“If Being Blind Made Me A Better Winemaker, Then There Would Be More Chefs And Winemakers Who Are Blind. Where Are They Hiding? I Have A Good Palate Because I...
We all know that bartenders like to have a good time. But our hard-working bartending community is also socially conscious and is giving back to the community, one party at a time!
Three years ago when a group of bartenders went to New Orleans for Tales of the Cocktail, they decided to throw a casual bbq in the park with cocktail punches and pork. But in 2010 New Orleans was in the wake of the oil spill and they wanted to be able to help. How could a group of bartenders help? Pig & Punch!
Created by the Bon Vivants, a San Francisco-based bartending team, the plan was to first put in the manual labor and then also give back by doing what they do best - throwing a party. In 2010, eleven volunteers spent time helping to build a house. "By being hands on, it links the people to the place that need help" explained one of Pig & Punch's founders, Josh Harris of The Bon Vivants. At the free bbq, open to the bartending community as well as local inhabitants, tshirts were sold with the Pig & Punch logo, raising $1600. The money benefited the KIPPS Charter Schools arts and music programs. The following year, in 2011, 42 volunteers helped to build and paint houses in New Orleans. Then at the bbq, 550 tshirts were sold, raising $6600 for the Kingsley House.
Gambero Rosso recently announced the Tre Bicchieri, or “three glasses”, winners for the "Vini d'Italia 2013" wine guide. First published in 1987, over 45,000 wines were tasted by more than 60 judges to make it into the 26th edition. Of the awarded wines, eleven wines within the Dalla Terra portfolio received a Tre Bicchieri® honor. Congratulations!
Dalla Terra means "of the earth" in Italian. Founded in 1990, owner Brian Larky, who was the winemaker at Ca'del Bosco in Italy, selects wineries that best represent the regions of Italy. What makes this portfolio of wineries all the more unique is that Dalla Terra Winery Direct® is a direct importer. Distributors are able to buy directly from the producer, which eliminates the national importer and thereby keeps the price a little lower.
I had the privilege to taste these wines and meet the representatives earlier this year at a tasting. Here is a list of the winning wines by region: