About     FAQ     Contact      Advertise With Us      Press   

24th Annual Napa Valley Academy Awards® Telecast Viewing Party Fundraiser

February 22, 2012 – 8:06 am

The Robert Mondavi Winery will host the 24th Annual Napa Valley Academy Awards® Telecast Viewing Party on February 26th. More than 20 local restaurants will provide the food while the Robert Mondavi wines will be enjoyed.

The evening includes a Silent Auction. The Gala emcee is Bob Sarlatte who is recognized as an announcer for the San Francisco 49ers for many years. Sarlatte has appeared numerous times on David Letterman’s television  shows. He is also a standup comedian.

The goal of this delightful evening at the Robert Mondavi Winery is to benefit the HIV/AIDS and Cancer Case Management Programs of the CARE Network at Queen of the Valley Medical Center.

Tickets are available at http://www.acteva.com/booking.cfm?bevaid=227531. Tables are also available for groups of six or eight.

Plan to attend the 24th Annual Napa Valley Academy Awards Telecast Viewing Party this weekend. Enjoy great food and fine wine knowing that you are helping others. More information is available at the Napa Valley Academy Awards website.

Cheers! Kathy

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

The Accidental Wine Tourist: IWINETC Seminar

February 21, 2012 – 11:51 am

“The Accidental Wine Tourist” was presented by William R. Eyer at the International and Wine Tourism Conference 2012 in Italy. Below is a brief summary of the presentation by William Eyer, from Cuvee Corner Wine Blog. In his presentation he noted he had become a wine fan several years ago. William has traveled to Italy three times and now considers himself to be a traveler rather than a tourist.

William’s description of the accidental tourist included the “chap” who arrives unannounced, the lost tourist looking helpless and the traveler searching for wine travel information and when none is available.

According to William, motivations for wine travelers include:

  • The need to explore
  • The allure of “connecting” with the landscape
  • The desire to enjoy “local” foods and become involved with the culture
  • The need to look behind the label

Roadblocks to Wine Tourism include:

  • Lack of tasting rooms for the public
  • Lack of cooperation between wineries
  • Lack of knowing your target audience
  • Failing to use social media for your message
  • Lack of clearly marked wine routes with signage and easy to find maps.

Social Media is an important aspect to wine tourism. Suggestions included: sponsoring live tweet-up tasting events and creating a Facebook fan page. William emphasized that it is important to remember the role of social media. “The mistake firms make is using the channels to try to sell stuff.” Social media is not designed for selling but to add value and build.

Eyer ended his presentation with an inspiring quote from poet Robert Frost,

“Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.”

Cheers! Kathy

 

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

Nearing Doppel Level of Wine Century Club

February 20, 2012 – 6:53 am

We download the free application for the Wine Century Club years ago and added it to our wine journey. This club is designed for novice wine drinkers to career sommeliers that enjoy the wine journey. Taste 100 different varietal grapes, send in your application and you’ll receive a certificate (suitable to frame) and membership in this club. It sounds easier than it is though.

It took us 2 ½ years of over 350 winery/vineyard visits to finally reach 100 different varieties tasted. Now we are working on the Doppel level, 200 varietal grapes tasted. This level and subsequent levels will be more of a challenge to attain. We won’t manage to attain those levels visiting wineries in the United States. On a 2010 two-week trip to wineries in New Zealand we only tasted one grape variety that we hadn’t tasted before. To reach those higher levels including Doppel, we’ll have to travel to Europe.

We just returned from almost three weeks in Rome, towns in Umbria and towns in Campania including Napoli. Italy has hundreds of different grape varieties that are used to make wine. After visiting ten wineries, eating numerous dinners with food wine pairings and visiting a couple enotecas, we added 35 more varieties to our list. Now, we’re only 15 short of the 200 needed for the Doppel level. The main red variety in Umbria is Sagrantino, we had it prior to this trip. The main red variety in Campania is Aglianico, we had that too prior to this trip. But we still managed to try 35 new to us varieties.

We tasted Italian grape varieties such as Drupeggio, Falanghina, Malvasia del Lazio, Malvasia Nera, Procanico and the list goes on and on. The 2013 International Wine Tourism Conference will take place in Croatia. We tasted some new to us varieties at a Croatia tasting: Graševina, Plavac Mali and Pošip. I even tasted a Georgian wine that I hadn’t tried before that was made in part with Mtsvani grapes.

Tasting 200 different grape varieties is more challenging than tasting the initial 100. Travel to Europe can certainly help. The next conference is the International Food, Wine and Travel Writers Association Conference in Las Vegas. I don’t believe there will be many opportunities to taste varieties that I haven’t already tasted. Just 15 additional varieties are needed to reach the Doppel level. Fifteen varieties may be thousands of miles away.

Cheers,
Terry

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

Fat Tuesday at the Memphis Tennessee Botanic Garden

February 19, 2012 – 10:30 am

Fat Tuesday, also known as Mardi Gras, is the day before Ash Wednesday. On Fat Tuesday many take the opportunity to enjoy all sorts of foods which they may deprive themselves of during Lent. While New Orleans is the renowned city for celebrating Mardi Gras, celebrations also take place in many other cities.

The Memphis Botanic Garden is hosting a Mardi Gras Wine Tasting on Tuesday, February 21. The event includes music, wine and food. Guests will enjoy Dixieland jazz and wines selected from Wine Spectator/Wine Enthusiasts’s Top picks. New Orleans cuisine tastings will be included. Registration in advance is required. Tickets are $25 and $35. Event information is online.

Whether or not you can take part in this event, be sure to check out the Memphis Botanic Garden website. They offer a wide range of activities for adults and children that include art, therapy, workshops, exhibits and more. It looks so exciting I wish I lived near Memphis!

Cheers! Kathy

By Kathy | Posted in Winery Events | Tagged , , | Comments (0)

Celebrate President’s Day Weekend with Cherries

February 18, 2012 – 1:02 am

Celebrate President’s Day Weekend by cooking with cherries. While George Washington did not cut down a cherry tree, somehow cherries are perfect for February. It’s still winter and summer is months away but cherries can bring a delightful memory of summer. The recipe below calls for white wine and two cups of pitted sweet cherries.

Several other recipes that use cherries can be found at
http://winetrailtraveler.com/recipes/food.php

Enjoy, Kathy

Cherry Mustard Chicken

Servings: 4

Ingredients

1-1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken
salt and black pepper
flour
3 T butter
3 T olive oil
1 c white wine
1 c chicken broth
¼ c Dijon mustard
2 T cornstarch
2 T balsamic vinegar
1 T water
2 c pitted sweet cherries
¼ c sliced green onion

Directions

  1. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper, then lightly toss in flour; shake off excess.
  2. Heat half the butter and oil in large skillet over medium heat; add half the chicken.
  3. Cook 8 to 10 minutes, turning occasionally, until chicken is golden and cooked through. Remove to platter and keep warm.
  4. Repeat with remaining butter, oil and chicken.
  5. Stir wine, chicken broth and mustard into skillet, scraping up browned bits.
  6. In small bowl, mix cornstarch, vinegar and water; stir into skillet.
  7. Add cherries and boil mixture, stirring until sauce thickens; 1 to 2 minutes.
  8. Stir in green onion.
  9. Pour sauce over chicken and serve.

Recipe provided by Northwest Cherry Growers

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

IFWTWA Conference in Las Vegas

February 17, 2012 – 8:18 am

At the end of February, members of the International Food, Wine and Travel Writers Association will gather for the 2012 annual conference in Las Vegas at The Venetian and The Palazzo. This will be our first IFWTWA conference and we are looking forward to meeting new people and renewing acquaintances with those we have met in our travels.

The IFWTWA conference includes fine dining, speakers and much more. Topics to be covered will include publishing, photography, LinkedIn, video, SEO, and 101 for press trips. Certainly a highlight of the conference will be gourmet foods. Inspiring chef demonstrations and food seminars are included in the conference. Wine enthusiasts will enjoy “Wine Tasting with the Correct Glasses” presented by Thomas Leman of Riedel.

In 2011, the IFWTWA conference was held on a cruise ship and billed as a Conference at Sea. Keep watching the IFWTWA website to discover where the 2013 conference will take place.

IFWTWA website: “The International Food Wine and Travel Writers Association (IFWTWA) is a resource base for professionals engaged in the food, wine and travel industries.” For more information about IFWTWA be sure to visit the website.

Cheers, Kathy

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

IWINETC Session: Role of the Wine Festival in Wine Tourism…

February 16, 2012 – 1:02 am

At the 2012 International Wine Tourism Conference, John Hudelson from Central Washington University in Washington presented “Role of the Wine Festival in Wine Tourism and Regional Identity.” The information he provided from a survey may help festival planners increase attendance at wine festivals.

His focus was on a wine festival in the Hudson River Valley region of New York State. This wine region of New York stretches between Albany (New York’s capital) and New York City. Each year a Hudson Valley Wine & Food Fest takes place.

Hudelson noted that in recent years attendance at the festival has fallen. There was a survey of more than 300 fairgoers. Those surveyed included more women than men, most were at the festival for the first time, most were local, most bought wine and intended to buy wine before they came.

John presented the reasons people attended the wine festival.

  • To learn about wines
  • To support the local wine industry
  • To compare and buy wine
  • To taste food with wine
  • To socialize with the winemakers
  • For other reasons
Commentary:

In attempting to increase visitors to wine festivals, festival planners should look at the reasons why people attend festivals. Learning about wines is an important reason for people to attend a wine festival. Why not offer short sessions not just on how to taste wine but perhaps on the varietals grown in the area, history of wine in the area etc. For many people it’s important to taste food and wine. Don’t just have fast food vendors; ask cheesemakers and other gourmet food makers to provide a presence at the festival.

One of the points, to socialize with winemakers, is more difficult to address. Many winemakers choose not to attend wine festivals instead sending staff or volunteers to man the booths. However, these same winemakers may offer “dinners with the winemaker.” Perhaps wineries at festivals should provide signup sheets or a raffle for special dinners that would give wine enthusiasts the opportunity to talk with a winemaker.

An important comment that Hudelson made was that most of these festivalgoers heard about the festival through word of mouth not an expensive advertisement.

Note: For those who attended the presentation on “Best Practices for Increasing Traffic to Wine Regions,” by Terry Sullivan, a key word was ambassadors. Perhaps wine and food festivals should focus on creating ambassadors to increase attendance at festivals. After all who do you trust your friends and family or a glitzy advertisement?

The 2012 Hudson Valley Wine & Food Fest is scheduled for September 8th and 9th.

Cheers! Kathy

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

Did You Miss Celebrating Valentine’ Day? Make up for it at these weekend wine events!

February 15, 2012 – 8:38 am

If you missed celebrating Valentine’s Day yesterday, you can make up for it this weekend. Numerous wineries are offering special events and some are celebrating Valentine’s Day! Below are some of this weekend’s events at some of our winery partners. Find the event you are interested in and check their website for details.

Cheers! Kathy

Friday, February 17

Barrel Oak Winery, VA
Event: Fridays Yappy Hour at Barrel Oak Middleburg
Website Information

Chateau Chantal, MI
Event: Cherry Capital Winter Wow Fest
Website

Ferrante Winery & Ristorante, OH
Entertainment: Mike Woytila
Website

Grand River Cellars, OH
Music: 360 Band (Rock n Roll)
Website

The Winery at LaGrange, VA
Event: Wine & Hot Food on Cold Nights
Website

The Winery at Perennial Cellars, OH
Music: Ren
Website

Saturday, February 18

Barrel Oak Winery, Virginia
Event: Middleburg Humane Foundation-Adoptions at Middleburg
Winery Website

Chateau Chantal, MI
Event: WOMP Romancing the Riesling
Winery Website

DelFosse Vineyards & Winery, VA
Event: Romantic Valentine’s Dinner
Winery Website

Ferrante Winery & Ristorante, Ohio
Entertainment: Uncharted Course
Winery Website

Grand River Cellars, OH
Music: Miles Beyond (Rock n Roll)
Winery Website

Grape Creek Vineyard, TX
Event: Wine Lover’s Wine Trail
Winery Website

The Hague Winery, VA
Event: President’s Weekend Cherry Pairing Event
Winery Website

Lorimar Winery and Vineyards, CA
Event: Live@Lorimar
Winery Website

McKinley Springs, WA
Event: Love in the Hills
Winery Website

The Winery at Versailles, OH
Event: Mardi-Gras Party
Winery Website

Three Fox Vineyards, VA
Event: George and Abe Sale!
Web Info

Sunday, February 19

Grand River Cellars, Ohio
Music: Stan Miller (Jazz)
Winery Website

Grape Creek Vineyard, TX
Event: Wine Lover’s Wine Trail
Winery Website

Pearmund Cellars, Virginia
Event: Souper Sundays
Website

Three Fox Vineyards, Virginia
Event: George and Abe Sale!
Web Info

By Kathy | Posted in Winery Events | Tagged , , , | Comments (0)

Easy Recipe for Valentine’s Day!

February 14, 2012 – 6:04 am

Make dinner special tonight! Check out this recipe for Valentine’s Day! It is really quite easy! This old family recipe uses pears and red wine! More recipes are available at http://winetrailtraveler.com/recipes/food.php
and at http://food.winetrailtraveler.com/recipes/foodrecipes.php

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Kathy

Pears in Red Wine

Ingredients

4 firm ripe pears
2 c dry red wine
1 c sugar
1 c water
1 small piece of stick cinnamon
Rind of ½ lemon, cut in thin strips

Directions

1. Peel pears.
2. Bring wine, sugar, water, cinnamon and lemon to a boil.
3. Add pears and poach until they are tender.
4. Remove pears and simmer the liquid until it is reduced to ½ its original quantity.
5. Pour over pears.
6. Serve warm, or chill until ready to serve.

Provided by Sullivan family

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

Lufthansa Creating an Ambassador

February 13, 2012 – 6:37 am

At the 2012 International Wine Tourism Conference I spoke of creating ambassadors rather than customers. An customer will buy a bottle of wine or take a wine tour. An ambassador will do the same, but also go home and tell friends and family about the tour or winery. Wine guests from out of town visit an ambassador, the ambassador will bring them to the winery. Creating ambassadors is different than creating customers. Ambassadors are forged by the experience. The concept of creating ambassadors goes beyond wineries and wine tour operators.

We sadly left Italy for home today and at 3:00 am we had some bad news at Rome’s FCO airport. Our flight to Frankfurt was cancelled. The attendant at check-in was unfazed though. She was determined to resolve our dilemma. After staring at her computer screen for a long time as well as others’ computer screens she was able to place us on a flight to Munich and from there a flight to Dulles. Her never give up attitude said volumes about Lufthansa. Little did we know that this was only the start.

We did have first class tickets, a result of airline miles. This was the first we have flown Lufthansa and were interested in how their first class stacked up to Air New Zealand and United. We concluded that Lufthansa’s first class is the first class of first class. We exited from our flight at Munich on the runway looking for a bus that would take us to the terminal. However a driver from Lufthansa had a sign that said Sullivan. We identified ourselves and she whisked us off to the first class lounge in the airport with a Porsche that happened to have heated back seats. We didn’t expect this.The first class lounge at the Munich airport was very relaxing and all personnel there were intent on providing a good experience.

During the International Wine Tourism Conference we became slightly spoiled with five to six course meals for lunch and dinner. One would think that airline food wouldn’t be a topic worthy of writing about. Lufthansa’s first class service changed that. Before taxing from the airport we had a “D” de Devaux Brut, Champagne Veuve Devaux, Frankreich. The champagne was a light yellow color with apple on aroma and taste. A steady stream of tiny bubbles was visual appealing. They must have cut the bottom of the glass bowl. The finish was crisp and cleansing. The champagne paired well with the first course of caviar. That was followed by another first course of king prawn confit with palm hearts, mint and coconut flakes. For the second course I chose soup of parmigiano reggiano cheese with toasted croutons. My main course was haddock served with mustard sauce, spinach and mashed potatoes. Finally dessert was a Schwarzwalder Kiirsch. It included chocolate cake with cherry brandy parfait and aged balsamic vinegar. Since I had two different first courses, this ended being a five-course lunch.

The champagne paired well with the first few courses. After dessert it was time to taste a red. From the wine list I chose a 2006 Dao Reserva, casa de Santar. This wine from Portugal was complex. There were different layers on the aroma and taste including dark fruit, spices and even a hint of dried fruit such as raisins. There were tannins on the finish that was also layered. The wine was a blend of Touriga National, Alfrocheiro and Tinta Roniz.

I asked about German wines. The flight attendant found a bottle of 2010 Prinz Von Hessen Riesling Kabinet Reingau. The straw colored wine had an intense floral aroma with a hint of apricots. There was no hint of apricots on the taste as they were predominant with a hint of floral. Minerals also kicked in on the taste.

For a dessert wine they served Madeira Verdelho by Henriques & Henriques. A high proof alcohol was added to the fermentation to kill the yeasts and stop the fermentation. The ten year old wine was a deep amber color. There was alcohol and dried fruits on the aroma. The taste was smooth and offered dried fruit and baking spices. The wine was not overly sweet and with twenty percent alcohol had very little heat on the aftertaste.

The next time we fly to Europe, I want to fly Lufthansa. They provided a great experience and created an ambassador.

Cheers,
Terry

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

info@winetrailtraveler.com            Sitemap                      Privacy Policy

Copyright: Terry and Kathy Sullivan 2006-2013