Sicily’s Unsung Grapes: Grillo and Zibibbo
Time to look at Grillo for its most exciting quality—its versatility. And on Pantelleria, Zibibbo grapes turn sour conditions into something lusciously sweet.
Time to look at Grillo for its most exciting quality—its versatility. And on Pantelleria, Zibibbo grapes turn sour conditions into something lusciously sweet.
The most exciting wines to come from Austria since Beethoven’s Eroica Symphony? Dry, austere Rieslings.
I can tell you that wine competitions are hard work, though it’s likely not the kind of work that you’d imagine.
The gold medal grape variety that shows zesty orange, lime, and flint notes in its youth; nutty spices and dried fruit after aging? It’s not what you think.
The standards for fine wine service are a vital part of any sommelier organization’s curriculum including the Court of Master Sommeliers. These standards were derived from traditional, formal European wine service used at the very top restaurants around the globe. The standards have existed in some form or another for decades. While a majority of the standards only apply to the very finest restaurants, there are a handful of common denominators that apply to wine service in any restaurant regardless of style or level of service.
Recently, I was sharing dinner with a good friend and fellow Master Sommelier at a bistro in the nation’s heartland. We ordered a bottle of Blanc de Blancs Champagne from an excellent grower-producer. What followed, in terms of our server opening the bottle, was somewhere between comedy and tragedy. While telling us about the evening’s specials, our server blissfully destroyed the capsule on the bottle, took the cage off, and waved the bottle around as if it were a half-gallon of milk. In short, everything that could have been done wrong to open the bottle—was done wrong.
There’s really only one way to do Champagne service correctly, and safety is the most important aspect…
“Understanding German Wine” first appeared on TimGaiser.com on November 5, 2014. It is reprinted here with the author’s permission. Tim Gaiser plays host to “Mastering Germany” for Napa Valley Wine Academy’s “Master Series” LIVE Webinars. Learn more. by Tim Gaiser, MS There are two countries that instill fear in the hearts and minds of MS …
Mastering a wine region requires a comprehensive understanding of that region. In simpler terms, it is digesting the why behind the region. For example, it is important to know what the yield restrictions are in the Grand Cru Vineyards of Alsace, but even more important to understand why those yield restrictions were put in place, …
A Napa Valley Wine Academy education–whether you are pursuing a CSW or WSET credential–will help you compete for jobs** in the following five areas: Wine Educator Napa and Sonoma Counties alone are home to approximately 800 wineries. Many of these wineries have visitor centers, where guests can tour, taste and purchase. Wine educators who can …
5 Wine Careers to Consider with a Wine Certification Read More »