Last Friday was the VIP Kickoff Party for the 7th Annual American Fine Wine Competition, a contest whose goal is to identify the best wines America has to offer. 2014 marks the 7th year of this competition that began as the brainchild of husband and wife team Monty and Sara Preiser and Sommelier Shari Gherman.So just how do 700+ wines get judged in 2 days? Well, a panel of 25 judges including Sommeliers, Restauranteurs, Wine Writers and Educators hole up for two solid days at FIU's Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism in Miami and taste through all those wines (I can hear the violins) and ultimately decide which wines will reign supreme. I'm honored to be included as a judge again this year and the 2014 judging takes place later this week, Sunday, January 19 and Monday the 20th. Needless to say, I probably won't be posting another blog until later next week but I will be posting updates on Twitter and Facebook during the judging process so stop by if you're looking for some behind the scenes wine fun.Next week I'll be announcing the winners of the competition and please mark your calendars for Friday, April 4th for the AFWC Charity Wine Gala benefiting Deliver the Dream which will take place at The Boca Raton Resort and Club. As always it is sure to be an amazing evening filled with delicious food and wine. For more information and/or to purchase tickets, please click here. Otherwise stay tuned and enjoy a few more photos from last week's VIP Kickoff party.
Cheers,
Last Friday was the VIP Kickoff Party for the 7th Annual American Fine Wine Competition, a contest whose goal is to identify the best wines America has to offer. 2014 marks the 7th year of this competition that began as the brainchild of husband and wife team Monty and Sara Preiser and Sommelier Shari German.
So just how do 700+ wines get judged in 2 days? Well, a panel of 25 judges including Sommeliers, Restauranteurs, Wine Writers and Educators hole up for two solid days at FIU’s Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism in Miami and taste through all those wines (I can hear the violins) and ultimately decide which wines will reign supreme. I’m honored to be included as a judge again this year and the 2014 judging takes place later this week, Sunday, January 19 and Monday the 20th. Needless to say, I probably won’t be posting another blog until later next week but I will be posting updates on Twitter and Facebook during the judging process so stop by if you’re looking for some behind the scenes wine fun.
Next week I’ll be announcing the winners of the competition and please mark your calendars for Friday, April 4th for the AFWC Charity Wine Gala benefiting Deliver the Dream which will take place at The Boca Raton Resort and Club. As always it is sure to be an amazing evening filled with delicious food and wine. For more information and/or to purchase tickets, please click here. Otherwise stay tuned and enjoy a few more photos from last week’s VIP Kickoff party.
Cheers,
While not exclusively a "wine word" I'm choosing "atelier" to kick off our Wine Word of the Week series because, as you probably know, it's part of the name of my online wine boutique: The Wine Atelier. As a result, I often get questions like, "What does that mean?" and/or, "How do you pronounce that?" so I thought I'd take this opportunity to explain."Atelier" is defined as, "an artist's or designer's studio or workroom; a workshop, usually a small space," and Merriam-Webster explains this word's origins as, "French, from Middle French astelier woodpile, from astele splinter, from Late Latin astella, diminutive of Latin astula. First known use: 1699." You can also hear the correct pronunciation of this word by clicking here. I chose "atelier" to describe my retail boutique because I wanted to provide my clients with an individualized, education-based experience when shopping for wine featuring wines and producers I've personally selected as opposed to a giant warehouse brimming with all things alcoholic. Unfortunately, these days shopping for wine is less about exploring the world's wine regions and empowering your palate than it is about discounts and sales. Not that price isn't important when shopping for wine, I always offer my clients competitive pricing, I just don't think that should be the only factor driving their decision.So if you want to learn more about and explore the world of wine in addition to enjoying fabulous pricing, I hope you take this opportunity to explore our selection of wines online at The Wine Atelier. As always, if there's something in particular you're looking for, please feel free to contact us at info@wineatelier.com. Thanks for taking the time to learn more about us - we greatly appreciate it and look forward to exploring the world of wine with you in 2014 and beyond!Cheers,
While not exclusively a “wine word” I’m choosing “atelier” to kick off our Wine Word of the Week series because, as you probably know, it’s part of the name of my online wine boutique: The Wine Atelier. As a result, I often get questions like, “What does that mean?” and/or, “How do you pronounce that?” so I thought I’d take this opportunity to explain.
“Atelier” is defined as, “an artist’s or designer’s studio or workroom; a workshop, usually a small space,” and Merriam-Webster explains this word’s origins as, “French, from Middle French astelier woodpile, from astele splinter, from Late Latin astella, diminutive of Latin astula. First known use: 1699.” You can also hear the correct pronunciation of this word by clicking here. I chose “atelier” to describe my retail boutique because I wanted to provide my clients with an individualized, education-based experience when shopping for wine featuring wines and producers I’ve personally selected as opposed to a giant warehouse brimming with all things alcoholic. Unfortunately, these days shopping for wine is less about exploring the world’s wine regions and empowering your palate than it is about discounts and sales. Not that price isn’t important when shopping for wine, I always offer my clients competitive pricing, I just don’t think that should be the only factor driving their decision.
So if you want to learn more about and explore the world of wine in addition to enjoying fabulous pricing, I hope you take this opportunity to explore our selection of wines online at The Wine Atelier. As always, if there’s something in particular you’re looking for, please feel free to contact us at info@wineatelier.com. Thanks for taking the time to learn more about us – we greatly appreciate it and look forward to exploring the world of wine with you in 2014 and beyond!
Cheers,
With your New Year’s Eve hangover in the rear view mirror and the long, winding road of 2014 laid out before you, here are 5 wine-related resolutions to help you embrace and explore the world of wine in the New Year.
1.) Mix It Up: Because the world of wine is so vast and often confusing it’s easy to just stick with the same wine, day in and day out. To break out of your wine rut, why not vow to sample a different wine every week or learn more about a specific wine making region? Find a reputable retailer who can guide you towards selections you might like or subscribe to a publication and/or website where you can learn more about a variety of wine regions around the world. Here on the blog we plan on offering an array of wine coverage in the New Year and our Explorateur Wine Club is a wonderful way to explore a different wine region every month!
2.) Start a Wine Collection: If you’ve been drinking wine long enough to have a favorite wine region and/or producer it’s probably a good time to start collecting. Collecting wine does not mean you have to commission a custom built 15,000 bottle capacity cellar – far from it! All it takes to start a collection is a small wine fridge and a few age-worthy bottles to put in it (for some age-worthy wine recs, please click here). The wine fridge is an important piece of equipment for the beginning collector. Please don’t forgo this purchase and make the mistake of storing your wines in a spare closet or on the kitchen counter. The varying temperatures and humidity levels in any home (kitchens are the worst!) are the arch-enemies of wine so be sure to protect your investment with this useful piece of equipment. Also, wine lovers invariably have a way of outgrowing wine storage units so, if your budget allows, purchase a fridge with a little room to grow.
3.) Drink more white wines that are NOT Pinot Grigio: Much like Rodney Dangerfield, white wine often “gets no respect”. I conduct many tastings where people want to skip right over the white wine and go straight to the red. Sometimes it’s personal preference but, more often than not, I think people are under the impression that red wines are somehow superior to whites, which couldn’t be farther from the truth! People are also under the mistaken impression that all white wine tastes like the bland, mass-produced Pinot Grigios we often encounter which doesn’t help white wine’s reputation. It’s rewarding to see someone’s face light up after taking a sip of White Burgundy or Alsatian Gewürztraminer and marvel at their flavor and complexity. So whether it’s Gewürztraminer, Viognier, Arneis or Chenin Blanc embrace the world of white wine but, whatever you do, stay away from the Pinot Grigio! For a selection of delicious whites from The Wine Atelier, please click here.
4.) Drink more sparkling wines: Unfortunately sparkling wines are most often associated with special occasions and New Year’s Eve celebrations, leaving the majority of the year unbearably bubbly-free. While Champagne’s price may limit it to more of a special occasion selection, there are many sparkling wines from around the globe whose price point makes them a perfect candidate for an everyday wine. Wines like Prosecco, Cava and Crémant retail for under $20 (for some examples, please click here) making them perfect for enjoying on a Tuesday night after work or when a friend stops by to visit. As an added bonus, sparkling wines have less calories and alcohol than a glass of Chardonnay or Pinot Noir. Affordable, delicious and figure-friendly – what’s not to love about that?
5.) Wine-related Travel: Next time you’re booking a Spring or Summer getaway why not head to your favorite wine region? Nothing will give you an appreciation for what’s in your glass more than standing in the vineyard where the grapes are grown and talking to the people who make the wine. Whether you’ve collected for some time or are new to enjoying wine, traveling to different regions can be a lot of fun and facilitate your passion for the subject. Start with a region you’re interested in and plan from there. Don’t be afraid to reach out to the wineries directly, they’re usually very happy to hear from you. Of course here at The Glamorous Gourmet we’re always happy to assist you with wine and food related travel so please don’t hesitate to reach out. Here’s a link to some of our travel-related articles.
I hope these suggestions help you make it through 2014 with a renewed passion for all things vinous! If you have any other wine-related resolutions we’d love to hear about them, please tell us in the comment section below.
Cheers,
Happy New Year, my fellow food and wine lovers! I hope your 2014 is off to a great start and that you rang in the New Year surrounded by loved ones as well as delicious food and wine. While the presence of Champagne at an event is usually enough to indicate a celebration is at hand, there’s a way to even kick it up another notch: the art of sabrage.
Believed to have been invented by Napoleon during the French Revolution, sabrage is the technique of opening a bottle of Champagne using a saber. Legend has it, as Napoleon and his troops returned home victorious from battle, the townspeople handed them bottles of Champagne to show their appreciation and gratitude. Because they were mounted on horseback, it was too difficult to put down the reins to pop the cork, so they used their sabers and voila, the art of sabrage was born! In another version of the story, the widow (Veuve) Clicquot was involved, giving Napoleon’s officers Champagne in return for protecting her land during this time of political unrest.
Contrary to popular belief, sabrage is not actually “chopping” the top of the Champagne bottle off. In fact, not much “muscle” is required at all to actually behead the bottle. The technique essentially utilizes the pressure present in the bottle (approximately 6 atmospheres) combined with a quick whack from the saber to effectively “pop” the seam of the bottle at its weakest point, where it comes together at the neck. Although there are “Champagne sabers” made especially for this process, Laguiole makes a very nice one (see above photo), you don’t have to use one to perform this technique. The back of a Chef’s knife works just as well. Just be sure not to use the sharp end of the knife as you can damage the blade.
While sabrage is a pretty easy skill to learn, there are a few very important things to keep in mind in order to do it safely:
1.) Be sure the bottle of bubbly is VERY cold: If the bottle hasn’t been in the refrigerator since at least the night before, you may want to rethink using it. Without a properly chilled bottle, you run the risk of the bottle exploding during the process and nothing puts a damper on a party like an exploded bottle of Champagne.
2.) Find the seam on the bottle: Most Champagne bottles have a seam that runs vertically from the neck to the bottom where the two halves of the bottle are joined together. You can easily find it by running your finger around the circumference of the bottle until you find the ridge. This seam is the guide your saber will follow along the bottle, making contact with the neck exactly where it intersects with the seam.
3.) Adjust the wire cage and remove paper/foil from the neck of the bottle: In order to clear the runway for your saber or knife, you’ll need to adjust the cage, the wire which surrounds the cork, up one notch so the blade of the saber hits the neck of the bottle, not the wire of the cage. Simply untwist the wire, slide the cage up one notch to expose the neck, and twist to refasten it around the cork. Be very careful, however, because once the wire cage is loosened, the cork can unexpectedly pop out at any time. You could remove the cage altogether but I find keeping the cage on not only makes the cork easier to find in an outdoors setting, but also make a nicer presentation. At this point, also remove any foil or paper around the neck so your saber has an unobstructed path to follow.
4.) Hold the bottle properly: There are two ways to hold your bottle of bubbly for performing sabrage: either with your thumb in the “punt” (the indentation in the bottom of the bottle) and your fingers supporting the bottle from underneath, or by simply grasping the bottle around the base. Experiment with each and go with whichever one feels more natural and secure.
5.) Point the bottle away from friends, family and windows: Ideally sabrage is performed outside but when that isn’t possible, be sure the bottle is aimed away from friends, family or anything breakable. In the video below, I didn’t use as much force as I normally would because I didn’t want to take out any ornaments on the Christmas tree, not to mention any of the windows.
6.) Let ‘er rip: When you’re ready to go, hold the Champagne bottle away from you pointed upwards at a 45 degree angle to the ground and run the blade along the seam, taking a few practice strokes. Then, briskly slide the blade along the seam with an “up and out” motion and pop the top right off that bottle!
7.) Wipe off the neck of the bottle and serve: Once the deed is done and the applause has quieted, it’s time to enjoy the fruits of your labor. Luckily, the pressure inside the bottle ensures no glass gets into it, however, it’s always smart to wipe off the top of the bottle with a kitchen towel just to be sure there’s no glass fragments remaining. Then, you’re free to serve your guests but no matter what you do, don’t ever attempt to drink from a freshly sabered Champagne bottle! The edges are extremely sharp and this gaff will take you from hero to zero in seconds flat.
In case you’re wondering what the process looks like, below is a video of me sabering a bottle of Taittinger Brut Rosé for our first guests on New Year’s Eve. As I mentioned previously, I didn’t use as much force as I normally would in order to spare the windows and Christmas tree ornaments. I hope you have fun experimenting with the art of sabrage and remember the immortal words of Napoleon, “In victory you deserve Champagne, and in defeat, you need it.”
Cheers,
If you are a fan of food and wine and plan most of your travel around taking in the culinary and vinous sights you won't want to miss this very special Day Trip to Burgundy with The Cook's Atelier. Beaune is a mere 2 hour train ride from Paris on the TGV high speed train and a visit to this incredibly charming town is so worth it.We had the pleasure of spending a truly delightful day in Beaune, the wine capital of Burgundy, with Marjorie Taylor and her daughter Kendall Smith Franchini, Founders of The Cook's Atelier. Originally from the US, Marjorie and Kendall followed their bliss to France and started their new venture five years ago. Kendall had been living in France for ten years, going to school and then working for Christie's Auction House and wine importer Kermit Lynch. Marjorie was co-chef proprietor of the award-winning restaurant and cooking school, Ruby Beet Gourmet, in Phoenix, Arizona prior to making the move overseas. She had also studied at La Varenne cooking school under noted teacher and cookbook author, Anne Willan. Together, this mother daughter team decided they wanted to be on the same side of the pond and now offer market tours and hands-on cooking classes to students lucky enough to score a spot in one of their highly coveted classes. And for good reason, the "Market Tour & Lunch" class we experienced was hands down one of the highlights of our trip and the perfect option for a Day Trip to Burgundy.
Many people had recommended we see the Beaune market during our visit and we considered ourselves very fortunate to have Marjorie as our guide - there was so much to see! As we made our way through the vast marketplace, Marjorie introduced us to her favorite purveyors of produce, meats and cheeses. Everything from Bresse chickens to Truffe de Bourgogne beckoned - it was truly a feast for the senses. After we had procured the ingredients for our lunch, we took the short walk through the charming town of Beaune to the "atelier" (French for studio or workshop), a small but very elegant and inviting space. A beautiful zinc-topped farm table was the room's focal point as well as a large chalkboard featuring the day's menu. Two generously sized windows allowed sunlight to stream in, giving the space an ethereal feel and making for ideal food photography (coincidence?). To the right was the kitchen, already appointed with work stations where we would all help prepare the day's meal. Everyone got to participate and Marjorie was a very relaxed and patient instructor not to mention the lady can cook!
Once finished, we were treated to chilled flutes of Crémant de Bourgogne, Burgundy's sparkling wine, paired with Marjorie's delicious Gougeres which, up until that day, had always seemed too daunting to make. They were warm and divine right out of the oven and took the edge off of our hunger which we were just starting to notice. Soon after we sat down to a beautiful meal of Escargot with Parsley Butter followed by Monsieur Vossot's Filet of Beef with Late Summer Vegetables and Roasted Potatoes with Thyme. By the time our dessert of Summer Butter Cake with Soft Cream arrived at the table we had become fast friends with our fellow students, also visitors from other countries around the world.
With our meal we enjoyed local wines made from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir (Burgundy's specialty!) and since we also visited Maison Louis Jadot and Maison Joseph Drouhin during our trip I'd like to suggest a few of their wines to pair with this delicious meal. Burgundy is generally a pricy proposition, however, if you're looking for two great values, try the 2011 Drouhin Vaudon Chablis ($25) a citrusy, flinty Chardonnay with a racy acidity which will pair nicely with the rich escargot. For a red, try the 2010 Louis Jadot Chateau de Jacques Morgon ($32) with notes of black cherry and currant with a lovely minerality and supple tannins. If you're looking to kick it up a notch for New Year's Eve, try the 2010 Louis Jadot Meursault ($54), a rich, mineral-tinged white made from 100% Chardonnay, which would make a lovely pairing for the escargot. The 2009 Joseph Drouhin Clos de Mouches ($95), a delicious, cherry and spice-laced red with silky tannins made from 100% Pinot Noir, would complement the filet of beef beautifully. By the time we had finished our "lunch" it was around 5pm, and we were in no rush to leave the "atelier" with its deliciously inviting atmosphere. Reluctantly, we eventually said our goodbyes and made our way back to our hotel. All in all it was a fabulous and memorable day!To access any of the above recipes, just click the recipe names which will take you directly to The Cook's Atelier website. If your travels bring you to France, hopefully you'll be able to enjoy a Day Trip to Burgundy with Marjorie and Kendall to enjoy some of the special culinary delights this very special city has to offer.Bon appétit,
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