by Rosie Carbo
Chris and Yoli Caldwell didn’t have a wine pedigree when they emerged as a Houston family winery in 2010. But all that changed with the couple’s first entry in the annual Houston Rodeo International Wine Competition in 2011. Having decided to label their Texas wines Eaglefire, the husband and wife won a Gold Medal for their home-grown, locally sourced Muscat Blanc. Who knew that Brenham, a Houston hamlet known more for its Blue Bell ice cream than for its grapes, would produce prize-winning grapes? But Chris Caldwell credits the grapes harvested from Brenham as one reason the Eaglefire Muscat Blanc won the Gold Medal and a crush of fans. Ignited by their early success, Chris and Yoli hosted “Taste the Revolution,” their second public wine tasting Saturday at their He...
by Ron Kapon
For the second year in a row the Society of Wine Educators Conference was on the East Coast. Last year it was Washington DC and this year's conference (#35) was in Providence, Rhode Island (technically the site of the conference- the Crown Plaza Hotel is in Warwick, RI). Last year I went by train; this year I drove from NYC in a bit over three hours. There were over 250 attendees and it was great to visit with old wine friends that I do not normally see during the year.I arrived in time for the opening luncheon and seminar sponsored by Wines of Portugal. The guest chef was from Lisbon and the presenters represented Women Winemakers and the regions of Porto and Madeira. At this point it got tricky for me. There were 3, 4 or 5 seminars scheduled at the same time and it was very difficult to ...
by Marisa Dvari
Naked Wine by Alice FeiringReviewed by Marisa D'VariIn this colorful narrative vaguely similar to Kermit Lynch’s Adventures on the Wine Route, Alice Feiring tackles “natural wine,” currently one of the hottest subjects in the wine world. Most people think that like buying the freshest produce in a greenmarket, the more natural the wine, the better. Yet many respected wine critics are against natural wine, and even some winemakers famed for their natural winemaking practices agree there may be limits to how “natural” a wine should go.So what is natural wine, anyway? Basically, it refers to any wine made with natural yeast and a minimum of outside chemicals, including sulfur. Sulfur is a naturally occurring byproduct of the fermentation process. The problem is that in the past, pro...
by Debbie Trenholm
By Debbie Trenholm, Accredited Sommelier and owner of Savvy Company www.savvycompany.caWine tasting may seem intimidating, but there are so many resources available to the wine novice now that it’s easy to plan an evening of wine in the comfort of your own home. Wine events can be a fun and interactive exploration into the world of wine, and there’s no need to feel like you’re smelling or tasting the wrong thing – it’s whatever you experience! Here is a step-by-step guide to hosting a wine tasting for clients, employees or friends.Step 1 – PLANNING YOUR WINE TASTINGFormat Depending on how formal and structured you would like the experience, a wine tasting can be conducted in a classroom style format with rows of wine glasses awaiting to be sampled, or as simple as a cocktail s...
by Debbie Trenholm
Fresh Chèvre from Clarmell Farms is the closest reflection you can get of the goat’s milk from which it’s made – in partnership between Paul and Grace Mussell (5th generation Mussell family farmers) and Glengarry Fine Cheese. An elegant chèvre - it’s truly an expression of artisan cheesemaking mastery, and as Ottawa’s most “local” cheese, well worth a farm visit down River Road to Manotick.This soft, unripened goat’s milk cheese, with its rich, snow white, “fluffy” textured paste gives a creamy, clean, fresh, tangy, taste with mild citrus flavors that linger long after you’ve savored the first bite. Perfect for spreading (on anything!), crumbled on seasonal salads or melted over grilled vegetables/BBQ’d kabobs as a finishing touch. Clarmell’s chèvre is best enj...
by Emily Barclay
Corporate wine tastings are very popular throughout the UK and further afield. There are no restrictions as to what style of wine tasting you could hold – from formal professional led wine tastings, to laid-back networking events. This article will outline some of the best ways to hold a corporate wine tasting event.You could hold a wine tasting event as part of a team building event for new staff, or new departments. Attendees could work together to identify the different characteristics of different wines. This is not only fun but informative too. You could even try a wine and cheese team building event where participants have to match the correct cheese with the correct wine. If you’re feeling ambitious, why not bring in a more formal wine expert to lead a horizontal or vertical tas...
by Ron Kapon
The origin of the word Chianti can be attributed to the Etruscan term clante, a common name given to a person in that language or to the Latin verb clangor, referring to the noise of the battle. During the Middle Ages there were fierce battles between Florence and Siena over control of that part of Tuscany. The warring parties built castles and fortresses, which in peacetime were converted to the present day villas and stately homes.The Black Rooster is the symbol of the whole Chianti region. Florence wanted to fix the boundary line with Siena through the Chianti region and Siena asked to settle the affair by arbitration. A horseman would set out at cock’s crow from their respective communities and gallop down the highway. Where they met would be the frontier. The Sienese selected a fine...
by Doug Arnold
These days, it is more likely that people are more concerned about the foods they consume. But, a new trend seems to be that people are beginning to watch what they drink as well. Alcohol is the usual suspect for a lot of long-term health related illnesses and diseases, but is this bad reputation actually deserved?? Many wine enthusiasts will tell you about it, pointing out the "French Paradox" as evidence, but many people will ask, 'Is red wine good for you?". There is ample evidence and research that will conclude that, despite having alcohol in it, there are plenty of health benefits in red wine, such as lowering blood pressure, lowering the risk of heart disease, reducing cancer, and extending people's lives for years. By reading this article, you can decide if red wine holds any healt...
by Carol A. Wilcox
For the size of the state, there aren’t a lot of Florida wineries and many of the ones we visited during a recent trip to the gulf coast of Florida produce sweet wines made with fruits such as strawberries, blueberries and peaches. A lot of these wineries in Florida also have the look and feel of a tourist attraction. Although there’s nothing wrong with wineries that appeal to tourists, we were in search of Florida wineries that could provide us with a more intimate experience; where we could learn about the terroir, the grapes, and the people who farm the soil and produce the wines.One of the Florida wineries on our list to check out was the Rosa Fiorelli Winery located just south of Lake Manatee in Bradenton. We turned onto a side road and followed a little sign directing us to the...
by Rosie Carbo
Two families, one from Spain and the other from Italy, have teamed to produce Voveti, a new Prosecco so rare that only 7,000 cases are available nationwide. In fact, not all states will have access to the new sparkling wine.“Texas is just one of seven states in which this sparkling wine will be available. In Dallas, we just launched it this week. It will also be available in Houston, Austin and San Antonio ,” said Liz Hartley, an associate marketing manager for Freixenet USA, owned by Pedro and Gloria Ferrer . Hartley said Voveti , which will retail for approximately $16.99 a bottle, will mainly be available on the east coast at independent retailers and Italian restaurants in New York, Connecticut, Maryland, Virginia, Illinois and Washington, D.C.“We came into this conservatively...
