CONVIVIUM
Table Talk with Food, Wine & Spirits Professionals
presented by Colangelo & Partners Public Relations
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Last week I had the pleasure of tasting a gorgeous array of wines from throughout the Rhone Valley at an early evening event at Capitale on the Lower East Side. Many of the wines I tasted were fairly young, nearly all quite pleasant, and one really stood out: a 2005 Gambert de Loche Hermitage Cave de Tain. Apart from the wine, what stands out in my memory is the sheer cleverness of the event set-up itself. “Flights and Flights” was the theme, which meant the entire event played upon the experiences of flight. The registration desk was fitted out with a airport-style check-in desk and even a fake illuminated board of flight departures. The entrance was a long, red carpet promenade lined with vintage suitcases. The welcome speech was given airline-style with clever admonitions, such as “do not fasten your seatbelts.” Entertainment integrated “flight,” as well, with aerialists and juggling balls, wine bottles, baguettes… I’ve seen this level of creativity at industry events before but rarely for the sort of wine region or trade organization from which I’d expect a standard early afternoon, walk-around tasting. I think the latter is an excellent vehicle for straightforward evaluation of wines to assist purchasing decisions or writing reviews. But I would love to see more “serious” wine trade presentations take a creative spin like this from Rhone Valley Wines. Erol Senel describes the event in more poetic detail (and with photos!) on his blog, Senel Wine at http://senelwine.com/2011/09/28/the-sensuality-of-the-rhone/  No related posts. Tags: red wine, Rhone wine, wine tasting |
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