Vintage Eve Circa Jan 2018, “Wine 101: The Demise of the Dinner Party”

August 25, 2020 by evebushman

Cruising a foodie group on Facebook one member’s query kind of stuck out in my mind. It was something like, “Does anyone do dinner parties anymore?” About half of the comments, if not more, said no. Due to pets, small dining spaces, children, busy schedules and a lack of ideas.

Bushman Kitchen – overlooking our Napa Valley vineyard (We wish!)

That lack of ideas on what to do for a dinner party got my mind racing. I never run out of ideas. Granted we have a kitchen made for entertaining, and a home that has managed events for up to 75 people, but the size of our kitchen isn’t where our dinner party ideas stem from.

It stems from our interests not only in food preparation and presentation, but also with the wine and/or spirits we want to serve to complement our meals.

If we go back a few decades we began as young married couples often do: experimenting in the kitchen. I happened to share my kitchen with a firefighter that was used to cooking for a dozen or more crew members. Hence, we always had too much. (Truth be told this is still a problem!) We had pals that lived close by that were more than willing to come up for a ready made meal, bring wine, and our Thursday Night Dinners began.

Every other week we walked over to see the Andrews, and they came over to our house on the weeks when it was our turn. Eventually other friends got wind of our dinners and they grew – with more couples and more wine than we really wanted to partake in on a week night.

Fast forward to our third home in Awesometown. Our kitchen prep area is probably four or five times greater than the kitchen was in our starter home was. And now we knew that the kitchen was where the action was. Ed had become an excellent cook, as most fire fighters are, and I was happy to be his sous chef.

Now we plan monthly dinner parties, with a rotating set of pals (as we are all so busy everyone is not always free) and still enjoy the menu planning as well as pulling wines from our cellar to pair. Over the years I have also enjoyed hosting meetings for the different events I’m working on, as well as a monthly Brainstormer’s Group – and these are mostly potluck with some kind of wine or spirit tasting I throw in for fun.

These are the different ideas we’ve tried over the years:

We did a large wine event with five different tasting stations where guests moved from room to room, outside to inside, and returned to the kitchen for the final pairing.

Hosted a jam-making class!

The “Buck Bar” idea borrowed from Lesley and David Solmonson’s book “The Twelve Bottle Bar” where guests are prompted to replace the vodka in a Moscow Mule with rye, bourbon or scotch, and the lime with orange or lemon. Just crafting your own cocktail with all the bartender tools is fun!

Pot lucks with everyone bringing one of their prized homemade dishes – can’t ever go wrong with that.

Gin or vodka tastings – those are not so usual – after dining.

After dinner put on a movie like Ferris Bueller’s Day Off that you can talk over.

I’ve done chocolate tastings where I’ve guided guests to go from dark to light, with some wine and port as well, to see how the chocolate flavors develop and change when we study them.

An adult Pinata with tiny plastic booze bottles.

Make friends with restaurant owners – they make you want to up your game!

Play Apples to Apples, or any easy to play game for families, after dinner.

Single malt scotch tastings, with minor pairings like grilled sausage and Snicker bars!

Wine and Junk Food pairing. We like popcorn and sparkling wine and chocolate candy with Zinfandel – with a lot in between. You have to do some experimenting before you plan this one.

After a dinner: blind wine tastings, single varietal tastings, aroma lessons…

So if you were on the fence about planning a fun dinner party I hope this article helped to get your creative juices working. And if you need more assistance, or a really fun guest, you know where to find me!

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.

Tasting a Classic: Rodney Strong Vineyards

August 30, 2019 by evebushman

Do you know anything about Rodney Strong Vineyards? If you do recognize the name, as most would for the 50+ year-old Sonoma County winery, forgetaboutit for just a few more minutes while you read what I learned about their iconic label, as well as newer labels we tasted from: Symmetry Collection Red Meritage, Alexander Valley; Alexander’s Crown Single Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley; and Rowen Red Wine Blend, Cooley Ranch, Sonoma County; presented by Director of Winemaking Justin Seidenfeld and Director of Communications Christopher O’Gorman during a spectacular paired wine luncheon at Cafe Del Rey.

(If your appetite can’t bear waiting…see photos of the wine and winemaker Justin Seidenfeld click here, if you are after the food prepared by Sous Chef Jackie Ramsey that’s all here. I suggest a gander at both.)

What We Learned

The winery opened in 1959 and was the 13^th bonded winery in Sonoma County. Beginning with producing an annual 30,000 cases they now make 860,000 cases.

Tom Klein and family purchased Rodney Strong in 1989.

Rodney “Rod” Strong was a former dancer turned winemaker. He was a leader in pushing Sonoma County wines and is considered a “pioneer in the industry”.

Seidenfeld, now on his 15^th vintage for Rodney Strong, uses the vineyards and science to make great wines, as he “loves to make people happy.” He looks forward to taking Rodney Strong into the future.

Rodney Strong is “solar powered, certified sustainable, practice Fish Friendly Farming and Sonoma County’s first carbon neutral winery.”

The Menu and Wine Pairing – aromas and flavors separated by ;

Welcome: 2018 Rose of Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley, Estate Sonoma County.

Floral, pink grapefruit, fruit cocktail, wet pebbles, some mild and pleasant salinity; fresh fruit, pink lemonade, mild acid and some of the same fruit as found on the nose. Rodney Strong lovers will note a new white label, very artistic, to catch the eye. This is the third best-selling Rose over $15 in the U.S.

Starter: 2018 Sauvignon Blanc, Charlotte’s Home, Estate Sonoma County.

Fresh pear, white peach, with notes that reminded me of both a sandy beach and fresh mown grass; fresh citrus, low acid, balanced and a nice long finish. The “10% barrel fermented in French oak with completed malolactic” gave a nice creaminess to the wine, not what I expect from the usual highly acidic Sauvignon Blancs, so it was very welcoming. Nicely priced at about $17 and a new white label to catch the eye as well.

Pairing: Oyster, tuna tartar, preserved lemon aioli and cucumber mignonette. The oyster was to die for, and the slight creaminess in the wine was the perfect balance.

First Course: 2016 Chalk Hill Estate Vineyards Chardonnay.

Unsalted butter, toast, kiwi, earth and oak; butter again, hay, Meyer lemon. The 12 months in French Oak left its lovely buttery mark on this classic Rodney Strong label.

Pairing: Scallops, coconut sunchoke, pureed grilled peach, pea coulis, fried leeks. I noted that the scallops, amazing on their own, were more buttery with the Chard.

Second Course: 2016 Russian River Valley Estate Vineyards Pinot Noir.

Crushed cherries, stems, bramble, rose petal and stewed red fruit; richly layered, both peppery and velvety with bright red fruit.

Pairing: Chicken, roulade prosciutto spinach, sundried tomato, charred shallot and red wine jus. The chef had used a Pinot Noir in the red wine sauce that of course complemented the wine very well.

Third Course (two wines): 2015 Symmetry Red Meritage, Alexander Valley and MY WINE OF THE WEEK FOR SURE.

Blue to black fruit, cracked black pepper, incense and earth; great balance of fruit and spice, earthy, dark and brooding with an incredible length. This blend, 73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, 8% Petit Verdot, 7% Cabernet Franc and 2% Malbec was great right now in my opinion. It came from five different Alexander Valley Vineyards and their estate on the hills north of Lake Sonoma: Cooley Ranch.

SECOND WINE: 2015 Alexander’s Crown, Cabernet Sauvignon, Single Vineyard, Sonoma County.

Blueberry, dark chocolate, dust and cigar; balanced mouthfeel, peppery, dark fruit, creamy, toasted oak. This was also an exceptional wine.

Pairing: Grilled lamb, Romesco, risotto, pickled ramp and pea mint gremolata. I chewed that bone until it was bare – so very good only made better by the Symmetry.

Final Course:

2015 Rowen, Red Wine, Sonoma County, Cooley Ranch.

Blackberry, blueberry, lots of plum, milk chocolate, rich wet soil; peppery, dry, big, juicy fruit and tannins to give it an incredibly long finish. This wine had been decanted, so now ready to drink. 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Malbec, 17% Syrah and 2% Viognier. All Cooley Ranch – in my opinion, you should keep your eye on wines from this area.

Pairing: What a delight of hard-to-get award-winning cheeses we were presented with along with toasted nuts and fresh fruit. We thought we were done. Then came a chilled chocolate truffle served alongside a little jar of white creamy pudding with a rim of red fruit. Then we thought we were done again, only to be handed a small box containing a tart…for the road.

All of the wines I would definitely buy, the last three I will look for on wine lists and snatch up if I’m lucky enough to find. (Or you could join the wine club to get yours.) The restaurant I will definitely return to, the food is incredible and matched only by the service and incredible views of boats in the Marina.

https://www.rodneystrong.com/

https://www.rowenwinecompany.com/

https://cafedelreymarina.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.

International Culinary Institute of Myrtle Beach Opens $15 million Facility, Attracts Top-Flight Chefs, Boasts 100 Percent Placement Rate

April 17, 2017 by evebushman

Myrtle Beach, SC (PRWEB) – When Horry Georgetown Technical College opened its $15 million International Culinary Institute of Myrtle Beach (ICI) last fall, its leadership hoped to change the food business and how it operates along the Carolina coast with a world-class culinary education experience for students, locals and visitors.

Now in its second semester, the school is already on its way to reaching this lofty goal. The Grand Strand campus’ sophisticated facilities have attracted new talent at the faculty level, and its highly trained graduates are in great demand by food service establishments around the country.

In March, ICI welcomed Nathan Hashmonay, an American Culinary Federation Certified Executive Chef, to its team. Hashmonay, formerly on faculty at the Art Institutes of Tampa and Charlotte, will teach ICI’s restaurant capstone course, designed as a final review and opportunity for students to build confidence as a chef in a restaurant service setting.

Students will gain great value from Hashmonay’s extensive experience in Mediterranean and French cuisine, according to ICI Executive Director Joseph Bonaparte. Hashmonay was motivated by an opportunity to join the new wave of culinary education.

“Nathan embodies the philosophy we have cultivated at ICI and our commitment to cook in healthier ways using local, fresh ingredients,” said Bonaparte. “Our students will learn a great deal about today’s professional kitchen under his tutelage.”

The national restaurant community has taken notice, too. After its first semester in the new facility, ICI placed 100 percent of its graduates in industry-related positions. ICI-trained students are working in the growing dining scene of Myrtle Beach, across the South, and with top chefs in New York City, including graduate Luke Dowdy, who is Executive Sous Chef for Thomas Keller’s Bouchon Bakery & Café.

“I work with one of the best chefs in the world, and that’s a direct result of my studies at ICI,” said Dowdy. “The school’s philosophy of teaching – including hands-on training in the classical techniques – prepared me for the rigor and pace of a world-renowned kitchen in one of the busiest cities in the world.”

Students can earn an associate degree in programs including Baking and Pastry Arts, Kitchen and Food Preparation Techniques, Culinary Arts Technology or Professional Cooking for about $10,000, much less than the national average. Currently, the school is preparing 135 students to work in top-tier kitchens, many of which are popping up in the Myrtle Beach area. The Grand Strand area alone houses 2,400 restaurants that employ 23,000 people. Restaurant and food service jobs make up 12 percent of the total South Carolina economy.

“Our hope is to train students who might go off and work all over the world, but will come back to Myrtle Beach in a few years to cultivate a locally based, high-quality, chef-driven food scene,” said Bonaparte.

Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce President Brad Dean agrees with Bonaparte and actively promotes ICI as one of many reasons to visit the Myrtle Beach area.

“The Culinary Institute adds to the tourist experience, and its students will keep the local dining scene vibrant and new,” said Dean. “The partnership among Horry Georgetown, the state of South Carolina and the Myrtle Beach area will continue to reap many benefits for area tourists, citizens and Horry students.”

The International Culinary Institute at Horry Georgetown Technical College opened a new $15 million building in Myrtle Beach last fall. About 140 students are enrolled in associate degree and certificate programs. Internships and scholarships are available for students who qualify.

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9GezrR5r1Q