This particular #winestudio is a celebration of itself. I had an opportunity for a conversation with Katarina Andersson of Wines of Italy and we hit it off immediately. She is a true lover of Italy - highlighting those smaller producers that are the true backbone of the Italian wine scene - many family-owned and always so generous of wine, time and knowledge. Most of my time prior to a #winestudio program is researching: the winery, people, the wine, the region, and typically the writing comes easy. This time however, I had a difficult time organizing my thoughts and notes for our program; Not because of any issues but because the researching awoke some of my own Italian family memories. So this particular program is quite bittersweet for me, the #50 holding very special things. The Sieni Family The Sieni family is celebrating 50 Harvests of Montefioralle in grand style--watch the video! It reminds me of my own family, the older men talking amongst themselves, in their quasi Italian-English mix, representing both the part of them that was Italy then and the US today. Azienda Agricola Montefioralle is a true family-run winery, with only 5 acres of vineyards, one of the smallest wineries among the consortium of Chianti Classico producers. This small quantity production enables the Sieni family to take care of every little detail in order to produce high quality Chianti Classico. And yes, this is a short amount of time especially coming from the “old world” but the history of the area is ancient. Right Place, Right Time Katarina had the opportunity to attend the press conference of the Associazione Viticoltori Montefioralle, an association of wine producers in the area around the village Montefioralle, a small hamlet not far from Greve in Chianti, with a history that can be traced back to the Roman era. The conference centered around finding that specific “terroir” that is indicative of the Montefioralle area. A calling card if you will: an artist’s brush, a musician’s note or a dancer’s step. They’ve identified a “peculiarity of the soil” and a “microclimate” which is said to give the Sangiovese grapes their unique character. Their mission is to produce wines “con carattere“! The Montefioralle area, from a geological point of view, is different than other areas in Tuscany. The possibility of a glacier could be the reason why there is up to 50% loam in certain plots around the little hamlet. Montefioralle wines have been described as elegant, with softer tannins than other Chianti Classico wines, with refined notes of fruit, and a bit of spice. The Siena family’s vineyards, the winery, the cellar, and the shop are all located in the small medieval hamlet of Montefioralle-where there is approximately 70 inhabitants! It has become a history-buff and wine-tasting dream! Some words tooling around the internet describing Azienda Agricola Montefioralle: -- A gem amongst the grapes! | A great experience! | Fabulous little winery! | Superb wine tasting and visit | Small slice of heaven -- You get the idea. The first harvest of the Sieni family was in 1968. It was only in the 1990s that the family could acquire the winery when the Church decided to sell off the vineyards. This year it will be 50 years since their first harvest at the Montefioralle winery and they are celebrating in grand style, with us! Click here for information on all of their festivities, leading up to their September harvest. Join #winestudio and Wines of Italy Live Stream on the below dates and time as we discuss Montefioralle with Lorenzo Sieni! July 3 WinesofItaly live stream 3:00pmET + #winestudio 3:30pmET Vin Santo del C.C. 2014 July 10 WinesofItaly live stream 3pmET + #winestudio 9:00pmET Montefioralle Chianti Classico DOCG 2015 Montefioralle Chianti Classico Riserva DOCG 2014
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Rosé and its Design Influence on Wine Labels
The brilliant part about rosé is its ever-changing landscape: a plethora of colors, complexity, grape varieties, production methods, styles and flavour profiles. And rosé is neither governed by any set of wine rules nor would it want to be anything other than delicious! So then, what’s next for a rosé evolution from the industry side? For that matter, what about consumers? Majority of wine drinkers have at least a “working” relationship with rosé now, meaning we understand that the pink liquid can be and mean many things depending on how, where, why and with whom we’re drinking. I recently connected with Oenographic Design founder Jeff Gilligan whose Instagram account reads like only cool profiles would: Oenographic celebrate(s) the best of DESIGN + WINE - #oenographic to share your favorite wine labels! and I thought, hey now, how cool would it be to design a program based on what’s inside the bottle and what’s wrapped around it. As Elizabeth Gabay MW and author of Rosé - Understanding the Pink Wine Revolution said: “...the real pink revolution is only just beginning.” I’m a huge fan of Zelda Sydney, WSET Diploma graduate, illustrator, technical editor, artist and writer. Zelda was interviewed last year by Cathy Huyghe for Forbes regarding animated tasting notes so I thought it paramount to include her in this design-centered program. And I love what she’s written here: “What wine "is," what it touches, and how it relates to us as humans is as fantastic a subject for an artist as it is for a writer.” @zeldasydney Twitter hashtag #winestudio 9-10pmET Week 1 - June 5: Babylonstoren 2017 Mourvedre Rosé, Simonsberg-Paarl, Western Cape SA Alyssa and Ian Wolf own Red Wolf Imports - an importing company created solely for South African wines after they vacationed in the winelands! @RedWolfImports Artist: The laser-etched symbol on this bottle is the Babylonstoren logo, consisting of the pipe (representing the farmer), the flower (representing the garden) and the bird (representing nature). It is a combination of the very essence of Babylonstoren – keeping things simple and as true to the earth as possible. (And this is one of the most beautiful wineries I’ve ever seen! And I’ve never been there!) Week 2 - June 12: Eric Kent Wine Cellars 2017 Rosé, Sonoma County, CA If you don’t know Kent Humphrey and his wife, partner Colleen Teitgen, you will now. Kent has no formal winemaking degree but he has loads of experience working with icons. And Colleen, now an artist and curator of their galleries, oversees their original dream: combining their shared passions in wine and art. @EricKentWines Artist: Yellena James Week 3 - June 19: Bedell Cellars 2017 Taste Rosé, Long Island, NY Art collector Michael Lynne purchased the winery, which is considered to be a benchmark for quality in the Eastern US, from the Bedells in 2000 and since has incorporated world-renowned contemporary artists to accompany their award-winning wines of winemaker Richard Olsen-Harbich. @BedellCellars Artist: Barbara Kruger Week 4 - June 26: Domaine Paul Mas 2017 Côté Mas Rosé Aurore Languedoc, France In 2012, Jean-Claude’s philosophy of “Luxe Rural--an appreciation of the simple pleasures of life, artfully rendered by nature--crystallized with the opening of the Côté Mas Restaurant where the wines were first introduced, and became so popular that they are now available worldwide! Aurore will be #winestudio’s second vintage, all through the generosity of Patricia Clough of Gregory + Vine. The label is an eye-catching pastel drawing of the original family estate in the Art Nouveau style. Jean-Claude worked to find an artist who had the Toulouse Lautrec style. @CoteMas Sommeliers Crystal Cameron-Schaad and Tina Morey are teaming up once again for a fun and informative tasting experience at Crystal Palate. We will be exploring some great bubbles for the summer including unique sparkling wines, ciders and brews.
Plus, we'll be bringing back our interactive sensory table filled with the many flavors and textures of the beverages you will be sampling. We'll also showcase some great pairing ideas at each station. We couldn't think of a better way to kick-off the lazy days of summer. Tickets are $25 in advance or $35 at the door if space permits. Space is limited, so buy your tickets early. Purchase Tickets. DATE AND TIME Sat, June 2, 2018 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM EDT Add to Calendar LOCATION Crystal Palate Wine & Gourmet 4500 Pretty Lake Avenue #Suite 104 Norfolk, VA 23518 View Map photo credit: TomSchaadPix May 22 and 29
Iapetus Wine with Winemaker Ethan Joseph June 5, 12, 19, 26 The Rosé Program with Oenographic Design July 10, 17, 24, 31 Creatives Program II featuring Red Wolf Imports August 7, 14, 21, 28 Cremisan Cellars, Bethlehem in the Holy Land September 4, 11,18, 25 Craft Wine Association Reprise October 2, 9, 16, 23 San Diego Wine Scene November - December: TBD Register here for a particular program. Excited to announce a new wine class at the super hip Hip +Innovative Studio Boutique. It's about Influence and how with whom and what we choose to drink inspires creativity. The wines we'll be tasting are some of my favorites and I've held onto some of them for many years, waiting until their right moment.
Taste and enjoy several wines along with a selection of cheeses. Art supplies included or grab your sketch pad…come enjoy friends, wine and creativity! As always, we'll begin with some bubbly! Tatomer 2011 Kick-on Ranch Riesling, Santa Barbara County Ca Moulin de Gassac 2016 Guilhem Rosé, Languedoc Fr Angelo Negro & Figli 2008 Cascinotta Barbaresco, Piedmont It Bel Colle 2008 Barolo, Piedmont It Mar 16, 2018 | Hip +Innovative Studio Boutique Click here for tickets. Susannah Gold, Founder of Vigneto Communications recently asked me a few questions for her cool blog, avvinare.
How did you get into the wine business? It was a last-minute reservation at The Herbfarm in Woodinville, Washington that did it for me. We sat at a communal table, spoke and laughed with folks from all over the world, but that was nothing compared to what was happening on the other side of the table. The highlight for me was the professionalism and ease that each sommelier oozed. I wanted that confidence, that knowledge, that sense of complete trust of each other’s ability at any given time during the evening. The wine was part of the entire experience, but it fit so seamlessly it never stood out, but floated from course to course—a tightly choreographed play where guest was center stage. That was 2005, so just two years later I sold my vegan wedding cake business and enrolled into the first Court of Master Sommeliers Education Program in the US. What has been the hardest part of the wine business for you in terms of gender issues, if any? I suppose I’ve been lucky but I haven’t experienced any particular gender issues, just individuals navigating work environments. What trends and changes have you seen since you started? What do you see happening in the next 5-10 years in your sector of the business? The most significant happening has been the continued onslaught that is social media. It seems as though it’s approaching a breaking point. We can spend thousands of dollars on research with the sole purpose to predict changes, or we can shift focus from predicting what may happen to actually creating our own space. What do you see happening in your work with Wine Studio? (for more answers, click on over to Susannah's blog.) Last July happened by chance. July 2018 will happen by design. The #winestudio July Creatives Program 2017 was a huge hit so we're bringing it back! Our theme for July 2018 is those who have day jobs to fund their wine pursuits. If this is you or anyone you know, we'd love to have you on the program! Excited to announce that our wine focus will be Red Wolf Imports, owned by Alyssa and Ian Wolf who both have jobs to fund their wine import business. We'll be talking Creatives and sipping on South African wines. 2018 #winestudio Creative Program Goals:
#winestudio has always been about collaboration and in this spirit we move forward toward shared goals. Please email if interested: [email protected] Wine is a funny thing. The drinking of wine, the culture of wine, the idiosyncrasies and etiquette of wine drinking can be daunting. The sheer number of wines to choose nowadays is overwhelming! Today however, It doesn’t have to be, especially when serving a crowd.
Last May, Bodega Ruca Malen launched Aimé Ruca Malen, its first Lifestyle Wine Collection. Their inspiration was “to offer wines that bring real enjoyment, wines that are made to be savored and shared in the Argentine way.” Excellent! So in walks an easy-going, sweet white wine called Aimé, made exclusively from the grape Muscat of Alexandria--which some believe to be one of the oldest genetically unmodified vines still in existence. The grapes are delicious on their own or made into the Aimé - crisp and sweet, perfect with salty cheeses, salad, or, for #NationalSangriaDay, the ultimate crowd-pleaser: Sangria. When it comes to making drinks for a crowd, I’m quite pragmatic. That being said, I get a quirky little kick out of concocting some cool flavours. I opened the fridge, peered inside, and out comes the makings of a fabulous drink. Here’s what I used: Aimé Ruca Malen Moscato Basil simple syrup Fresh, semi-frozen, pineapple slices Fresh basil Neutral spirit / pepper-infused spirit Squeezes of fresh orange Apples Oranges Flake salt Puree the pineapple with basil sprigs, adding some spirit to loosen if too frozen. Pour into large pitcher. Add Aimé to the blender and swirl to capture all the flecks of brilliant green basil, then add to the pitcher. Add enough basil simple syrup to your liking. Pour into a glass, add a few squeezes of fresh orange, then top with sliced orange, apple, pineapple and basil. Add a pinch of flake salt for a little savoury twist, then it's welcome to #NationalSangriaDay! I”m not a big fan of adding extra sugar to sangria or any cocktails for that matter, so the Aimé Ruca Malen 100% Moscato, delicious on its own, is delicately sweet and a touch herbal, giving the right amount of sugar to balance added ingredients. Saturday, November 18 at 1 PM - 3 PM
Drinking the Garden! So I'm teaching a class at New Earth Farm - Mocktails and Dessert! (yes, we'll discuss how to turn "mocktail" into "cocktail" at home.) We'll munch on cookies and mocktails from ingredients you can purchase right at the Farm! There will be recipes, knives, herbs, blindfolds - all sorts of tactile stuff! Come on out Saturday 18 November 1-3pm - get a head start on your holiday plans! And if you haven't checked out their new Market - now is the perfect time! Support your local farm! Please go directly to the New Earth Farm website to purchase tickets. Many moons ago when I was regularly tasting with wine reps, I mentioned to one of them that I was looking for “scary good juice.” When I sat down to taste, he had already placed about a dozen Greek wines before me, (thank you George!) none of which I could easily pronounce. I slid my glass closer…
Afterward, I got to thinking about fear. Not the pseudo-scary horror film kind, mind you, but that simple fear of not knowing what’s in a bottle, how to pronounce said contents and exactly what to expect. We make important decisions on a daily basis, but many folks are apprehensive regarding what they don’t know, especially when it comes to not identifying liquids. Wine should never be scary! Perhaps the take-away is the mere fact that there is a commonality inherent in the unknown: people. Behind that cool bottle of unpronounceable juice are interesting folks making wine they love to drink themselves and for others to enjoy as well. What else I find incredibly cool regarding Greek wine is the indigenous varieties. There are more than 300 native varieties grown on varying types of some of the rockiest soils on earth, but what these vines produce is nothing short of liquid magic. At the time, I contacted Markus Stolz, one of the most influential wine journalists today regarding the Greek wine industry. I think the biggest obstacle for exploring the odyssey that is Greek wine is pronunciation. I asked Markus for some tips and he was kind enough to provide a video of grape pronunciation with his kids—brilliant! This past February I attended the USBevX Conference in Washington D.C. and I had the distinct pleasure of receiving a Facebook PM from none other than Cathy Huyghe. Cathy and I have been nurturing an online friendship for several years now so when one is invited out for dinner and drinks, you say yes. But then Cathy created a distinct wrinkle for me: we would be joined by Steve Raye, Bevology President and CEO and Dr. Damien Wilson, Chair of Wine Business Education / SSU. I must admit I almost bowed out only because I was nervous about with whom I'd be dining - these folks are like wine industry royalty! But then the practical gal in me kicked in and said "fuck it, you gotta eat." Needless to say I had a blast and sipped on some tasty Greek wine while we dined at José Andrés new D.C. digs Zaytinya. (Big thank you to Crystal Schaad for coming along!) Break out of the familiar and explore the unpronounceable, the provocative, and some of the most palate-friendly wines on the market today, no matter from what part of the world. And be sure to share those wines with dinner mates and friends - you'll be glad you did. |
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