Stages of Sparkling Wine Production.
January 9, 2012(click image for larger view)
This Week In Wine–1/8/12
January 8, 2012
Charlie Trotter’s Closing in Chicago
Charlie Trotter plans to close his famous Chicago restaurant in August, 25 years after it opened in a Lincoln Park townhouse and quickly became a national destination.
Trotter, 52, has said that he would close the 120-seat restaurant that bears his name to travel and go to school, after being accepted to graduate programs at schools in Chicago and California to study philosophy and political theory
Charlie Trotter’s has a two-star Michelin rating, but has been viewed as slightly staid and surpassed by restaurants run by younger chefs, including Grant Achatz, who worked in the Trotter’s kitchen before opening his own restaurant, Alinea.
Mr. Trotter said that the restaurant was not closing for financial reasons. A take-out restaurant, Trotter’s To Go, will remain open, he said, and he planned to start another restaurant after what he described as his sabbatical.
Click here for the full article.
My Thoughts
Shame, I’d always wanted to get to Trotter’s ever since reading his “Lessons in Service” and “Lessons in Excellence” books many years ago. I feel his pain, having recently closed the restaurant I was General Manager of for 7 years. The restaurant business is a tough mistress, and no doubt it takes a lot out of you for very little reward.
There are 101 reasons why a restaurant closes, but no-one can ever take away the fact that Charlie Trotter was (and still is) one of the most respected culinary figures in the industry. I wish him the best, but good luck getting a reservation at Trotter’s! I can only imagine he’s going to be booked (if not already) all the way up-to the closing in August!
BMD Designs the ‘Coolest Wine Bar Ever’
The centuries-old art of sipping, tasting and sniffing wine is getting an upgrade. Earlier this month, the IFC Mall in Hong Kong saw the opening of Amo Eno, an interactive wine bar that combines technology and design to offer a wine tasting experience. The bar uses a special multi-touch LCD table powered by Surface 2.0 technology that acts as a menu, sommelier and wine handbook. A social media component lets you share where you are and what you’re drinking with your friends.
Amo Eno is the brainchild of Andrew Bradbury, the self-professed wine and tech geek who tried similar outings earlier, with 55 Degrees in Las Vegas, which was all about imbibing vino while reposing in a richly-designed space, and Clo in New York’s Time Warner Center, which offered an interactive wine experience. Both outlets have since shut down, for differing reasons, said Bradbury. 55 Degrees closed due to a buyout of the space by MGM, while Clo shut down about a year after Bradbury left.
Bradbury said that the idea was to offer a forward-thinking, clean and modern space. "It may not have appealed to everyone, but a lot of people liked the space as it wasn’t traditional."
Click here for the full article.
My Thoughts
Everyone has their own idea of what constitutes “the coolest wine bar ever”. To me at least, what is mentioned above isn’t it. The whole idea behind hospitality is the idea of service, and no matter how advanced computers get, they will never able able to replicate the inter-action of 2 humans (no matter what scientists lead us to believe). Enomatic wine machines have their place, but I don’t ever expect them to replace a “good wine guy (or girl)” any day soon.
Young Austrian Winemakers Strip off for Calendar
A group of female Austrian winemakers has posed in scanty underwear for a new calendar that promises to be ‘sexy but not overly erotic’.
The Jungwinzerinnen, or Young Female Winemakers calendar 2012 is the brainchild of publisher Ellen Ledermüller-Reiner who started work on the project nine years ago.
‘It really helps the wineries, because we get so much publicity from the calendar, which is a big hit. It should attract attention and be sexy, but not be cheap or overly erotic,’ she said.
Some 3,500 copies have been made of the calendar, which are on sale for €25. They can be ordered online from the extremely sketchy-looking www.e-ledermueller.com
Click here for the full article.
My Thoughts
A cool marketing ploy to bring attention to a wine producing country that gets very little media attention otherwise….and no, I’m not just saying that’s because I’m a guy and I’m into wine, and therefore powerless to resist this kind of thing!!! Well, maybe I am, a little..
Posted in News | Tagged Bitch Grenache, Bonny Doon, Charlie Trotter, Pierce’s Disease, Randall Grahm | Leave a comment //La Spinetta Nebbiolo, Langhe-Piedmont, Italy 2008.
January 6, 2012
Grape
100% Nebbiolo [neh-bee-oh-low]
Facts
- La Spinetta was founded in 1977 by Giuseppe and Lidia Rivetti. They’re big on the idea that the best wines are made in the vineyard, rather than in the winery, and take as minimal of a interventionist approach as possible toward all their wines.
- Each bottle of La Spinetta bears a pencil drawing of a rhino, and there’s a very good reason for that! Historically, the rhinoceros has always been the traditional animal of choice for vineyard workers to transport baskets of grapes back to the winery from vineyards in the Piedmont region of Italy. Actually that’s a lie, I just checking if you were paying attention, but I can only imagine how AWESOME vineyard-rhino’s would be for winery tourism!
There’s actually no real reason for the rhino on the label, as La Spinetta will tell you on their website. The pencil drawing by German artist Albrecht Dürer records the arrival of an Indian rhinoceros in Lisbon, Portugal in 1515. It was the first animal of its kind to be seen in Europe. - La Spinetta was the first winery in Italy to ever make a single vineyard Moscato, in 1978.
- The name of the Nebbiolo grape is believed to stem from the Italian word nebbia, meaning fog. Supposedly fog usually sets into the region during grape harvest.
- This particular wine is a fairly new addition to the La Spinetta lineup, with the first vintage being 2004.
- All La Spinetta’s grapes are hand-harvested.
Pairing Wine with the Cast of Jersey Shore.
January 5, 2012
REEEEEPOST!!! This is another post that never made it over to the website from when I had it redesigned over a year ago.
I promise I’ll keep posts of this nature (i.e. low in substance, high in humor) few and far between! It’s just a little fun…
In case you’ve been under a rock, here’s a quick summary of what Jersey Shore is all about:
Jersey Shore is a reality television series on MTV that follows eight housemates in Real World-type style while they live, work and party at the New Jersey Shore. Dubbed a cultural phenomenon, the series has garnered record ratings for MTV, making it the network’s most viewed series telecast ever. The series’ cast has also been credited with introducing numerous unique lexicon and phrases into American popular culture.
In the spirit of MTV’s Jersey Shore and with the new season airing on MTV tonight, I present to you a Wine Pairing with Cast of Jersey Shore:
Sammi "Sweetheart"
Bio: Sammi has been a serial dater all her life, but she’s now single and loves every minute of it. Her friends call her a sweetheart, but when it comes to guys she is a heartbreaker. Just ask Mike and Ronnie.
Wine Match: Beringer White Zinfandel
Like Sammi, Beringer White Zin is sweet, but not overwhelming so. It’s also not a wine for everyone, but has been “enjoyed” more times than you would believe! If you drink too much you’re sure to throw-up, just as you would watching Ronnie and Sammie break up 147 times.
Nicole "Snooki"
Bio: Nicole is looking to meet the man of her dreams. When she goes to the gym, she’s in full makeup, hoping to make a splash with all the toned men. Her height has been as much of a strength as it has been an obstacle.
Wine Match: Pommery “Pop” 187ml Champagne
Ah yes Snooki, my personal favorite Jersey Shore character! Snooki is short, loud, and doesn’t care what other people think of her. Pommery “Pop” Champagne in a 187ml is perfect for her: it’s small, the bubbles dance around wildly, and linger just long enough to be irritating. Symptoms include: screaming at inappropriate times, doing back handsprings, styling your hair into a giant “poof” on top of your head, and having strong personal problems with duck phones.
Posted in Funny | Tagged Jersey Shore, MTV, White Zinfandel | Leave a comment //
What They Don’t Teach You in Sommelier School.
January 5, 2012
Lately I’ve started realizing that my wine knowledge has been slipping.
How could that possibly happen?
Well, I did just turn 31, so maybe dementia could be setting in early; but personally I think the truth is that I just don’t seem to use what I had drilled into me from the Court of Master Sommeliers and the Society of Wine Educators.
Now don’t get me wrong, I’m certainly not knocking these fine institutions…well maybe I am a little. You see, I’ve always seen wine in a different light from most people. Wine is an agricultural product. A very complex and beautiful agricultural product nonetheless, but still the product of fruit that grows from a plant in the ground. Sure, I can wax poetically with the best of ‘em about the meso-climates within this one tiny vineyard parcel within the sub-region of a greater region, which has a sandy loam soil and maritime climate. I just don’t think that’s what most people, even the more wine-savvy, can relate to.
Posted in News | Tagged Court of Master Sommeliers, Society of Wine Educators, Sommelier | 2 Comments //Private Dinner Party with Wine Maker and Italian Chef in Your Home.
January 5, 2012
Have a Taste of Tuscany in your home by hosting a wine tasting and dinner!
During this intimate evening with famous Italian Winemaker Giuseppe Sala and his private chef, Andrea and your invited guests will have a rare opportunity to learn the family secrets of three generations of winemaking and discover the flavors of ancient Tuscan recipes used to prepare the four course dinner while Barbara coordinates in the kitchen. Chef Andrea, born and raise in Tuscany is currently the chef at the beautiful country estate of Borgo San Fedele near Radda in Chianti www.borgosanfedele.com. Giuseppe will pour four I Selvatici wines. They ask you have a minimum of 10 guests but no more than 25. The cost is $140 per person.
CALENDAR 2012
Ponte Vedra/Jax /Amelia Jan 7, 8 (NB: Short notice…sorry about that…)
Orlando Area Jan 12,13,15,19
Atlanta Sold Out
Nashville Feb 2,5
Dallas Feb 9,10,12
Birmingham – AL Feb 16, 19
Ft. Myers/Sarasota/St.Pete/Naples Feb 23,24,25,26
Palm Bch/Miami/Lauderdale Mar 1,2,4
DC/MD/VA Sold Out
Contact info@iselvatici.it or call Barbara in the USA at 407-481-0739 for more details or to arrange for your party.
Posted in Events | Leave a comment //← Older posts Newer posts →
