by Ron Kapon
Kentucky has a hearty appetite for the food and beverage industry. More than 270 food and beverage operations employ nearly 43,000 people in Kentucky, and the past five years have seen almost 150 food and beverage operations move into the state or expand. 14% of Kentucky’s manufacturing is related to the food and beverage industry. In Northern Kentucky alone food manufacturers have created $250 million in capital investment since 1987.“Kentucky Proud is the trademarked brand for Kentucky’s agricultural products that are grown and produced in our Commonwealth. The label tells consumers they are supporting our local farmers and they are buying the very best.” Kentucky ranks fourth in the country for number of farms, with over 85,000 and nearly 14 million acres of farmland. Farm sales...
by Jennifer Martin
I had the privilege to meet the owner of Castello di Cacchiano, Baron Giovanni Ricasoli-Firidolfi. The winery is located in Gaiole in the province of Siena within the region of Tuscany. This is the heart of the Chianti Classico territory. Castello di Cacchiano is one of the most historic estates in Tuscany housing one of the most noble families and oldest wine producers. The theme of their website is “Identity, Engagement Heart”, and after meeting with Giovanni hearing the history and tasting his wines I can see why. Giovanni states that identity is not only determined by the soil, climate and the environment, but also the work that goes into the wine producing. Engagement is those of the past, present and future of making wine at Castello di Cacchiano. Lastly, the love and desire of w...
by Ron Kapon
I was invited to participate in the 4-day festival known as Culinaria on behalf of the San Antonio CVB. This may have been the best-organized press trip I have ever attended. Great hotel, meals, on-time departures and arrivals and enough free time to allow me to swim, use the Jacuzzi, fitness center and rest. I like very early flights out of New York. It is easy to get to the airport; the crew and plane are already there and the airport is not crowded. Each of my 4 flights- LaGuardia to Dallas & Dallas to San Antonio- left and arrived early. It was the same for my return trip. I had several free hours before the opening event. The weather was perfect- mid-80’s and sunny. The only problem was American Airlines broke my bag and claimed non-responsibility because it was the wheels that th...
by Bernard Kenner
Can an 85 point wine be more enjoyable than a 95 pointer? If you’ve been around the wine block a few times, you’re probably thinking, “It depends….” Lots of things besides the raw number come into play. Who did the assessments, how old was the wine, am I drinking it today, where is it from, what am I going to eat with it, or just have it by itself? Feel free to add anything else.There are so many subjective and objective factors going into a score, that without looking at an accompanying paragraph of descriptors, and knowing something about the tastes of the rater, it’s only a gross approximation if you are going to like or appreciate the wine that got a good score from someone else.Let’s take a look at the systems that are currently in use and what the numbers are trying to ...
by Jess Delbalzo
Have you seen the recent Banoosh article highlighting 8 Beers You Should Stop Drinking Immediately (http://banoosh.com/blog/2014/04/03/8-beers-stop-drinking-immediately/)? For some beer drinkers, that post was an unhappy surprise. Pointing out GMOs and unhealthy additives in popular beers, the author suggested that we avoid the worst offenders if we want to enjoy a good ale, stout, or lager. We’ll take it one step further and suggest that you make your beer-buying a local affair. Here are four compelling reasons to support your local craft brewery while avoiding commercial beer offerings. #1: Craft beers have more funDiscovering local breweries is one of the best parts of becoming a beer aficionado. Many local craft breweries feature taprooms where you can sample a variety of ales an...
by Elena Cawley
Have you ever wondered how wine glasses make a difference when you taste wine? There are three characteristics of wine glasses that can affect the taste of wine: the material of the glass, the size of the bowl and the shape of the glass.First, the material makes a difference, not only visually, but practically. Crystal is the best material you can choose for wine glasses. Crystal has a rough surface that helps agitate the wine when swirled, allowing you to better smell and enjoy the wine. Crystal increases the production of bubbles in Champagne. Also, crystal is the only material that allows for the production of very thin glasses with thin rims. Second, the size of the glass affects the taste of wine. White wines develop their full potential in glasses with a smaller bowl. White wines ar...
by Michelle Valentine
There's excitement about a fabulous Malbec wine on the market by Tango Real wines! I had the opportunity to meet with Juan Pombo, the owner of TangoReal, the U.S. operation for Goyenechea Winery andVineyards, founded in 1868 in Mendoza, Argentina. We had a lovely time talking about his wines, and I had the pleasure to sample the Malbec at Cork& Olive in Lake Mary.This is 100% Malbec grapes from the growers' own vineyards in the small village of Villa Atuel towards the Southern portion of the Province of San Rafael, just about 50 km east of the massive ridge of the Andes where the snow-capped mountains provide most of the water for the region.Ten days of initial fermentation followed by malolactic fermention in the bottle and one year of rest in the old cellars of the winery are finally rou...
by Robin Dutt, Lori Reyolds, Mercé Mueller
Tucked away in South Eastern Arizona amidst the Sky Islands of the Santa Rita, Whetstone and Huachuca Mountains lies Arizona’s one and only American Viticultural Area (AVA). An odd place for the modern Arizona Wine Industry to take root, literally and figuratively, ranching is still the predominant culture in the area, but it is slowly changing to more and more Wineries and Vineyards within such a short period of time as the last 10 years. The Sonoita AVA began as a research project by University of Arizona soil scientist, and pioneering vintner, Dr. Gordon Dutt in the 1970’s. He was looking to develop a drought resistant, high cash crop for Arizona and soon discovered that Arizona had a wine grape growing history dating back to 1690 with the Listan Preito grapes brought by Jesuit and ...
by Laura Ness
Ten Things I Learned At Pebble Beach Food & Wine, Vintage 7by Laura NessFour days of epicurean overload can do you in. You have to pace yourself. Attending the bountiful array of seminars and lunches, though, can really give you some precious and meaningful insights into what makes this food and wine business so insanely attractive. I treasure those insights more than the chance to gorge myself on every manner of interesting and unusual food tidbit, like fried oysters Rockefeller, head cheese croquettes (Moody’s, Truckee) or burnt spam on toast (Chef John Cox, Sierra Mar), although those are fun, too.Here, then, some lessons learned:1. Tennessee’s Blackberry Farm Sommelier and Director of Food and Beverage, Andy Chabot, began his presentation at The Blackberry Farm Cellar Raid seminar ...
by Michael S Baumohl
Marketing expert and wine guru Jerry Greenfield offers a riotous memoir of an ordinary couple’s seduction into the world of fine wine. Even if you have only a passing interest in the subject, Mr. Greenfield’s recollections and “secrets” will make for a delightful read."Secrets of the Wine Whisperer" is subtitled “How I Learned to Drink Wine and Found Ecstasy, Joy, Peace, Happiness, Life, and Salvation.” And indeed, the author carefully traces the journey taken by him and his wife as they educated their palates, discovered how to find those “bargain bottles,” and learned to understand how the juice in the bottle connects with the cultures and places that produce it.He also details (with some regret) their impulse to spend beyond their means as they pursue their travels to ...
