Twenty five chefs creating gourmet feasts. 70 cases of Champagne poured. 10 kilos of caviar consumed. All in four days. I can’t resist. As cliché as it is, the “Champagne wishes and caviar dreams” tagline made popular by Robin Leach’s Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, just feels like the perfect way to sum up the experience at GourmetFest. Inaugural Event For a first time event, GourmetFest went off seemingly without a hitch during its inaugural weekend in Carmel-by-the-Sea. The weather cooperated beautifully, and Carmel was easy to navigate, not just by foot, but thanks to shuttle service provided by event organizers. You can tell this isn’t the first rodeo for David Fink, Mirabel Hotel & Restaurant Group CEO and organizer of GourmetFest. He was part of the team that started the Masters of Food and Wine event at the Carmel Highlands Inn, a few miles south down the coast…
Only Pink Bubbles Will Do For Valentine’s Day
What’s more romantic than Champagne? Pink Champagne or sparkling wine. I’ve been pitched all sorts of wines to recommend for Valentine Day celebrations, but most of the wines are still wines. None of those will do. For me, it’s bubbles or nothing. And they should be pink. The traditional choice is Champagne, and my go-to wine is the Billecart-Salmon NV Rosé, with its delicate bubbles and salmon pink hue. This is a brut sparkler, very dry, with a subdued floral and fruity aroma, a blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. At around $75 it is a splurge – but believe it or not, it’s available on Amazon.com I’m a big fan of California sparkling wine, and some of the best bubbly is produced by Domaine Carneros. This house is in the Carneros region of Napa, which is a fantastic region for growing sparkling wine grapes. For Valentine’s…
My Top 10 Wine Moments of 2011
As December comes to a close we’re all reflecting back on the year that has been 2011. Although we’re still going through challenging economic times, spirits of the vintners throughout wine country seem to be rising, as sales are slowly picking up. There’s a feeling of hope and optimism that I haven’t seen in a long time. So keeping that positive state of mind, here are my top 10 wine moments of 2011. Read more
What to Drink While You Watch the Royal Wedding
If you’re like me, you’re rising tomorrow at an insanely early hour to watch the royal wedding of Will and Kate. That means being up by 4 a.m. Pacific time for me. At that hour I want something interesting to sip on while watching the spectacle, um I mean spectacular event, on TV.
When nothing but bubbles will do
There’s been much speculation over what the royal couple will drink as they toast their marriage. Read more
DRINK – What’s in our glasses for Thanksgiving
I usually get assigned the task of bringing the wine for holiday events. For Thanksgiving you always see wine experts recommending a good Pinot Noir or Riesling to pair with the meal. Not for me this year. I’m serving bubbly. If you think about it, Champagne or sparkling wine goes with just about any food, and the bubbles help cut through some of the rich foods that are part of the Thanksgiving meal. Best of all, I got a deal. Seguras Viudas makes terrific Cava, the sparkling wine of Spain. It’s refreshing and lively. I picked up this magnum for only $9.97. Yes that’s right, $9.97 at Cost Plus markets. There were still plenty of bottles when I got mine yesterday. So a magnum is 1.5L which equals 2 standard bottles of wine. The funny thing is Cost Plus has the 750 ml standard bottle of the same Cava for…