Vine Vibe Uncorked 
When I think of Dom Perignon, Veuve Clicquot, and French Wine, I picture a small family owned business with fields of Old Vine grapes. In reality you have to look to the fashion industry to find the owner.
Wine and Fashion are two of life’s greatest pleasures! What goes better than a glass of wine and a fashion magazine? You don’t have to look far to find brands like Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Ferragamo, and Diesel in the wine business!
In the past you could buy a Louis Vuitton wine carrier ….. but now you can buy their wine and champagne to go in them. In 1987 Louis Vuitton and Moet Hennessy merged and formed LVMH. LVMH now owns over 60 subsidiaries, including Dom Perignon, Veuve Clicquot, and Belvedere Vodka, along with many other “Luxury Brands”.
Other fashion companies have followed the same path. Ferragamo and Bulgari have vineyards and estates in Southern Tuscany. One of the Guess brothers, who co-founded the company, has a 55-acre Napa vineyard and winery. Chanel bought St. Supery vineyard and winery in Napa.
With all of these “Luxury” brand companies lending their name and efforts to making great wine and champagne, it has me thinking of other fun potential ventures…..
-AVEDA could make an Organic Wine
-Rolex could make Champagne to rival Dom Perignon
-YSL could make a wine that has anti-aging beauty properties
The list is endless, but one thing is for sure, more and more companies are entering the world of “Wine” and changing our perception of our everyday glass of wine to that of a “Lifestyle” choice.
~Cheers
Who wants to go to Italy with me at stay at Sting’s Tuscany estate and vineyard?
We can rent out the entire estate, main house, guesthouses and grounds for up to 500 people! When I checked on the price, it appears to be a case of, if you have to ask, you can’t afford it 🙂
So our next best option is to drink wine from his vineyard!
It all began when Sting and his wife Trudie were looking for a summer home in Italy. They found a very run down estate that used to produce Honey, Olive Oil and Wine. They bought the property, Il Palagio, because of the view! Then they began a decade long project of bringing the Estate, Vineyard and Olive Groves back to life.
Sting invited all of the neighbors and town locals to the farm shop on the estate for a party to share their plans for returning Il Palagio to its previous glory. Now, every August, Sting holds a party for everyone to celebrate and thank them for their support. They eat, drink wine and of course he sings a few songs!
(I want to be on this invitation list!!)
Sting has named the wine produced from the vineyard after some of his hit songs….. (Message in a Bottle, Roxanne, Sister Moon) just to name a few.
Sting said “A wine is like a song – it has to tell a story to tell”.
Sister Moon has been listed as one of the top picks by “Wine Spectator Magazine”.
We can travel to Italy to check it out, or run down to Total Wine and More!
They carry a few of Sting’s yummy Italian wines! Try a few and message me on your favorites!! Cheers~
Photo courtesy of http://www.il-palagio.com
My pick for this weekend…… Conn Creek Anthology Cabernet Sauvignon.
(Blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cab Franc, and Petite Verdot)
I discovered this wine a few years back and it never disappoints.
I took my parents out to a local restaurant for my dad’s birthday and
the restaurant owner told us that he alternated his favorite wines on the menu and only charged what you could buy it for at retail. It was about $60 dollars for the bottle. I checked it out and found it at total wine for between $55 and $65 depending on the year. This has become one of my favorite places to try new wines with dinner!
I save this wine for special events/celebrations or when I am cooking a nice Filet! I have not visited Conn Creek winery yet,
but it is on my list for my next trip to Napa!
Conn Creek is a boutique winery in the Rutherford District of Napa.
This particular Cabernet Sauvignon has a very velvety finish. It is dense and darker purple than most Cab’s. Lots of flavor, with notes of cherry, licorice, crème’ de cassis. If you like a full bodied red this one is great.
The 2010 and 2013 have been my favorite. They both make a great addition to your wine cellar as they will age nicely for 10 – 15 years.
I don’t think they will last that long in my house, but a nice bonus!
Cheers everyone!~ Let me know how you enjoy this wine!
Champagne has crossed over into the main stream. I used to only drink Champagne on New Years Eve, or at special events requiring a toast. Now, I am seeing a nice variety of Champagnes by the glass offered at my favorite restaurants.
Champagne Bars are the new “In Vogue” spot to try new bubbly! They are creating a sophisticated, yet affordable, experience for the Champagne lover. While I was in Asheville, NC, friends and I checked out a local Champagne bar, the Battery Park Book Exchange & Champagne Bar.
The idea behind the Champagne Bar is to create a relaxed, less pretentious setting to enjoy Champagne. This used bookstore & Champagne bar absolutely delivered on creating the experience. We enjoyed a bottle of Taittinger, Reims and Louis Roederer Champagne while nibbling on macaroons. We were sitting in a beautiful bar, surrounded by 2 floors of literature with Jazz music performed live in the background. What was going to be a quick stop to check out this establishment, turned into a 2 hour, very laid back afternoon, enjoying Champagne and catching up with friends.
To keep prices affordable, Champagne bars, including the Book Exchange, offer a large variety of Champagne by the glass, half bottle or bottle.
If you are looking for a unique, fun, experience this weekend, check out the local Champagne bars in your area and let me know what your new favorite spots and Champagnes are!
For more information on Taittinger Champagne, Louis Roederer Champagne, or the Battery Park Book Exchange go to: www.Taittinger.com , http://www.BatteryParkBookExchange.com, http://www.Louis-Roederer.com
Just for VIP’s? Not so fast!
If you are passionate about wine and like the idea of having a supply of your favorite wine on hand when dining out, wine lockers may be for you.
There are some additional benefits, other than convenience, in having a locker. Restaurants offer locker owners assistance with wine selection from in-house sommeliers, bar tenders, and managers. Most restaurants also offer a discount on wine purchased for the locker and don’t charge a corkage fee. If you plan business outings or big family events regularly this can offer a large savings. Some restaurants offer locker owners special invite-only events during the year, such as Reserve Wine tastings.
Another benefit to locker owners is the ability to customize a brass name plate on the front of the locker. This can serve as great advertising for your business. Some restaurants charge a flat leasing fee for the year, while others just require a minimum spend on wine housed in the locker.
If you want to save money, get great advice on wine selection, and feel special and pampered when you go out, wine lockers may be for you.
Pictured above are Morton’s of Palm Beach wine lockers. For information on a private wine locker with Morton’s go to: http://www.mortons.com
You are a VIP!
1. What temperature should Red Wine be stored at and served at?
Red Wine should be stored at 55 degrees in a wine refrigerator or cellar.
Red Wine should be served at Room temperature… to clarify… not room temperature here in FL! Room temperature in a nice cool wine cellar…70 degrees.
2. What color grapes are used to make white wine?
Red grapes!
3. How many grapes does it take to make a bottle of wine?
On average it takes 736 grapes to make 1 bottle.
4. How many bubbles in a bottle of Champagne?
Almost 58 million!
5. Is the practice of walking on grapes (Think “I love Lucy”) still used in wine making?
It is! Usually when producing small quantities of High End Port Wines.
6. What has the highest alcohol content: Wine, Beer or Whisky
Standard serving sizes of all alcohol beverages — beer, wine, and liquor — are equal in alcohol strength and effect on the body.
7. What type of wine has the lowest calories?
Dry and low alcohol content wines are the lowest in calories….. although I would rather drink what I like and cut calories somewhere else!
8. What happens to Red and White wine as they age?
Red wine gets lighter in color and White wine gets darker in color.
9. How much pressure is there in a bottle of Champagne?
The pressure in a bottle of champagne is 90 pounds per square inch, about three times that in your automobile tire.
10. Are you scared to open a bottle of Champagne? Now you have a reason to be! How fast does a cork travel when you open it?
A flying cork can travel up to 50 MPH
Are you curious about “Organic” wines? Do they taste the same as non-organic wines? Do they eliminate the red wine headache? What makes them “Organic”?
I was curious to and decided too find the answers and sample some wine!
First lets look at the technical side. Wines that carry the “Organic” tag on their label are required to consist of certified organically grown grapes. For grapes to be certified organic, they must have been grown without any prohibited substances (chemicals, pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, insecticides, or chemical fertilizers). Only natural methods of pest preventions are allowed in the vineyard growing “Organic” grapes.
Another requirement for the “Organic” label is that the wine may only contain 20 parts per million of sulfates. My next question was “What is a sulfate and why do I care if they are in my wine?
Sulfates occur naturally during the fermentation process. They act as a preservative against certain yeast and bacteria (which will quickly destroy a wine if they start to multiply). Because of the benefit of Sulfates, over 99% of commercial wines contain them. Sulfates are recognized as an allergen, so there are some wines out there labeled “Sulfate Free”. They must have less than 10mg/L of sulfates to make this claim. I have tried a number of the “Sulfate Free” wines and decided I would give up drinking wine if this was the only option. Yuck!
A lot of people are concerned that sulfates in red wine cause the famous “Red Wine Headache”. There is no conclusive proof that the sulfates are responsible. Some contributing factors to the headache may be that wine is de-hydrating and that red wine can affect your blood pressure, both of which can cause headaches. For me, I will deal with the headache and skip the “Sulfate Free” wines.
If you want to explore “Organic” wines, check out wine tastings at local retail outlets where you can experience several wines and see where your taste buds guide you.
One of my favorite “Organic” wines is Hall Cabernet Sauvignon. It is one of those wines that get better with time. It has a smooth finish and for me had a little sweetness with vanilla and dark cherry/plum flavors coming through.Enjoy the exploration! Join me on FB @VineVibesUncorked and let me know your favorite “Organic” wines!
I was in NC recently visiting friends. They are wine club members at the Biltmore Estates and wanted to introduce me to some of their new favorite wines. I toured the beautiful house and grounds before heading to the “Wine Club Members” special area for a complimentary glass of wine.
I was not disappointed! I found two new favorites, the Reserve Cabernet Franc Dry Creek Valley and The Hunt Red Blend. If you like full bodied Red’s, these are excellent! While I was exploring the wine selection I noticed a “Chocolate and Red Wine Pairing Class”. Within minutes I had my friends and I signed up to take the class!
We walked into a beautiful clock tower building to find tables covered in white linens. Each table was set with 4 beautiful wine glasses and a small silver tray containing locally made artesian chocolates.
Not only did we get to experience the pairing of wonderful Reserve Reds and delicious chocolates but learned the why’s behind the flavor explosions we were tasting. The gentleman leading the experience, not only explained the attributes of raw cacao beans and how that affects the pairing, but also guided us through an aroma journey. He demonstrated how significant the sense of smell is when tasting wine by having us taste a jellybean while holding our noses. There is no taste until you release your nose.
When paring chocolates and wine a couple of basic take aways…..
-The darker the chocolate, the dryer the wine. Dark and intense chocolate does not mix with sweet and fruity wine.
-The sweeter the chocolate, the sweeter and fruitier the wine. When in the Asheville, NC area, I highly recommend making a stop at the Biltmore Estates and checking out their wines! www.Biltmore.com
Have a glass of The Hunt Red Blend for me!
Do you get nervous when:
-Someone at the table hands you the wine list to order for the table
-The server presents you with the wine bottle and now the entire table is watching you!
-You’re on the football field size wine aisle trying to pick a bottle to bring to a dinner party
-Knowing which glass is appropriate for different kinds of wine
-When to open a bottle you have been aging
-What is the appropriate temperature to serve wine?
-When people ask you what notes you taste?
-Someone asks you to open the bottle of Champagne
When I first moved to San Francisco, I found that everyone immediately thought I was a wine expert and I was faced with every situation above. Have no fear. We will cover all of these anxiety-producing moments and make sure you look like a Napa native!
When I was in my 30’s I decided to go backpacking in Europe with a friend. Although backpacking only described my luggage of choice (I stayed in hotels and ate well!)
One stop on our adventure was Bruges, Belgium. We stayed in a quaint Bed and Breakfast with a couple that only spoke Flemmish. In playing charades to try and communicate, they pointed to 2 bicycles and then in the direction of town.
It was dusk as we rode under the Large Arc of the city gate. It was like something out of an American Express commercial. We were entering a different time and place. The cobblestone streets were lined with buildings and churches from the 12thcentury. I realized nothing I would ever see at home would seem old again!
We found a restaurant that all the locals were heading to for dinner. The line was nuts, we were gathering from the group that it was at least a 2 hour wait.
Then something cool happened. The owner, a big, boisterous man that was also the chef came over to us and pointed to a table in the middle of the open air restaurant.
He was cooking in what looked like a huge fire place. The waiter came over with a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon and every time a table was served, all the waiters and the owners seemed to cheer and take a drink. This was a very happy and tipsy staff!
Since we were just enjoying the experience, we decided to go with the flow. The chef would cut a piece of everything he was cooking for various patrons, and put it in front of us. To this day, I can’t tell you what we ate, but everything was amazing.
The food, the wine, but best of all the experience shared by us, the owner, and the other patrons was once in a lifetime. All these years later, I think of this night every time I have a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon.
Vine Vibe Uncorked 