Archive for the ‘Wine & Spirits’ Category
You are invited to the American Fine Wine Competition Gala. Taking place on March 13th at the Lincoln Culinary Institute in West Palm Beach, this gala dinner presented by Patriot Risk Management Inc., will allow you to experience some of the most exclusive and highly awarded wines from California, Oregon, Washington, New York, Virginia, New Mexico, and Ohio.
The event will take place under a tent, transformed into a magical wine fantasy, where over 500 award winning fine wines will be available for tasting and served alongside gourmet delights prepared by creative chefs Johnny Vinczencz of Johnny V’s on Las Olas, Michael Wagner of Lola’s on Harrison, Oliver Saucy of Café Maxx in Pompano, Cindy Hutson of Ortanique on The Mile in Miami, and Juan Velasquez of Paradiso Restaurant in Lake Worth.
All of the wines from this “invitation only” competition will be poured including: Perry Moore, Pride, DeLoach, Rombauer, Joseph Phelps, Markham, Alexandria Nicole, Topel, Z’Ivo, Trentadue, Arcadian, Acorn, Darioush, Mithra, Fess Parker, Black Coyote, Brochelle, Tayson Pierce, Schug and more. For a complete list of the wines go to http://www.americanfinewinecompetition.com
The event begins at 6pm with a Sparkling White Party where award-winning sparkling wines will be paired with hors d’oeuvres. Dinner begins at 7pm.
Entertainment by Michael Israel & Nicole Henry. Bid on Wine lots to benefit American Red Cross & Quantum House. Silent bid on over 150 wine-filled gift baskets, live bid on Michael Israel’s paintings, all of the proceeds benefiting the American Red Cross, Quantum House, and the scholarship program at Lincoln Culinary Institute.
What: American Fine Wine Competition Gala
Where: Lincoln Culinary Institute, 2410 Metrocentre Blvd, West Palm Beach
When: Saturday, March 13, Champagne reception at 6pm, dinner at 7pm
Cost: $195 per person or $1950 per table.
For reservations and information call 561.504.VINE (8463)
It’s Sunday afternoon. Why not cozy up to a glass of wine? What about 550 of them? This afternoon I stopped by Lincoln Culinary Institute to check in on the American Fine Wine Competition, and for someone who doesn’t frequent wine competitions very often, I was in awe. I was surrounded by a room full of wine.
I’m not talking about 10, 50 or even 100 bottles of wines, but hundreds of wines lined the room — bottles of Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Petite Syrah and more appeared in every direction. Wine lovers rejoice! This is the best the country has to offer.
Over the 2 day period, the judges this year will taste over 550 wines. The process is like this: Wine are poured in private and then brought out to the judging tables by students from LCI (Lincoln Culinary Institute). The glasses are marked to correspond to the individual bottles. The judges taste a series of wines at a time, of a given grape and price range. They jot down their notes, share their thoughts with the other judges at the table and in order for a wine to receive a particular medal, 75% or more most agree. When 100% of the judges agree that a certain wine should receive a gold, a Double Gold medal is awarded.
So it was time to taste some wine, and taste they did. I was even lucky enough to join in for a round — but for 80 rounds, it takes a talented individual — and this competition brings together some of the best in the business including Charlie Arturaola, Cynthia Betancourt (Azul), Jenny Benzie (formerly of Cafe Boulud), our wine and spirits editor, Patrick Sullivan and many more.
While not everyone can taste the wines during the competition, the public is invited to attend the AFWC Gala Dinner presented by Patriot Risk Management, scheduled to take place on March 13 at Lincoln Culinary in West Palm Beach, where all the wines in the competition will be poured. Yes, over 500 of them. In addition to serving amazing wines, this dinner will go to benefit the American Red Cross of Broward and Palm Beach Counties and the Quantum House in West Palm Beach. Information will be posted soon.
Photo by Jenny Downing @ flickr
Written by Patrick Sullivan
To enjoy wine, what is needed is a sense of smell, a sense of taste and an eye for color. All else is experience and personal preference. — Cyril Ray
“Sight, Smell, & Sip” summarizes what it takes to enjoy wine, but to evaluate wine, one must have the perspective that comes with a good palate and experience. These qualities are essential to the judges in the third edition of the American Fine Wine Competition, January 17th and 18th, 2010, followed by a gala dinner open to the public, March 13th..
Begun in 2007 by wine friends Shari Gherman and Monty and Sara Preiser, to be held this year at the Florida Culinary Institute, this ‘running of the wines’ has quietly and quickly become one of the largest and most respected contests in the country, fielding more than four hundred entries.
One of the reasons for the esteem in which its winners are held is the design of the competition, dividing wines by varietal or style, and price point. Another is the process by which medals are awarded: Even numbers of judges at each table silently evaluate and rank the wines in that section, then discuss with the other judges the rationale for their scores, until a consensus is reached. This approach emphasizes the independence of the judges and the utility of reasoned debate.
Perhaps the chief reason behind the prestige of the winners, however, is the judges themselves. Chosen for their reputations as ‘golden palates’, experienced tasters, and respected members of the wine community, they are a diverse group in terms of geography, age, experience, and profession. From their 20s to their 60s, they are men and women, wine and culinary educators and writers, sommeliers, chefs, wine buyers, and restaurant owners with one common trait…their passion for wine.
They are Charlie Arturaola, Fred Barger, Jenny Benzie, Cynthia Betancourt, Chip Cassidy, Simone Diament, Lyn Farmer, Tony Fazzini, Tylor Field, Dr. Barry H. Gump, Jennifer Jaco, Jan Jorgenson, Jen Karetnick, Angelo Morinelli, Virginia Philip, Angelo Romano, Oliver Saucy, Delius Shirley, Steve Sitnick, and Patrick Sullivan.
Since the wineries are not charged an entry fee, the event is funded by corporate sponsors. Even in this dicey economy, a number of companies are offering substantial support. Presenting Sponsor for the “Best of Show” this year is the insurance holding company, Patriot Risk Management, Inc. (PRMI), noting the visibility and prestige of the event, and the significant funds raised for various charities through the competition’s Gala and the ongoing Gold Medal Wine Tour, which features the top-scoring wines at a series of dinners throughout South Florida.
Additional major sponsors include JM Lexus, TD Bank, Baron Sign Manufacturing, Page One Graphics, DINE Magazine, Schott Zweisel wine glasses, and S. Pellegrino & Acqua Panna natural waters, among others.
We await with anticipation, then, the pop of the first cork, the glimpse of the first hue, the perfume of the first whiff, the taste of the first sip, and the story each wine has to tell.
For more information about the AFWC, Gold Medal Wine Tour, or sponsorship, contact Shari Gherman at 561.558.2345, 561.504.8463, or email her.
The Christmas tree is up, the lights are glistening and the presents are wrapped, but what, oh what are you going to serve for the holidays to your hungry guests? In the days to come, stay tuned, as Dine has gathered some favorite recipes from local chefs that will help make that holiday party planning just a little bit easier (and of course, delicious). To get things started, we thought that we’d share a few drink recipes — because, there’s never a bad time for some holiday cheer.
Winterberry Martini at Brio
The first recipe is a Winterberry Martini and it comes to us from Brio Tuscan Grille.
Ingredients:
1.5 oz Absolut
0.75 oz Monin Wildberry
0.5 oz Cranberry Juice
0.5 oz Pineapple Juice
Instructions:
Fill shaker with ice and add ingredients. Shake and strain into martini glass. Garnish with two frozen blueberries and one raspberry. Add a sprig of mint.
Spiced Cranberry Cocktail at Benihana
We also have a recipe for a Spiced Cranberry Cocktail from Benihana. This one is big enough for a group, so just mix, pour and sip. It makes about a 1/2 gallon of holiday goodness.
Spiced Cranberry Cocktail
20 oz Vodka
1 0z Elixir G Ginger Mix
3 oz Simple Syrup
6 oz Sour Mix
30 oz Cranberry Juice
New Zealand has been all the rage this week, especially where the South Florida wine world is concerned. On Tuesday, some lucky media guests gathered for a luncheon at The Sagamore featuring a myriad of New Zealand wines.
First up, fresh oysters with a dash of lemon paired with a selection of crisp Sauvignon Blancs – The Crossings, Spy Valley and Saint Clair – a perfect taste sensation. And for all those challenged by opening a bottle of wine, most of the New Zealand wines have a screw cap, you can rejoice.
Also to note, by 2012 100% of New Zealand wines will be certified and sustainable by the New Zealand Winegrowers (SWNZ) – today approximately 75% are sustainable. After the luncheon, members of the trade gathered for a tour of the wines of the region and a self-guided tour. Unfortunately, this girl had to drive back to Palm Beach County, but local wine lovers gathered and tasted their way through the afternoon. No trouble here, as I knew in just a few days, more wine tasting of New Zealand wines was in order at Cafe Boulud.
Perfect weather set the tone for a beautiful evening at Cafe Boulud in Palm Beach. David Strada, Marketing Manager for New Zealand wines set up a table so our fifty guests could learn about and get a taste of this diverse region. We sipped and swirled our wine throughout the evening and enjoyed the delectable gourmet bites from Chef Zach Bell. And of course, we managed to capture a few of the moments in photos for all of you to enjoy.
Once again, thank you to everyone who came out to our event. We will see you next week at Fratelli Lyon on Tuesday and Sunset Grill on Wednesday.
