CellarPass, the leading online destination to explore, book and share wine country experiences has announced that it is partnering with TasteLive.com, the world’s premier online wine tasting community and social network, to produce live streaming broadcasts from the inaugural Napa Valley Film Festival on November 9th through the 13th.

“CellarPass and TasteLive have a complementary relationship in reaching new audiences and engaging them in conversation,” said Sarah Elliman of CellarPass. “CellarPass brings people to wine country, while TasteLive exports wine country virtually. So while CellarPass is making it easy for visitors to book their Napa Valley Film Festival experiences, TasteLive’s platform will promote the valley and festival to wine and film lovers across the country.”

Hosted by Mutineer Magazine’s Editor-in-Chief Alan Kropf, the one-hour daily broadcasts from marquee Napa Valley Film Festival events will feature a who’s who in regional winemaking and culinary arts. Wine bloggers from around the United States will join the shows virtually to taste wines, post comments, and ask questions. TasteLive’s fully independent platform, which is integrated with Twitter, Facebook and other Social Media sites to provide extended “reach” across multiple networks, will push the content to the bloggers’ combined followers numbering in the tens-of-thousands.

Mutineer Magazine is proud to be a marketing sponsor for the inaugural Napa Valley Film Festival. For more information on the Napa Valley Film Festival, visit their website.

Sometimes my fellow food bloggers and I roll our eyes and bemoan having to attend yet another extravagant dinner or indulgent food festival. Even while recognizing the enormous calorie counts and coma-inducing properties of cream, bacon, butter and simple carbohydrates (frequently coexisting in the same dish) friends and loved ones are completely appalled when those of us in the bite-it-n-write-it circles get bitchy about a free lunch.

If you are one of those people, don’t read this.

“But it was thirty hamburgers!” That was the most common complaint I heard about The Taste’s Burgers & Beer event, the kickoff to four days of indulgent wining and dining. A huge expanse of parking lot had been taken over behind the Beverly Hilton. Astroturf rolled out, tents erected, gleaming luxury cars (courtesy of Infiniti) were put on display in all their self-conscious opulence. And in that space, from September 2 – 5, The Taste took over – at least for some of the events.

“Thirty! That’s a lot of burgers.”

True. That is a lot of burgers (the number of restaurants was actually thirty-two; the crowd’s favorite burger was from Santa Monica’s Rustic Canyon). At the Taco Tequila Tryst event, spread out on the New York City backlot at Paramount Studios in Hollywood, there were a lot of tacos. And tequila, too.

But, then again, what else should one expect from events called Burgers & Beer and Taco Tequila Tryst? In their defense, the meat spanned the spectrum from beef to pork to sheep and goat and fish, and even the taco party was influenced by a host of different cultures.

See? Sometimes a taco is more than just a taco. Even when there are seventeen different purveyors, all distributing their goods (twenty-seven different tacos in all), wrapped up in a warm tortilla (or a large, circular slice of jicama – from both Taberna Mexicana and Red O).

There was a lot of wine at The Taste, too, but I didn’t hear as much complaining that the bulk of it appeared to be Cabernet Sauvignon (and most of that was poured at Saturday’s Secrets from the Kitchen & Cellar…although, given the name, that’s probably not much of a surprise). What was a surprise was that the wine of the day was actually poured by Ray’s and Stark Bar and it was a sparkling from Westport, Massachusetts: Westport Rivers 2006 Westport Brut “RJR.” Sommelier Paul Sanguinetti said a friend from the area had introduced him to it. Great sparkling from MA? That’s a secret worth sharing.

Another secret from the cellar was that Chateau D’Esclans had all four of their Rosés on hand (Whispering Angel, Chateau d’Esclans, Les Clans and Garrus), and they were all gorgeous.

Back at Paramount, Street Eats (Sept 4) took it to…well…the street, with an assortment of finger foods from a variety of kitchens – including the wheeled kind. There were food trucks, a few dessert stalls and – cheese ‘n’ rice – more tacos. Despite feeling under the weather, I ended up going balls-out at this event: Two of my favorites were Great Balls On Tires’ Ballywood balls (garam masala chicken, coconut madras curry, crispy fried onions, tomato and cilantro chutneys, saffron basmati rice), and the tiny wheels of cream puff goodness from TiroVino wine bar. Pitfire Artisan Pizza got rave reviews from the crowd.

Perhaps the most inventive of the events was DTLA’s Food Noir. Many of the festival’s previous vendors returned for the final night (Giada De Laurentiis hosted Picnic in the Hills the next afternoon to close the festival, for the second year in a row). Restaurants served everything from pan-seared sea scallops (The Raymond) and hand-sliced prosciutto (Terroni) to…more burgers (The Counter) and more tacos (Pinches).

In addition to a great show by the LA local band Dengue Fever, The Orpheum showed clips of old black & white films to support the evening’s theme. That (and the cocktails (The Varnish, Mas Malo, Seven Grand) and the prosciutto…and the cocktails) were my favorite part of the evening.

Actually, Food Noir was probably my favorite part of the entire event (the cocktails: Caña Rum Bar, Las Perlas) certainly helped (but I hadn’t made it to Friday’s Art of Mixing, so that might’ve been a game changer). I also had to skip Fashion Bites Brunch and Desserts After Dark; although it probably would’ve been amazing to see Rodeo Drive closed off and lined with loaded tables of decadent treats…

But, then again, how many desserts can a blogger actually be expected to eat in a weekend? I mean, honestly.

Margaret River, Australia. This is where The Great Aussie Wine Mutiny shall begin.

Located on the southwest corner of Australia, Margaret River is not an easy place to get to. One must fly into Perth and then drive for several hours south to get to the region, which has only been producing wine commercially since the late 1960s / early 1970s.

Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon are the star grape varieties. The wines are stylistically cool-climate, which is a significant departure from the big and bombastic styles from other Aussie flagship wine regions such as Barossa Valley with it’s colossal shiraz wines.

To put it in perspective, Australian wine broker Langtons releases a classification of Australian wines every five years for its clients. There are four categories of classification, with Exceptional being the highest, and out of the 17 wines in the Exceptional category, three are from Margaret River: Cullen Wines, Leeuwin Estate and Moss Wood. Pierro, Cape Mentelle, Vasse Felix, Voyager Estate and Woodlands also appear in other categories in the classification.

The beaches near Margaret River are world-renowned surfing destinations, combining with wine tourism to attract visitors from around the world. The sunsets aren’t bad either.

The waiters have just begun to serve the third course at John Sedlar’s restaurant, Rivera, in downtown Los Angeles. The plating is inspiring: Occupying the top third of the square white dish and painted in spices, is an image. Five different pictures in all, divided among the fifteen or so at the table. Mine is a word, something (meaning now forgotten) printed in delicate Arabic letters, tasting primarily of cumin and paprika. The person next to me has an image of a bull. Beside them is a plate painted with a pair of female eyes, gazing back beneath heavily lined lids. Each picture, the accompaniment to Sedlar’s grilled Snake River Farms chuleta de puerco (under the green of a pureed pippan sauce), is whimsical and strong and leads to an immediate surge in conversation.

But the well-presented pork chops aren’t the only reason the table is buzzing. Vinos Unico, a San Francisco-based wine importer specializing in Portuguese, Spanish and Argentinean wines, invited guests to this dinner to show off their new portfolio of Bodegas Riojanas wines. And they just poured a 1978 and a 1964, side-by-side.

The brands on display tonight, Viña Albina and Monte Real, both represent traditional Spanish Rioja – brambly, earthy, slightly untamed. The Viña Albina wines, in particular – from the 1978 Gran Reserva to the 2004 Reserva (paired with macerated salmon, white asparagus and nasturtium), are all masculine power – berries braced against tannin and spice, unfolding into cigar and barnyard and forest floor. These wines are smooth, but substantial. As they open, it’s impossible to predict the direction they’ll take. The ride is exciting.

The Monte Real Rioja, by contrast, are more restrained. These wines, while still possessing the earth and complexity of the Viña Albina, are more feminine; they’re big but pretty. The journey is less unpredictable; they’re gentle and soft on the finish. Even after ten, thirteen, forty-seven years of aging, these wines still show fruit. If everything aged so pretty, half the people in Beverly Hills would save a fortune on fillers and peels.

Rioja wine comes from La Rioja, an autonomous community and province in northern Spain. The region, itself, is divided into three separate areas: Rioja Alta, Rioja Alavesa and Rioja Baja. Grapes (traditionally Tempranillo, Graciano, Mazuelo and Garnacha for red; and Viura/Macabeo, Malvasia, and Garnacha Blanca for white) are grown in each of the sections – top, middle and lower. The most acclaimed wines come from Rioja Alta, whose higher elevation tends to produce the best combination of fruit/structure/acid/alcohol. By contrast, most of the grapes from Rioja Baja are used for blending.

Bodegas Riojanas is a Rioja Alta producer. Both lines feature a majority of Tempranillo, with Mazuelo and Graciano making up the remainder of the blends. True to tradition and D.O.C. regulation, the Reservas have been aged anywhere from 24 – 30 months in oak barrels and spend another year in bottle; the Gran Reservas spend 36 months aging in bottle after 24 – 30 months in oak.

The 2001 Viña Albina Dolce Reserva, on the other hand, is an entirely different story. This is a sweet white Rioja; the rich, viscous, honey-citrus blend made from Viura and Malvasia – and has just been paired with Sedlar’s honey ice cream, anise kumquat cookies and macerated blueberries. It is the perfect ending to a presentation of unforgettable food and wine; an evening that has proven to be an enlightening combination of old and new in Spanish wine and cuisine.

The seventh annual Detroit Uncorked, presented by Ford Motor Company, in conjunction with Detroit Wine Organization, returns to the Ford Conference and Event Center September 30, 2011 from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Since its inception, Detroit Uncorked has raised over $380,000 for The Children’s Center.

Detroit Uncorked is one of the region’s largest wine tasting events benefiting The Children’s Center and Detroit Wine Organization. This year’s event will feature hundreds of wines from around the world. Over 900 guests are expected to attend.

The General Admission ticket is $80, which includes light hors d’oeuvres, a tasting of over 300 wines, as well interactive Ford Motor Company vehicle displays with games and prizes, and a silent auction. A limited number of VIP Experience tickets are still available at $150 each, which includes all of the General Admission ticket perks plus a full strolling dinner, a rare and limited selections wine bar and live entertainment.

To purchase tickets, visit www.DetroitUncorked.com or call (313) 262-7123. Guests must be at least 21 years old to attend.

Last year, the food infatuated of LA glittered and guzzled at the first-ever “Food & Wine Presents: Taste of Beverly Hills,” a multi-day event, showcasing the town’s best restaurants and some of eating and drinking’s brightest stars. This year, the team behind that gala (Best Events) has joined with the producers of the “Los Angeles Times’ Celebration of Food & Wine” to throw an unparalleled, city-wide extravaganza of the edible, called simply, The Taste.

The event will take place for four days over Labor Day Weekend, September 2-5, 2011, at nine different locations – from Downtown to Hollywood. Over forty of the city’s top restaurants will be serving unlimited bites of their best dishes, and food celebs like Giada De Laurentiis, Ludo Lefebvre, Michael Voltaggio, Marcel Vigneron and Susan Feniger, and others, will preside over the various parties.

All that delicious food is only half the story, of course, and for those of us who are particularly partial to potables, The Taste promises an abundance of liquid pleasure, too, guided by LA legends of libation, like Julian Cox, Michael Shearin and The Beer Chicks.  Events such as “Paso Robles Pioneers,” “How to Taste Like a Master Sommelier,” “Taco Tequila Tryst,” “Art of Mixing,” and “Navigating a Wine List,” will offer glimpses into the world of professional drinking – and learning how to drink like a professional. Event sponsors include Anchor Distilling Co. and Peroni, Avion and 4 Copas Tequila, Caorunn Gin, Wild Turkey, Campo de Encanto Pisco, VeeV Acai Spirit, Aperol, Cyrus Noble Bourbon, Chopin and Voli Vodka and Don Q Rums. Wineries such as Flowers, Justin, Chalone, Charles Krug, Coppola, Row Eleven, Summerland Winery and Banfi will be pouring unlimited tastes throughout the weekend’s events.

Tickets are available for the entire weekend or by individual event.

Governor Jerry Brown has proclaimed September 2011 as California Wine Month, the seventh consecutive year the state has recognized the contributions of the state’s growers and vintners by proclamation. To celebrate, many of the Golden State’s wineries, winegrape growers and regional associations are hosting special consumer wine events.

“As an industry, California wine brings innumerable benefits to the state. Our scenic and historic wine-growing regions, a renowned cuisine based on food and wine pairings, and the opportunity to taste and purchase our world-famous wines bring an estimated 20.7 million tourists to our state each year,” said Governor Brown in the proclamation. “Our state’s wineries create jobs for 330,000 Californians and revenue from retail sales of $18.4 billion, including $1.14 billion in exports sales to 122 countries.” To view the complete proclamation, go here.

In September, tastings, tours and special events will happen across California as Californians celebrate their expansive wine culture. Some of these events include Sonoma Wine Country Weekend, Livermore’s 30th Annual Harvest Wine Celebration, CRUSH: Temecula Valley 2nd Annual Wine & Culinary Showcase, Madera Vintners Association’s California Wine Month Reception & Wine Tasting and Pinotfest Monterey. Others include CALIFORNIA WINE RUSH and Savor the Central Coast 2011.

Be sure to raise a glass of California wine during the month of September for the great vintages of the past and for the many great vintages to come.

Gary Vaynerchuk, as seen on the cover of Mutineer Magazine Issue #3 and in front of the camera on Wine Library TV and the Daily Grape, officially retired yesterday from regularly producing internet video content. The move comes after ending his five year stint with Wine Library TV, his daily internet webcast about wine, in favor of doing the Daily Grape, which was typically a shorter video and only included two wines. @garyvee says he isn’t leaving wine, but first and foremost he is an entrepreneur and the entrepreneurial itch he felt when he wanted to start filming Wine Library TV everyday is the same itch he’s feeling now and he’s gonna follow it.

Gary, we look forward to seeing what you have in store for us all.

Cheers.

To watch his final segment of the Daily Grape, click here.

To read our Mutineer Interview with Gary Vaynerchuk, click here.