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May 2, 2013
The Lompoc Wine Ghetto: Simplicity and Authenticity

A look inside the metal roll up doors and angular concrete architecture of Lompoc’s Sobhani Business Park reveals an unexpected treasure.

There are no grand entrances or picturesque picnic areas. No sweeping vineyard vistas or vine-themed boutiques. But a look inside the metal roll up doors and angular concrete architecture of Lompoc’s Sobhani Business Park reveals an unexpected treasure: some of Santa Barbara County’s most talented winemakers are crafting wines in a raw, industrial space.

April 18, 2013
The 37th Annual Society of Wine Educators Conference

Now in its 37th year, the SWE annual conference has long been known among educators as an unusually rich resource in the world of wine and spirits.

The Society of Wine Educators (SWE) will present an impressive lineup of in-depth classes for wine devotees at its 37th annual conference, to be held July 31 through August 2, 2013 at the Renaissance Hotel at SeaWorld in Orlando, Florida.

April 7, 2013
Sommeliers' Choice: Trophy Reds

Defining a trophy wine is no laughing matter.

So what is a ‘trophy red?’ Nearly every member of our panel of distinguished sommeliers asked that question when we asked them if they would like to contribute their favorites for this article. Our facile and somewhat macabre answer was “a wine to die for, or perhaps even to kill for.”

February 18, 2013
Kapalua Wine & Food Festival

Oenophiles, gourmands and enthusiasts of the good life will once again reconvene on the beautiful western shores of Maui in celebration of the 32nd Annual Kapalua Wine & Food Festival, presented by Visa.

January 22, 2013 – Oenophiles, gourmands and enthusiasts of the good life will once again reconvene on the beautiful western shores of Maui in celebration of the 32nd Annual Kapalua Wine & Food Festival, presented by Visa.

February 14, 2013
Blind Revelations

A no-peek tasting confirms Cape Mentelle makes a really good Cabernet - and that wine writers are experts in what we like and don't.

Although I prefer seeing the bottle label when I’m my writing tasting notes, blind tastings can be fun for what they tell us about wine regions and categories as well as what they tell us about ourselves as wine writers and critics.

November 4, 2012
Keeping Up with the Masters

“The most important lesson I learned when I passed the Master of Wine exam is that wine can never truly be mastered.”

For many years now, whenever I see a particular gentleman who is one of the most respected and well-known Master Sommeliers in the country, he quickly gets around to asking me the same question: “What’s new?” Early on, I would always think, “Why is he asking me this? Is this a test to see how smart I am?

September 19, 2012
Starchefs.com "Somm Slam"

A Serious Wine and Food Pairing Competition Sponsored by Wines of Chile

Wines of Chile USA is sponsoring the 3rd Annual StarChefs.com “Somm Slam”.  The competition is a serious wine and food pairing competition which tests the skills of the professional sommelier in an entertaining format over a three day period.

July 4, 2012
Culinary matching 101: wines for classic blackened tuna

Roy Yamaguchi's blackened tuna in soy mustard butter sauce was one of the original fusion style dishes, and also utilized for Roy's staff training, demonstrating how multiple wines can match a single dish for multiple reasons.

In the mid-eighties Paul Prudhomme’s blackened redfish permanently entered the vocabulary of average American restaurant-goers; but since then, you can argue that it is variations of blackened tuna that have become more ubiquitous in restaurants, bars and, no doubt, countless home

May 1, 2012
Almaviva Winery~Chile's Gold Standard

Almaviva winery began in 1997 when the Baroness Philippine de Rothschild recognized the potential of Chilean terroir and entered into an agreement with Don Eduardo Guilisasti Tagle, Chairman of Concha y Toro, a premier Chilean producer.

I had the very good fortune of travelling to Chile recently and to visit many vineyards, meet several winemakers and other winery personnel and to taste a selection of Chile's many and varied wines.

March 23, 2012
2012 Pebble Beach Food & Wine

Don't Miss the Culinary Event of a Lifetime!

Pebble Beach Food & Wine is the premier epicurean lifestyle event on the West Coast, bringing 5000 national and international attendees to Del Monte Forest, one of the most picturesque strips of coastline in the world.

January 16, 2012
The Rise of Destination Wineries?

A small Pennsylvania winery is making a reputation as a low-volume, high-quality producer of northern Italian blends.  If you want to taste them, you'll have to show up at their Avondale winery and tasting room.

The term “destination restaurant

December 31, 2011
At the End of the Year, Venue Counts

Where we drink doesn't change the taste of a wine - but it does change our enjoyment of it.

On their first visits to faraway place

November 9, 2011
3rd Annual STARS of CABERNET-Beverly Hills

Great Food and Wine Included!

3rd Annual
STARS of CABERNET
November 16th, 7- 9:30pm
Peninsula Hotel, Beverly Hills

Valued at $250 per person
- Great Food and Wine Included!

April 8, 2011
White with Seafood, Red with Meat....

Few restaurants train beyond vague pairing platitudes such as “white with seafood, red with meat” and generally provide pairings to memorize. Teaching how wine and food 

March 15, 2011
Luscious Liaisons

Desserts are always appreciated. Sweet wines? Not so much. Food and wine pairings at the end of the meal too often get neglected. This is unfortunate, because the right pairing can intensify the flavors of the dessert and the wine, thus creatin

February 28, 2011
Thoughts on Open That Bottle Night

An annual wine celebration highlights the differences in how people who drink a lot - professionally or as learned amateurs - prefer to enjoy and evaluate their wines.

January 7, 2011
Taste BC 2011, Vancouver, British Columbia

This memorable tasting promises to inspire, bringing together in one place all the flavours of the the province.

 

VANCOUVER, British Columbia –– For Liberty Merchant Company, the holiday cheer doesn’t end with the year and neither does the giving.

January 5, 2011
12th Washington D.C. International Wine & Food Festival

The Washington D. C. International Wine & Food Festival (IWFF) is the most popular event of its kind in the Mid-Atlantic.