wine Archives - Page 14 of 14

5 Year Anniversary Party for Cuisine Noir Magazine

TasteTV recently attended the 5th Year Anniversary Party for Cuisine Noir Magazine. The event took place at the Cartoon Art Museum in San Francisco’s SoMA District, and hosted a bevy of food and wine purveyors, many of whom are helmed by African-American entrepreneurs.

Founded by V. Sheree Williams, Cuisine Noir is currently the only print and online culinary publication to focus specifically on the African-America market of foodies, creators, and celebrities.

At the event we discovered a number of new products and beverages, as well as reconnected with ones with which we were already familiar. The attendees were glamorous, and more importantly, having a great time.

(courtesy of TasteTV)

Longevity Wines (courtesy of TasteTV)

Luv’s Brownies (courtesy of TasteTV)

Cuisine Noir magazine co-founder Richard Parnell (courtesy of TasteTV)

New Orlean’s Bill and his famous cookies and potato salad (courtesy of TasteTV)

Cartoon Art Museum (courtesy of TasteTV)

Kristen of Marich Confections (courtesy of TasteTV)

Red Carpet at the Cartoon Art Museum (courtesy of TasteTV)

House of Mandela Wines, part of Nelson Mandela’s family business legacy (courtesy of TasteTV)

Food choices (courtesy of TasteTV)

Ron Tanner (right) from NASFT (courtesy of TasteTV)

Winemakers from Longevity and Indigene (courtesy of TasteTV)

(courtesy of TasteTV)

Tips for Drinking and Gifting Wine from the Expert

Thinking about the upcoming season for gifting? Think about wine, and specifically, think about the best way to gift (and drink) it.

Fortunately, Paula Moulton, Sonoma wine expert, author, and contributor for Wine Enthusiast magazine, has a few tips that will help you select a great wine at any price point.

Tips for Gifting Wine:

Be Adventurous: Dare to be different and pick your wine based on the beauty of its label as long as it fits in with your price range. You may be surprised to learn that wine labels oftentimes reflect the personality of the wine in the bottle so perhaps your eye will be your trainer for the evening.
Don’t Forget to Share: Wine is about sharing, so bring the gift of wine based on what you would pick to drink yourself.
What About The Rules: Break the Rules! Your host/hostess is making pizza, but you only drink white wine and you’ve heard that red wine is traditionally paired with pizza. You might be surprised to learn that a full-bodied white and even a sparkling white or Champagne pair well with pizza.
Don’t Forget to Learn: You want to branch out and try wine from other countries so research your host/hostess and bring a wine from the country of their origin.
Remember the Seasons:Pick your wine based on the season. Is it winter and time for something hearty or is it summer and sizzling hot, pick your wine based on the weather?

Tips for Pairing Wine For The Holidays:

“In general, I pair wine using a simple technique that I learned from a famous sommelier in France. Wine pairing should be looked at like we look at couples. There are two types of couples in this world: There are the couples who are similar to one another and make each other whole almost like being one person and then there are the couples who are completely opposite and one would never put them together.”

Yet both couples work together and form a powerful bond…

Is this wine similar to the menu? Ex: A heavy beef stew with lots of pepper and bay leaves would have flavors similar to a peppery, earthy red wine like a Cabernet Sauvignon or a spicy Pinot Noir. The bold aromas and flavors of the wine are similar to the strong and spicy ingredients in the stew.
Is this wine opposite from the menu? Ex: A creamy white sauce over pasta would pair well with a nice Sauvignon Blanc. Why?The acidity in the wine is opposite from the creamy, smooth sauce and actually subdues and balances both flavors.

Peter Mondavi chats about Napa favorite Krug Winery opening Trattoria Cucina di Rosa

Napa Valley continues to innovate and delight with new openings and offerings. Peter Mondavi Jr. and Napa Valley celebrity chef, Richard Haake, join TasteTV in discussing the Mondavi Family’s newest venture, Cucina di Rosa Italian trattoria.

Opened as part of the Charles Krug Winery Hospitality Center, the Cucina di Rosa’s realization was the final element of a $9.5 million restoration and beautification of the Redwood Cellar Building designed by noted architect Howard Backen. The Cucina menu was designed by Haake, and offers a variety of rustic panini sandwiches, antipasti, salads as well as traditional Italian snack items designed to pair beautifully with Charles Krug’s estate wines.

Named in honor of the winery’s matriarch Rosa Mondavi, and launched to commemorate the 100^th birthday of her son, Peter, the Cucina brings the renovation of the historic winery and property full circle.

Peter Mondavi Jr.

TasteTV: The Mondavi family has a history of winemaking for several generations. How does everyone keep track of the various ventures and brands? (like Krug)

Peter Mondavi Jr: “Wine is our passion and we enjoy being directly involved in all of our brands and ventures. As a family, we’ve been involved in wine over the past 70 years. Charles Krug, like our other brands, is built on a foundation of family values, hard work and European winemaking tradition.”

TasteTV: Why did you decide to open the Trattoria at the Charles Krug Winery Hospitality Center?

Peter Mondavi Jr: “Cucina di Rosa is an extension of our family heritage and our winemaking philosophy that wine and food are inseparable. My grandmother Rosa Mondavi loved cooking and taking care of people so the Cucina pays homage to her.”

TasteTV: How many visitors do you expect to start enjoying the Cucina?

Peter Mondavi Jr: “We hope the Cucina will draw many new visitors to our stunning, newly renovated Redwood Cellar designed by architect Howard Backen. We don’t know of another winery that offers this kind of culinary experience directly in the Tasting Room. Guests can enjoy a flight of Charles Krug limited-release wines at our Tasting Bar, followed by delicious rustic panini, antipasti or salad designed to pair beautifully with Charles Krug’s estate wines.”

TasteTV: Most restaurants in wine country are sourced locally. Tell us, are the menu and ingredients influenced by local California cuisine, or is it more influenced by Italian restaurants?

Chef Richard Haake: “Simply put, the menu and ingredients are influenced by the CIA (Culinary Institute of America) Garden planted on the Charles Krug estate and the Italian traditions established by Rosa Mondavi who also tended a significant garden on the estate.”

TasteTV: What are some of your favorite dishes at the Trattoria?

Peter Mondavi Jr: “I love the panini and am enjoying working my way through the vast selection, paired with Charles Krug wines, and topped off with a freshly roasted espresso.”

TasteTV: Any suggested food & wine pairings at the Trattoria?

Chef Richard Haake: “The Giardino Panino, which combines grilled and marinated estate-grown vegetables from the CIA Garden with Meyer lemon and herb goat cheese, pairs perfectly with the Charles Krug Sauvignon Blanc. The brightness of the goat cheese brings out the wine’s citrus and tropical flavors. Another great pairing is the Toscano Panino paired with Charles Krug Cabernet Sauvignon. The combination of roasted top sirloin steak, balsamic onions and Cambozola blue cheese are the perfect complement to Charles Krug’s rich, layered Cabernet.”

TasteTV: You are initially only open on weekends. Is this the plan going forward?

Chef Richard Haake: “We would like to be open on additional days, but we’re starting with Fridays and weekends until we get the word out and build a following. We encourage everyone to come and visit us and look forward to extending our hours as soon as possible.”

TasteTV: Several tasting rooms have opened over the last few years in the Sonoma Plaza square. Do you think that this represents a trend for having in-town tasting rooms, and not just tasting rooms at wineries?

Peter Mondavi Jr: “I believe the best way to experience wine country is by visiting a winery. Charles Krug is the oldest winery in Napa Valley, and there is no better way to experience the history and beauty of this region than by spending time at a winery such as ours. It’s truly the ultimate wine country experience.”

Master Sommelier Evan Goldstein authors new wine guide, Wines of South America

Wine expert and author Evan Goldstein has a brand new guidebook out, called the Wines of South America, currently available in stores and on Amazon.com

Evan Goldstein is a Master Sommelier, and President and Chief Education Officer of Full Circle Wine Solutions, Inc. in San Francisco. He is the author of Perfect Pairings: A Master Sommelier’s Practical Advice for Partnering Wine with Food and Daring Pairings: A Master Sommelier Matches Distinctive Wines with Recipes from His Favorite Chefs, both published by UC Press.

Q: Evan, how many books on wine have you authored so far?

Evan Goldstein: This is my third book with UC Press (the other two being ‘Perfect Pairings’ and ‘Daring Pairings’, two works on pairing wine with food) and I did a service book (now out of print) some years back

Q: South America is a gigantic continent, how long did it take you to research this book?

Evan Goldstein: Well, off and on, it was over a 7-8 year period but the specific book centric focus was onsite (e.g. in South America over 5-6 weeks in 2012/3 and, via a series of good friends/embedded emissaries, if you will, over a year and a half more. And my own research spanned over 2 years (2012-2013)

Q: How do you categorize the wines, by country or varietal?

Evan Goldstein: The book is organized, after the introductory chapters which cover off on continental history and a compendium of grapes found across the continent, by country with five core chapters- Argentina, Chile, Brazil, Uruguay and a compilation chapter covering off on Bolivia, Columbia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, and Venezuela, This is followed by a series of chapters on subjects ranging from traveling in South American wine country, dining locally, and a series of recommended wines via a series of ‘top 10’ lists….

Q: What do you think is most important for the reader to take away from using this guide book?

Evan Goldstein: That South America is undervalued and underappreciated given its significance as a global wine producing continent (2^nd most impactful, as a continent, after Europe). Also, that there’s much more to South America than the good-value entries made by a small number of higher visibility producers. Chile and Argentina are in their defining 3.0’s, if you will, and Brazil and Uruguay have yet to get their real day in the sun, until now!

Q: You have photos and maps. Did you take the photos?

Evan Goldstein: The photos and maps were done by professionals (unlike me!) who have a keen sensibility about the regions they shot in. A big shout out to Matt Wilson, with five photos in the book, and whose work adorns the cover…the maps, serveral of which didn’t exist before this book, were all custom cartographed.

Q: What are some of your favorite South American wines?

Evan Goldstein: Ahh—for that you’ll need to refer to my ‘top 10’s on pages 265-272!

Q: Any pairings you suggest?

Evan Goldstein: Well, unlike my first two books with UC Press this one is not a specific paring book. That said, a few can’t misses—great beef (a staple of Argentina, Southern Brazil and Uruguay) with the robust reds of their respective countries (Malbec and Malbec blends (Argentina); Tannat and Tannat blends (Uruguay) and varied rich reds from across Brazil)—Peruvian takes of ceviche with Chilean Sauvignon Blancs, especially those from San Antonio and coastal Casablanca; traditional Argentinean empanadas (filled with meat, olives, raisins, and hard boiled eggs) with Torrontés (really); and any of the fried Brazilian pasteis (savory croquettes) served with, what else, Brazilian bubbly!

NEW IDEAS FOR A NEW WORLD