From the monthly archives:

October 2009

A Chateauneuf-du-Pape Adventure

by Marisa D'Vari31 October 2009
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… okay, so it’s really a luxury to invest in the high end wines, so you can imagine why Chateauneuf-du-Pape is typically not an everyday dinner type of wine. Especially since you can find (and I certainly do find!) many very complex, concentrated, delicious wines under $20 made from similar grapes (grenache, syrah, mouvedre) from [...]

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Interview with Eric Titus of Titus Vineyards

by Marisa D'Vari30 October 2009
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Eric Titus
 
Tonight I had dinner with Eric Titus of Titus Vineyards in the Napa Valley and talked about his Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Franc, and Sauvignon Blanc while tasting through several flights. The dinner was held at the illustrious Jean-George Vongerichten restaurant Perry Street, which is very hip and cool (think white on white theme, with [...]

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Wine Reviews: Exploring Wines from Madrid, Spain

by Marisa D'Vari29 October 2009
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Michael Aptein

 
Madrid is one of the most sophisticated regions in Spain in terms of gastronomy and art, so you can imagine it must be the center of wine as well. Yet why is it that we seldom hear of the Vinos de Madrid D.O? Apparently, The D.O. of Madrid has been producing wines since the [...]

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Organic Wine Experience at Maison de la Region Languedoc-Roussillon

by Marisa D'Vari28 October 2009
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You’ve heard of the Languedoc-Roussillon – of course you have. Believe it or not, it is the largest wine growing region in France, larger than several countries put together. And if you haven’t tried their wines for a while, you are in for a treat. The reds are incredibly delicious and vibrant, made traditionally from [...]

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Tasting Henry’s Drive Wines from Australia

by Marisa D'Vari27 October 2009
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Ah, the life of a vintner! Ten years ago, Ms. Kim Longbottom and her husband bought property in the Australian region of Padthaway, part of the Limestone Coast in the southeast of South Australia, and called their estate Henry’s Drive in honor of a long-ago postman from the area. Kim cleverly named the wines, which [...]

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Tasting Perrier Jouet Champagne with Chef de Cave Herve Deschamps

by Marisa D'Vari23 October 2009
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Perrier Jouet

 
“On Valentines’ Day I would always buy boxed sets of Perrier-Jouet Champagne with matching glasses so my guests would have a memoir of the evening,” said a well-connected restaurateur at a recent lunch to celebrate past and present vintages of the House of Perrier-Jouet Fleur De Champagne Portfolio.
Of course, you know the House of [...]

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City Harvest Benefit 2009

by Marisa D'Vari21 October 2009
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"If the Metropolitan Building was somehow beamed up to outer space on Tuesday, October 20th," said a guest at the annual Bid Against Hunger event at the Metropolitan Pavilion, "every celebrity chef on the planet would be gone!"
If you are a fan of the TV Food Network and shows like Top Chef, the place to [...]

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Long Island Wines: Blind Challenge Proves They Can Hold Their Own

by Marisa D'Vari19 October 2009
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Quick! Imagine you are presented with a "blind flight" of Sauvignon Blanc wine (or Chardonnay for that matter). Do you think you can pick out a wine from New York’s Long Island against wines from Sancerre or New Zealand? Assume that all wines have the same color, and for the most part, a similar aroma [...]

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Pairing Exotic Cuisine from Radisson St Martin With Wine

by Marisa D'Vari16 October 2009
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Have you noticed that hotel chefs … rather, high-end resort hotel chefs, are all the rage? Their responsibilities are even heavier than those of their restaurant-based colleagues, as they must set a tone with the cuisine that also matches that of the hotel. In many high-end hotels, the chef is also responsible for creating room [...]

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Austrian Wines: The Next New Thing?

by Marisa D'Vari16 October 2009
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Michael Thurner
So what is it about Austrian wine that has attracted what seems to be the entire high-end wine-writing community of Manhattan into the quaint Seasonal Restaurant on west 58th street for a tasting – and new news – about Austrian wine?
For one thing, the Austrian wine industry has been struggling for over [...]

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Visiting Wine Producers in the Jura

by Marisa D'Vari13 October 2009
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“No!” the passionate Frenchman says, starting a heated discussion about the Poulsard grape among a group of vignerons in the opulent dining room of the two-Michelin-star restaurant Jean-Paul Jeunet. We are in the Jura region of France, a wildly beautiful and rugged expanse of land with well-trained vineyards, spotted cows, and sleek horses at every [...]

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Pairing (ghostly!) Food with Wine on Halloween Night

by Marisa D'Vari13 October 2009
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Looking for the perfect wine and food pairing on Halloween night? You’ve come to the right place.

When I read about a spiritual medium organizing a wine tasting at the Astor center in New York Halloween night, October 31, 2009 I was a bit surprised. The Astor center is a very well-respected center for wine [...]

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Exploring Wine Regions in the Jura

by Marisa D'Vari9 October 2009

Today marks my first day in the Jura, a remote and very historical area of France known for its famed Vin Jaune wines. Like Burgundy, Jura offers the international Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, yet it also offers the white Savagnin and two delicious red grapes, Trousseau and Poulsard.
As the region is just two hours’ drive [...]

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Questions about the Jura? Email me

by Marisa D'Vari5 October 2009
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… so I am off to the Jura, a famed region in France, where they produce wines from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir (like nearby Burgundy) yet ALSO have some very interesting native varietals such as trousseau, poulsard, and savignan. I will describe in my posts over the next week.

Tonight – to celebrate – I went [...]

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Craggy Range Pinot Noir

by Marisa D'Vari3 October 2009
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…. so by now, you’ve seen the film Sideways, tasted Pinot Noir, and count yourself as one of the varietal’s many fans. Yet do you like Pinot Noir from around the world, or just certain locations? Have you taught yourself to tell the difference between a Pinot from New Zealand and Burgundy?

The folks at Craggy [...]

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Celebrating 2006 HALL “Kathryn Hall” Cabernet Sauvignon

by Marisa D'Vari3 October 2009
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Ambassador Kathryn Hall
… so the first time I met Kathryn Hall was at Per Se, where she announced that her California winery was becoming certified Organic. I remember tasting the Cabernet and finding it quite rich, layered and complex.
Yet Wednesday night September 30 I was able to taste the 2006 HALL "Kathryn Hall" Cabernet Sauvignon, [...]

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Tasting Kuleto Estate Zinfandel 2006

by Marisa D'Vari3 October 2009
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… Zinfandel is California’s ’signature’ grape. Why? Possibly because this is where the Zinfandel grape finds its truest expression.

If you are new to the world of wine, it may be difficult to understand why ‘terroir’ - the speciffic weather and soil of a vineyard – is so important. The vines for this Zinfandel are grown on [...]

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