Showing posts with label South Beach Wine Food Festival. Show all posts
Showing posts with label South Beach Wine Food Festival. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
8th Annual Food Network South Beach Wine and Food Festival - Epilogue
For those interested you can see why we will not be flying Spirit Airlines to next year's festival, click this link to furiocity.com.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
8th Annual Food Network South Beach Wine and Food Festival
We were fortunate to count ourselves among the 35,000 attendees to the 8th Annual Food Network South Beach Wine and Food Festival. We participated in the Friday Trade Tasting and the Saturday General Tasting. There were hundreds of different types of wine, beer, and spirits to taste as well as cooking classes given by the Food Network’s personalities. Even though the festival runs over four days and nights – there is still not enough time to adequately attend each event. This year we once again chose to spend the majority of our time experiencing the amazing wines and spirits; and sadly we did not witness any of the cooking demonstrations. On Friday we allocated our time to tasting red wines from the United States and France and on Saturday, we spent the day tasting white wines, sparkling wine, and spirits. And as a disclaimer, we probably tasted only a third of the wines and spirits poured at the festival and those mentioned below are just a subset of the wines we enjoyed. And remember, in all cases - trust your own palate.
One of the first wines we tasted was a new brand from Seven Daughters, their red and white blends. Each wine consists of 7 types of grapes, hence the name, and is marketing to the value consumers –the wine are priced near $15/bottle. The red is majority Merlot with smaller amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Zinfandel, Syrah, Carignane, and Sangiovese. If you think this blend different, the white consists of Chardonnay, Symphony, Riesling, Orange Muscat, Sauvignon Blanc, Gewurztraminer, and French Colombard. These blends are rather unique. We followed that with a few more traditional wines and found great merlots and cabs from Beaulieu Vineyard, Sterling Vineyards, Bedell Cellars, and Trefethen Vineyards. At Sonoma’s Landmark Vineyards we discovered their 2004 Grand Detour Pinot Noir which was very similar to our favorite Oregon pinot, the 2006 Pinot Noir from Cubanisimo Vineyards. Our friends at Cubanisimo were also pouring an excellent rose and we listened to trade customers inform the Collada family how fast their wines fly off the shelf. Cubanisimo is also a favorite on the many cruise ships departing Fort Lauderdale and Miami. Of the Zinfandel wines we tasted the 2003 Geyserville from Ridge Vineyards (Santa Cruz) stood out. This wine is a blend of 76% zinfandel, 18% carignane, and 6% petite sirah. From Washington State we liked the 2002 Col Solare Red Blend made from Woodinville’s Col Solare Wines. This is a Bordeaux styled blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot had was both smooth with texture. Another Bordeaux-styled wine was poured by Walla Walla’s Spring Valley Vineyard, their 2003 Uriah. This wine is predominately merlot and is incredibly smooth and flavorful.
Luckily a few Bordeaux wineries participated in the festival and two of the best were from Chateau Lascombes, their 2004 (50% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Petit Verdot) and 2005 (52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot, and 3% Petit Verdot). Both wines were amazing, but both in their own way. The 2004 was a lighter with more texture while the 2005 was fruitier and spicier. And winemaker, Dominique Befve, was present to inform us how this Margaux winery is becoming one of the regions top wine producers. From the Médoc region, we enjoyed the Chateau Greysac Medoc 2003 and the neighboring Château Larose-Trintaudon Haut-Médoc 2003. Both wines retail for less than $20 and show once again that there are affordable Bordeaux wines. You just got to find them. The final wine we’d like to note came from across and down the river, the Château Simard St. Emilion 1998. This wine is released after having aged 10 years in the bottle after fermenting in stainless steel. With this wine, you don’t need to wait to see how a wine ages, and at $30 you don’t pay for it. We left Friday’s tasting a little early in order to interview barbecue champion Chris Lilly – which is posted below.
We started Saturday by tasting white wines and started with one I noticed the previous day, Maison Trimbach, a winery that has been making wines in Alsace since 1626. The French Alsace region is the home of excellent Riesling that the American public normally associates with Germany. We tasted their Gewurztraminer which is made dry with a slight spicy finish and the Riesling “Reserve” – a classic grand cru wine. Both wines are perfect beach wines. Napa’s Trefethen Vineyards also produces a good riesling, the 2006 Estate Dry Riesling. This wine is very refreshing with a citrus\ green apple flavor with a nice acidic finish. We found two very good chardonnays, the classic Grgich Hills Cellar Napa Valley Estate Grown and Oregon’s Domaine Drouhin’s 2006 Chardonnay Arthur. Both wines are crisp and fruity with slight hints of oak that give texture but not butter. We found a good Sauvignon Blanc with Mendocino’s Parducci Wine Cellars. Their 2006 Sauvignon Blanc has a lemon and pineapple flavor with a very refreshing acidic finish. A similar wine, and perhaps our favorite white, was the classic Bordeaux blend from Yountville’s Cosentino Winery and their 2006 Cosentino The Novelist. This wine is a blend of 80% Sauvignon Blanc and 20% Semillon that is partially fermented is French Oak barrels. This wine is similar to the other Sauvignon Blancs with citrus flavors and an acidic finish, but this wine has a stronger floral aroma and more texture and feeling. The wine is also reasonably priced at under $20.
Of the sparkling wines we tasted two California wineries stood out. Napa Valley’s Mumm Napa was pouring two sparklers, their Blanc de Noirs and Brut Prestige. The rosé Blanc de Noirs is made primarily from Pinot Noir grapes where the grape’s skins are removed quickly to produce the pink color but retain the fruit flavor. The Brut Prestige is primarily Chardonnay and is much drier but with similar structure. Both are great value wines, priced below $20. Sonoma’s Gloria Ferrer Winery was also pouring their Blanc de Noirs as well as their 2000 Gloria Ferrer Royal Cuvée. The cuvee has a little more Chardonnay than the Blanc de Noirs and is aged 6 years on the yeast. We had an interesting conversation with two wine experts while drinking this sparkler that showed that even educated consumers have different tastes. One preferred the Cuvée whereas the other preferred the Spanish Segura Viudas - one was too carbonated – the other too one-dimensional and their exchange was worth videoing – maybe next time.
Turning to spirits, one of the first we tried is one making a comeback in this country, absinthe, this one produced by Lucid. Absinthe was first commercialized in the early 1800's and is made from various herbs such as Green Anise and Sweet Fennel and the Grande Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium). This gives the liquor a black licorice taste. The spirit mixed with water poured over a sugar cube which accents the black licorice taste. Another favorite was the Voyant Chai Cream Liqueur Liquor, made from aged Virgin Island rum, Dutch cream, Black Tea from India, other spirits from Holland, and several Asian spices. This concoction is delicious over ice or used in as in ingredient in the Chai Coloda – basically the Chai Cream, Cream of Coconut and pineapple juice. This is the taste of South Beach. The next spirit was the Cachaça Moleca, think of cachaca as the Brazilian form of rum with a slight tequila flavor. Moleca produces two versions, a Silver which is used as a mixer (simply lime and sugar is our favorite) and the Gold sipping cachaca. The Gold is fabulous - aged three years in oak and extremely smooth with a slight wood flavor. This is as good as any expensive sipping rum and will be a regular at our home bar.
Speaking of rum, we tried several excellent brands and four stand out. The Ron Barceló IMPERIAL has been made in the Dominican Republic since 1929 and is a smooth sipping rum. According to its literature, it was selected as “The Best Rum in the World” by the Beverage Institute of Chicago in both 2000 and 2001. It reached the highest qualification (97/100) never before awarded to a rum by the Institute, after calling it “a superb world-class drink”. Next was the Flor De Caña, a Nicaraguan rum made by the same family since 1937. Our two favorites were the 12 year old Centemario and the Limited Edition Centemario 21 – aged 15 years. One of the best is the Diplomático Reserva Exclusiva, from Venezuela. This dark brown rum has hints of vanilla and a slight toffee finish; and very smooth. Our favorite was Vizcaya, a Dominican Republic rum made from the Cuban tradition where the rum is produced directly from sugar cane juice, instead of converting the sugar first to molasses. The Cuban family responsible for Vizcaya has been making rum in Cuba since the early 1820’s but was forced out after Castro nationalized people’s assets. This rum is smooth and slightly sweet with honey flavors and a vanilla finish.
As you can see from our commentary – the Food Network South Beach Wine and Food Festival provides an excellent opportunity to sample extraordinary wines, spirits, and food. Next year we plan to spend a little more time in the cooking demonstrations and we thank Southern Wine & Spirits of Florida and Robin Insley Associates for giving as an opportunity to cover this event. And to see how much fun you can have next year, watch the video below.
Update: We apologize for the lack of audio for the videos. We tried to imitate our good friend Dezel at My Virginia Vine Spot and interview attendees, but after reading the manual for our cheap digital camera, we learned that it does not record audio. Time for a new camera.
One of the first wines we tasted was a new brand from Seven Daughters, their red and white blends. Each wine consists of 7 types of grapes, hence the name, and is marketing to the value consumers –the wine are priced near $15/bottle. The red is majority Merlot with smaller amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Zinfandel, Syrah, Carignane, and Sangiovese. If you think this blend different, the white consists of Chardonnay, Symphony, Riesling, Orange Muscat, Sauvignon Blanc, Gewurztraminer, and French Colombard. These blends are rather unique. We followed that with a few more traditional wines and found great merlots and cabs from Beaulieu Vineyard, Sterling Vineyards, Bedell Cellars, and Trefethen Vineyards. At Sonoma’s Landmark Vineyards we discovered their 2004 Grand Detour Pinot Noir which was very similar to our favorite Oregon pinot, the 2006 Pinot Noir from Cubanisimo Vineyards. Our friends at Cubanisimo were also pouring an excellent rose and we listened to trade customers inform the Collada family how fast their wines fly off the shelf. Cubanisimo is also a favorite on the many cruise ships departing Fort Lauderdale and Miami. Of the Zinfandel wines we tasted the 2003 Geyserville from Ridge Vineyards (Santa Cruz) stood out. This wine is a blend of 76% zinfandel, 18% carignane, and 6% petite sirah. From Washington State we liked the 2002 Col Solare Red Blend made from Woodinville’s Col Solare Wines. This is a Bordeaux styled blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot had was both smooth with texture. Another Bordeaux-styled wine was poured by Walla Walla’s Spring Valley Vineyard, their 2003 Uriah. This wine is predominately merlot and is incredibly smooth and flavorful.
Luckily a few Bordeaux wineries participated in the festival and two of the best were from Chateau Lascombes, their 2004 (50% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Petit Verdot) and 2005 (52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot, and 3% Petit Verdot). Both wines were amazing, but both in their own way. The 2004 was a lighter with more texture while the 2005 was fruitier and spicier. And winemaker, Dominique Befve, was present to inform us how this Margaux winery is becoming one of the regions top wine producers. From the Médoc region, we enjoyed the Chateau Greysac Medoc 2003 and the neighboring Château Larose-Trintaudon Haut-Médoc 2003. Both wines retail for less than $20 and show once again that there are affordable Bordeaux wines. You just got to find them. The final wine we’d like to note came from across and down the river, the Château Simard St. Emilion 1998. This wine is released after having aged 10 years in the bottle after fermenting in stainless steel. With this wine, you don’t need to wait to see how a wine ages, and at $30 you don’t pay for it. We left Friday’s tasting a little early in order to interview barbecue champion Chris Lilly – which is posted below.
We started Saturday by tasting white wines and started with one I noticed the previous day, Maison Trimbach, a winery that has been making wines in Alsace since 1626. The French Alsace region is the home of excellent Riesling that the American public normally associates with Germany. We tasted their Gewurztraminer which is made dry with a slight spicy finish and the Riesling “Reserve” – a classic grand cru wine. Both wines are perfect beach wines. Napa’s Trefethen Vineyards also produces a good riesling, the 2006 Estate Dry Riesling. This wine is very refreshing with a citrus\ green apple flavor with a nice acidic finish. We found two very good chardonnays, the classic Grgich Hills Cellar Napa Valley Estate Grown and Oregon’s Domaine Drouhin’s 2006 Chardonnay Arthur. Both wines are crisp and fruity with slight hints of oak that give texture but not butter. We found a good Sauvignon Blanc with Mendocino’s Parducci Wine Cellars. Their 2006 Sauvignon Blanc has a lemon and pineapple flavor with a very refreshing acidic finish. A similar wine, and perhaps our favorite white, was the classic Bordeaux blend from Yountville’s Cosentino Winery and their 2006 Cosentino The Novelist. This wine is a blend of 80% Sauvignon Blanc and 20% Semillon that is partially fermented is French Oak barrels. This wine is similar to the other Sauvignon Blancs with citrus flavors and an acidic finish, but this wine has a stronger floral aroma and more texture and feeling. The wine is also reasonably priced at under $20.
Of the sparkling wines we tasted two California wineries stood out. Napa Valley’s Mumm Napa was pouring two sparklers, their Blanc de Noirs and Brut Prestige. The rosé Blanc de Noirs is made primarily from Pinot Noir grapes where the grape’s skins are removed quickly to produce the pink color but retain the fruit flavor. The Brut Prestige is primarily Chardonnay and is much drier but with similar structure. Both are great value wines, priced below $20. Sonoma’s Gloria Ferrer Winery was also pouring their Blanc de Noirs as well as their 2000 Gloria Ferrer Royal Cuvée. The cuvee has a little more Chardonnay than the Blanc de Noirs and is aged 6 years on the yeast. We had an interesting conversation with two wine experts while drinking this sparkler that showed that even educated consumers have different tastes. One preferred the Cuvée whereas the other preferred the Spanish Segura Viudas - one was too carbonated – the other too one-dimensional and their exchange was worth videoing – maybe next time.
Turning to spirits, one of the first we tried is one making a comeback in this country, absinthe, this one produced by Lucid. Absinthe was first commercialized in the early 1800's and is made from various herbs such as Green Anise and Sweet Fennel and the Grande Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium). This gives the liquor a black licorice taste. The spirit mixed with water poured over a sugar cube which accents the black licorice taste. Another favorite was the Voyant Chai Cream Liqueur Liquor, made from aged Virgin Island rum, Dutch cream, Black Tea from India, other spirits from Holland, and several Asian spices. This concoction is delicious over ice or used in as in ingredient in the Chai Coloda – basically the Chai Cream, Cream of Coconut and pineapple juice. This is the taste of South Beach. The next spirit was the Cachaça Moleca, think of cachaca as the Brazilian form of rum with a slight tequila flavor. Moleca produces two versions, a Silver which is used as a mixer (simply lime and sugar is our favorite) and the Gold sipping cachaca. The Gold is fabulous - aged three years in oak and extremely smooth with a slight wood flavor. This is as good as any expensive sipping rum and will be a regular at our home bar.
Speaking of rum, we tried several excellent brands and four stand out. The Ron Barceló IMPERIAL has been made in the Dominican Republic since 1929 and is a smooth sipping rum. According to its literature, it was selected as “The Best Rum in the World” by the Beverage Institute of Chicago in both 2000 and 2001. It reached the highest qualification (97/100) never before awarded to a rum by the Institute, after calling it “a superb world-class drink”. Next was the Flor De Caña, a Nicaraguan rum made by the same family since 1937. Our two favorites were the 12 year old Centemario and the Limited Edition Centemario 21 – aged 15 years. One of the best is the Diplomático Reserva Exclusiva, from Venezuela. This dark brown rum has hints of vanilla and a slight toffee finish; and very smooth. Our favorite was Vizcaya, a Dominican Republic rum made from the Cuban tradition where the rum is produced directly from sugar cane juice, instead of converting the sugar first to molasses. The Cuban family responsible for Vizcaya has been making rum in Cuba since the early 1820’s but was forced out after Castro nationalized people’s assets. This rum is smooth and slightly sweet with honey flavors and a vanilla finish.
As you can see from our commentary – the Food Network South Beach Wine and Food Festival provides an excellent opportunity to sample extraordinary wines, spirits, and food. Next year we plan to spend a little more time in the cooking demonstrations and we thank Southern Wine & Spirits of Florida and Robin Insley Associates for giving as an opportunity to cover this event. And to see how much fun you can have next year, watch the video below.
Update: We apologize for the lack of audio for the videos. We tried to imitate our good friend Dezel at My Virginia Vine Spot and interview attendees, but after reading the manual for our cheap digital camera, we learned that it does not record audio. Time for a new camera.
Monday, February 25, 2008
2008 South Beach Food & Wine Festival - Chris Lilly
One of the highlights Friday was the chance to sit down with Chris Lilly, the reigning Food Network barbecue expert. He was in the middle of the twelve hour smoking process for that evening’s Moet & Chandon Champagne Party, when he took a break to meet with us. It was a very enlightening conversation. Lilly’s culinary achievements are extremely impressive – you can view his bio and awards below – and it was a privilege learning a few barbecue tips. For novices like us – the best pork barbecue is made by smoking the pork over low temperatures for a long period of time. You need to arrange the pork so that the smoke can circulate among the entire cut of meat. Even a good brisket requires long term smoke. Besides adding flavor the smoking process keeps the meat moist because during this process the pork’s fat essentially melts off and self bastes the meat. We also learned that there are several distinctions between cuts of port – and whether you use the shoulder, butt, or upper shoulder influences the decision on the type of sauce. Chris also changes his sauce depending on the season and has been known to make a white barbecue sauce when appropriate. We also discussed what types of spirits enhance a sauce and a bourbon based recipe is one of his favorites
Chris gave us some suggestions for pairing wine with barbecue and his most important point is to stay away from heavy smoky wines – i.e. wines that have been aged for a long period of time. The wood on wood flavor would basically overwhelm the palate and you would lose the characteristics of each. Instead, you could use a Rose, or a Pinot Noir, but the best choice is a wine with a semi-spicy finish, such as a Zinfandel or even a Gewurztraminer. I used this suggestion on Saturday by getting a plate of Bulldog Barbecue and pairing with Cubanisimo Vineyards 2006 Rose and 2006 Pinot Noir and then with Ridge Vineyard's Geyersville Proprietary Red (Zinfandel, Carignan, and Petite Sirah). Each wine enhanced the barbecue – with the Pinot influencing the meat and the Rose complementing the sauce – but I have to agree the Zinfandel brought out the best in the pork and the sauce.
BIO
Alabama
1999 1st place Pork – Grand Champion
2000 1st place Pork
1st place Ribs – Grand Champion
2001 1st place Pork – Grand Champion
Tennessee
1998 1st place Pork – Grand Champion
1999 1st place Pork – Grand Champion
2000 1st place Pork - Grand Champion
2001 1st place Pork – Grand Champion
Louisiana
1999 1st place beef
Grand Champion
Chris gave us some suggestions for pairing wine with barbecue and his most important point is to stay away from heavy smoky wines – i.e. wines that have been aged for a long period of time. The wood on wood flavor would basically overwhelm the palate and you would lose the characteristics of each. Instead, you could use a Rose, or a Pinot Noir, but the best choice is a wine with a semi-spicy finish, such as a Zinfandel or even a Gewurztraminer. I used this suggestion on Saturday by getting a plate of Bulldog Barbecue and pairing with Cubanisimo Vineyards 2006 Rose and 2006 Pinot Noir and then with Ridge Vineyard's Geyersville Proprietary Red (Zinfandel, Carignan, and Petite Sirah). Each wine enhanced the barbecue – with the Pinot influencing the meat and the Rose complementing the sauce – but I have to agree the Zinfandel brought out the best in the pork and the sauce.
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BIO
Chris Lilly, husband and father of three children, is one of America Decatur , Alabama Alabama
Chris also is head chef of the award-winning Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q Competition Cooking Team. He is the winner 10 World BBQ Championships including six Memphis in May World Titles (a.k.a. "The Super Bowl of Swine"), as well as the American Royal International Cook-Off and BBQ Sauce Competition (Best Sauce on the Planet), and eight state barbecue grand championships across the Southeast. Chris has also displayed his culinary talents abroad by capturing the Grand Championship at the 2003 International Jamaican Jerk Barbeque Cook-off. Widely recognized as one of the top pit masters in his field, Chris recently served as an honorary chef at the James Beard Foundation, American Institute of Wine and Food, and was a presenter at the Low-Country and Caribbean Food Conference at Johnson andWales University
In an effort to educateAmerica
Chris also is head chef of the award-winning Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q Competition Cooking Team. He is the winner 10 World BBQ Championships including six Memphis in May World Titles (a.k.a. "The Super Bowl of Swine"), as well as the American Royal International Cook-Off and BBQ Sauce Competition (Best Sauce on the Planet), and eight state barbecue grand championships across the Southeast. Chris has also displayed his culinary talents abroad by capturing the Grand Championship at the 2003 International Jamaican Jerk Barbeque Cook-off. Widely recognized as one of the top pit masters in his field, Chris recently served as an honorary chef at the James Beard Foundation, American Institute of Wine and Food, and was a presenter at the Low-Country and Caribbean Food Conference at Johnson and
In an effort to educate
Memphis in May World Championship BBQ Cook-off
1997 1st place BBQ sauce
1999 1st place BBQ sauce
1st place Pork
2000 1st place Pork - Grand Champion
2001 1st place Pork
2002 1st place Pork
1st place “People’s Choice”
2003 1st place Pork – Grand Champion
2004 1st place Pork
1997 1st place BBQ sauce
1999 1st place BBQ sauce
1st place Pork
2000 1st place Pork - Grand Champion
2001 1st place Pork
2002 1st place Pork
1st place “People’s Choice”
2003 1st place Pork – Grand Champion
2004 1st place Pork
American Royal International Cook-off and BBQ Sauce Competition
1995 1st place White BBQ sauce
1998 1st place BBQ sauce
“Best Sauce on the Planet”
2002 1st place Chicken
1st place Reserve Grand Champion
1995 1st place White BBQ sauce
1998 1st place BBQ sauce
“Best Sauce on the Planet”
2002 1st place Chicken
1st place Reserve Grand Champion
International Jamaican Jerk Championship
2003 Grand Champion
2003 Grand Champion
Houston Livestock and Rodeo World BBQ Championship
2004 1st place ribs
1st place Reserve Grand Champion
2004 1st place ribs
1st place Reserve Grand Champion
1999 1st place Pork – Grand Champion
2000 1st place Pork
1st place Ribs – Grand Champion
2001 1st place Pork – Grand Champion
1998 1st place Pork – Grand Champion
1999 1st place Pork – Grand Champion
2000 1st place Pork - Grand Champion
2001 1st place Pork – Grand Champion
Chili Pepper Magazine Barbecue Awards
2000 1st place BBQ sauce
2001 1st place vinegar BBQ sauce
1st place mustard BBQ sauce
2002 1st place spicy mustard BBQ sauce
2003 1st place mustard BBQ sauce
2000 1st place BBQ sauce
2001 1st place vinegar BBQ sauce
1st place mustard BBQ sauce
2002 1st place spicy mustard BBQ sauce
2003 1st place mustard BBQ sauce
National Barbecue Association Awards of Excellence
2000 “Restaurant of the Year”
1st place hot BBQ sauce
1st place vinegar BBQ sauce
1st place mustard BBQ sauce
2001 1st place vinegar BBQ sauce
2002 1st place mustard BBQ sauce
2003 1st place mild vinegar BBQ sauce
1st place hot vinegar BBQ sauce
1st place mustard BBQ sauce
1st place hot BBQ sauce
2004 1st place BBQ sauce
1st place hot BBQ sauce
1st place mild vinegar sauce
2000 “Restaurant of the Year”
1st place hot BBQ sauce
1st place vinegar BBQ sauce
1st place mustard BBQ sauce
2001 1st place vinegar BBQ sauce
2002 1st place mustard BBQ sauce
2003 1st place mild vinegar BBQ sauce
1st place hot vinegar BBQ sauce
1st place mustard BBQ sauce
1st place hot BBQ sauce
2004 1st place BBQ sauce
1st place hot BBQ sauce
1st place mild vinegar sauce
The Southern Pride Cup, National Nonrestrictive Cook-off
2001 1st place
2002 1st place
Grand Champion
2001 1st place
2002 1st place
Grand Champion
Texas Fiery Food Challenge
2001 1st place BBQ sauce
2002 1st place hot BBQ sauce
2001 1st place BBQ sauce
2002 1st place hot BBQ sauce
1999 1st place beef
Grand Champion
American Institute of Wine and Food BBQ Rib Fly-In
2003 1st place, “Best Ribs inAmerica ”
2004 1st place, “Best Ribs inAmerica
2003 1st place, “Best Ribs in
2004 1st place, “Best Ribs in
South Beach Food & Wine Festival - FIU School of Hospitality and Tourism Management
The major benefactor of the South Beach Food and Wine Festival is Florida International University’s School of Hospitality and Tourism Management. This is one of the country’s top hospitality management schools and attracts students from across the United States and over 90 countries. Graduates pursue careers in obvious choices such as restaurants and hotels, but also marketing, cruise lines, and even the wine industry.
The school’s promise was in full display on Saturday as we met with student Alex Blanco, who planned FIU’s contribution to the festival. Alex entered FIU as an independent but quickly chose to major in the Bachelor of Science in Hospitality Management after learning about the school. He had been a member of the school’s participation at the Food & Wine Festival for the previous three years, but this year he took ownership of the operation by creating a menu, getting staff approval and coordinating its execution with the other students.This included procuring the food, the logistics of setting transporting and cooking the food, and even mundane problems as not having enough cups available on site. Saturday’s menu was venison served with cucumber-hummus on a pita. The farm raised – free range - venison was donated by Bush Brothers Provision Co., the local providers of Cervena New Zealand Venison. Throughout the day, a long line of attendees snaked their way to the kitchen – with the line moving rapidly as the students cooked and distributed the food. The venison was awesome, slightly pink and quite moist. The smooth operation was a testament to Mr. Blanco’s planning and the execution of the students. Well done.
In addition to their culinary skills, the student’s wine and beer making talents were also on display. Many of the students take several types of wine classes, from appreciation to wine-making technology to wine and beverage management. As part of the curriculum, Professor Barry Gump was able to obtain Merlot juice from his friend, Clark Smith of WineSmith. Some of the merlot grape were crushed, pressed, and then frozen and used to make a White Merlot. The remaining juice was frozen and half was used for this year’s bottling of a semi-sweet Merlot and the rest is currently aging in American Oak to be opened during next year’s festival. The students used their wine-making skills to make the White Merlot dry but with a fruit forward aroma and flavor – in a White Zinfandel fashion. The wine is remarkably clear and refreshing with a slight acidic finish. The semi-sweet Merlot reminded me of some of the Hungarian reds made a little sweeter – but not overly so. The wine is fruity and could also be served chilled. Since the student's did not have time to age the wine, this semi-sweet red was a great choice. Professor Gump also feels this wine would be attractive to a Midwestern audience. The students at the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management are obviously gaining an enjoyable, yet practical education.
The school’s promise was in full display on Saturday as we met with student Alex Blanco, who planned FIU’s contribution to the festival. Alex entered FIU as an independent but quickly chose to major in the Bachelor of Science in Hospitality Management after learning about the school. He had been a member of the school’s participation at the Food & Wine Festival for the previous three years, but this year he took ownership of the operation by creating a menu, getting staff approval and coordinating its execution with the other students.This included procuring the food, the logistics of setting transporting and cooking the food, and even mundane problems as not having enough cups available on site. Saturday’s menu was venison served with cucumber-hummus on a pita. The farm raised – free range - venison was donated by Bush Brothers Provision Co., the local providers of Cervena New Zealand Venison. Throughout the day, a long line of attendees snaked their way to the kitchen – with the line moving rapidly as the students cooked and distributed the food. The venison was awesome, slightly pink and quite moist. The smooth operation was a testament to Mr. Blanco’s planning and the execution of the students. Well done.
In addition to their culinary skills, the student’s wine and beer making talents were also on display. Many of the students take several types of wine classes, from appreciation to wine-making technology to wine and beverage management. As part of the curriculum, Professor Barry Gump was able to obtain Merlot juice from his friend, Clark Smith of WineSmith. Some of the merlot grape were crushed, pressed, and then frozen and used to make a White Merlot. The remaining juice was frozen and half was used for this year’s bottling of a semi-sweet Merlot and the rest is currently aging in American Oak to be opened during next year’s festival. The students used their wine-making skills to make the White Merlot dry but with a fruit forward aroma and flavor – in a White Zinfandel fashion. The wine is remarkably clear and refreshing with a slight acidic finish. The semi-sweet Merlot reminded me of some of the Hungarian reds made a little sweeter – but not overly so. The wine is fruity and could also be served chilled. Since the student's did not have time to age the wine, this semi-sweet red was a great choice. Professor Gump also feels this wine would be attractive to a Midwestern audience. The students at the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management are obviously gaining an enjoyable, yet practical education.
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Saturday, February 23, 2008
2008 South Beach Food & Wine Festival
Yesterday was the trade tasting and it was quite an event. There was outstanding wine being poured from the West Coast (California, Oregon, & Washington) as well as from France, Italy, and the Americas. I did not get a chance to try wines from Australia, New Zealand, or South Africa - but will try to today. There was also a pleasant surprise to see Long Island's Bedell Cellars pouring their excellent Merlot and local Schnebly Winery pouring their tropical fruit wines. More than wine was poured however, as we were able to taste awesome rum, cachaca, and even Lucid's Absinthe. Then there's the vibrant South Beach nightlife - where we saw a great flamengo duo. Check MyJoog for details. In the coming days I will post about our favorite reds, whites, and spirits as well as our interview with the Food Network's barbecue king Chris Lilly.
Friday, March 30, 2007
Cubanisimo Vineyards - South Beach Wine and Food Festival
Cubanisimo Vineyards kindly mentioned our presence at the South Beach Wine and Food Festival on their Cubanisimo Blog. If you get a chance, seek out their Pinot - you won't be disappointed. We look forward to visiting them again at next year's festival.
Sunday, March 4, 2007
2007 South Beach Wine & Food Festival
On February 23rd-25th, Wine Compass editors participated in the 6th annual Food Network South Beach Wine and Food Festival. Held in South Beach, Miami, this three day event stretched across several blocks of fine sand on the breath-taking beach. The tremendous turnout was expected, since tickets were sold out weeks in advance. The three days were filled with wine, spirits and food tasting accompanied with food demonstrations by popular Food Network personalities like Emeril, Rachael Ray and David Lieberman. With glass around the neck (due to fabulous contraption which were provided by Target), flip-flops on feet and the excitement in the air, the crowds filled the tents, growing larger each day.
Even though the wine and spirits exhibited were only those distributed by Southern Wine & Spirits of Florida, there was a large selection of excellent wines from throughout the world. There were French wines, Italian and Spanish wines, wines from South America, and of course, North American wines. We were also impressed with the large number of rum distillers, including retailer Tommy Bahamas. Their new rum line was smooth and refreshing; smooth enough to sip over ice or as a mixture with fruit in your favorite collection of boat drinks.
As for the wine, we had the privilege of meeting with three distinct wineries with vast differences in appellation but similar passions in winemaking. Cubanisimo Vineyards owned by Mauricio Collada, Jr., a neurosurgeon found his passion for Pinot Noir during his residence. His personality emulated the bold, full bodied taste of his wine. As written on of each bottle, he extends his desire through his wine to enhance consumer’s life through the palate. This Oregon winery is now producing a rose style Pinot Noir to complement their full bodied red. Click here to view our earlier review of Cubanisimo Vineyards.
Our second stop was at the only Canadian exhibiter - the Mission Hill Family Estate Winery - located in British Columbia. We were very surprised to find that a Canadian winery had supplied such fine wines. We were most impressed with their ice wines. In order to make ice wine, the grapes must remain on the vine for 3 weeks at -7 degrees. This concentrates the sugars in the grape that produces the sweetest dessert wines we had the pleasure to sample. The cost of this special wine is evident due to the fact that it takes seven times the amount of grapes to make one narrow bottle and the conditions must remain perfect in order to harvest the grape. Click here to view our earlier review of Mission Hill Family Estate Winery.
In a completely different realm, we came upon the Gnarly Head representatives. The personalities of these California wines were evident from the bottle decor to their signature wine - Joe Blow Red. Noted as “almost a 100,000 mistake”, this wine was conceived after no one claimed a crate of grapes, so with innovation and quick thinking they produced a concoction that would withstand any critic. The “surfer” laid-back image definitely has an appeal to the 20-30 something generation, both at the festival and probably in California. Click here to view our earlier review of the Gnarly Head Zinfandel.
Another California winery we enjoyed visiting with was Bernardus Winery; our favorite wine, their 2005 Monterey County Pinot Noir. This Carmel Valley winery produces Pinot Noir from grapes grown in three different growing areas in Monterey County. This is a full bodied wine that exudes a raspberry nose with a soft, silky body. The finish is long and slightly spicy.
We could continue forever, describing the great wines we tasted at the festival. A better idea is to convince you to attend next year’s event. The dates for the 7th annual Food Network South Beach Wine and Food Festival have already been set: February 21st-24th 2008. We have already made our hotel reservations. See you there.
Even though the wine and spirits exhibited were only those distributed by Southern Wine & Spirits of Florida, there was a large selection of excellent wines from throughout the world. There were French wines, Italian and Spanish wines, wines from South America, and of course, North American wines. We were also impressed with the large number of rum distillers, including retailer Tommy Bahamas. Their new rum line was smooth and refreshing; smooth enough to sip over ice or as a mixture with fruit in your favorite collection of boat drinks.
As for the wine, we had the privilege of meeting with three distinct wineries with vast differences in appellation but similar passions in winemaking. Cubanisimo Vineyards owned by Mauricio Collada, Jr., a neurosurgeon found his passion for Pinot Noir during his residence. His personality emulated the bold, full bodied taste of his wine. As written on of each bottle, he extends his desire through his wine to enhance consumer’s life through the palate. This Oregon winery is now producing a rose style Pinot Noir to complement their full bodied red. Click here to view our earlier review of Cubanisimo Vineyards.
Our second stop was at the only Canadian exhibiter - the Mission Hill Family Estate Winery - located in British Columbia. We were very surprised to find that a Canadian winery had supplied such fine wines. We were most impressed with their ice wines. In order to make ice wine, the grapes must remain on the vine for 3 weeks at -7 degrees. This concentrates the sugars in the grape that produces the sweetest dessert wines we had the pleasure to sample. The cost of this special wine is evident due to the fact that it takes seven times the amount of grapes to make one narrow bottle and the conditions must remain perfect in order to harvest the grape. Click here to view our earlier review of Mission Hill Family Estate Winery.
In a completely different realm, we came upon the Gnarly Head representatives. The personalities of these California wines were evident from the bottle decor to their signature wine - Joe Blow Red. Noted as “almost a 100,000 mistake”, this wine was conceived after no one claimed a crate of grapes, so with innovation and quick thinking they produced a concoction that would withstand any critic. The “surfer” laid-back image definitely has an appeal to the 20-30 something generation, both at the festival and probably in California. Click here to view our earlier review of the Gnarly Head Zinfandel.
Another California winery we enjoyed visiting with was Bernardus Winery; our favorite wine, their 2005 Monterey County Pinot Noir. This Carmel Valley winery produces Pinot Noir from grapes grown in three different growing areas in Monterey County. This is a full bodied wine that exudes a raspberry nose with a soft, silky body. The finish is long and slightly spicy.
We could continue forever, describing the great wines we tasted at the festival. A better idea is to convince you to attend next year’s event. The dates for the 7th annual Food Network South Beach Wine and Food Festival have already been set: February 21st-24th 2008. We have already made our hotel reservations. See you there.
Friday, February 16, 2007
South Beach Wine & Food Festival Preview - Gnarly Head Zinfandel
During last year’s Washington D.C. International Wine Festival, we spend a considerable amount of time tasting various Zinfandel wines at the Lodi-Woodbridge Winegrape Commission exhibit. These wines were full-bodied reds, full of fruit flavors with a smooth-spicy finish. One of our favorites was the Gnarly Head Zinfandel, produced by the Delicato Family Vineyards and this wine will be available at the 6th Annual South Beach Wine & Food Festival.
Wine was first produced commercially in the Lodi region in the mid 1850’s with the opening of the El Pinal Winery. At the time, grape growing was a smaller industry as compared to the farming of melons and grains. However, in the 1880’s the prices for grains and melons fell dramatically and farmers looked to grapes as an alternative source of revenue. Although many varietals prospered, Zinfandel and Tokay flourished in the Lodi environment, with its sandy soils and warm summer days followed by cooling night-time breezes. At the turn of the century, grape growers in Lodi were thriving and some even prospered during prohibition by selling grapes to home wine makers which was still legal) instead of making their own wine. With the rise of the seedless table grape, the farming of Tokay disappeared and more vines were allocated to Zinfandel and other wine-making varietals. In 1986, the stature of the Lodi wine grapes were elevated with the designation of the Lodi Appellation (American Viticulture Area). Winemakers in Lodi could now label their wines: "Lodi" labeled wine. Today close two dozen wineries produce hundreds of "Lodi" labeled wines from thousands of acres of premium wine grapes.
In the early 1920’s Gasparé Indelicato immigrated to California from the small village of Campobello in Italy. He planted the first grapes for Delicato Family Vineyards in 1924, just as his father, grandfather and several generations did before him. Within a few years, winemakers across the country knew of the quality of Gasparé's California grapes. After Prohibition Mr. Indelicato allocated a portion of his grapes to wine production and “in the old hay barn by the vineyard, Gasparé, his brother-in-law, and their twin wives took turns with a hand driven press to produce their first vintage consisting of 3,451 gallons of wine (that's just under 1,500 cases of wine).” Over time, his winemaking reputation grew and “other producers in the budding California wine industry approached Gasparé and his family for custom-made wines. To meet the demand, the family acquired additional vineyard land. Gasparé's three sons, Vincent, Frank and Anthony, joined the family winery as the business grew. Today, Chris and Jay Indelicato, third generation family members and Anthony's sons, are leading the business into the future under the name DFV Wines.”
DFV Wines recognized the excellence of Lodi grown Zinfandel and began forming partnerships with local growers in order to add a Zinfandel to their offerings. DFV hand-selects their grapes from some of the oldest and most respected vineyards in the region. The vines are 35-80 years old and produce fewer grape clusters, but the small berries yield intense, concentrated fruit. The result: a full bodied red wine with plum, pepper and chocolate flavors and a lingering and spicy finish. And why the name, Gnarly Head? According to the DFV, “the old Zinfandel vines were grown as free standing “head trained” vines. They resemble wild bushes with twisted old trunks and branches that spread out in all directions sprouting leaves like unruly umbrellas – truly gnarly heads. “
Thanks to the efforts of the Zinfandel Advocates and Producers (ZAP) and the Lodi-Woodbridge Winegrape Commission, wine consumers are beginning to recognize and appreciate Zinfandel wines. And for those for believe that many high-alcoholic cabs are beginning to taste the same, Zinfandel is a great alternative. Today, Gnarly Head Zinfandel is the fastest-growing zinfandel in its price category, wine selling for under $15. But what makes Gnarly Head unique? It is the only Zinfandel wine in this price range that is made from 100% Lodi-appellation Zinfandel grapes. The other big name Zinfandel wines are all California appellation. Even if you can not attend the South Beach Wine & Food Festival, we strongly recommend trying a Lodi produced Zinfandel, and in particular the Gnarly Head. And in the future, look out for a Dry Creek reserve wine called Gnarlier Head.
Wine was first produced commercially in the Lodi region in the mid 1850’s with the opening of the El Pinal Winery. At the time, grape growing was a smaller industry as compared to the farming of melons and grains. However, in the 1880’s the prices for grains and melons fell dramatically and farmers looked to grapes as an alternative source of revenue. Although many varietals prospered, Zinfandel and Tokay flourished in the Lodi environment, with its sandy soils and warm summer days followed by cooling night-time breezes. At the turn of the century, grape growers in Lodi were thriving and some even prospered during prohibition by selling grapes to home wine makers which was still legal) instead of making their own wine. With the rise of the seedless table grape, the farming of Tokay disappeared and more vines were allocated to Zinfandel and other wine-making varietals. In 1986, the stature of the Lodi wine grapes were elevated with the designation of the Lodi Appellation (American Viticulture Area). Winemakers in Lodi could now label their wines: "Lodi" labeled wine. Today close two dozen wineries produce hundreds of "Lodi" labeled wines from thousands of acres of premium wine grapes.
In the early 1920’s Gasparé Indelicato immigrated to California from the small village of Campobello in Italy. He planted the first grapes for Delicato Family Vineyards in 1924, just as his father, grandfather and several generations did before him. Within a few years, winemakers across the country knew of the quality of Gasparé's California grapes. After Prohibition Mr. Indelicato allocated a portion of his grapes to wine production and “in the old hay barn by the vineyard, Gasparé, his brother-in-law, and their twin wives took turns with a hand driven press to produce their first vintage consisting of 3,451 gallons of wine (that's just under 1,500 cases of wine).” Over time, his winemaking reputation grew and “other producers in the budding California wine industry approached Gasparé and his family for custom-made wines. To meet the demand, the family acquired additional vineyard land. Gasparé's three sons, Vincent, Frank and Anthony, joined the family winery as the business grew. Today, Chris and Jay Indelicato, third generation family members and Anthony's sons, are leading the business into the future under the name DFV Wines.”
DFV Wines recognized the excellence of Lodi grown Zinfandel and began forming partnerships with local growers in order to add a Zinfandel to their offerings. DFV hand-selects their grapes from some of the oldest and most respected vineyards in the region. The vines are 35-80 years old and produce fewer grape clusters, but the small berries yield intense, concentrated fruit. The result: a full bodied red wine with plum, pepper and chocolate flavors and a lingering and spicy finish. And why the name, Gnarly Head? According to the DFV, “the old Zinfandel vines were grown as free standing “head trained” vines. They resemble wild bushes with twisted old trunks and branches that spread out in all directions sprouting leaves like unruly umbrellas – truly gnarly heads. “
Thanks to the efforts of the Zinfandel Advocates and Producers (ZAP) and the Lodi-Woodbridge Winegrape Commission, wine consumers are beginning to recognize and appreciate Zinfandel wines. And for those for believe that many high-alcoholic cabs are beginning to taste the same, Zinfandel is a great alternative. Today, Gnarly Head Zinfandel is the fastest-growing zinfandel in its price category, wine selling for under $15. But what makes Gnarly Head unique? It is the only Zinfandel wine in this price range that is made from 100% Lodi-appellation Zinfandel grapes. The other big name Zinfandel wines are all California appellation. Even if you can not attend the South Beach Wine & Food Festival, we strongly recommend trying a Lodi produced Zinfandel, and in particular the Gnarly Head. And in the future, look out for a Dry Creek reserve wine called Gnarlier Head.
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
South Beach Wine & Food Festival Preview - Mission Hill Family Estate Winery
The second winery we preview that is participating in the 6th Annual South Beach Wine & Food Festival is Mission Hill Family Estate Winery, located in British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley.
Many American wine consumers are surprised to learn about the vibrant wine industry operating in our northern neighbors. Some may have tried an occasional Canadian Ice Wine, but few have discovered the vinifera wine produced in Canada’s wine “breadbasket”, the Okanagan Valley. This appellation is the northern extension of the Pacific Northwest wine region, nestled between the Coast Mountains to the west and the Monashee Mountains to the east. The valley is approximately 200 miles east of Vancouver, in south central British Columbia, about the same distance as Walla Walla is from Seattle and receives less than 10 inches of annual precipitation. Thus the environment that enables Washington wineries to produce excellent wines also exists in British Columbia.
In the early 1980’s Anthony von Mandl recognized the wine-making potential of this area and purchased a small winery producing hard apple cider. He transformed the new winery in the mold of Robert Mondavi’s Napa Valley winery and all the while increasing the quality of the vines and wines. In 1992 Mr. von Mandl hired John Simes, a person that shared his vision of producing quality wine, as the new winemaker. According to Ingo Grady, Mission Hill’s Director of Wine Education, Mr. Simes has “has increased the winery's estate holdings to take advantage of the valley's diverse growing conditions. And he has assembled an enviable arsenal of state-of-the-art wine making equipment to ensure gentle handling of grapes and optimum conditions for young, evolving wines.” In total, Mission Hill Family Estate farms about 900 acres in five distinct growing regions throughout the Okanagan Valley. This is about 15% of the total acreage of vinifera plantings in the valley. While the region’s vine planting is increasing, it is still less than 20% of Washington State's grape production.
Mr. von Mandl also encouraged the creation of the Vintners' Quality Alliance (VQA) to boost the quality and prestige of all wines produced in British Columbia. On January 1st, 1989 wine tariffs were eliminated on wine produced in the United States and Canada as a result of the Canada-United States Free Trade Agreement. Vintners in British Columbia recognized that their wine was not competitive in the Canadian market because of its pooper quality as compared to wines produced in the United States. They painstaking agreed to a set of guidelines that wineries must follow in order to be classified with the Vintners’ Quality Alliance (VQA) designation. In essence a in order to be designated VQA a wine must be made from 100% British Columbia-grown grapes using optimum growing standards and a VQA tasting panel tests and approves each wine, twice (on in the tank or barrel, then again when the wine is bottled, but before it is sold).
The success of the VQA can be measured by the growth of the wine industry in British Columbia. When the designation was first implemented, only 14 wineries were operating in the Okanagan valley. Today there are more than 100 “quality-minded“ wineries operating in the valley, with Mission Hill Family Estate Winery at the forefront. Besides conforming to the VQA, Mission Hill wines are frequently recognized in international wine competitions. Specifically, the winery has won trophies or medals at the International Eastern Wine Competition, Selections Mondials, L.A. County Fair, Canada Wine Awards, San Francisco International Wine Summit, Northwest Wine Summit, and Vinitaly.
At the South Beach Wine & Food Festival, consumers will have the chance to taste the large selection of Mission Hill wines. The most famous is the Oculus, a Bordeaux blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. They also produce vintage or reserve versions of Merlot, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Shiraz. For white wines, the winery offers Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Riesling, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Grigio, as well as Riesling and Vidal Ice Wine. If you are unable to attend the festival, the Mission Hill Select Lot Collection (S.L.C.) wines, Oculus, and Riesling Ice wines are available in Washington, Alaska, California, Nevada, Colorado, Arizona, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Missouri, Indiana, Florida, Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Tennessee, and Kentucky.
Many American wine consumers are surprised to learn about the vibrant wine industry operating in our northern neighbors. Some may have tried an occasional Canadian Ice Wine, but few have discovered the vinifera wine produced in Canada’s wine “breadbasket”, the Okanagan Valley. This appellation is the northern extension of the Pacific Northwest wine region, nestled between the Coast Mountains to the west and the Monashee Mountains to the east. The valley is approximately 200 miles east of Vancouver, in south central British Columbia, about the same distance as Walla Walla is from Seattle and receives less than 10 inches of annual precipitation. Thus the environment that enables Washington wineries to produce excellent wines also exists in British Columbia.
In the early 1980’s Anthony von Mandl recognized the wine-making potential of this area and purchased a small winery producing hard apple cider. He transformed the new winery in the mold of Robert Mondavi’s Napa Valley winery and all the while increasing the quality of the vines and wines. In 1992 Mr. von Mandl hired John Simes, a person that shared his vision of producing quality wine, as the new winemaker. According to Ingo Grady, Mission Hill’s Director of Wine Education, Mr. Simes has “has increased the winery's estate holdings to take advantage of the valley's diverse growing conditions. And he has assembled an enviable arsenal of state-of-the-art wine making equipment to ensure gentle handling of grapes and optimum conditions for young, evolving wines.” In total, Mission Hill Family Estate farms about 900 acres in five distinct growing regions throughout the Okanagan Valley. This is about 15% of the total acreage of vinifera plantings in the valley. While the region’s vine planting is increasing, it is still less than 20% of Washington State's grape production.
Mr. von Mandl also encouraged the creation of the Vintners' Quality Alliance (VQA) to boost the quality and prestige of all wines produced in British Columbia. On January 1st, 1989 wine tariffs were eliminated on wine produced in the United States and Canada as a result of the Canada-United States Free Trade Agreement. Vintners in British Columbia recognized that their wine was not competitive in the Canadian market because of its pooper quality as compared to wines produced in the United States. They painstaking agreed to a set of guidelines that wineries must follow in order to be classified with the Vintners’ Quality Alliance (VQA) designation. In essence a in order to be designated VQA a wine must be made from 100% British Columbia-grown grapes using optimum growing standards and a VQA tasting panel tests and approves each wine, twice (on in the tank or barrel, then again when the wine is bottled, but before it is sold).
The success of the VQA can be measured by the growth of the wine industry in British Columbia. When the designation was first implemented, only 14 wineries were operating in the Okanagan valley. Today there are more than 100 “quality-minded“ wineries operating in the valley, with Mission Hill Family Estate Winery at the forefront. Besides conforming to the VQA, Mission Hill wines are frequently recognized in international wine competitions. Specifically, the winery has won trophies or medals at the International Eastern Wine Competition, Selections Mondials, L.A. County Fair, Canada Wine Awards, San Francisco International Wine Summit, Northwest Wine Summit, and Vinitaly.
At the South Beach Wine & Food Festival, consumers will have the chance to taste the large selection of Mission Hill wines. The most famous is the Oculus, a Bordeaux blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. They also produce vintage or reserve versions of Merlot, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Shiraz. For white wines, the winery offers Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Riesling, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Grigio, as well as Riesling and Vidal Ice Wine. If you are unable to attend the festival, the Mission Hill Select Lot Collection (S.L.C.) wines, Oculus, and Riesling Ice wines are available in Washington, Alaska, California, Nevada, Colorado, Arizona, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Missouri, Indiana, Florida, Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Tennessee, and Kentucky.
Monday, February 12, 2007
South Beach Wine & Food Festival Preview - Cubanisimo Vineyards
The first winery we preview that is participating in the 6th Annual South Beach Wine & Food Festival is Cubanisimo Vineyards, located in Oregon’s Eola Hills.
While in his surgical residency, Mauricio Collada, Jr., trained with a French-Lebanese colleague who was raised in a wine producing family. This association expanded his initial interest in wine and according to Mr. Collada, “from that point on my reading, and tasting of wines further developed my palate.” In the early 1980s, now, Dr. Collada settled in Oregon at the same time that the Oregon Pinto Noir industry erupted. At that point his “love affair” with Pinot Noir started and “evolved into a lasting affair”.
For many wine consumers Pinot Noir is mysterious and perhaps too “sophisticated” for their palate. Dr. Collada strongly disagrees; “Pinot Noir is indeed an elegant, complex wine that expresses itself variably, but it has a gentle balance of fruit flavors, acidity, and modest tannins that make it a great, if not the best food wine. I promote it as a wonderful food wine, and encourage people to understand their own tastes in food, and to match the wines accordingly.” Furthermore he encourages people to drink wine because of the health benefits and believes that Pinot Noir is the best wine varietal to “enhance their overall life experience”. I’m sold.
In 1991, Dr. Collada quickly acted on an opportunity to purchase a 21-acre vineyard in the Eola Hills. Over the next ten years he sold the pinot noir fruit to King Estate Winery, Erath, Bishop Cellars, Willamette Valley Vineyards, and Eveshamwood Winery, all the time gaining more experience in the vineyard. Over this time span he received “physical help, wine making advice, and general assistance from different wineries and wine makers”. Apparently the wineries in Oregon enjoy a very collegial relationship. Dr. Collada also received assistance from the Oregon Wine Growers Association as well as its successor, the Oregon Wine Board. In 2003, he decided to withhold half of their production for internal use and by 2005; all wholesale contract obligations were terminated. Cubanisimo Vineyards was now entirely dedicated to produce Cubanisimo Pinot Noir.
Their initial offering was the CUBANISIMO 2003 Pinot Noir, which was soon followed by the CUBANISIMO 2004 Pinot Noir. The wine’s tasting notes state, “Cubanisimo is especially proud to release our 2004 pinot noir, a vintage we believe has all the qualities and flavors of our 2003 pinot, but with a more intense expression; a fuller, more sensual feel in the mouth and a silkier, more delightful after taste. Medium bodied, our wine displays enticing flavors of cranberry, blackberry and cherry, which will perfectly compliment cuisine commonly enjoyed in Cuban and American cuisines. We hope you will enjoy and share our pinot noir on many occasions.”
The winery also produces a rose’ style Rosado de Pinot Noir. According to its tasting notes, the wine is dry, light with cranberry-raspberry flavor and should be served chilled. Dr. Collada reiterates that “it is a wonderful summer wine, and in Florida it probably would make a great everyday wine. I consider it an excellent and elegant picnic wine. ”
After finding success in the Oregon wine market, this Havana native is returning as close to his native Cuba as legally possible to introduce his Pinot Noir to the East Coast. Cubanisimo Vineyards will be participating at several events at the Food & Wine Festival. On Friday February 23rd, they will be pouring wine at the Trade Day and Wine Spectator Grand Tasting from 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm at the Publix Grand Tasting Village, Ocean Drive & 13th Street, Miami Beach. On Saturday and Sunday they will be participating at the Publix Grand Tasting from 11:00 am - 6:00 pm at Ocean Drive & 13th Street, Miami Beach.
If you are unable to attend the South Beach Wine & Food festival, Cubanisimo Vineyards Pinot Noir is available through their online store and through distributors in Arizona and Florida. Better yet, use Wine-Compass.com to plan a trip to Salem, Oregon to visit the winery’s tasting facilities.
While in his surgical residency, Mauricio Collada, Jr., trained with a French-Lebanese colleague who was raised in a wine producing family. This association expanded his initial interest in wine and according to Mr. Collada, “from that point on my reading, and tasting of wines further developed my palate.” In the early 1980s, now, Dr. Collada settled in Oregon at the same time that the Oregon Pinto Noir industry erupted. At that point his “love affair” with Pinot Noir started and “evolved into a lasting affair”.
For many wine consumers Pinot Noir is mysterious and perhaps too “sophisticated” for their palate. Dr. Collada strongly disagrees; “Pinot Noir is indeed an elegant, complex wine that expresses itself variably, but it has a gentle balance of fruit flavors, acidity, and modest tannins that make it a great, if not the best food wine. I promote it as a wonderful food wine, and encourage people to understand their own tastes in food, and to match the wines accordingly.” Furthermore he encourages people to drink wine because of the health benefits and believes that Pinot Noir is the best wine varietal to “enhance their overall life experience”. I’m sold.
In 1991, Dr. Collada quickly acted on an opportunity to purchase a 21-acre vineyard in the Eola Hills. Over the next ten years he sold the pinot noir fruit to King Estate Winery, Erath, Bishop Cellars, Willamette Valley Vineyards, and Eveshamwood Winery, all the time gaining more experience in the vineyard. Over this time span he received “physical help, wine making advice, and general assistance from different wineries and wine makers”. Apparently the wineries in Oregon enjoy a very collegial relationship. Dr. Collada also received assistance from the Oregon Wine Growers Association as well as its successor, the Oregon Wine Board. In 2003, he decided to withhold half of their production for internal use and by 2005; all wholesale contract obligations were terminated. Cubanisimo Vineyards was now entirely dedicated to produce Cubanisimo Pinot Noir.
Their initial offering was the CUBANISIMO 2003 Pinot Noir, which was soon followed by the CUBANISIMO 2004 Pinot Noir. The wine’s tasting notes state, “Cubanisimo is especially proud to release our 2004 pinot noir, a vintage we believe has all the qualities and flavors of our 2003 pinot, but with a more intense expression; a fuller, more sensual feel in the mouth and a silkier, more delightful after taste. Medium bodied, our wine displays enticing flavors of cranberry, blackberry and cherry, which will perfectly compliment cuisine commonly enjoyed in Cuban and American cuisines. We hope you will enjoy and share our pinot noir on many occasions.”
The winery also produces a rose’ style Rosado de Pinot Noir. According to its tasting notes, the wine is dry, light with cranberry-raspberry flavor and should be served chilled. Dr. Collada reiterates that “it is a wonderful summer wine, and in Florida it probably would make a great everyday wine. I consider it an excellent and elegant picnic wine. ”
After finding success in the Oregon wine market, this Havana native is returning as close to his native Cuba as legally possible to introduce his Pinot Noir to the East Coast. Cubanisimo Vineyards will be participating at several events at the Food & Wine Festival. On Friday February 23rd, they will be pouring wine at the Trade Day and Wine Spectator Grand Tasting from 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm at the Publix Grand Tasting Village, Ocean Drive & 13th Street, Miami Beach. On Saturday and Sunday they will be participating at the Publix Grand Tasting from 11:00 am - 6:00 pm at Ocean Drive & 13th Street, Miami Beach.
If you are unable to attend the South Beach Wine & Food festival, Cubanisimo Vineyards Pinot Noir is available through their online store and through distributors in Arizona and Florida. Better yet, use Wine-Compass.com to plan a trip to Salem, Oregon to visit the winery’s tasting facilities.
Friday, February 9, 2007
2007 South Beach Food & Wine Festival
For four days starting Thursday, February 22nd, some of the world’s finest wines will be accessible to the public at the 6th Annual South Beach Wine & Food Festival. Hosted by Southern Wine & Spirits of Florida and Florida International University (FIU) the festival benefits the Teaching Restaurant and the Southern Wine & Spirits Beverage Management Center, both located at FIU. Representatives from Wine-Compass will be attending several events: tasting the wines and interviewing both exhibiters and attendees. We'll post a wrap-up of the events as well as the pictures on the Compass Tours section of Wine-Compass.com. Over the next few days we will be posting a preview of a few wineries that will be attending the festival. The first winery featured will be Cubanisimo Vineyards, located in Oregon’s Eola Hills.
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