Tastings

Forming the Washington State Bartender's Guild - Raising The Bar

by Keith Waldbauer, Posted Jan 26th 2009 @ 8:59AM

Today is a special day for me. It is a special day for all spirit and cocktail enthusiasts throughout the state of Washington. For in a few hours, several of the nations premier absinthe producers and our own resident experts will gather downtown in a small artists loft for the first event produced by the Washington State Bartender's Guild.

This event will be the exclamation point on a long process that began last summer when I cornered Andrew Friedman, owner of a wonderful local bar named Liberty, and we began discussing how to form a collective of bartenders into a guild, similar to what the bartenders in Oregon had recently done. We recruited several talented bartenders and began laying the groundwork.

We started with a Mission Statement:

The WSBG exists as an organization of professionals and enthusiasts with an enduring mission to elevate the standard of bartending as a craft. The key to this goal is simple: we are a state- wide collaborative community dedicated to a heightened expectation of quality cocktails, spirits, wine and beer, the promotion and recognition of an excellence in service and an ongoing education of our membership.

Filed under: Raising the Bar, Drink Recipes, Drinks, Tastings

Forget Wine Tasting - Have an Experience

COMMENTS 0

by Gretchen Roberts, Posted Jan 23rd 2009 @ 2:01PM

It used to be that a trip to wine country meant trekking from winery to winery, tasting wine, cleansing one's palate with plain crackers, and then, stomach rumbling, heading over to a restaurant to satisfy the food craving. These days, plenty of wineries are trotting out more than just 1-ounce pours: they're putting out gourmet food, special events, and even live music to lure in and entertain customers.

For serious wine geeks, this trend no doubt annoys. Geeks would rather do what they do best--taste the wine, preferably covering as much ground as possible--and not have to consider that the cost of the live band has somehow worked its way into the case of Cabernet they just bought.

But for people who view wine-tasting and a visit to wine country as a social or romantic event, the wine experience can be a lot of fun. We're talking food and wine pairing classes; sessions with the winery's private chef, who may have been lured away from a top restaurant; music and wine pairings (and there's evidence to show that music does influence what you drink and how you taste it); and more.

More after the jump.

Filed under: Trends, Food Politics, Drink Recipes, Tastings

The State of Texas Wine - Wine of the Week

COMMENTS 2

by Gretchen Roberts, Posted Jan 11th 2009 @ 2:00PM

I was in Texas in November for the San Antonio Food & Wine Festival, and while there hopped up to Becker Vineyards in the Texas Hill Country, an hour or so northwest of San Antonio, for a lunch and tasting.

Becker Vineyards is probably the best-known winery both within and without Texas. Even if you don't know a lot about Texas wine, you may have heard of Becker. The winery was founded by Dr. Richard and Bunny Becker in 1992, and they've been pioneers in Texas wine ever since, helping pave the way to credibility for Texas wine as a whole.

I only brought back one bottle of Texas wine from my trip: the Becker Vineyards Prairie Rotie, a Rhone-style blend of Carignan, Mourvedre, Syrah, and Grenache. The name "Prairie Rotie" is something of a joke. Cote Rotie, a Syrah made in the northern Rhone in France, translates to "roasted slope," because most of the vineyards are located on sun-drenched hills. So "Prairie Rote" means "roasted prairie," because Becker's vines are on the prairie, not steep, terraced hills.

More "Wine of the Week" after the jump.

Filed under: Wine of the Week, Food Politics, Drink Recipes, Drinks, Tastings

New Wine Resolutions - Wine of the Week

COMMENTS 3

by Gretchen Roberts, Posted Dec 28th 2008 @ 2:02PM

Do me a favor and skip the annual "I will work out more this year" resolution that's practically designed to make you feel like a failure, and make a resolution that you can really get into this year. Of course I'm speaking of wine resolutions, the kind that are easy to make and hard to break. Here are mine:

1. Travel the world through wine. I actually get to travel quite a bit, considering that I have two young kids at home. Last year I went to California twice, to Washington, to Texas, to South Dakota, and to New York. Everywhere I go, I try to taste and experience as many new wines as possible. But you can taste the whole world through wine right at home by branching out beyond the same old bottle of California Chardonnay that you pop open twice a week for dinner. Try a Tempranillo from Spain, a Cabernet Sauvignon from Chile, a Riesling from Germany, a Vouvray from France, a Malbec or Torrontes from Argentina, a Barbara from Italy. I want to taste more around the world, and learn about the cuisines to match.

2. Get certified. I've been writing about wine for several years now, and it's time to take some classes beyond my own self-study. Many wine writers don't, and it's certainly not a requirement, but one of the reasons I love the world of wine is its infinite possibility for education (as well as entertainment!). I'm looking into certification from the Court of Master Sommeliers in 2009.

Read more after the jump.

Filed under: Lists, Wine of the Week, Drink Recipes, Holidays, Drinks, Tastings

Inexpensive New Year's Eve Idea - Beer Swap Party

COMMENTS 0

by Mike Pomranz, Posted Dec 23rd 2008 @ 12:00PM

When I was young and thought I was cool, New Year's Eve used to mean big cover charges for overpriced open bars (the bars may have been open, but finding a space to get to a bartender wasn't) and overrated entertainment (am I supposed to be able to recognize the name of any DJ?).

Now that I'm older, wiser, and so cool it's mind blowing, let me wax poetic on New Year's Eve for a moment and provide you with my three step plan for New Year's Eve 2009.

First off, everyone wants to get as drunk as possible on New Year's Eve and that. is. fine. You've just left the previous year in your wake and it's almost as if that last day doesn't even happen: Instantaneously, it's a whole year ago and, therefore, can be disregarded. Also, New Years Day is probably the only day of the year where you can be hungover and no one will look down on you. No one. If anything, your stock will rise. So step one, booze is a must.

After the jump, read why steps two and three lead me to believe a beer swap party is the perfect event for this New Year's Eve.

Filed under: Drink Recipes, Holidays, Tastings

Box Wine - Wine of the Week

COMMENTS 1

by Gretchen Roberts, Posted Dec 8th 2008 @ 2:01PM

'Tis the season for holiday parties! I'm bringing the food and beverages to a cookie exchange this week, and I've decided to make some mulled wine for the occasion. Wine people tell you when you're cooking with wine or using it as a base for other drinks, you still want something drinkable, and I absolutely agree with that. But I wouldn't waste a $20 bottle in a heated, spiked drink or on a big crowd of party-goers. Instead, I turn to box wine as the ideal party wine. Why?

Box wine is inexpensive (around $20 for the equivalent of four bottles), and the quality has gotten much, much better over the years.
Boxes are lightweight, easier to transport, and greener than glass bottles, so when you're serving in quantity, those numbers add up.
Box wines stay fresh for a month after opening because of the vacuum seal, unlike bottles, which should be refrigerated and drunk within 3 days if possible.

Now, let's be clear that boxed wine will not blow away the connoisseurs in your group, but it's a great budget-friendly choice for parties. If you're serving it as is, decant it for a classier look. When your guests ask what it is, be mysterious: "Oh, just a little something I picked up the other day when I took the private jet out to California for an afternoon meeting."

Here are a few decent box wines to try:

Bota Box Pinot Grigio or Shiraz ($16)
Black Box Merlot or Shiraz ($22)
Banrock Station Chardonnay or Shiraz ($19)

My mulled wine recipe is after the jump.

Filed under: Trends, Wine of the Week, Drink Recipes, Holidays, Drinks, Tastings

Recession White - What Took Them So Long?

COMMENTS 0

by Annie Scott, Posted Dec 5th 2008 @ 6:59PM

Well, what do you suppose popped up at the liquor store next to the Recession Red?

Recession White!

Ladies and gentlemen, it's $3.99, it has a plastic cork, and it's totally decent. It's a mild, dry California chardonnay; gentle oak without too much vanilla (why do all the chardonnays I'm tasting lately have so much vanilla?). I would recommend pairing Recession White with bold, stinky cheeses or, you know, ramen noodles if you're in this for the price tag.

Between Recession Red and Recession White, I'd say the red is the better value. I'd pay more for that wine -- but I don't have to. This chardonnay is definitely acceptable, though, and mild enough to please a crowd. So bring it to a dinner party. I did on Monday and was met with smiles all around.

I've had a number of inquiries about where in New York I've found this delightful duo of Recession wines for $3.99 so I'm gonna go ahead and say it: Adel Wines & Liquors on Columbus Avenue between 105th and 106th Street.

I'll see you there.

Filed under: Raves & Reviews, Drink Recipes, Holidays, Tastings

The Biggest Wine Region You've Never Heard Of

COMMENTS 3

by Gretchen Roberts, Posted Nov 14th 2008 @ 2:00PM

Start a conversation about value wines and you may hear votes for Chile, Spain, and Australia. Try this one on for size: Bulgaria. As scarce as Bulgarian wines are in the U.S., distributor Steve Ondush of Grapes Unlimited, who was pouring a series of Bulgarian wines at the San Antonio New World Wine & Food Festival, told me that Bulgaria is actually the second largest exporter of bottled wine in the world. So how come we don't all drink it here?

For one thing, most of the wine is exported to western European countries, where it's regarded as a value wine. For another, though Bulgaria has been producing wine practically since time began, its industry has been interrupted a few times, first by a 500-year domination by the Ottoman Empire and later by Communism. The current wine industry is less than 100 years old in this little Eastern European country tucked between Romania, Greece, and Turkey.

I tasted through all of the Grapes Unlimited selection and can make these generalizations from the wines I tried:

1. The red wines are much better than the whites, which tend to be on the sweetish side, and not in a good way.
2. Reds tend to be old-world style, less fruity and alcoholic than American or other new-world red wines.

Favorite of the tasting was the 2003 Damianitza No Man's Land Gold from the Melnik region of Bulgaria. It's a blend of 65 percent Merlot and 35 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, grown on the five-mile strip of land that used to separate communist Bulgaria from its southern neighbors. The wine was good now but had firm enough tannins to make me think it could still age for a bit. Not bad for a "value" region.

Have you had Bulgarian wines? Will it be America's next go-to value wine?

Filed under: Drink Recipes, Tastings

Cheese balls - A modern party food?

COMMENTS 0

by Monika Bartyzel, Posted Nov 12th 2008 @ 5:02PM

While I'm sure some foods of the past will stay firmly in the galleries of regrettable foods, or so I hope, some wrench themselves out of the tacky and make a new gourmet place for themselves. Cheese has already gone back to the fondue, but what about the cheese ball?

They're still available in stores, they have their own special day, Amy Sedaris digs them, and they pop up here and there at parties, but as the AP/Dallas Morning News says: "this classic party food earned an ugly reputation it's been mostly unable to shake – an orange softball filled with garish industrial cheeses, smacking of an untraceable sweetness, and coated with stale, often soggy, nuts." The piece goes on to discuss the intricacies of a cheese ball and how to make your own globe of cheesy goodness. But their best bit of advice: use a tablespoon and make bite-sized balls.

Think of the party possibilities! You can make a variety of outer layers and they're much easier to grab by guests -- no trying to hold a drink while cutting cheese and trying to slop it onto a cracker. You can have nutty outsides for the nut-friends and other outsides for the allergy-laden. There are tons of options.

Are you ready to open your arms to the cheese ball?

Filed under: Ingredients, Tastings

The state of American wine

COMMENTS 0

by Gretchen Roberts, Posted Oct 17th 2008 @ 2:00PM

So everyone knows that California rules the U.S. wine roost, and Oregon, Washington, and New York aren't far behind. If you really pay attention, you'd add that Texas and Michigan are two up-and-coming wine regions worth looking into.

But did you know that all fifty states--yes, even North Dakota--make wine of some kind? "Of some kind" is the operative phrase here, as Time writer Joel Stein found out while doing a recent tasting of wines from every state of the union. What he found: lots of fruit wines, low quality in many states that simply don't have the right climate, and some surprises. Read the full story and see what Stein thought of your state's wine.

Source

Filed under: Lists, Food Politics, Drink Recipes, Tastings