. The judging, by beverage buyers from 18 different states, was held in November at the William F. Harrah College of Hospitality at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. The judges work as buyers for all types of outlets, including restaurants, bars, casinos, grocery stores, resorts, cruise ships and more.

Out of hundreds of competition entries, Sip Shine products earned four gold and two silver medals in the “Masked” competition and six silver medals in the “Unmasked” competition. The “Masked” designation was a double-blind tasting competition, that focused simply on the taste of the beverage and was based on a 100-point system. Gold medals were given to beverages that scored between 91-95 points. Silver awards were given to beverages scoring between 85-90 points.

The “Unmasked” competition was not only based on taste, but the total package of the product, including art design, theme, marketing, logo, look and feel, and price point.

The Sip Shine beverages that were recognized are:

Masked

• Kyodie Whiskey – Peach – Gold Award

• Kyodie Whiskey – Ravin’ Apple – Gold Award

• Sip Shine – Razz-Berry Shineade – Gold Award

• Sip Shine – Shine Berry Sweet Tea – Gold Award

• Sip Shine – Arnold Shiner – Silver Award

• Sip Shine – Watermelon Chillade – Silver Award

Unmasked

• Kyodie Whiskey – Peach – Silver Award

• Kyodie Whiskey – Ravin’ Apple – Silver Award

• Sip Shine – Arnold Shiner – Silver Award

• Sip Shine – Razz-Berry Shineade – Silver Award

• Sip Shine – Shine Berry Sweet Tea – Silver Award

• Sip Shine – Watermelon Chillade – Silver Award

Late last year, Sip Shine relocated its distilling for all brands from Iowa to Michigan. Sip Shine products can be found at many area retailers and restaurants, and the company plans to open a restaurant on the west side of Grand Rapids this summer. Sip Shine Moonshine Slushie machines can also be found at various venues including VanAndel Arena and LoanDepot Park, home of the Florida Marlins.

Sip Shine is readily available for consumers in over 30 states and nationally through online purchase on the website www.sipshine.com.

Catering to Different Wine Tastes

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It’s no secret that Eddie and I love to entertain. In our home in Santa Clarita, that has a big kitchen and dining area, we sometimes have large groups. Our Las Vegas home, which is our starting-to-scale-down home, is better for smaller groups. Having just one other couple over is really our “sweet spot” for entertaining there. And with the addition of our Wine Room in Vegas, that has four upholstered swivel chairs (and two cushy ottomans when needed) we often start there with appetizers before moving to the dining room for the main course. (We do sometimes entertain in the kitchen, as that’s where the action is: Ed cooks and plates there.)

When we entertain guests we also plan a menu and drinks based on what we think they would enjoy, keeping their comfort in mind. Let me explain. Part of this is due to the different levels of our guests’ wine interests, and secondly to make sure we’ve made the best possible match – between what guests we will have together, what drinks we will serve and what’s for dinner.

One gal pal prefers Rose wine while her husband sticks to light spirits. So for this couple we will plan a dinner that pairs well with those choices like a light pasta or fish. We sometimes make something heartier, and while we switch to red wine, and our friends may try a glass, they always return to their favorites.

Another pal prefers Pinot Noir, though she is known to drink everything, but we do try and make a dish like pork Wellington or salmon for her to pair with her preferences.

One couple admits that they only drink “rubbish” and though we know they are joking, and they do appreciate great wines, we don’t kill ourselves selecting rare bottles from our cellar when they come over. I usually select something a little less expensive from places like the Central Coast, Australia, Argentina or Chile and steer clear of the aged Napa or French wines that come from more expensive real estate. And the menu can be whatever we like, nothing too grand.

We have pals that appreciate the expensive and non-expensive wines, and base their choices on their palate. For them we have an array of wines to taste. Once, at a local restaurant, we all enjoyed a wine I had selected from the wine list for our dinner. I realized that a friend of mine may have imported the wine. I sent him a quick text, and sure enough he had. He told us which store sold it, at $12 a bottle verses the restaurant price of $60, and we – all four of us – went in on the purchase of a case together.

Another couple has their own wine label from Napa, not too pricey, and it’s lovely when we dine in. However when we dine out this couple prefers a wine in the $200 and up range. Needless to say that’s a bit high for us, especially as the markup can be three times the actual price of the wine – which makes it nearly impossible for me to justify spending, even when they ask me to select the wine for them from the wine list. For these occasions we tend to bring in one of our better bottles (that is not on the wine list) and pay the corkage.

We have other couples that only like the really fine wines so we follow suit and only serve our fine wines with them, another that prefers cocktails alone and that gives me a chance to work my home bartending skills, and so on. Again, we adjust our menu to suit the preferences of our guests.

We will literally plan a month of entertaining around who is coming and what we’ll be drinking, and have found that while we are catering to our guests, we are catering to ourselves as well. So, for example, after a night of fine wine we will take a night off and our next dinner will be with our friends that prefer cocktails, and so on again. It’s like dressing up one night and relaxing in sweats the next.

We’ve had pals that wanted to meet some of our other pals. But I’m sometimes concerned that the wine aficionados wouldn’t pair well with the rubbish wine drinkers. I needn’t have worried; everyone is gracious drinking the good stuff and the jokingly called swill stuff. However, later, when I’ve spoken with these friends I learned that they didn’t feel they had that much in common in general. Just another reason why I feel that pairings, food/wine/friends, requires thought. And Vive la différence!

How do you do it?

Eve Bushman has a Level Two Intermediate Certification from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET), a “certification in the 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 Las Vegas Proof Awards, LA Wine Competition, Long Beach Grand Cru and the Global Wine Awards. You can email Eve@EveWine101.com to ask a question about wine or spirits.

Perlises Pick – Lodging with the Wilson Artisan Wineries

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When traveling, whether it be to wine country or elsewhere, there are typically a plethora of lodging choices. Where you stay can often “make or break” how much you enjoy the entire trip.

As we started planning for our upcoming trip to the Healdsburg area, we recalled that an old friend had mentioned that he had recently stayed at the Camellia Inn and had raved about it. As this is just one of the several properties under the umbrella of the Wilson Artisan Wineries, we checked out their website:

www.wilsonartisanwines.com/lodging

Besides the Camellia Inn, there are the Grape Leaf Inn, the Calderwood Inn and the Rockhouse Suites, all in Healdsburg, along with the Pinschower Inn just a little north in Cloverdale.

This is all watched over by Tim Polk, Certified Tourism Ambassador for Sonoma County and Reservations Supervisor for Wilson Artisan Wineries. Tim has lived in Sonoma County for over 25 years and loves to “guide folks to fantastic food, wine and touring experiences, based on their likes and desires.” He assists guests with finding the best Wilson housing option, then helps them with more concierge-related things such as: “suggesting local restaurants; guiding folks on how and where to make wine tasting appointments; giving recommendations for local wine tour companies/drivers; etc. I’ve helped folks plan four- and five-day trips that include picnics at Half Moon Bay to a day trip to Mendocino County to everything in between.”

Sometimes, though, you really want that wine country immersive experience of staying on a vineyard property. Who do you go to for that? Well, Tim Polk, of course.

The Wilsons have four vineyard properties from which to choose. The deLorimier Winery in Alexander Valley and Mazzocco Sonoma in the Dry Creek Valley both have three-bedroom cottages. Pezzi King, also in the Dry Creek Valley, has a four-bedroom guest house. Finally, and also in Dry Creek, is the two-bedroom KCV Estate (Kenneth Carl Vineyards Estate) House at what will soon to be the location of another Wilson project: the Kenneth Carl Winery (there is a story here to be told, for sure!).

Tim said “We don’t splash these around much online – we really want to make them most available to the Wilson winery club members…There is no online spot to check availability for the vineyard properties; you do have to reach out to us either via this email (reservations@wilsonartisanwines.com) or by calling us Mon- Fri at 707-395-0929, option 4.”

Still, they are definitely worth checking into – you might get lucky!

We had the good fortune recently to stay at Mazzocco Sonoma’s Briar Cottage and it definitely exceeded all of our expectations. It was a perfect base of operations for us, as we had already planned to spend some quality time with Mazzocco’s winemaker Antoine Favero [more on this to come] and was also conveniently located for us to explore the Dry Creek Valley and surrounding environs.

But you might not want to leave. Luxuriously appointed and with a beautiful patio facing the Briar vineyard, it is a great place to relax and take in the beauty of wine country.  It is a just short drive to Healdsburg with its many wonderful restaurants, or you can just load up on supplies at a convenient market and take advantage of the full kitchen, dining room, and that patio. The only problem with Briar Cottage is it may spoil you for staying anywhere else.

Michael and Karen Perlis have been pursuing their passion for wine for more than 30 years. They have had the good fortune of having numerous mentors to show them the way and after a couple of decades of learning about wine, attending events, visiting wineries and vineyards, and tasting as much wine as they possibly could, they had the amazing luck to meet Eve Bushman. Michael and Karen do their best to bring as much information as possible about wine to Eve’s Wine 101 faithful readers.

FireFly Farms Celebrates 20 Years of Awards for Its Sustainable Artisan Cheese

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ACCIDENT, MD. (PRWEB) – FireFly Farms, a producer of handmade cheese from Mountain Maryland, celebrated 20 years in the artisan cheese business last year and nabbed another seven awards for its line of cheeses in national and international competitions.

“The past year has been busy – we remodeled the creamery, moved our Deep Creek market, launched a new website, participated in an international festival, and still managed to stay on top of the cheese making!” said FireFly Farms Director of Operations, Dan Porter. “It’s not easy, but everyone who works here, from the newest apprentice to the most seasoned cheesemaker, is passionate about what we do, and I think that makes a big difference.”

“We keep finding new ways to improve our process,” said FireFly Farms President Mike Koch, “whether it’s adjusting the amount of salt, refreshing a recipe, or tweaking the curd-cut temperature to accommodate seasonal milk changes – every little thing counts. Even after twenty years of cheese making, you know you still have a lot to learn, but of course every year we get better at the craft!”

The seven awards in this anniversary year included recognitions at the American Cheese Society’s judging and competition, the World Cheese Awards, and a first-ever showing at the Mundial do Queijo in São Paulo, Brazil:

  • Merry Goat Round was awarded at the World Cheese Awards
  • Merry Goat Round Spruce Reserve was awarded by the American Cheese Society and at the World Cheese Awards
  • Cabra La Mancha was awarded by American Cheese Society
  • Black & Blue was awarded at the World Cheese Awards
  • Cave Dweller was awarded at the Mundial do Queijo do Brasil
  • Carpenter’s Wheel, produced in collaboration with Crown Finish Caves, was awarded by the American Cheese Society

“We’ve won a lot of awards over the years,” says Dan Porter, “but that’s really not what matters to us. Our commitment is to handcrafted, artisan cheese that uses fresh milk from local farms. People taste and value that even when they don’t know that they’re eating a medal winner.”

“I think our customers really value our focus on sustainability”, said Mike Koch. “When your milk comes from farms just down the road, when your cheesemakers raise chickens and cows at home, when you can share whey with a pig farmer and when you brush shoulders with folks every day who are making a living off the land, it really drives home the need to take care of what you have for the next generation. Our solar panels, whey-recycling program, local sourcing – it all comes from a recognition that we need to be leaders in our community.”

Long hailed as one of the best places to visit in Mountain Maryland’s Garrett County, the FireFly Farm’s market location in Accident, MD expanded this year, moving just a few blocks down the street. As before, it features FireFly Farm’s award-winning cheeses as well as other specialty, hand-selected items from the region and around the world.

Meanwhile FireFly Farms’ second market in historic Whitehall Mill in Baltimore is receiving recognition for its natural wine selection, one of the best in the city. “I suppose you could say I have a passion for wine and cheese,” says Jesse Galdston, general manager of FireFly Market in Whitehall Mill. “We pride ourselves on searching out hard-to-find bottles, whether a library release of a 1994 German Riesling for under $50, (sorry, sold out!) or naturally fermented champagne, we’ve always got something interesting to pair with your cheese.”

In addition to the two market locations, FireFly Farms cheese is nationally available through its distribution partners and can be found in several major grocery chains specialty retail stores, restaurants and via several online partners. For information or to purchase FireFly Farms’ cheese, please contact the creamery directly or visit its newly relaunched website and ecommerce platform at http://www.fireflyfarms.com.

“We’re excited to be expanding our geographic reach and making our cheeses accessible to anyone, no matter where they live,” said Mike Koch. “Our new monthly cheese subscription allows us to curate something special every month for our customers – as well as feature complimentary products from other exciting food businesses.”

About FireFly Farms: FireFly Farms was founded in 2002 and offers nationally & internationally award‐winning goat’s and cow’s milk cheeses that express the distinct regional flavors of Mountain Maryland’s Allegheny Plateau. Each cheese is artfully handcrafted and aged with precise detail, resulting in exceptional flavor and texture. FireFly Farms is prides itself on using agriculturally sustainable, locally‐sourced fresh goat’s and cow’s milk and time‐honored, traditional methods of cheese making.

Garagiste Wine Festival Returns to Santa Ynez Valley: February 10th and 11th

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PASO ROBLES, CALIF. (PRWEB) – America’s Best Wine Festival, The Garagiste Wine Festival, returns to Solvang in Santa Ynez Valley on February 10th – 11th, offering rare access to over 30 of the most exciting small-production winemakers from the Santa Barbara County area. Tickets are now on sale here. Following on the heels of another sold-out year of events, the festival also announced its line-up for 2023, which includes Sonoma, Los Angeles and Paso Robles.

Hosted in Solvang, one of America’s 10 Best Small Historic Towns, for the ninth time, ‘Southern Exposure’ will be held at the landmark Mission-style Veterans’ Memorial Hall on Solvang’s Mission Street, which was named one of the US’ Top Ten Best Looking Main Streets.

“This charming town has a special place in our hearts, not least because it is at the center of some of the best winemaking in the world, but also because it is a beautiful and walkable place to spend a weekend –all while tasting over 150 ultra-premium, handcrafted small-lot production wines, and meeting their winemakers, under one roof,” said Doug Minnick, Garagiste Festival Co-founder.

2023 ‘Southern Exposure’ includes Garagiste’s Friday night signature “Rare & Reserve” tasting with a traditional Santa Maria-style BBQ dinner buffet on February 10th and the Grand Tasting on Saturday February 11th, which includes a Silent Auction filled with first-rate wine packages that benefit The Garagiste Festival Scholarship Fund at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. Weekend Pass holders have entry into both events, along with lunch and a special Valentine’s Day treat. Sunday, February 12th is the popular Garagiste Passport Day, during which several participating wineries – including some “Garagiste Graduate” wineries who have poured with Garagiste in past, but have grown larger in over the years – will be offering special treats and discounts for Garagiste Festival attendees.

“We love our Solvang event,” continued Minnick. “The Vet’s Hall is right in the heart of the village and makes for a fantastic casual weekend of walking the town, seeing the sights, and enjoying the many restaurants, shops, and all that Solvang has to offer. It’s a great way to get a jump on celebrating with your Valentine. And Sunday’s Passport Day is a perfect excuse to take an extra day and night in town. Call in sick if you have to – we always do!”

Southern Exposure starts the 2023 Garagiste Festival season which will bring hundreds of new wine discoveries from across California to wine lovers in Solvang, Paso Robles, Sonoma and Los Angeles. Of the nearly 200 wineries showcased by the festival in 2022, 45 were new to the festival. The 2023 line-up, in addition to Solvang, includes: Garagiste ‘Northern Exposure’ in Sonoma (April 29), Garagiste ‘Urban Exposure’ in Los Angeles (June 17) and the ‘OG’ Festival in Paso Robles (November 10-11).

The Garagiste Festival premiered in Paso Robles in 2011 and is the only wine festival that exclusively features high quality wines from commercial California ‘garagiste’ winemakers. Unlike other festivals, the wines are poured by the winemakers/owners themselves, offering a rare opportunity to interact with the creative forces behind the wines, while making brand new wine discoveries. The festival expanded to the Santa Ynez Valley in 2013 to highlight the wines of Santa Barbara County and surrounding AVAs, as well as small production wineries from across California.

The 30+ winemakers scheduled to pour at the Garagiste Festival Southern Exposure include: 
Camin’s 2 Dream, Costa Vinedo*, Cypher Winery, Diablo Paso, Dusty Nabor Wines, Entourage Wines, Fuil Wines*, Greyscale Wiines, Hayseed and Housdon, Herrmann York Wine*, Imagine Wines, Kendric Vineyards, Kimsey Vineyard, Lepiane Wines, LePoidevin Cellars, Lions Peak Winery, MCV Wines, Montagne Russe, Montemar Winery, Pine Moutain Vineyards, RF Fine Wines, Seven Oxen Estate, Silver Wines, Steinbeck Vineyards, Sycamore Ranch, Tercero Wines, Tomi Cellars, Trixon Wine Company.*

*New Wineries

For more information and full Garagiste Festival: Southern Exposure schedule details, go to: http://www.garagistefestival.com/

Tickets are limited for Garagiste Festival Southern Exposure. Garagiste Festivals always sell out in advance. To buy tickets, go to: https://www.my805tix.com/e/garagiste-solvang

For breaking Garagiste Festival news and special discounts, sign-up for our free newsletter, The Dirt, at https://www.garagistefestival.com/garagiste-blog or follow us on Twitter (@GaragisteFest) or Facebook.

Sponsors include: 
Bank of Marin, Digital Dogma, ETS Laboratories, Farm Credit West, Fortis Solutions Group, G3, Glenn Burdette, Laffort, mWEBB Communications, Santa Ynez Valley, Solvang, TricorBraun winepak, Vinland Hotel & Lounge, WIVI.

About The Garagiste Wine Festival 
The Garagiste (pronounced garage-east)Wine Festival (http://www.garagistefestival.com), named “Best of the Fests” for 2019 by Fest Forums and the ‘Best Wine Festival in the US in 2018 in USA Today’s 10Best Readers Choice Awards, is the first and only wine festival dedicated to the undiscovered and under-recognized American artisan ‘garagiste’ micro-wineries who are making some of the best, most exciting, handcrafted small-lot production wines in the world. Founded by fellow garagistes Stewart McLennan and Douglas Minnick, the Garagiste Festivals are committed to discovering the best and most innovative limited-production winemakers and promoting and showcasing them to a broad audience of discerning wine consumers. In addition to its flagship annual festival in Paso Robles, CA, the Garagiste Festival line-up includes Garagiste Festival: Southern Exposure, featuring Santa Ynez Valley garagistes; the Garagiste Festival: Urban Exposure, in Los Angeles; the Garagiste Festival, Northern Exposure, in Sonoma; winemaker dinners, a newsletter, garagiste profiles and more.

In addition to being named the US’ Best Wine Festival, the Garagiste Festival was named one of the ‘Top Nine Incredible Epicurean Vacations’ in the world by ABC News, “one of the premier wine events of the year,” by the LA Times and “Best Festival” by Sunset Magazine’s ‘Best of the West.’ The festivals are produced by Garagiste Events, a non-profit dedicated to furthering the education of future winemakers and those training for employment within the wine industry. Proceeds from the festivals support the Garagiste Festival Scholarship fund of the California Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo Wine and Viticulture Department.

Garagiste (garage-east) is a term originally used in the Bordeaux region of France to denigrate renegade small-lot wine makers, sometimes working in their “garages” (anything considered not a chateau), who refused to follow the “rules,” and is now a full-fledged movement responsible for making some of the best wine in the world. The Garagiste Festivals were the first to shine a light on the American garagiste winemaker in 2011.

What I Hate Most About The Wine Industry

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A few years back in my book, Wine Etiquette For Everyone: How To Feel Like a Pro In Any Situation Involving Wine, I touched on several situations where a lay person could – and has many times – been treated poorly by those in the wine industry. Those situations still exist: Snobby wine store personnel, uneducated wine store personnel, snobby sommeliers in restaurants, snobby wine representatives (or even winemakers) at events, snobby wine journalists, and so on. I gave readers information to help them navigate these situations, to feel comfortable about wine, no matter what degree of wine education they have. Making wine inaccessible – due to treatment like this – remains my biggest pet peeve in the industry.
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Over the years, I’ve seen much more, and learned more. So today I’m sharing those thoughts.

How Sommeliers and Bartenders Are Treated

I turned on somms in my article on corkage, when I had a front row seat to their thoughts about their customers and shared it in my article Corkage: Do You Want To Hear From The Professional’s Point of View?

However, as we’re making the move to Las Vegas, I’ve had the opportunity to meet many more somms and bartenders, and also have had the privilege to socialize and dine with some. So there is another side I’ve since learned about, and that’s how many are badly treated in the industry.

Some of the somms I’ve met have complained that while wait staff may share their tips with others in the front of house (think busboys) they don’t always share with the sommeliers – when a somm was responsible for selling a bottle (or more) to a table. Imagine selling a $500 bottle of wine and not getting a share of the tip. If anything, if the customer tips 20% I would hope that somm would get a percentage, factored out for just the wine or the entire check.

The only way a bartender may see a tip from drinks might be if you order from the bar, close out your check and pay the tip there before going to the table. Now I’ve gotten into the habit of giving a somm or bartender cash directly. (And this is not to place blame on the servers, it’s management that makes the rules about how to divide tips. If you aren’t sure you can ask your server. Also of note: if your somm is the head somm and responsible for buying wine for their list, training, etc., he will be paid much more than wait staff.)

One bartender pal, who moved from West Los Angeles to Las Vegas for better pay, ended up waiting tables instead. The money he makes in tips far outweighs the glamor – and the back-breaking work behind the bar.

Having to Pay For Wine Scores

One nationwide wine publication, that shall not be named, charges $500 to publish a review and scores. This information came from more than one winemaker that asked me my opinion of the practice.
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Their score would be available online, but if they wanted the scant few sentences and the score printed in the magazine publication they had to pay the fee. I get that a magazine has to make money, and I also get that wineries know how much the public relies on scores, so I advised the winemakers to pay the $500. But that doesn’t make it right. Another publication, also nationwide, receives annual checks from wineries, but doesn’t always review their wines. I find all of this bordering on criminal. One wine critic, who was accused of charging for wine scores, was shamed in the wine community, however, I didn’t see her crime any worse than that of these large publications. (Also, some wine publications and critics are also known for charging just to review a wine. Egads.)

The only way I see out of this pay-for-scores misuse is for consumers to be educated about it, by people like me and those that carry much more weight, and to stop chasing critics’ scores. Trust your own palate, or that of a sommelier or retailer that knows your palate.

Laws in Different States

In my studies, particularly my American Wine Specialist certification, I learned different states have different laws in regards to importing wine and spirits. While I’m not an expert on any one state law, it seems pretty unfair that some wine lovers have to jump through a lot more hoops than others to get their wine. Not to mention all of the wine clubs that aren’t allowed to deliver to a particular state. States that want to help wine lovers need to find another way to regulate liquor sales

In closing, I hope readers don’t think that the things I hate about the industry comes even slightly close to all of the things I love about it. I just like to give the insider’s view that it’s not all glitz and glamour!

Eve Bushman has a Level Two Intermediate Certification from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET), a “certification in the 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.

How it Began: Bushman and Perlis and Wine

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Back in 2009, or maybe even a bit earlier, I had an appointment with our insurance agent at her office in Newhall. She mentioned that a “money guy” who worked down the hall, had been reading my wine column in The Signal newspaper and wanted to meet me. The guy was Michael Perlis. That fateful day was the beginning of a great relationship.

I walked over to Michael’s office, knocked, and we met. Come to find Michael was a fan and a wine lover, but he also had a motive in meeting me, he wanted to contribute to Eve’s Wine 101 website and also…be my editor to catch and correct all of the errors he had read of mine over the years! Egads – one of Michael’s favorite Eve-ism words – and off we were. I don’t know if he said all of this in our first meeting or later after we four – with our spouses Eddie and Karen – had met over wine a few times, but this is how I remember it.

Flash forward a bit more to one of my articles for Eve’s Wine 101, and the first time that Michael chimed in on my post. That was May of 2009. Michael began writing a weekly column, which ran most Saturdays following my column on Fridays. Over the years I’ve learned more about wine through Michael’s articles – even more now that his wife Karen is co-writing them – and I suspect he’s learned from some of mine.

We’ve shared wine event plans, wine trip plans, tasting notes, and plenty of wine over the years. But mostly we’ve shared a deep friendship, common interests and goals for our website.

More collaboration included Michael pushing me to create Eve Bushman Consulting where for over a decade we assisted non-profits but also wineries, bars and restaurants with marketing and events. (We had been asked for advice many times, based on our wine/spirits knowledge, experience and knowing our city.) More of that can be found via a Google search or Eve’s Wine 101 blog.

Some of our amazing memories include the story behind the photo I chose for this post: we offered our consulting services to the Wish Education Foundation when we presented an idea of having the first wine tasting in the Old Town Newhall Library. We recruited pals, including co-host Marlee Lauffer, to open their own cellared wines, as well as wineries and local restaurants that were willing to participate. There’s a lot more on that event and others in our blog, it’s just one example to illustrate our collaboration, and the support of our spouses that also gave up their time and their wine. This particular event was called A Toast And A Wish.

Wine Interests

While Michael and Karen had wine tasted in Paso Robles, when we first met I hadn’t been there yet. Michael taught me that the Central Coast – and Sonoma, an area I also didn’t visit often – had plenty to offer. I learned pretty quickly that it was time to hit the road. I was mostly an armchair writer at that point, except for trips only to Napa now and then.  Our wine tastes sometimes differ- I am big on Napa Cabs, Rhônes and Bordeaux – but we appreciate each other’s palate. We both love Zinfandel! I’ve learned that getting out of my comfort zone – and a rut – helped me learn even more about wine.

Our own relationship

On a personal note, up until Covid, Michael and I enjoyed monthly staff lunches over wine. Michael brought the wine and I footed the bill, and I know Michael was the more generous one here! We would cover business, and then get down to harmless gossip, travel plans and ideas. Almost every time when a new challenge faced us, Michael always found a way to bolster my ego – and our collective talents – to take on any challenge. We enjoyed supporting our favorite local restaurants too, and hope to renew these lunch meetings as soon as Covid stops plaguing us all.

Michael’s Bio

I have been pursuing my passion for wine for more than 25 years. I have had the good fortune of having numerous mentors to show me the way, as well as a wonderful wife who encourages me and shares my interest. After a couple of decades of learning about wine, attending events, visiting wineries and vineyards, and tasting as much wine as I possibly could, I had the amazing luck to meet Eve Bushman. Now, as Contributing Editor for Eve’s Wine 101, I do my best to bring as much information as possible about wine to Eve’s Wine 101 faithful readers. You can contact Michael at: michaelthezinfan@aol.com

From Eve

Not sure what prompted this article. I had recently reached out to Michael for his thoughts on changing our weekly newsletter to twice monthly, and possibly not having daily content. While I’ve retired Eve Bushman Consulting, Eve’s Wine 101 blog is standing firm as both of us have no plans to stop writing and supporting the wine and spirits industry. Whatever it was, I’m happy to report that we are both thankful to our loyal readers, now for well over a decade! And maybe I just wanted Michael to know, as he is editing this article like all of my others, how much he is loved and appreciated. Egads!

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.