Wine & spirits

 

Perhaps this sounds like a broken record, but another week filled with wine.  Tuesday I had white wine class with JC (see above).  JC is studying for his Master of Wine, which he will no doubt pass this time.  His classes are amazingly helpful, clear, and interesting and I strongly recommend anyone doing their diploma should take them.  Or just go for fun; there's always some tasty wines.

 

 

Wednesday was test day.  I don't have much to say about it except, bitters.  WTF bitters!!!!  Following the tasting I went to the Gambero Rosso tasting which was amazing.  I only caught the tail end of it, but there were some phenomenal Italian wines to try.  I swear, once I get updated on this blog I will go into more detail about interesting wines I've tried...but for now I'm hungover and this is as good as it's getting....That's my new friend Christian on the right (the tall guy). 

 

Then Thursday through Saturday was the Wine & Spirits Expo.  It's supposed to be 2 days trade and one day public, but it was more like 3 days public.  Lots of tourists from the Mainland with large open suitcases...That's Jerry and Joe.

 

I has quite a few opportunities to go around tasting and chatting.  It's totally overwhelming with so many different vendors, so I mainly stuck to my friends' booths and the occasional fortified wine.  See Madeira above.  Soooo underrated and delicious.

 

Look a cute turtle.

My friend Angel who sells wine to the House of Fine Wines.  He had lovely Cavas and Priorat and Ribera del Duero wines.  Last year Julia and I sat down with a bunch of his wines and tasted them and then paired them with Asia cuisine for a Wine & Sprits contest.  Well guess who won a gold medal!?  That's right Txakoli and Kung Pow Chicken baby.

 

 

My friend Mark and some of Patrick of Schmidt Vinothek.  This is where the majority of my time was spent.  Austrian and German wines and Schnapps a good start and end to the day.

 

 

Wine expo translates to many wine dinners.  This was a Veneto wine dinner hosted by JC at L'Altro, which was amazing!  The food was all superb, I made new friends (see olive oil and winemaker above), and learned a little more about how great Italian wines are.  Take a look.

 

This was the best sauce I have ever tasted in my life.  I will for sure go back only so that I can dunk my head into the sauce.  There was a also a tasty scallop in there.

 

The risotto was fantastic as well, as was the wagyu, and oh my god dessert parfait!  The wines were all delicious too.  We started with what was definitely the best Prosecco I have ever had.  I must have been aged a long time because it had some delicious autolytic notes that you don't generally get from Prosecco.  The Amarone was also great, but when is it not??

 

 

Friday night was another Italian wine dinner. This one featured wines from all over.  Above are the winemakers who call themselves "Langhe Style."  They're all 20-30 somethings who have taken over the family wineries, and they travel and promote their wines together. Each of the wines was superb.  And so was the food (Jockey Club):

 

 

How pretty is this?  Do you see all of the glasses?  There were 13 wines throughout dinner, which was led by Debra Meiburg MW.  She is absolutely wonderful, and was so kind to let me pick her brain for my stupid wine paper, which is now turned in never to be thought of again.

 

 

I think I had more wagyu beef this week than in my life.  Not that I'm complaining. 

 

 

The girls came by on the first night too which was fun.  It's rare that my wine friends and non-wine friends are in the same venue, so it was fun to lead them around and show off a bit.  Alicia, me, Laura, and Sylvia. 

 

Saturday night I went out far too hard and long (3am what!) and died on Sunday.  Paul and I finally rolled out of bed around 1.  We only got up because it was Csilla's birthday and there was pizza and cake to be consumed :)

 

 

 

You can quite tell in this picture, but there are 5 of those giant pizzas!!  Everyone ate at least one slice, some 2 (paul), and then we took more home.  Csilla is still eating pizza a week later I think... That's Simone hiding under the box.