WINE

New Zealand wine is more than the grassy, highly acidic Sauvignon Blancs they are so famous for. There is alot of quality wine and importer NZ Wine Navigator, with the help of Master Sommelier Cameron Douglas, has hand-picked some of these wines for the US market. I had the pleasure to meet Cameron Douglas when he was in LA for a lunch with wines from the NZ Wine Navigator portfolio which I wrote about in my column in the Napa Valley Register. Sharing the story below. There is more to New Zealand wine than Sauvignon Blanc and the first few labels that come to mind. Of course, that may be hard to believe when Sauvignon Blanc makes up approximately 84 percent of New Zealand’s exports.
But, New Zealand offers breadth and depth beyond the grassy, citrusy Sauvignon Blancs. An afternoon with Master Sommelier Cameron Douglas demonstrated that as he introduced 10 wineries from throughout New Zealand that represent higher quality wines at competitive prices.
The wines are part of NZ Wine Navigator, America’s New Zealand wine specialist. NZ Wine Navigator was founded by Graham Painter who, during a visit to the U.S., was disappointed by the selection of New Zealand wines available on our retail shelves.
30 August, 2018
If you are looking for somewhere to eat that will satisfy everyone, Granville is the answer. Looking for healthy food, they have it. Craving comfort food, they have it. Dining with someone with dietary restrictions, Granville's menu has a lot of vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free dishes. And the best part, the food at Granville tastes really good. Granville currently has four locations. Burbank and Glendale have been open for almost a decade each. The Studio City location opened three years ago and one-and-a-half years ago, the West Hollywood location opened. I had been to the Studio City location a few times, as it is a favorite local spot of my parents. But I ventured to the West Hollywood location, located on the corner of Beverly Blvd where Jerry's Deli stood for many years. And what a beautiful transition! The architecture is modern with concrete arches covering the windows. Inside, the space is large, open and bright with skylights that let the light flow in and live trees add a freshness to the space.
28 August, 2018
Sometimes there is perfect synergy in a wine and food pairing. It goes beyond just working well together to actually elevating both the food and the wine, resulting in only one response, "WOW!" These "wow" moments do not happen all the time and I had one this week. This perfect pairing of Palmina 2010 Nebbiolo, Sisquoc, Santa Maria Valley with Rock Crab with a truffle sauce at Maude Restaurant is the Please The Palate pick of the week. The current regional theme at Maude is the Central Coast. The Central Coast menu was launched in July and I went for the first time in early July. It is a menu comprised of the bounty that the central coast has to offer, from fresh seafood to vegetables. And the wine pairings celebrate the delicious wines coming from Santa Barbara and more. One of my favorite dishes was the Rock Crab, served in the crab shell, and topped with truffles. The Rock Crab was paired with the Palmina 2010 Sisquoc Nebbiolo, Santa Maria Valley.
25 August, 2018
Our journey up the coast of Croatia started in Dubrovnik. About halfway up the coast we hit Split, the second largest city in Croatia. It was from Split that part 2 of my story begins that originally ran in ATOD Magazine. Beaches, Roman ruins, trendy cafes and boutique shops greeted us in Split, the second largest city in Croatia. Split is in the center of Dalmatia and home to the third largest port in Europe, after Athens and Naples and where our cruise up the coast of Croatia continues. SPLIT | What To Do Take a tour of Diocletian’s Palace. The palace was built by the Roman Emperor in 4th century AD. The ancient fortress has become the old town of Split and you can wander the narrow streets to find shops and restaurants. Split has a really inventive way to explore the city: a scavenger hunt. We were given a list of things to find and take photos of and in the process get a unique take on the region. Initially, I thought that this seemed a bit silly but as we started doing it, we realized how much we were really exploring the town. We paid more attention to small details, spoke to locals, and had a lot of fun.
23 August, 2018
Croatia had been on the top of my list of places to visit. Just across the Adriatic from Italy, it has become a popular travel destination. And, a few months ago, I was lucky to finally go. My mom and I took a "girl's trip" and traveled up the coast of Croatia by boat, stopping in more than ten ports. I wrote about our journey in ATOD Magazine and here is Part 1 of Cruising up the Croatian Coast, exploring the history, cuisine, market places and more.
What was once considered off the beaten path, Croatia is one of Europe’s hottest destinations. Perhaps it was the filming of Game of Thrones that opened the world’s eyes to the beauty of the country but regardless of what it is, people are flocking to the country in droves. Croatia had been at the top of my list to visit for the past few years. But with 21 regions and 1185 islands, 67 of which are inhabited, deciding where to go and what to see was overwhelming. To simplify the challenge, I invited my mom to join me for an Adriatic Sea cruise up the coast of Croatia.
21 August, 2018
It is easy to think that all Tuscan wines taste similar. But recently, I had lunch with Nicolò D’Afflitto, the winemaker for Frescobaldi Toscana who shared the Cru wines from the most prized vineyards in the Frescobaldi portfolio. In my column in the Napa Valley Register, reposted below, Nicolò D’Afflitto shared his thoughts about terroir over variety as we tasted his wine. “A variety can be from anywhere. I sell terroir,” said winemaker Nicolò D’Afflitto as I sat down to have lunch with him.
D’Afflitto is the director of winemaking for Frescobaldi Toscana. The 700-plus year-old Frescobaldi family owns seven estates in Tuscany that cover 1,400 hectares (3,560 acres). He oversees all of the Tuscan estates and, as he believes that the quality of the wine begins with the vine, he manages each of the vineyards as if they were his own children. “I know each vineyard, the rootstock, the clones,” he explained.
D’Afflitto grew up on a farm and studied in Bordeaux. He moved to the U.S. and worked in Monterey before returning to Tuscany to consult. In 1991, Nicolò joined Frescobaldi, working at Castel Giocondo and by 1995 he was overseeing all of the estates.
14 August, 2018
Less than a year ago, fires ravaged Napa and Sonoma. Thousands of acres burned, homes were destroyed and lives were lost. As we watched the news from afar, we received messages about wineries burning down. When the smoke began to clear (both literally and figuratively), we saw that most of the wineries remained standing. Less than a dozen of the hundreds of North Coast wineries were destroyed and one of them was Napa Valley's Signorello Estate. [gallery ids="19212,19213,19214"]   Ten months later, the remains of the fire in Napa can be seen by the burned trees and charred land. But businesses are running and wineries are getting ready for another harvest. And, that includes Signorello Estate. Because of their strength, resilience and overall positive attitude, Signorello Estate is the Please The Palate pick of the week.
11 August, 2018
This past weekend was the Seventh Annual International Albariño Days. It is also summertime and hot outside, so it took little excuses to drink these crisp, refreshing wines. In my recent column in the Napa Valley Register, which you can read below, I shared three Albariños from Rías Baixas that I have been enjoying! The heat of the summer is here, and my palate is calling for crisp, refreshing white wines. One of the wines that is filling this request is Rías Baixas Albariño and right now it is perfect timing because it is also the seventh annual International Albariño Days, August 2-7.
Albariño is indigenous to northwestern Spain and northern Portugal. In Portugal, it is known as Alvarinho and it is the primary grape of Vinho Verde. In Spain, Albariño is the primary grape of Rías Baixas, representing 96 percent of all plantings in the region.
Rías Baixas is located in Spain’s northwest region of Galicia. An Atlantic-influenced climate, it is also known as “Green Spain” as it is an area that is characterized by moderate year-round temperatures, ocean mists and an average rainfall that can be three times the national average. Galicia also gets a lot of sunshine hours, which enables Albariño to fully ripen with good natural acidity.
07 August, 2018
Show more
Loading...
Copied!