by Frank Pinto, Certified Sommelier
Act I – The Set-UpNot including extrasensory perception, we humans use three of our remaining senses to imbibe and interpret wine: Sight, Smell and Taste. For those who do use ESP to interpret wine, you’re either a “Zen sommelier” or should be using the spit bucket more at wine tastings.It’s generally known that certain species in the animal kingdom have stronger sensory perception abilities than others. We know for example that dogs have a sense of smell a thousand times greater than humans. Cats have a stronger sense of smell than humans too, but only about 14-times stronger. So dogs are superior to cats, at least when it comes to their ability to smell. But do sensory perception differences extend to humans, more specifically, to gender? Are there physiological differences bet...
by Porto Planet
Crete, a beautiful island placed in the middle of the Mediterranean sea, couldn’t be less than an important centre and crossroad of commercial and cultural exchanges throughout the centuries. Cretan diet is the result of the long history of the island. It’s a real philosophy and lifestyle, aimed at harmonizing body and spirit with nature.The study of the Minoan civilization shows a culture with pure and healthy nutritional habits. Interestingly enough, Cretan cuisine wasn’t influenced by anyone. For more than 2 millennia, Cretans have rejected the presence of conquerors by sparingly calibrating relational dynamics and avoiding foreign influences on their diet, literally keeping them away from their culture and their kitchens.The place, its ingredients, the knowledge of cooking practi...
by Steve Dryden
Little Village Noodle House in Chinatown, HonoluluFew people know that it was the Chinese who brought the original sugar mill to Hawaii in 1800. The first official Chinese citizens to arrive in Honolulu were crew members aboard four ships in 1788. A Chinese resident and trader set up shop around the Honolulu harbor area in 1823, and by 1840, there was about 30 Chinese in the district that eventually became known as Chinatown. Many more Chinese were imported as contract workers for the sugar fields, some eventually staying, gravitating towards Chinatown and starting small businesses.The initial development of Chinatown was hampered by two large fires in 1886 and 1900 that burned many of the structures, but if you look around today you’ll notice most of the original buildings date back to ...
by Nicole Locicero
You recently returned from a wine tasting tour and brought back a few bottles to commemorate the trip. Don’t hide those treasures away in your refrigerator – display them where others can appreciate your wine savvy! How Cold Should I Keep My Wine?Contrary to what most people believe, wine does not have to be stored in a refrigerator. It can set out without damaging it. Most wine lovers know that the perfect temperature for aging is between 45-65 degrees. But that’s only if you want to age a beloved bottle. Room temperature works for nay bottle that you plan to open within a few months. The key to keeping wine from losing its flavor is to keep it from extreme temperature changes, sunlight, and windows! Can I Display My Wine Collection Out in the Open?Avid wine collectors tend to h...
by Jennifer Williams-bulkeley
I was recently chatting with a wine merchant friend of mine and he mentioned that he receives upwards of 100 spreadsheets of wine for sale from private sellers a week! Like so many wine sellers or buyers the first port of call is to a merchant, why not just go back to the trusted well. Valuing wine cellars is labor intensive and to do it properly requires an understanding of what makes a wine valuable in the first place. When we look at cellars we input all the drivers of value and analyze what might create demand. The provenance of the wines, where are they stored, the performance, have they appreciated or depreciated since release, the quality of the vintage, production size, reputation of the producer, the length of the drinking window, is it opened or closed and critical reviews. T...
by Ron Kapon
I was recently invited to lunch with Jose Antonio “Pepe” Galante whose 2015 harvest marks the 40th year that he has made wine in Argentina. I met him many years ago when I visited Argentina and Catena, where he spent three decades. Catena’s loss is Bodegas Salentein’s gain. Famed international winemaking consultant Paul Hobbs said of Jose: “He produced the wine which catapulted Malbec and Argentine wines onto the international stage. He is Argentina’s greatest winemaker of our times.” A small group of wine writers were invited (by Balzac Communications) to Valbella Ristorante in the meatpacking district of Manhattan (13th near 11thAve). Kudos to the chef and staff, especially Sani, who made the luncheon a success. There are five private dining rooms on the second floor (surr...
by Ron Kapon
The good news was that the large comfortable bus that took almost 50 people to visit the Lehigh Valley Wine Region of Pennsylvania was on time. The bad news was that Route 78 in Pennsylvania became closed due to a police investigation. Luckily our guide Andrew used a GPS system and was able to get the bus driver around the closure. Unfortunately, it took well over an hour to accomplish that. Management made a decision to skip one of the three wineries and spend more time at the first stop, including additional wines tasted and a tour of the winery facilities. Almost all the participants bought their tickets through Groupon or Living Social and paid under $100 for the trip. Sourced Adventures told me that one can go to their site and use the code RONK and they will match the $89 price from ...
by Eve Bushman
Bellissimo Cellars Follows SCV Winery Owners, Pulchella Winery, as Second Commercial SCV WinerySANTA CLARITA, CA – Specializing in small case wine production of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Sangiovese from only organic farms in the Central Coast of California, Bellissimo Cellars is proud to announce that they are the first locally-owned commercial winery to come from our only winemaking facility in Valencia, SCV Custom Crush Services.Steve Lemley, co-owner with Nate Hasper of SCV Custom Crush Services and Pulchella Winery, commented, “Nate and I are very excited for Bellissimo cellars. Lora pours her heart and soul into these wines and they truly showcase her ability to produce complex artisanal wines. We raise our glasses to her efforts and hope that Santa Clarita wine lovers will do th...
by Jamie Smith
USATT explores the diverse stories and inimitable terroirs of uniWines’ Vineyards and interviews Heinrich VenterThe Vineyards of uniWines in Breedekloof Valley, South Africa, are truly remarkable places to behold. Travelling east out of Cape Town, through the Huguenot Tunnel under the Hawequas Moutains, the beautiful Breedekloof Valley stretches out with the Matroosberg Mountain further still, looming on the horizon. With pastoral country painted in vineyards, country manors intermixed with homestead hamlets and farm land juxtaposed against rough outcrops, the vista is anybody’s idyllic painting of tranquility. The exceptional geography also lends itself to a diverse range of soils and both coastal and continental climates – the perfect conditions to grow brilliant wines.Down in t...
by Ron Kapon
Do not write me when I tell you I found a very good Connecticut wine. Even I was shocked after the tasting. Chamard Vineyards invited me to dinner and a tasting on my last night in Connecticut. The general manager Jeff Vernon offered to pick me up and return me to Old Saybrook since the inn was half way between his house and the winery in Clinton. I knew that name because the Clinton Crossing Premium Outlets are down the road from the winery and I had stopped to shop there several times on the way to and from Boston. They were established in 1983 with the winery being built in 1988, and have 20 acres of grapes used for their estate-bottled line. They also buy grapes from Washington State, California, New York and Chile for their non-estate wines. They produce around 20 different wines. Sel...
