Blog

Blanc du Bois, LeNoir and Herbemont. Say what?
Revitalizing West Georgia’s Grape Growing Traditions.

By Jane F. Garvey

Fritz Westover demonstrates site preparation methods at Little Vine Vineyard in West Georgia.

On Saturday, January 28, 2012, a gorgeous blue-sky day made the perfect backdrop for the West Georgia Vineyard Design & Development Workshop, sponsored by the Vineyard & Winery Association of West Georgia. Rural Carroll County has largely been devoted to cattle raising, and on nearby land, a fine herd of Angus kept up a constant competing patter as the group of 40 or so participants gathered in the freshly prepared field at Little Vine Vineyards to listen to the presentation.

Vineyard owner and grower Jerry Culver hosted the event at his farm, where he is in the process of planting even more vines. Conducting the seminar was Fritz Westover, Viticultural Program Specialist for Texas AgrliLife Extension, based at Texas A & M University. more »

Dinner with a Cote Chalonnaise Rouge

Call me crazy, but what an opportunity. I’m on a Delta flight from Atlanta to London, and sitting in BusinessElite and they are passing out the menus. Delta has partnered with Chef Michele Bernstein and Master Sommelier Andrea Robinson for menu creation and wine pairings, along with new dishware. So, I know I’m in for a treat, and a fun challenge, pairing at 38,000 feet.

We were offered a fixed first and second course, and our choice of main course and dessert. Wow, I’m excited and what a great way to pass the time, on this long flight. Our main course selections are a fish, beef, and pasta or deli plate. I chose the Pan Seared Sea Bass with artichoke and olive sauce and celery root puree. more »

The Blue Ridge Wine & Food Festival
By Jane F. Garvey

The Chetola team won the "iron chef" competition in 2011 known as Fire on the Rock; Photo Credit: Amanda Fife Lugenbell

 Held this April 11-17, 2012, the seventh annual Blue Ridge Wine & Food Festival is an event Atlantans should put on their annual calendars. Taking place in Blowing Rock, NC, which outlaws fast food operations, the festival is a gathering of North Carolina winemakers and chefs from the region. Local chefs compete in “Fire on the Rock,” which this year will add a public judging component to the competition.

Located just eight miles from Boone, Blowing Rock began this festival as a local event, but over its brief life it has become a significant regional wine-and-food experience, one that draws a lot of Atlanta attendees.

I’ve attended the event several times over the course of its history, including 2011. And I’ve had the honor of judging some of the Fire on the Rock competitions as well as some of the wine competitions. The event has grown in sophistication and quality, including providing better glassware for guests at the Grand Tasting. more »

February’s Food and Wine Pairing:
Granny Smith Apple and Brown Butter Custard Tart served with Jackson Triggs Vidal Icewine

Some icewine will “cool off” your HOT Valentine date!

Enjoy a luscious apple custard tart with a seductive Icewine as a special dessert this Valentines day. It will be a treat you will truly enjoy. Icewine has a facinating history, starting over 200 years ago in Germany.  There it is called Eiswein and is made under strict procedures–laws it shares only with Austria and Canada.  Icewine is made from grapes left on the vine till frozen. The grapes are pressed while still frozen, immediately after picking and the syrup is then fermented into wine. The wonderful result, is a small amount of concentrated, very sweet wine with intense aroma and taste. Icewines are descibed as having a seductive tropical fruit flavor with a crisp, refreshing finish. A quote from the Wines of Canada website, “Icewine is a rare gift from a magical Canadian winter’s night, each frozen grape creates just one drop of Icewine. One smooth, rich, luxurious drop.” Canada discovered Icewine in 1974 and now produces between 2-3 millon bottles a year, out producing all other countries. more »

Let’s take this year’s Valentine’s Day from the point of view of a woman looking to please her significant other with a bottle of wine that’s a robust, deep red wine. A wine that no one would call wimpy or feminine–not in the slightest. 

But if they’re balanced as well as bold, their (relatively) high alcohol should not feel hot as the quality of the fruit will handle the big alcohol. These wines will sport big tannins, but they should not be harsh or drying, and still should exhibit a seductive juiciness and a vinous sweetness. They will have a color so deep and purple dark, you could possibly inject it into your printer and print with it (just kidding–do not try this). There will be a good bit of oak, but not so much that oak is all you taste. In preparing this column, there have been a few like that–and they didn’t make the review.

As these are among the biggest wines you’ll likely ever taste, get out the big glasses. These wines won’t taste good in a puny glass with a rolled lip. Those need to be banned anyway, but especially for this genre. The bowl needs to be large, and the opening, even if tapered as for Syrah, should be generous. more »

Almost thirty years ago, a new wine publication made its debut in California. Actually, it was more like a newsletter, very simple, straightforward and without glossy ads and promotions. It too was called the Underground Wine Journal, and the policy was simple: to remain completely objective, no advertising would be accepted. And all revenue would come from subscriptions. All wines would be reviewed and scored without regard to revenue from advertising, as with almost every other wine publication. more »

We utilize chicken thighs & portuguese sausage in ours

On the eve of our Introduction to Wine (Level I) class #4–the red wines of France–we are providing a Cassoulet–like we always do–to help the students understand how these French reds are so food-worthy.  Cassoulet is found in many areas of France today, even though its roots are more from the Carcassonne/Toulouse area of the Southwest.  Like many other staple dishes, its origin speaks of peasant cuisine.  It is in good company with other dishes utilizing rough cuts of meat (rooster–Coq au Vin; round steak–Beef Bourgogne) and in fact, traditionally relies on mutton, partridge, or rabbit to accompany the “casserole” dish.   more »

It all started with an invitation to visit dear friends in Charlotte last weekend.  It had been years since my husband Mike and I had been to Charlotte, NC and were excited about our plans. Our reservations were for Mimosa Grill, a restaurant, consistently named one of Charlotte’s favorites. Mimosa is described as a farm-to-table restaurant located downtown.

I found the menu full of options and was delighted with the wines offered. I spotted a Sonoma coast wine I had not heard of, and asked our waitress about the wine. She shared with us that it was a Dave Mathews wine??? I didn’t know the artist Dave Mathews made wine. It’s called Dreaming Tree Crush, 2009, a blend of Merlot and Zinfandel, from Sonoma Coast, California. It was under 35$ and fit our budget. Mostly I was curious, I enjoy wines from that area of Sonoma and love to discover a new wine. more »

Athens, Ga. – Atlanta Wine School (AWS), based in Atlanta, Georgia, was honored on January 21, when the UGA Alumni Association announced the rankings of the 2012 Bulldog 100: Fastest Growing Bulldog Businesses at a celebration in Atlanta.
AWS, helmed by 1989 UGA graduate Michael Bryan, ranks as this year’s 43rd fastest growing Bulldog business. The firm specializes in wine courses, events and travel.

“It is an honor to be one of 900 nominated businesses for this award, but what really makes me proud is our consistent placement 3 years running,” said Bryan. more »

What a fun way to celebrate a Birthday!
It was a surprise wine tasting for a 40th birthday. It was my pleasure to be the wine professional at this very special occasion. Check out the photo, these are the invitations that were delivered to each guest, asking them to attend the party. What a creative idea! Using a computer, she made a custom label and placed each on empty wine bottles–but they could have been full ones too. The photo comes from a recent trip to Ireland–add a piece of decorative twine with a tag, some party details – that’s all it took.

Our client called us and we worked with her caterer. Together, we paired their favorite foods with our wine selections. They were even open to trying a few new wines. There were six wines plus a sparkling wine to start off the evening and to toast the guest of honor. The last wine of the evening, Brachetto d’Aqui, was served with chocolate-dipped strawberries, yum! There were some good questions that night, especially from the birthday boy. It was obvious his girlfriend knew his love of wine, and found the perfect gift–a wine tasting. It was a gift they could share with friends, and many lasting memories were created.

It is always fun for me to conduct wine tastings. I love pairing food and wine, and I enjoy seeing the surprise and ah-ha moments, as guests experience something new—a new wine or a new pairing combination. It was a perfect evening, celebrating the birthday with wine; because wine is all about sharing and enjoying with good food and friends!

~ Debbie Ruskin