September 2, 2010 might’ve quietly come and gone in your neck of the woods, but in the world’s most famous zip code, 9.02.10 was a pretty big deal. To commemorate the date, Beverly Hills joined with Food & Wine magazine to throw a four-day party: The first ever Taste of Beverly Hills.
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Definitely helpful, and generous, was the provided shuttle service from the parking lot to the 2010 Sonoma Wine Country Weekend. I remember thinking to myself, “This will definitely be a boon upon the event’s conclusion. All that wine and food, sheesh.” But, I pressed on, entering the arena of wine world experiences, adventures. Checking the clock on my new iPhone, 11:01AM. Okay everyone, let’s stop thinking, and start experiencing, delighting…
If you attended the event for the first time, like this author, you may have felt submerged within the pulls of various booths tents, stands, and exhibits. As in, “Where do I go first, what should I taste first?” One would recognize Alexander Valley, Sonoma Valley, Dry Creek Valley, and the ravishing Russian River Valley. Emphasis not merely on wine, but cuisine, industry, culture, beer, and social media as well. As a journalist of wine, one is to note the who, where, when, what, why. Okay, great. But what does that journalist do when thereare dozens of dozens of each? Relax, don’t self-overwhelm. Walk forward, enjoy. Continue Reading »
Cambridge, MA: Berkshire Brewing Co. Beer Dinner
Willoughby, OH: Troegs Beer Party
On Monday, August 16, 2010, Brooklyn Brewery blew a hole in the sky.
Ok, so maybe they didn’t really blow a hole in the sky, but there certainly was a lot of rain before the Detonation Ale release party at the Prospect Park Audubon Center at the Boathouse. So much so, in fact, that park workers had to reroute attendees down another path due to a flooding lake blocking the path.
Flooding that, most certainly, would not keep us away from this explosive event. Continue Reading »
There are lots of great beer event listing sites out on the “interwebz” such as Beer Advocate, Rate Beer, and Craftbeer.com. These sites have a user posted database of calendars chock full of beer events. For the average beer drinker, however, these schedules can be a little daunting- this Saturday alone held over twenty events combined!
This weekly posting will serve as your quick reference guide to the hottest beer events for this upcoming week- featuring craft beer and food pairing dinners, festivals, and events that will host representatives from the involved brewery.
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What is it with me, Zinfandel, and awesome food lately? Anyway…
“Event Recap: “An Affair With Zinfandel”
Step one: Out to the estate vineyard to meet up with winemaker Margaret Davenport. On a beauteous early evening, in my most cherished of valleys, we took a gander (or three) at the fruit. I witnessed how behind schedule they are, only now in verasion (when the grape starts to ripen and develop its color). Already I was having a blast, taking pic after pic with my camera (okay, I confess — cameras. I love veraison!). Syncing back to task, we tried two ’09 Zins, one in French Oak, one American. I overheard some say before the pour, “Do you think we’ll be able to tell the difference?” Their dismissive dialogue soon dove into humble interest and arousal with lines like, “Oh wow, look at that!” And believe me, the difference, although both were delicious, was that starkly pronounced. Continue Reading »
Thursday, August 19th a feast of Edwardian proportions will take place at the storied Ebenezer’s Pub in Lovell, Maine. The chef for this epic feast will be none other than Sonoma, California’s own “Home Brew Chef” Sean Paxton (famous for preparing the world’s largest beer dinner).
The lucky bastards who get to attend this ode to gastronomica will be dining in style on dishes paired with a rare bottles from Ebenezer’s proprietor Chris Lively. What sort of pairings will they be? I’m talking 16 mind-blowing courses such as lobster poached in foie gras paired with Cantillon Crianza Helena and crepinettes of coriander cured pork belly, chanterelles and leeks paired with Wild Pannepot De Struise Brouwers. Continue Reading »
