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International Wine Tourism Conference Early-Bird Special

November 25, 2013 – 10:48 am

We have been to the last two International Wine Tourism Conferences. Thus far, the conference sites have been in Europe. In 2012 we attended the conference held in Perugia, Italy. While in Italy we visited wineries in Umbria and Campania. This year’s conference was in Zagreb, Croatia. While in Croatia we visited wineries in Istria and after the conference we returned the short distance to Italy to visit wineries in Friuli. In 2014, the conference takes place in Tbilisi, Georgia.

Of our travels to over 1,000 wineries and vineyards in North America, Europe and Oceania, the country Georgia was the most different. We discovered a people passionate about wine. We did see many wineries making modern day wines using stainless steel and oak barrels. The only difference between Georgia and the rest of the world was the grape varieties used to make those wines. Georgia has 540 different grape varieties, many are near extinction. Also in Georgia we observed and made wine in a qvevri. This is an ancient winemaking process that produces amazing whites and reds. Grapes and winemaking have an 8,000 year history in Georgia, long before the rest of the world.

This conference reaches beyond winemakers and tour operators. It is an appropriate conference for wine writers and bloggers, the general public that is interested in wine, winery staff, tasting room staff, tour guides, tour drivers, hoteliers and chefs. Anyone interested in wine and tourism will enjoy the many different offerings. You can view some of the presentations for the March 29 – 30, 2014  conference at http://www.iwinetc.com/2014georgia/speakers/

Conference regestration fees are now on sale through the end of November. From the IWINETC  team we have the following information about their early bird special.

Registration for the must-attend event for wine tourism professionals is open for Visitors, Bloggers and Students. If you have not already signed up, register today and make the most of the early bird rate saving you 60 Euros! Early bird rates ends 30 November 2013!

Visitors http://www.iwinetc.com/2014georgia/register/
Bloggers & traditional media Fam Trip http://www.iwinetc.com/2014georgia/wine-travel-blogger-media-fam-trip/

IWINETC has everything you need to drive you and/or your business forward and in 2 days, you can meet directly with the most important people for your activity, create valuable relationships and refresh yourself for the year ahead.

If you’re a tour operator or travel agent specializing in wine and culinary tourism, apply to be part of the IWINETC Invited Buyer Programme and take advantage of the exclusive benefits it provides.

Wine Tourism Meet Up & Fam Trip http://www.iwinetc.com/2014georgia/agent-info/

Attention Exhibitors: Have you confirmed your exhibitor table for IWINETC 2013? If not then make sure you take advantage now by registering before 15 December 2013. Booking early affords you some great benefits including a presentation of your business at the Wine Tourism Meet Up plus the opportunity to secure your preferred location in the Conference programme. Don’t miss out!

Exhibitor information and Marketing Opportunities http://www.iwinetc.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Marketing-Options.pdf

Start planning your visit as early as possible to take advantage of every aspect of the event.

We look forward to welcoming you to Tbilisi in March.

Cheers,
Terry & Kathy

By Terry | Posted in Wine News/Commentary | Tagged , , , | Comments (0)

Thanksgiving Stuffing with Red Wine

November 25, 2013 – 1:00 am

Thanksgiving

As you get ready for Thanksgiving dinner at your home you will want to make sure you are using safe cooking procedures. There is a lot of concern about cooking turkeys. The USDA has issue important guidelines about cooking turkeys. The guidelines are available online.

If you are looking for a Thanksgiving turkey stuffing recipe check out the recipe below. The recipe is from Wollersheim Winery.

Wine Stuffing for Poultry

Ingredients

2 large onions, finely chopped
1 cup butter
1-1/2 cups chopped celery
1-1/2 cups chopped filberts
2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper
1-1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
6 cups finely broken day-old cornbread
4 cups coarse crumbs of day-old bread
3/4 pound sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 cup Ruby Nouveau or Domaine du Sac (or substitute with a fruity, dry red wine

Directions

1. Sauté onions in butter, until limp. Add celery, filberts, salt pepper and marjoram. Turn onion mixture over breads. Add cheese: sprinkle with wine and toss to mix thoroughly. Spoon stuffing lightly into bird, filling it about 3/4 full. (Bake remaining stuffing in an uncovered shallow baking dish.)
2. To glaze bird, baste with wine mixed with melted butter during last 20 minutes of roasting.

Makes enough stuffing for one 12-pound turkey or two 6-pound capons.

Provided by Wollersheim Winery, Wisconsin

Cheers!
Kathy

By Kathy | Posted in Wine/Food/Recipes | Tagged , , , , | Comments (0)

Celebrating the finish of a book draft with wine from Georgia

November 23, 2013 – 10:38 am

Kathy and I completed a draft of our third book Georgia, Sakartvelo: The Birthplace of Wine. We thought we would celebrate with a Georgian wine. Of course we were visiting family and had to rely on finding Georgian wines somewhere. We didn’t have to look for long. A short outing to a Whole Foods was successful. Of their small selection of wines, they had two from Georgia. One was an Rkatsiteli from a winery we did not visit, our other choice was a Gavazi from Kindzmarauli Marani. We visited Kindzmarauli Marani in September, but did not try the Gavazi, so I chose that wine for our celebration of finishing the draft of our book.

The Gavazi is a blend of Rkatsiteli and Khikhvi grapes grown in the village of Gavazi in Kakheti, Georgia. The slightly sweet wine had floral notes especially daisies. There were tropical fruit notes on the taste especially banana and pineapple. The wine had a crisp finish that aided in pairing with baked sockeye salmon, baked finger potatoes and baked brussels sprouts.

We sent a few draft copies of the book to readers to get a bit of feedback. Then we will take some time off of writing and return to the book after the Thanksgiving holiday. Next is to rewrite a few parts of the book and then send it to the editor.

Meanwhile, we are searching stores for some white wine made in qvevri in Georgia. This is a challenge as much of the wine made in Georgia is done in an European style. But it is fun to search.

Cheers,
Terry

By Terry | Posted in Wine Notes | Tagged , , | Comments (0)

Enjoy the Weekend after Thanksgiving Visiting Wineries

November 22, 2013 – 1:09 pm

Thanksgiving is less than a week away but have you thought about what you might do afterwards?  While some will shop Black Friday sales, there is still Saturday and Sunday for special activities. Several wine trails are offering special events. Individual wineries may also have special events.  Below are three few wine trail events to consider.

For those living in or visiting Oregon, several Willamette Valley wineries offer a Wine Country Thanksgiving. More than 150 wineries are offering specials including wine and food pairings, live music and special discounts. A pdf is available online of the participating Willamette Valley wineries and their specific activities.

Wineries in Yakima Valley are participating in Taste to Fight Hunger. All proceeds will be donated to Northwest Harvest. Tickets can be purchased online or at the door. Details are available online.

Wineries in northeast Ohio are celebrating with the Tannenbaum Trail. Seventeen Ohio wineries are participating in this event on November 30 to December 1. Participants will received appetizers and sample wines at each winery. The first winery stop will provide an 18-inch Christmas tree and at each winery will receive a cork ornament. If you can’t make it the weekend after Thanksgiving, the event will also take place December 7-8 and 14-15. More information is available online.

A visit at this time of year is a great time to purchase Christmas and holiday gifts. Of course, to make your bottle of wine extra special you may want to add a copy of A Wine Journey or A Tourist’s Guide: Visiting Tasting Rooms to your gift package.

Cheers!
Kathy

By Kathy | Posted in Wine News/Commentary | Tagged , , , , , | Comments (0)

A Nice Afternoon Aperitif

November 19, 2013 – 6:44 pm

Wishing for a late afternoon aperitif, I selected a white Muscat from Degrassi. Degrassi Winery is in the Istria region of Croatia in a village called Savudrija. We visited the winery last spring, and enjoyed the Muscat. The Degrassi winery magically combines the old with the new. The wonderful tasting room offers wine produced with some of the newest winery equipment with large displays of amphorae carefully housed in alcoves.

The wine was a straw color with a green tint. Orange blossoms were on the aroma, typical of many Muscat wines. Too much swirling diminishes the orange blossom aroma. The citrus taste was predominantly orange. There was a hint of almond on the taste. The finish was crisp. The wine was a good choice for an aperitif. It would also make a good dessert wine paired with cookies that had almonds or almond extract in the ingredients.

Thinking of the upcoming Thanksgiving Day foods, this wine may also go well with turkey. The crispness would help to cleanse the palate. The orange matches with cranberry relish made with orange juice and grated orange rind. Our Thanksgiving Day cranberry relish always is made with frozen cranberries, freshly squeezed orange juice and grated orange rind. This cranberry relish recipe goes well with the turkey and the wine would compliment it.

Cheers,
Terry

By Terry | Posted in Wine News/Commentary | Tagged , , | Comments (0)

Taster’s Guild November Wine Tasting Emphasizes Thanksgiving Dinner

November 18, 2013 – 10:37 am

The Maryland chapter of the Taster’s Guild holds monthly wine tastings for its members and guests. Yesterday’s tasting took place at Tersiguels Restaurant in Ellicott City, Maryland. The French restaurant, in a 19th century house, was the setting for pairing wines with tastes of a Thanksgiving meal.

Upon arriving we were served a cranberry spritzer. Prosecco, cranberry juice, lime juice and a couple cranberries made for a delightful first drink. The light red color was a subtle reminder of the holidays. The spritzer also aided in conversation with the over fifty people that showed up divided between two rooms.

The first dish served included a turkey pate, goat’s cheese and salad. Spy Valley Gewürztraminer, New Zealand, 2011 was paired with the turkey pate. The wine had a straw color and was floral. The floral taste was also accompanied by mineral notes. This wine would match well with turkey served on Thanksgiving Day.

The second wine was paired with the goat’s cheese. The Purple Hands Pinot Noir, Oregon 2011 was a translucent red color. The wine offered a red cherry and oak aroma and taste. It was light bodied and had mild tannins. Leather was noted on the aftertaste. The wine paired with goat cheese, and the acid from the Pinot cut the creaminess of the goat cheese. The combination gave the wine a bit of a cranberry taste added to the aftertaste.

The third wine was matched with the salad. The Marques de Caceres Rose, Spain, 2012 was a blend of Tempranillo and Granacha  Tinta. The color was a reddish pink with an orange hue. It matched with the salad.

The second dish was a squash relish. This was paired with a Broadbent Gruner Veltliner, Austria, 2012. The wine was a straw color that offered mineral and citrus. It was commented that the wine reminded one of a fresh spring rain. The citrus of the wine paired with a squash relish and helped to cut the garlic  flavor of the relish.

Our next dish was a butternut squash soup. This was paired with a Pewsey Vale Dry Riesling, Australia, 2012. This wine was a light straw color with mineral and petro aroma and taste. It matched well with the butternut squash soup

We also tasted a Domaine de Montmarin Viognier, France, 2012. This wine had a  light straw color and was floral and crisp. It was a favorite of many people at our table and served as a palate cleanser.

We finished the wines with an Emilio Lustau Capataz Andres Deluxe Cream Sherry. This wine was a burnt amber to brown color and offered dried fruits on the aroma and taste. This was dessert.

Thanksgiving Dinner is full of flavors and a single wine is difficult to pair with everything that appears on many tables. Consider serving several wines that match different foods served.

Cheers,
Terry
By Terry | Posted in Wine News/Commentary | Tagged , , | Comments (0)

E. & J. Gallo Winery Donates $100,000 to help Victims in the Philippines

November 14, 2013 – 6:23 pm

From all reports the situation in the Philippines is dire. The category 5 storm Typhoon Haiyan hit the area on Friday, November 8th causing  a massive lack of food, water, housing and sanitary conditions. Whenever tragedy occurs, it can be daunting whether it happens to one person, a family, or thousands of people.

According to a press release this week, E. & J. Gallo Winery has contributed $100,000 to the Philippine Typhoon Relief Fund. “On behalf of our employees and their families, we are making this donation to help the rescue effort and to provide aid and comfort to the victims of this terrible disaster,” said Joseph Gallo, chief executive officer and president of the E. & J. Gallo Winery.  “This disaster strikes close to home as we have valued relationships with distributors, retailers and consumers who live in the Philippines and have suffered losses.”

Congratulations to Gallo Winery and anyone who has helped whether by contributing food, resources, or money to those who are in need.

If you are a wine-related business that has contributed even in a small way to help those who have lost their families, homes, food, and much more please add what you have done below. No amount is too small!

Cheers! Kathy

By Kathy | Posted in Wine News/Commentary | Tagged , , , , , | Comments (0)

Sparkling Wines from Italy for the Holidays

November 13, 2013 – 8:43 am

 

Sparkling Rosé from Ferrari in Italy

Ferrari in the Trento region of Italy produces quality sparkling wines. The Ferrari sparkling wines are served at the President of Italy’s home, enjoyed by victorious Italian athletes, at the Venice Film Festival and at parties for Oscar night.

We received three Ferrari sparkling wines to taste and write about. The grapes for all three wines were harvested from the Alpine slopes in the Trento D.O.C. Each wine offered many bubbles and were wonderful sipping while engaging in great conversation.

Ferrari Rosé

We enjoyed all of the sparkling wines but my favorite was the Ferrari Rosé produced with Pinot Nero (Pinot Noir) and Chardonnay.  We enjoyed the Rosé with a few friends. This rosé was a blend of Pinot Nero (Pinot Noir) and Chardonnay. The salmon color is festive for the holidays. The wine had many small bubbles with lots of foam. With light notes of berries on the aroma, the taste was dry and effervescent with mild citrus notes. The mouth sensation was filled with an effervescence that lingered.  We used the rosé as the first wine in a wine tasting at our house. As guests arrived, we handed them the rosé. Everyone enjoyed it. Since we were moving on to other wines, Terry put a stopper on the bottle and placed the bottle in the refrigerator. We were surprised at the effervescence the next day. We thought we would enjoy a glass of a still wine, but it was still very bubbly.

Ferrari Brut

In an attempt to make the Ferrari Brut even more festive we added five frozen cranberries. The color of the wine was a beautiful straw color and the cranberries added a lovely seasonal fall and Thanksgiving-ish color. With a blending of light flavors including apple, the mouth feel was smooth and welcoming. Palate cleansing this sparkling wine is sure to please anyone who enjoys a brut sparkling wine or brut Champagne. Serving this as your guests enter your front door will say welcome in the most – delightful way.

Ferrari Perlé 2006

Ferrari Perlé 2006 was produced with 100 percent Chardonnay. It was very effervescent with many bubbles.  Perlé was a yellow color and dry. The aroma reminded one of apples, a hint of pear and a touch of toast.  The first Perlé vintage was 1971.

Presentation: Greet people at the door with a just poured glass of this! This will create a great sense of anticipation.

History of Ferrari Giulio Ferrari started the winery in 1902 and he is said to be the first wine grower to transport Chardonnay grapevines into Italy. Today the Lunelli family runs the winery; 3rd generation whose family purchased the property in 1952. In addition to the estate vineyards, the winery also works with other winegrowers to provide the grapes that are needed. Vineyard practices include sustainable farming.

Shopping

Palm Bay International imports Ferrari products. To find Ferrari wines in your area visit this link http://www.palmbay.com/wine_locator_retail.asp.

For a festive touch add cranberries to your wine glass.

Cheers, Kathy

By Kathy | Posted in Wine Notes | Tagged , , , , , | Comments (0)

Does Georgia have 27 varieties of wine grapes or 540?

November 12, 2013 – 7:39 am

In a recent Facebook post in the Wine and Spirits Bloggers Group, I mentioned that the country Georgia has 540 grape varieties. That number was quickly challenged, citing Wine Grapes that puts the number at 27. Wine Grapes is a wonderful book by Jancis Robinson, Julia Harding and José Vouillamoz. Wine enthusiasts should consider this book for their library. Kathy and I purchased our copy through Amazon since it was about 50% less than other sellers. The long title of the book is Wine Grapes A Complete guide to 1,368 vine varieties, including their origins and flavours. The word complete is a bit misleading since the book mentions that there are nearly 10,000 grape varieties and they included only 1,368. Even with that number of grape varieties mentioned, the book is 2 ¾ inches (50 mm) thick.

Reading the Preface on page VIII the reader discovers that the number of grapes selected for the book was an attempt to keep the book manageable and limit the number of varieties to those that are used to make commercial wine. It is acknowledged that there are wines made from grape varieties not in this book. People are encouraged to suggest varieties for subsequent editions and provides an email address contact@winegrapes.org.

Vineyard library at Kindzmarauli Marani in Kvareli, Kakheti

Where does my number 540 come from? While traveling in Georgia during September, this number was mentioned several times. We visited two wineries in Kekheti that had a vineyard library next to the production facility. Shumi Winery in Tsinandali, Kekheti has a vineyard library of 300 different grapes grown in Georgia. Kindzmarauli Marani in Kvareli, Kakheti has a vineyard library of 400 of the wine grapes grown in Georgia with plans to add 100 additional varieties to their library. Of the 540 grapes grown in Georgia, less than 100 are used to make wines commercially. We did have a wine from Pheasant’s Tears in Signagi, Kakheti that was a blend of 80 varieties. Tibaani 2012 was named for the vineyard. The color was amber with an orange hue. The aroma, with floral notes, was reminiscent of a bouquet of flowers. The taste offered notes of roses and daisies. The finish had bold chewy tannins.

Many of the varieties of grapes in Georgia are near extinction. Some have been preserved by families that had plantings of the grapes in their backyard. Research is conducted as to which of these varieties can be used for commercial wine production. Several show promise.

Wine Grapes is a wonderful resource, however it does not mention every grape grown in a country. Interested winemakers who make a commercial wine out of a variety not mentioned in the book are encouraged to send a note to the email mentioned above. Perhaps the grape will be written about in the next edition.

Cheers,
Terry

By Terry | Posted in Wine News/Commentary | Tagged , , , | Comments (0)

Are you a swirler?

November 11, 2013 – 9:12 am

In a recent article about Kathy and me in the Baltimore Sun, the writer, Janene Holzberg writes, “Terry Sullivan sometimes finds himself absentmindedly swirling a glass of juice or water as if it were a glass of fine wine when dining with friends or family members.” Reading this prompted Linda Mercer of Prosser, Washington to respond on Facebook that she is a swirler too. So I wonder how many people are swirlers whether absentmindedly or deliberately.

After tastings wines at thousands of wineries, wine events and conferences, swirling a glass of wine is just natural. In my case perhaps a bit too natural. I swirl anything in a glass. It doesn’t matter if it is water, orange juice or bourbon, if it is in a glass it gets swirled. This is one of those reflex actions that goes on auto-pilot. I just do it.

I haven’t had a beverage yet that a little swirling ruined it. Although tall skinny glasses are more difficult to swirl, wine glasses and most alcohol beverage glasses are easy to swirl the contents. Just curious as to how many others out there are swirlers.

While dining in a restaurant have you seen people swirling soda, ice tea, lemonade, water or wine?

Cheers,
Terry

By Terry | Posted in Wine News/Commentary | Tagged , , | Comments (0)

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