CONVIVIUM
Table Talk with Food, Wine & Spirits Professionals
presented by Colangelo & Partners Public Relations
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Archive for May, 2010I made a visit to the Frescobaldi Nipozzano estate on a trip to Tuscany. 1,000 year-old cantina, hectares of prime vineyards in the Chianti Rufina  The vineyards  The Nipozzano estate  In the Cantina region, great family history of the Frescobaldi’s– it was quite an experience. Not to mention the finest Chianti’s and Tuscan wines available. I feel privileged to have had the opportunity.  Related posts:
Tags: Frescobaldi, Nipozzano, Tuscany
Working with the Soave Consortium, it’s our job here at Colangelo to spread the word among wine journalists about the ”Next Generation” of Soave wines and winemakers. These wines are light, fresh, and food-friendly, and for a small viticultural area that produces wines largely composed of one grape (Garganega), they have a remarkable range of expression. We poured seven Soave Classicos and for fun, threw in a Soave Spumante Brut and a Recioto di Soave dessert wine. The Soave Classicos started off simple, fresh and clean, and deepened into more nuanced, rich expressions of Soave with notes of minerals and bitter almonds. As wine geeks, we all agreed that the more complex Soaves were to our taste, but that it was the lighter, freshest wines would most easily appeal to the average consumer. This led to a lively discussion about what a wine writer’s role is versus the staff a retail shop, and whether there is a responsibility to the consumer to be truly well informed as a retailer. The Soave Spumante Brut was a hit although the reactions to the Recioto di Soave, while warm, were not overly enthusiastic. Everyone agreed it was interesting to try them, however, and then went back to re-try all their favorites with fantastic cheese and salumi from Di Palo’s Fine Foods. It was a great way to make some new friends out of writers who sadly, I mostly communicate with via email in this day and age, and I always appreciate how thoughtfully they consider and discuss wine. Related posts:
Tags: journalism, Soave, tastings, Wine This past weekend, the world’s cocktail community descended upon New York to celebrate spirits in the first-ever Manhattan Cocktail Classic. Kicking off with a grand Gala at the New York Public Library on Friday evening, the MCC was celebrated in New York from May 14th – 18th. The four-day cocktail extravaganza included stories behind the bar from renowned mixologists, cocktail competitions where top bartenders battled for grand prizes, unforgettable parties and insightful seminars. Tequila Partida hosted a seminar at Yerba Buena on Perry Street called “The History & Evolution of Tequila, North America’s First Distilled Spirit.” Together with Chef Julian Medina and the Gourmet Latino Festival, guests were invited to peer into the world of tequila, terroir, and the essence of Mexico. Excellent fare was presented by Chef Medina, and delicious cocktails were created by Jacques Bezuidenhout and Raphael Reyes. Founder, Chairman and CEO of Tequila Partida Gary Shansby led an informative tequila tasting, while President of Tequila Partida de Mexico Vinicio Estrada talked about history and culture, paired with Chef Medina’s succulent dishes of Tamal con Huitlacoche, Pollo con Mole, Gordita de Puerco and Churros dusted with cinnamon, served with chocolate and dulce de leche sauces. There were fun surprises, many laughs and innovative uses of the world’s top rated tequila. New York cocktail enthusiasts will look forward to the Manhattan Cocktail Classic in 2011, as plans begin to unfold for the exciting times to come at Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans.  The team at Tequila Partida and Gourmet Latino Festival outside of Yerba Buena Perry. Photo courtesy of WeShootCocktails.com Related posts:
Tags: Food, Spirits, Tequila Partida I You might think “so it’s hard to get a journalist to come drink wine?” and the answer would be yes. It’s harder than ever. Writers are bombarded with press releases, samples, and invitations on a daily basis. So, one tactic I have employed recently that has had success with top wine writers is to offer hospitality while getting guests in & out efficiently and letting them carry on with their work and lives. Last week we hosted a tasting of Luce della Vite wines presented by the winemaker, Lamberto Frescobaldi at the incomperable Italian Wine Merchants near Union Square. We tasted six vintages of Luce, a Merlot/Sangiovese blend from Brunello di Montalcino followed by a light but delicious lunch served by IWM’s excellent staff. Why does this work? Because it allows the client to present their wines in a setting on par with their aesthetic mores and the Italian belief that food & wine are inseparable partners. And it allows the journalists the opportunity to interact with a scion of the wine world such as Lamberto Frescobaldi, to taste wines in a focused way that they might not have the opportunity to try all together otherwise, and gets them back to their offices in a reasonable amount of time. And while part of me laments passing of the six-course dinner, I feel that as a public relations professional, it’s likely that I’ll get a better ROI for my client. Sitting down with eight high-level, thoughtful writers who are likely to use the information in a productive way is much better than serving a lavish dinner for thirty and only seeing eight or ten articles. Plus, I think my waistline will thank me in the long run. Related posts: Posted in: Events , Food , Public Relations , Wine | Comments Off |
