In four weeks, fragrance lovers from around the world will gather in New York City for a perfume extravaganza known as the Sniffapalooza Fall Ball. I’m often asked what happens during these scent filled weekends and why I continue to go. Here’s my account from one of the days from the most recent Spring Fling to tell you why and encourage you to sign up for Fall Ball! The annual Sniffapalooza Spring Fling is a two day weekend extravaganza of the most fabulous fragrances. Day one is the “uptown day,” spent mostly at Bergdorf Goodman, Henri Bendel and The Plaza, at the Krigler perfumery. Day two is the “downtown day,” with visits to independent perfume boutiques in Soho and the West Village. The day starts at Molton Brown in Soho. Two years ago Molton Brown kicked off its line of fine fragrances at Sniffapalooza, and each year we’ve been invited…
Cakebread American Harvest Workshop Day 2
We start day two of Cakebread’s American Harvest Workshop at Suscol Springs Vineyard ranch in south east Napa, where there are vineyards as far as the eye can see. I’ve never had breakfast in a vineyard and this one is a treat – a Mexican breakfast, huevos with red sauce and tortillas. Day one was a great introduction and I can’t wait to see what today brings. Mark McDowell, the chef from Hawaii, brought a gift with him – fresh strawberry papaya – yum! With full tummies we set off into the vineyards with Bruce Cakebread, who was at one time the head winemaker. He talks to us about Napa Valley – what makes it unique as a wine growing region, thanks to the soils and climate. Bruce Cakebread. Courtesy Cakebread Cellars Hard to believe this ranch was a cattle grazing pasture up until 2007 when the Cakebreads planted Cabernet…
Cakebread American Harvest Workshop Day 1
Right in the middle of harvest, the busiest time at any winery, Cakebread Cellars in Napa Valley invites five chefs from around the world, a group of local artisan food producers and food and wine enthusiasts to take part in the American Harvest Workshop, a five day intensive on food and wine. It’s a hands-on program, with the chefs and other participants literally getting their hands dirty, picking grapes, harvesting veggies from Cakebread’s winery garden, and creating and cooking two five-course dinners for 65 people. As we gather on day one for orientation and a tour of the garden, I can’t help thinking this feels a little like Top Chef. No, it’s not a competition, but the five chefs will be working together as a team, and this is the first time they’ve met each other. Culinary Director Brian Streeter, who is our leader for the workshop, has them choose…
Creating The Scent of Chicago
What does Chicago smell like? That’s the challenge that Tru Fragrance, a private label perfume company based in the Windy City set out for itself in 2011. The team behind the label wanted to create something not done before in the fragrance world, specifically a “homegrown” scent, one planted, grown, gardened, harvested and bottled in one season, from a specific place, like Chicago. In 2012 there were about 1,100 new fragrances released in the US market. Some have done very well, others were as fleeting as their scents. But none of those perfumes have a concept like Tru Blooms Chicago, which is a fragrance truly made in Chicago. Made in Chicago means planted, grown and harvested by Chicagoans. It’s a community project, with many benefits beyond making a unique, beautiful scent. Why Chicago? Simply for the reason that it is home to Tru Fragrance and seemed the most natural candidate…
A Visit To Gaja
Gaja. It is one of the most iconic names in all of Italian wine. Without Gaja, Barbaresco may not be the grand wine it is today. But they have the most modest entrance to a winery I’ve seen. It is very understated, located on the main street that runs through Barbaresco, a village in the Langhe region of Piemonte, situated on a hilltop overlooking the Lange hills. We missed the sign, it’s so small and modest. There’s no palatial entrance, no big sign, no grand facade. To visit you need an appointment. Luckily we had that, and the big steel door that leads to the winery rolled open upon our arrival. In the interior courtyard where grapes are crushed we’re greeted by Gaia Gaja, fifth generation vintner, one of Angelo Gaja’s three children. Her sister Rossana is also involved in the family business, working with the Gaja properties in Bolgheri,…
Curious About Wine and Perfume Pairings? Save The Date November 16, 2013!
Find out why it’s no longer taboo to pair wine and perfume at our upcoming workshop, The Essence of Fragrance. Join me and master perfumer Sarah Horowitz as we take you on an olfactory exploration of wine and scent on Saturday, November 16, 2013 from 4 – 6 pm. Sign up soon, this is sure to sell out fast! This workshop will take place in the greater Los Angeles area; stay tuned for location announcement. WHAT: The Essence of Fragrance – A Wine and Perfume Pairing WHEN: Saturday, November16, 2013 TIME: 4-6 pm WHERE: In the Greater Los Angeles Area CONTACT: Mary Orlin, WineFashionista mary@orlinmedia.com Sarah Horowitz sarah@sarahhorowitz.com WORKSHOP FEE: $125 per person. limit 10 people We present The Essence of Fragrance – a two hour exploration of the aromatic experience of wine and perfume, led by Master Perfumer Sarah Horowitz and Sommelier and Journalist Mary Orlin. We will be…
Ornellaia at 25
In the past quarter of the century, Tenuta dell’Ornellaia, an Italian winery in the Tuscan coastal town of Bolgheri, has become, or has achieved you might say, first growth or cult wine status since its first vintage in 1985. This year Ornellaia has been celebrating its 25 anniversary, the 2010 vintage, with events, auctions and special art created, all paying homage to a wine that’s as distinct as the vineyards it is grown in. When most of us think of Tuscan wines, we think of Chianti and Chianti Classico, made from the Sangiovese grape. But nearly 50 years ago, some Italian winemakers and winery owners started thinking that there might be places in the country where the so called “international varieties” of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc might do well and even thrive. “It is a young region for wine,” says Riccardo Facco, Hospitality Director at…
Top Three Reasons To Visit The Willamette Valley Now
Wine country tourism is on the rise and one of the fastest growing destinations is Oregon’s Willamette Valley. I’ve visited the past two summers (July and August are relatively dry with pleasant if not hot weather) and after my last visit came away convinced that the Willamette Valley is a destination that should be on every wine lover’s list. Why? It’s not just the amazing Pinot Noir, the grape varietal the region is most famous for. There’s more and more to see, eat and drink than ever before, and it’s only going to get better. Wine giant Jackson Family Wines (aka Kendall Jackson) jsut bought a winery in the Willamette Valley, as did French wine house Louis Jadot, its first US acquisition. Here, my favorite experiences. Sokol Blosser’s new tasting room Talk about a destination winery, this is a building for art and architecture as well as wine fans alike.…
Fragrant Debuts: Eau de Sniffapalooza
With Sherri Sebastian of Perusa Naturals How does a perfume fanatic find out about the latest upcoming niche perfumers? At Sniffapalooza, a twice yearly event that brings fragrance lovers from around the world to New York for a weekend of spritzing, sniffing and shopping. Day one is jam-packed with up to 100 perfumes to try, a dizzying experience but loads of fun. On day two the pace isn’t nearly as frenetic, and there’s more time to enjoy all the new scents coming your way. The most interesting part of the day is lunch, when the “Eau de Sniffapalooza” forum takes place, where emerging indie brands launch and present their concepts and scents for the first time to this group of passionate perfumistas. Startups in the niche perfume industry are invited to debut their lines to the group, each giving about a 10 minute presentation to tell us who they are, what they…
Indie Wineries: Discovering Artisanal Wines Around the World
Some call them garagistes, boutique producers, even rebels bucking the system. These are international winemakers crafting handmade wines on very small scale — sometimes just hundreds of cases, to just under 4500 cases, versus the millions of cases pumped out by the big industrial wineries of the world. They’re producing beautiful, lovely, interesting bottles. Most of these wines would never even make it out of the home country, let alone the local region. They’re the wines you might discover on travels in Italy or France, wines the locals drink. Otherwise, you’d never know they existed. Until now. Indie Wineries is an up an coming wine importer, bringing unique, artisanal wines to the United States market. You know how you go to a party or event and your wine loving friend pulls you aside and says, hey I’ve got this special bottle stashed away I want you to try? …