Food and Wine

Food & Wine Magazine Best American Wine Awards 2010 Results

Filed under: Dining, Wine

"Wow, that is actually pretty good.... and so is that one!" I was pleasantly surprised by the choices for the best American Wines selections in this year's Best American Wine Awards from Food & Wine magazine. Attending the award party at the Carneros Inn in Napa Valley, CA, I was delighted that the winning selections were pretty darn delicious. It is just nice to know that the editors take the awards quite seriously.

The annual award put on by the well-respected magazines has a few categories, but they keep it pleasantly simple. The categories are "Best Wines Under $20, Best Wines Over $20 (the latter two with a number of winners), Best Importers, Winemaker of the Year, and Best New Winery." You can see the full list of winners with the specific prices and descriptions here.

As a wine appreciator but 'good wine' brand novice, I was pleased to see a faithfully selected list of brands sure not to disappoint. You now have another weapon in the fight against staring at the wall of wines in front of you at the store for far too long - trying to make a decision. Regardless of your budget the Food & Wine magazine's picks for this year have you covered.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch reviews site aBlogtoRead.com

Gallery: Food & Wine Awards 2010 Winners

Tags: bst american wine awards, carneros inn, food and wine, napa valley, wine awards

Newport WineFest Runs This Weekend

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wine, Events

This weekend will see some serious wining and dining at the Newport WineFest 2010 on the waterfront in Newport, Rhode Island. The event takes place on August 20-22, 2010 at the Newport Yachting Center. The event offers wine tastings, gourmet dishes and special spirits events.

Luxury spirits company William Grant and Sons will have a large presence at the event showcasing their Milagro, Hendrick's Gin, Sailor Jerry, Glenfiddich and Balvenie brands. Milagro tequila and Hendrick's will both have a 35' x 35' activation area which will include a tent, bar and lounge areas. Stoli, Sailor Jerry, Glenfiddich and Balvenie will share a 4-sided pavilion where they will sample refreshing summer cocktails and many Scotch variants.

The weekend's festivities include a grand tasting from 6pm to 11pm on Friday night with a special mixology demo at 10pm. On Saturday the Grand Tasting runs from 5 – 10pm with a 5- 7pm: Grand Cru Tasting featuring high-end variants of Balvenie, Glenfiddich and others. On Sunday there is a chefs and champagne brunch in the morning with another grand tasting from12 – 5pm including a 3:30 pm demo of Milagro's Freshest Margarita. Tickets are available for individual events or an all-event pass can be picked up at the door for $335.

Tags: balvenie, food and wine, milagro, newport winefest, William Grant, wine festival

Savor Event Brings Chefs To California's Central Coast

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining, Events

California's Central Coast is the location for a four-day food and wine event hosted by Sunset Magazine. "Sunset Magazine's SAVOR The Central Coast" is being held September 30 - October 3. Sunset's editors and celebrity chefs will guide attendees through culinary tours, winemaker dinners, historic excursions, and more ,exploring the agriculturally rich area in detail. The Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch team will be part of the Savor event making sure that all of the seafood served at the event will be ocean-friendly. There will also be a backyard chicken coop with Cal Poly's chickens on display.

The event opens on September 30 with a VIP reception and opening night event. October 1 is given over to culinary tours to local food and wine purveyors including the Morro Bay Oyster Company, Escuela Ranch and Ancient Peaks Winery and Vineyards. Tours are $50 each. The Main event at Santa Margherita Ranch is open October 2 and 3 and includes a variety of events including chef Tyler Florence preparing his famous seafood cioppino. On October 2 in the evening, the Paso Glow event will turn Paso Robles' City Park into illuminated festival of food and wine. The event ends on Sunday with a Chris Isaak Concert and Fireworks finale at the Avila Beach Golf Resort. Events are already selling out fast so book soon on the Savor Central Coast website.

Tags: central coast california, culinary education, culinary events, food and wine, food and wine festivals, food and wine tastings, savor the central coast, sunset magazine

Celebrity Chefs To Convene In Aspen For The Food & Wine Classic

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining, Events

If David Kiley's comprehensive look at pig dinners got your mouth watering, you need to book tickets for the 28th annual FOOD & WINE Classic in Aspen on June 18-20, 2010. The event will feature demonstrations and seminars with chefs such as Jacques Pepin, David Chang, Giada DeLaurentiis, Michael Symon, and Thomas Keller. Top Chef judges Tom Colicchio and Gail Simmons will cook delicious meals, as well as hosting a Classic Quickfire with Top Chef season 6 winner Michael Voltaggio competing against Top Chef Masters season 1 winner Rick Bayless.

New to the festival are chefs Tim Love and Art Smith and wine expert Paul Greico. The American Express Trade program will host trade-only power lunches with David Chang, Morimoto, among other greats. And for pig lovers there is The Grand Cochon event, featuring ten chefs who will create their best pork dishes at the Hotel Jerome. Tickets for the FOOD & WINE Classic in Aspen are $1,185. FOOD & WINE will donate 2% of the proceeds from every Classic ticket to Grow for Good ,FOOD & WINE's national initiative dedicated to supporting local farms and encouraging sustainable agriculture.

To do even more for Grow for Good you can opt for a Grow for Good pass at $3,100 per pass. Along with all the regular pass benefits, each Grow for Good Pass will include a $1,000 donation to the Grow for Good Campaign out of each pass price, an invitation to the Classic Welcome Reception held Thursday, June 17th, a ticket to FOOD & WINE's Best New Chefs dinner held Saturday, June 19th, a one-time pass to the Classic Green Room, the VIP Gifting Suite, having your name listed on the Green donors page in Tasting Notes, the Classic event program and VIP access to seminars and Grand Tastings.

Tags: david chang, food and wine, GiadaDeLaurentiis, jacques pepin, mario batali, michael symon, rick bayless, thomas keller, Tom Colicchio

Wines Fit for BBQ from Natalie McLean

by Laura Malesich (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining, Wine

The summer season stirs memories of fire pits, charcoal grills and outdoor parties which almost always include barbeque in some fashion. Of course a refreshing beer is often a great partner to grilled fare but many prefer the perfect wine. When it comes to uncommon wine pairings Natalie MacLean, and her website NatDecants.com, offers simple solutions to food and wine conundrums.

Here are Natalie's top choices to pair with your summer barbeque:

1. Canadian or Oregonian Pinot Noir with Planked Salmon
2. New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc with Grilled Portabello Mushrooms
3. Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon with Shish-kabob Lamb
4. Provençal Rosé with Skewered Chicken
5. Italian Chianti with Marinated Pork Chops
6. Australian Shiraz with Barbequed Spare Ribs
7. Rhðne Valley Syrah with Grilled Pepper Steak
8. Argentine Malbec with Herb-Rubbed Chicken
9. Californian Zinfandel with Grilled Hamburgers
10. German Late Harvest Riesling (or Spätlese Riesling) with Roasted Marshmallows

The gallery below offers a single selection for each pairing most often highlighting wines with scores of 90 or above. Enjoy!

Gallery: BBQ Worthy Wines

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Tags: barbeque, barbeque and wine, BarbequeAndWine, bbq, bbq and wine, BbqAndWine, food and wine, FoodAndWine, natalie maclean, NatalieMaclean, wine pairing, wine pairings, WinePairing, WinePairings

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Food & Wine's GO List: Top 300 Restaurants on the Globe

by Laura Malesich (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining, Luxury Travel & Hotels

Food & Wine magazine has just come out with their 3rd Annual GO List featuring the top cities in the world to dine-out in, distinguished by the type of venue, price of the cuisine or other important factors when dining while traveling. Out of 332 restaurants in forty cities around the globe, here are the top three in just a few categories:

Best Restaurant Cities of the World:

Tokyo
Paris
New York City

Restaurant Cities to Watch:

Beijing
Mexico City
Istanbul

Three of the Best New Restaurants of the Year (in alphabetical order):

Bubbles Bar at Guy Savoy in Las Vegas
Diverxo in Madrid
Gresca in Barcelona

Three of the Best Value Restaurants (in alphabetical order):

Kau Kee Restaurant in Hong Kong
Kefi in New York City
Kiosko Universal in Barcelona

If you're looking for the top carnivorous place or the premier place with a view check out more of the list on Food & Wine's website. Get out of town and chow down at some of the best eateries in the world.

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Tags: Food and Wine, FoodAndWine, GO List, GoList, Top-300-restaurants

Holly Hill Inn

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining

If you are in Kentucky this week and looking for a special place to eat far away from the Derby madness, you might want to check out the Holly Hill Inn. The historic restaurant is deep in the horse country of Midway, about an hour from Louisville. The inn is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and the cuisine is elegant and fresh with a French flair. They serve a prix fixe menu Wednesday through Saturday with a three-course dinner menu for $35, four courses for $40. and a five-course dinner for $45. They also have an impressive wine list chosen by sommelier/owner Chris Michel. I had the pleasure of eating here a couple of years ago and can highly recommend both the food and the lovely bucolic setting.

[via Wine Spectator]

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Tags: food and wine, holly hill inn, HollyHillInn, kentucky, midway, restaurant

Wine Tasting at Knowsley Hall

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wine

We could hardly think of a more scenic location for a wine tasting than Knowlsey Hall near Liverpool, England. The stately hall will be running a series of tasting events as through their new Gourmet Club. The Gourmet Club was launched at the start of this year as part of Knowsley Hall's plan to attract a wider range of customers. Guests can sample fine wines from the private cellars of wine merchants Willoughbys and discuss the wines with experts. The first tasting will be on May 11 and costs £15 for club members and £16.50 for non members.

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Tags: food and wine, knowlsely hall, liverpool, wine, wine tastings

New Orleans Wine and Food Experience

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

The great legacy of fine cuisine in New Orleans continues with the 15th annual New Orleans Wine and Food Experience. The event will be held in New Orleans on Memorial Day Weekend May 24 – 28, 2006 and is a five-day event, featuring culinary seminars, demonstrations, vintner dinners, and wine tastings. There will be a champagne brunch, and seminars including an interactive wine tasting musical that includes samples for the audience and a celebration of the famous muffaletta sandwich. The full package which includes six seminars, Friday and Saturday Grand Tastings, Royal Street Stroll and Bubbles and Brunch sells for $450.

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Tags: food, food and wine, new orleans, NewOrleans, wine, wine events, wine tastings

Corkage Fees, How Much Is Too Much?

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining, Wine

The San Francisco Chronicle asked people an interesting question this week: What's the most you'd pay for restaurant corkage fee? Most people seemed to find that $25 was the highest price they would be willing to pay for the privilege of drinking their own wine at a restaurant. Some restaurants set the corkage fee deliberately high to strongly discourage bringing your own (the famed French Laundry has a $50 corkage fee). After all, creating a wine list for a restaurant is an art all its own.

If you are planning to bring your own wine to a restaurant it makes sense to call in advance as the prices for corkage vary wildly depending on a variety of factors including the fanciness of the restaurant, whether or not they have their own sommelier and/or carefully crafted wine list and to some extent, how nice you are about it. If you have a reason for bringing a specific wine and explain it to the staff and if it is clear that you plan to spend a lot of money on the food and other cocktails corkage fees are sometimes waived (but don't ask for that specifically). An article in Food and Wine has some decent rules for bringing your own wine including perhaps the ultimate rule: don't bring cheap wine. I've searched in vain for a U.S. database of corkage fees but there doesn't seem to be one (although there is a Canadian list). Slashfood's own Sarah Gim has a list of Los Angeles corkage fees on her blog The Delicious Life but we need a nationwide list.

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Tags: corkage, fine dining, food and wine, restaurant etiquette, restaurants, wine

Southern Breeze Coastal Wine Tour

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining, Wine, Events

In our never-ending quest to find you beautiful places to drink wine and eat delicious foods, we bring you the Third Annual Southern Breeze Coastal Wine Tour which will be held May 19-21 in Orange Beach, Alabama. The multi-day event includes winemaker dinners, a wine tasting and seminars from Michael Bryan of the Atlanta Wine School on deciphering the language of wine. Chefs Philippe Parola and Tim Creehan will create original food demonstrations. On Sunday, the Walkabout Brunch is a chance to roam around from station to station, sipping champagne and sparkling white wines and loading up on seafood and regional favorite. Tickets for the Winemaker Dinners are $125 per person, The Grand Wine Tasting tickets are $45 in advance, $55 the day of and the Walkabout Brunch tickets are $35 in advance, $45 the day of. A Connoisseur package costs $225.

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Tags: food and wine, orange beach alabama, OrangeBeachAlabama, wine, wine events, wine tastings

St. Michael's Food and Wine Festival

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining, Events

The Chesapeake Bay area offers all sorts of delicious food (crabs and oysters spring immediately to mind). The 4th Annual St. Michaels Food & Wine Festival April 27-30, which is being held at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum offers a chance to check out food and wine against a beautiful seaside backdrop. The festival pavilion will be home to wine tastings, demonstrations, book signings and food tastings. Events include a live wine, food and travel auction to benefit three charities and a champagne brunch on Sunday. Tickets start at $35 for a single day pavilion ticket.

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Tags: events, food and wine, food tastings, FoodAndWine, maryland, wine, wine tastings

Opus One Winemaker Dinner

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining, Events

The Flagstaff House Restaurant which overlooks Boulder, Colorado is hosting a wine tasting dinner with Michael Silacci the winemaker for Opus One Winery on April 7. Executive Chef and Partner Mark Monette will prepare five courses from Flagstaff House menu matched with Opus One wines. The feast begins with hors d' oeuvres and Gosset "Grand Rose" Brut NV Champagne, then a salad of baby arugula and cured salmon with the Cakebread Sauvingon Blanc 2003, next up is a pheasant breast, crispy noodle wrapped with ragout of braised cabbage and pheasant with the 1984 and 1994 Opus One, followed by the chef's version of steak and eggs with the1995 Opus One and finally a buffalo fillet and foie gras Wellington with black trumpet mushrooms and a sweet onion tart with a sauce of black truffles partnered with the 2002 Opus One. Leave room for dessert, it's a Valrohna chocolate strudel served with 1994 Dow Vintage Port. This impressive meal costs $175 and space is limited.

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Tags: dinner, flagstaff house, food and wine, gourmet food, opus one, wine tasting, winemaker dinner, WineTasting

Scottsdale Culinary Festival

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining, Events

Another excuse to jet to a warm locale and sample wine and food, the Scottsdale Culinary Festival is a six-day event held from April 18-23. There are a wide variety of events held during the week including the James Beard dinner, the Culinary Hall of Fame Awards Dinner and "Le Tour Culinaire" where guests are chauffeured to three different restaurants to sample cuisine paired with prominent wines. Over 250 wineries will be on hand to offer tastings during the week. Admission ranges from $5 for the Great Arizona Picnic to $200 for the James Beard Dinner. Proceeds benefits arts and arts education in the Scottsdale area.

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Tags: arizona, food, food and wine, gourmet, scottsdale, tastings, wine

Malibu Wine Classic

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining, Wine, Events

Ah, if only I had known this was an option. I signed up to run a 10K in Malibu on April 1, not knowing that in the same location on the same day, the 2006 Malibu Wine Classic will be taking place. The event takes place on the tented grounds of The Sunset Restaurant and includes an afternoon tasting session and an evening tasting session. Last year, over 1000 attendees enjoyed wines from more than 50 wineries and this year, over 75 wineries and 25 restaurants are expected to show up. This non-profit event will benefit Childhelp USA which works to help in the treatment and prevention of child abuse. Advance tickets are $75 per session or $125 for both. Tickets are $100 at the door.

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Tags: food and wine, malibu, wine, wine event, wine tasting

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