Jun
26
2009
Well, as luck would have it, I was at the Aspen Food & Wine Classic on the Murphy-Goode application deadline day. I must admit, I was a bit stressed about not being in front of my computer for the last 72 hours, harassing people on Facebook, twitter and Foodbuzz – recruiting them to vote for my video. It even occurred to me to print business cards with a link to my URL and hand them out at the event. But given the actual contacts at my disposal, I threw the 2.0 campaign techniques to the wind, opting for a more traditional approach to this competition: Namely, good old fashioned me, out there in the field with my smile. Judging by the number of votes my video received, this was a smart move.
I scoped out Murphy-Goode’s spot in advance. Prime location near the entrance of tent #1. I drag my tasting companion directly to the table —much to my astonishment Dave remembers my name?! I start with the Fume Blanc, it’s sunny out. I nonchalantly try to slip all the A Really Goode Job propaganda in my bag. . . Continue Reading »
Tags: A Really Goode Job, Aspen Food & Wine Festival
Jun
25
2009
I’m sitting in the Aspen airport as I type. The lines are long, flights are sparse. Bad weather has created an epic bottleneck at the airport. People don’t seem to care. I think we are all still a bit giddy from the greatness of this weekend. It has truly been one of the most fantastic experiences of my life. To my right, Susan Dolye of MacMurray Ranch (http://www.macmurrayranch.com/OurWinemaker.htm) smiles at me from one row over. I met her at the Sonoma Superstar lecture; to my left are Vinny Dotolo and Jon Shook from Animal in Los Angeles (http://www.animalrestaurant.com/), they also smile and say hi, I met them at the Texas Outlaw Party party. That’s how the whole weekend has been. You ride the shuttle bus into town with Merry Edwards of the Merry Edwards Vineyard (http://www.merryedwards.com/). You stand behind Marcus Samuelsson at the coffee shop and he invites you to a cocktail party. If I had to come up with one word to describe the event, I would go with accessible – that’s not sexy or exciting, but it is what is most remarkable about this event. Over the course of the weekend you have access to some of the most influential people in the food and beverage industry. Lowly “consumers” like me are brought together with these stars by a shared passion for food and wine. Everyone here is approachable. Eager to talk, learn and educate. Danny Meyers (http://www.unionsquarehospitalitygroup.com/) is interested in hearing about what you think of his new wine; he wants to know if I learned anything about terroir at this lecture. As he leaves the tent on Sunday, he waves good bye to me. It’s inspirational to meet all of the leaders in my field. Their humbleness and enthusiasm reminds me why I have chosen a path in food and wine.
For three straight days, I have been in the presence of greatness. A text comes in. It’s my friend Kimberly, she is hanging out with Fabio from Top Chef (http://www.bravotv.com/top-chef?c=fabio) at the Denver airport. I have an urge to scream at the Frontier airlines gate agent, “I’ve been with celebrities, now get me out of here” but, I resist. Gail Simmons wouldn’t do that now would she?
Tags: A Really Goode Job, Aspen, Sonoma County Wine Tasting
Jun
25
2009
It’s day two in Aspen. We wake early. I blog. A good entry, considering the altitude and the effects of last night’s wine. The first plan of attack is to pick up our passes at the registration center. Already I am weak in the knees. The awesomeness of what the next three days will encompass is hitting me. Each pass holder receives a “green” (literally and figuratively) Food & Wine gift bag filled with all sorts of foodie swag. I immediately put my pass on for fear of losing it. I will sleep and shower with it on. I am a master at losing things. I also know that my $1,200 consumer pass is a lowly ticket, denying me access to some of the insider events. But, I am as smart and as crafty as they come. My resourcefulness will get me behind any roped-off area.
After picking up the passes, it’s back to Victoria’s(http://www.yelp.com/biz/victorias-espresso-and-wine-bar-aspen)for some nourishment. For me it’s in the form of Sweet Thai Chili ice cream, despite the fact that it’s not yet noon. I hadn’t noticed the crazy ice cream flavors they have here yesterday. I can’t resist myself. A bit more work for Design Within Reach (http://www.dwr.com/) before an amazing lunch at Ajax Tavern (http://www.thelittlenell.com/TLN/restaurants/ajax_tavern.aspx). Truffle fries are all the rage in Aspen right now. So, when in Rome . . . the truffle fries are a must for us. So is a glass of Rose. A cool, refreshing, 2008 Bieler Rose, from Provence. I choose it because it’s from Aix-en-Provence, which is my favorite place in the South of France, not because I know anything about wine from that region. An emotional purchase. We women do it all the time. This turns out to be a successful choice, as the wine is light and crisp with hints of strawberry, and pairs well with the little crab number I snacked on. Mario strolls in as we finish a second afternoon cocktail. A diner waves, he waves back. This is Aspen after all, we are all here as a big team. And yes, he is in his ugly orange Crocs. Continue Reading »
Jun
22
2009
Wow, life doesn’t get much better than this! I arrived in Aspen yesterday. I’m staying at the uber mod, Meadows Resort. We stop off at the hotel bar for a glass of wine while we wait for the shuttle to bring us into town.
Next stop the festival grounds to set up the Design Within Reach Outdoor Lounge. It’s a beautiful day, not too hot, not too cold, amazing mountain air and sunshine. There is no food or wine on the grounds yet, but the atmoshere is thick with anticipation of what’s to come!
After our “grueling” (not) work at the Outdoor Lounge, we head over to town. First stop, Victoria’s Bakery for the famous Dolce De Leche cupcakes! These things are other worldly. It’s hard to disern if you are eaating pudding or a cupcake. I guess it doesn’t really matter, all I know is that thye blow they socks off of any cupcake I’ve ever had in Los Angeles!
By now it’s Wine-thirty and we are THIRSTY. We decide on Jimmy’s and have the fine fortune of securing a table outside on the up-stairs patio with mountain vista views. A table of wine makers sit next to us, the Sommelier is dancing circles around them. They must be important. We drink on and end the evening at Brex, a great French Bistro that is new in town. I’m particularly impressed with the waiter, he is direct from Paris. Something tells me I’ll be back to this place!
Jun
16
2009
In my race to create a social media storm of epic proportions, for a Really-Goode job, I have discovered some really incredible material on the internet. The “social” part of this storms keeps me very connected to my beloved laptop, far, far away from real people.
Today, I stumbled upon a company called Crushpad. Believe I dug this one up through a Facebook group? The concept is mind blowing. Crushpad is a facility that enables you to make your own wine. “Crushpad is a state-of-the-art winery where you are the wine maker.” They provide the grapes, the facility and you decide what level of involvement you have in making your own wine. Sounds too good to be true?
A step-by-step program has been created. Starting with grape and barrel selection, everything from business plans, to production and licensing; sales and marketing; logistics and storage services are provided. What seems most unique about Crushpad is its dedication to connecting its clients and creating a “virtual” community for them. “Crushnet” (http://www.crushnet.com/) is proprietary online community to connect fellow winemakers and learn about each other’s experiences. I personally LOVE all of the videos that take you through the entire wine making process. If you are new to wine and haven’t had the chance to visit a winery yet, Crushnet has some excellent video that you can watch from your computer while enjoying a nice glass of vino! They also host events and classes for members and wine makers. Continue Reading »
Tags: A Really Goode Job, crushpad
Jun
16
2009
I’ve done a lot of writing about white wines. I don’t want the folks at Murphy-Goode Wines to think I’m biased towards white. That’s absolutely un-true. As luck would have it, I stopped by Venice Beach Wines to see how Taste Of The Nation went for them. It’s a cold, cloudy day in Venice. Rain is eminent. Finally, the right type of weather to put me in the mood for red.
I’m in the California section. Something catches my eye. A wine from Bolinas? That hippy town North of San Francisco, where, everyone goes surfing? They don’t make grapes there? But a bottle of Sean H. Thackrey Pleiades XIII Old Vines California Red Table Wine ($23.49) stares me back and say’s “oh yes, they do”. A table wine (blends of many different varietals) for $23 bucks seems steep. Oscar nods his head yes, his eyes light up. Okay, here we go! Continue Reading »
Tags: A Really Goode Job, Sean H. Thackery
Jun
16
2009
A few years back I took the UC Berkeley extension Wine & Food Studies program. I was introduced to the wine wheel in one of the first classes. To this day I believe to be one of the most genius inventions made. There are a couple of versions out there now, one for white, one for red, one for Europe and so on. . .
Even the UC Davis website boost’s that this tool is great for the novice and pro alike! When I first starting tasting wine to really taste it, the word barnyard came up. I giggled under my breath, barnyard? Tobacco? Old Leather? Surely, the creators of this tool had one too many glasses of wine when they came up with these description? Turns out no. That little wheel was a great reference point for me. Continue Reading »
Tags: Wine Wheel
Jun
15
2009
Well, well, look what the cat dragged in? I’m at Whole Foods in Venice, CA. Only in Los Angeles will you find a twist top , Gruner Veltliner, from Austria in a recyclable plastic bottle in the Organic Wine Selection Section. I know little about the region (where the wine comes from) or the varietal (type of grape to make the wine) but, if you know anything about me by now, you know I can’t help myself. I love odd varietals – I’m by no means an expert on anything wine. Just a subversive at heart, who, looks long and hard at ignored grapes.
I’m also one of those armchair environmentalist, who’s recently returned from the Deutschland. So, I find it exciting to see the two display cases of Austrian and German Wine at Whole Foods, both, categorized as “Green” wines. Wines from these regions are a new fascination to me. Continue Reading »
Tags: Biodynamic Wines, German Wines, Gruner Veltliner, Organic Wines
Jun
10
2009
As I was writing my last post, I went deep off on a tangent. Foolishly, I hit back space and erased my entire tirade about “rules”. I was recently informed that my postings were too long and I’m trying to tone it down in blogsville. I’ll try to keep this short and sweet, but I feel strongly on this topic, therefore I have quite a bit to say.
As a professionally trained chef, I do appreciate making the most of a wine by pairing it with the right food, to bring out its “flavor profile”. There is something to be said, about that an indescribable moment of harmony on your “palate” when a perfect combination comes about. Out of curiosity I goggled how to pair food and wine. 497,000 results come up. There are sites where you can ask an expert, guidelines, books, blogs; you name it. Everyone has something to say on this matter.
My opinion is contrary to popular belief. I am girl who’s not fond of rules. The Los Angeles Times, recently quoted, David Ready Jr, saying Murphy-Goode was trying to “demystify” wine through this social media experiment and make it more approachable to “people who might feel it’s out of their league”. I admire this endevour. Wine became approachable to me years ago, while working at a Wine Shop in London. My father was a wine enthusiast and I knew the basics. But, not nearly enough to be left alone in the shop. We had tastings every Saturday. Mostly, I think they kept me around because I had nice printing. My role on Saturday’s was to write the wines for the tasting, on the board outside and washing the wine glasses as needed. Since, I was not legal to work in the U.K. I was paid in pounds under the table; or in trade with wine. At the ripe young age of 21, I took trade. Often frantic about my choices and what was appropriate for dinner or a specific occasion; I drove the owners to tears. “Drink what you like” is what I was told. Okay? Really? Are you sure?
So, I did just that. For the rest of the summer I took home the wines I liked. I drank them when I wanted with whatever I wanted (most frequently with nothing at all). Slowly but surely, I mastered the varietals and regions that I liked. This in turn gave me the confidence to branch out with other varietals and regions. To this day, I often don’t follow the wine rules. I like white wine when it is hot or sunny. I prefer red when it’s cold or dark. I am curious and adventuresome by nature. I can’t control myself when I see a wine from Croatia, Lebanon or a place totally unlikely to grown grapes. I must try, no matter the food or situation at hand.
I bend my own weird, wine rules, when I find myself at a four star meal. But, for the most part, I believe you should drink what you like. It’s a good starting point. Follow the divine palate within you and the esoteric world of wine, will soon enough shine it’s divine light in you.
Jun
10
2009
Wine + Ice Cream = A Match Made In Heaven
I hesitate to write this post, as I feel I am compromising my creativity. Another Saturday at Venice Beach Wines. But, if you are a foodie you will know that Truck Food is all the rage right now. Hot Dog Truck, Korean Truck, BBQ truck and now an Ice Cream Truck. Last Saturday, I spotted no less than 3 of these trucks on Abbott Kinney. Every blogger in the city had mentioned that the latest and greatest, Cool Haus, Ice Cream Sandwiches would be at my office latter in the day. Naturally, I had to go. I’m sure that Murphy-Goode would find me a more rounded blogger/reporter if were submitting content that related to places other than Venice Beach Wines(http://www.venicebeachwines.com/), however due to the colossal frenzy the old roach coach has created, I’ve deemed it worthy of a post. Why not? Nothing better than MORE wine with dessert! It’s not just for dinner anymore.
It’s unseasonably warm this Saturday. Venice is at its finest around the post-beach, pre-sunset hours. By the time the Cool Haus (http://www.eatcoolhaus.com/) truck arrives at Venice Beach Wines, people are anxiously pacing around. A kitschy truck, all done up with photos of famous post-modern buildings and architects parks in front. You choose an ice cream flavor and a cookie flavor, “building” your own ice cream sandwich. Or select one of their “pre-fab” flavors. The “building” process here is the shtick with the name and theme. Freya and Natasha are architects and foodies. Cleaver and creative, if you ask me. Continue Reading »
