Please The Palate Newsletter October 2018

Written by Allison Levine on October 2, 2018

Travel Lifestyle Food Cocktails Wine

As the year continues to rush by, I hope you had a wonderful and relaxing summer! Now that we are entering Fall, event season starts to pick up and Please The Palate is looking forward to a non-stop couple of months.

Summer was busy for Please The Palate. While I did not travel internationally, I made numerous trips to Napa Valley for various events, such as Festival Napa Valley, a lovely classical music festival, and wrote some stories about where to eat, drink and sleep in Napa. I also judged my first wine competition, the Central Coast Wine Competition, which was a great learning experience. I continued to try to new restaurants in between all of the travel. And, I was in New York, Chicago, Washington DC and Dallas for the Gelato Festival America.

As I look forward to the coming months, I continue to work on the Gelato Festival with three more cities to go! Gelato has been a departure from wine but it has been so much fun and quite tasty! Lots of trade events are coming up across the country as well. Madeira Wines is coming to San Francisco and Seattle, Wines of Setubal is heading to Houston and Miami and DoctorWine will return to San Francisco and Los Angeles in November for the Essential Guide to Italian Wine 2018 book launch and wine tasting. All trade events, and consumer events, can be found at www.pleasethepalate.com/events.

I am also excited to announce that I am now the American host of the podcast Wine Soundtrack! Established in Italy in 2017, Wine Soundtrack shares the stories of winemakers and winery owners. The American version will be launching this Fall!

Upcoming Events

The Many Faces of Madeira Masterclass & Food Pairing
Featuring Rubina Vieira, Madeira Wine Institute
Sunday, October 14
5:00-7:00pm
San Francisco Wine School
$95pp

Gelato Festival America 2018
The Gelato Festival, the most important event dedicated to artisanal Italian gelato continues its tour across America. First stops were New Jersey, Chicago, Washington DC and Dallas and there are still three more cities! The Gelato Festival brings goodness, joy, experience and culture to America.

Purchase your ticket and you can taste all the flavors in the competition as well as other special flavors (as much as you want), attend the courses and play games in the delicious Gelato Village. You can also vote for your favorite flavor!

Use the code PLEASETHEPALATE to save $5.

October 13-14 Santa Barbara
La Cumbre Plaza, 121 S Hope Street, Santa Barbara, CA, 93105

October 20-21 Scottsdale
Kierland Commons, 15205 N Kierland Blvd Suite 150, Scottsdale, AZ 85254

October 27-28 Tucson
La Encantada, 2905 E Skyline Dr, Tucson, AZ 85718

Check out www.pleasethepalate.com for upcoming events and if you want to be notified of blog posts when they go live, please sign up on our site, here.

Read the full October 2018 Newsletter.

Exploring Cultures Through Food Tours

Written by Allison Levine on September 27, 2018

Travel Lifestyle Food

My newest addiction is food tours. Each time I head to a new country, I search out a food tour to take on my first day in the city. It is a great way to get a sense of the place and an understanding of the cuisine, which I feel enhances the rest of my trip. I shared some of the great food tours I have found in a recent story in the Napa Valley Register which you can read here.

The late Anthony Bourdain once said that “Food is everything we are. It’s an extension of nationalist feeling, ethnic feeling, your personal history, your province, your region, your tribe, your grandma. It’s inseparable from those from the get-go.”

On his show, “Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown,” he filmed 96 episodes over 11 seasons in which he shared his passion for culture, food, travel and adventure. His enthusiasm was contagious, and we were all inspired explore the world through food.

Or, at least, I was.

After all, what better way to explore a different culture than through its food? Of course, there is architecture, art, religion and nature, but food has so many meanings and incorporates everything. Food is a cultural identifier. Food is shaped by location and by history. Food can represent status and pleasure or can be for survival. Food is also about community and is a unifier across cultures.

As I traveled to countries for my first time, I have found myself in search of food. Yes, I like to eat. And, I can think of no better way to learn about a city and a culture than through its food. But, how does one decide where to go?

Where to Eat, Drink and Sleep in St. Helena, Napa Valley

Written by Allison Levine on September 25, 2018

Travel Lifestyle Food Cocktails Wine

A few trips to Napa in the past few months had me exploring St. Helena, in the heart of Napa Valley. I shared my thoughts on where to eat, drink and sleep in St. Helena in California Winery Advisor and am re-sharing it here.

In the center of Napa Valley is the town of St. Helena. Eighteen miles north of downtown Napa and ten miles south of Calistoga, St. Helena is known as Napa Valley’s Main Street. Packed with acclaimed wineries and home to more Michelin starred restaurants than anywhere else in Napa Valley, St. Helena embodies perfect wine country charm. Heading to Napa Valley for the weekend? Settle in and explore St. Helena.

St. Helena is home to numerous accommodations ranging in price. If you want to splurge, check out the new Las Alcobas Napa Valley, a 68-room resort offering rooms with private terraces and an on-site spa, or the luxurious Meadowood Resort. But, for a more affordable, yet unpretentious, luxurious option, select the Harvest Inn (1 Main Street, St Helena). Situated on eight acres, the Harvest Inn was first built in 1975. The property is home to 320 redwood trees and artwork is scattered throughout the property. You can enjoy a self-guided art walk through the peaceful property, swim in one of the two pool or workout in the small gym. Harvest Inn has 78 updated rooms, some of which have fireplaces and hot tubs. The Vineyard View rooms overlook Whitehall Lane’s Leonardini Vineyard and other rooms have views of the lush gardens. The restaurant at Harvest Inn serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner and features menus that highlight locally sourced ingredients. Be sure to try the bacon at breakfast, a recipe created by Hector, the bellman at the Harvest Inn. The hotel hosts free wine tastings on Monday and Friday, is dog-friendly and offers complimentary car service to wineries within a three-mile radius. Add to that, Harvest Inn does not charge any resort fees. Harvest Inn really offers a great value for the price.