A glass of wine is just a conversation waiting to happen as I always say, and today's conversation is with Celebrity Trainer Joey Thurman. Joey was named the best trainer in Chicago by the Chicago Sun Times in 2015 and NEWBEAUTY.com's top 3 favorite celebrity trainers. Joey has appeared on CBS, WGN, FOX, ABC and WCIU sharing his insights as a celebrity fitness trainer, published author and nutrition expert. We sipped the Skouras Zoe Rose 2016 to get the conversation started!
Jessica Altieri - Podcast with Chandon California Head Winemaker, Pauline Lhote
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A glass of wine is just a conversation waiting to happen as I always say, and today's conversation is with Chandon California Head Winemaker Pauline Lhote. We are sipping the 45th anniversary special edition of Blanc de Noirs sparkling wine. Pauline grew up on a farm in Champagne where bubbles were always part of her path. After she earned her National Diploma in winemaking at Reims, she worked at Moët & Chandon and Nicolas Feuillate. Pauline came to the United States for a three-month internship at Chandon and now leads the team that creates its sparkling wines. Join me and Pauline for a special, big bubbles podcast.
Jessica Altieri Podcast - Wine Conversations with Jenn Dieas, the Founder and CEO of Glowout Salons
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Meet Jenn Dieas, the Founder and CEO of Glowout Salons
A glass of wine is just a conversation waiting to happen as I always say, and today's conversation is with Jenn Dieas, the Founder and CEO of Glowout Salons, a unique one stop shop for all your beauty essentials.
We sipped the bright and lively Mirabeau Pure Rosé 2016 from the Cotes de Provence to get the conversation started!
Empress Maria Theresa of Austria - Luxury Vineyard
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Empress Maria Theresa of Austria worked in the small vineyard at The Schloss Schönbrunn over 250 years ago. Schloss Schönbrunn wines are elegantly infused with the palace’s “imperial splendor,” which becomes evident as you wander through the breath-taking sculpted gardens, fountains, Roman ruins, and 1,441 rooms of Baroque palatial wonder. A must see visit for any wine and luxury travel enthusiast! #siplux
Schloss Schönbrunn is the smallest vineyard of Vienna with deep history and a perfect location. The Schloss Schönbrunn, known for its “imperial splendor in bottles,” is located in the park of the imperial baroque Schönbrunn Palace. Schönbrunn Palace is a must-see destination for all Vienna tourists: The estate currently serves as an alluring testament of the riches and opulence procured from Holy Roman Emperor Maximillian II to emperor Franz Joseph. Schloss Schönbrunn wines are elegantly infused with the palace’s “imperial splendor,” which becomes evident as you wander through the breath-taking sculpted gardens, fountains, Roman ruins, and 1,441 rooms of Baroque palatial wonder.
Some of Empress Maris Theresa's accomplishments from queenmariatheresa.weebly.com
-Provided Education for Serfs.
-Unification of the currency, measures, weights, customs, and taxes.
-Created unified judicial code that we called Theresian and was foundation for many today's Central European laws.
-Created professional army by maintaining seven year service for every male serf in the kingdom.
-Maria made the German language was the only acceptable language to communicate in.
-She had the ability to select gifted men to be her advisers. This was one of her most impressive abilities as a ruler.
-Maria decreased the power of the nobility.
-The reformation that she lead for Austria was well structured.
-She limited the power of labor that nobles would force peasants to do.
-The empress had a long reign which spanned forty years.
Maria Theresa was kind-heart, courageous, and generous. She respected the rights of others and expected others to respect her rights. Throughout the empire, the peasants were obligated to pay monetary and work dues to their lords. The empress had a long reign which spanned forty years. She died on November 29, 1780."
How To Sip the $201K Bentley Continental GT
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First ingredient: 2018 Bentley Continental GT; offered only as a four-seat convertible, it is available with just one powertrain: a 582-hp 6.0-liter W-12 engine paired with an eight-speed transmission. “The new Continental GT features clean, superformed lines and a wide, low body, evoking a sense of speed and presence,” explains the website, adding that the car was “created for agile, exhilarating driving.” Oh, and it’s green, too! With best-in-class fuel emissions, you can now drive a smidge too fast without worrying about Mother Earth. Yay!
Add: Svalbarði Polar Iceberg Water; water from melted icebergs - calved freshly from the fjords around Svalbard, just 1,000 kilometres from the North Pole - provide the source for Svalbarði’s pure water. Iceberg waters are some of the rarest in the world due to the difficulty of gathering this arctic water. Onsite and hosting the VIP luxury event this past week for the Chicago launch of the 2018 Bentley Continental GT at Gold Coast Bentley. Congratulations to Joe Perillo and Cesar Marin from from Gold Coast Bentley for the "Perfect Sip of Luxury".
A Water Sommelier is someone educated on the properties of water and the elements that affect it. Training includes identification of the terroir, which is the manner in which the geographic region affects the flavor and properties of the water before settling in the location from which it is sourced for drinking. Different terroirs produce varying levels of minerals such as Calcium, Magnesium and Sodium. These minerals, which are present at different levels based on geography and other factors, have a marked impact on the taste and mouthfeel of water.
Different kinds of water pair better with different types of food, just like wine. Additionally, the quality and type of water used in coffee and tea have a significant impact on the taste of the beverage and can also alter the taste profile of a glass of wine or an entire meal.
Jessica's innovative, sophisticated, but humble approach has established her as one of the world's most sought-after millennial-aged professional wine judges and tasting experts. In conjunction with her work with lifestyle brands in food, fashion, retail and hi-tech, Jessica Altieri is undeniably an innovative authority in the wine lifestyle industry.
About Jessica Altieri
Jessica Altieri is a wine expert and sought-after wine judge and was recently named as one of the "40 under 40" to watch in the food and beverage industry by "Wine Enthusiast" magazine. Altieri is the CEO of The Wine Channel TV network and hosts a popular wine podcast on Revolver called "Wine Conversations with Jessica Altieri." She has been a lifestyle contributor to CNBC, Yahoo! News, ABC7 Chicago and ESPN Radio, among others.
Exclusive Interview with Jean-Charles Boisset
CommentJessica Altieri and Jean-Charles Boisset Review Passion of Wine and “Tour de Terroir
Join Jessica Altieri, luxury brand influencer and Boisset Collection Proprietor Jean-Charles Boisset for an exclusive interview in Chicago. Jean-Charles talks about how Boisset Collection is bringing three of its French winemakers to U.S. shores April 9-20 for “Tour de Terroir”. The tour features a rare opportunity to taste the liquid jewels of Burgundy with the visionaries that crafted the wines. Jessica and Jean-Charles also discuss his new book, Passion for Wine, which he co-wrote with noted sommelier/wine educator Marnie Old. It takes a new approach that is dynamic and engaging and uses a concept called “Spectrum of Style” to deconstruct why wines taste the way they do and how people can determine their individual wine styles.
Following is press release from the Boisset Collection with details on the “Tour de Terrior”:
St. Helena, CA (April 4, 2018) – Boisset Collection will bring three of its French winemakers to U.S. shores April 9-20 for “Tour de Terroir” — a multi-city opportunity for wine professionals and consumers to taste wines from Burgundy and Beaujolais to learn more from the vintners of these exceptional wines and domaines. In addition, JCB Spirits — which reflect an extension of Burgundy as the vodkas and gin are made from wine made from Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes from the Côte d’Or — will be available to sample during the Tour’s tasting events. The Tour de Terroir will stop in Chicago on Tuesday, April 10th.
Joining Boisset Collection Proprietor Jean-Charles Boisset will be winemakers Grégory Patriat of Jean-Claude Boisset, Lucie Depuydt of J. Moreau & Fils and Florent Georger of Mommessin. The 10-city tour starts in Boston and then moves to Chicago; Austin; Orange County, Calif.; San Francisco; New Jersey; New York City; and Washington, D.C., before ending in Florida with stops in both Naples and Miami. Please click here to read more about the winemakers.
“We are so excited to bring these talented winemakers to the U.S. to share their passion for their wines and unique terroirs,” said Boisset. “This is a rare opportunity to taste the liquid jewels of Burgundy with the visionaries that crafted the wines!”
In addition to featuring wines from Jean-Claude Boisset, J. Moreau & Fils and Mommessin, attendees of the Tour de Terroir will also get a chance to sample wines from three other Boisset properties: Domaine de la Vougeraie, from the Burgundian regions of Côte de Nuits and Côte de Beaune, Bouchard Aîné & Fils from Beaune and Château Pierreux from Beaujolais.
Top critics’ praise for the 2016 Burgundy vintage:
“Burgundy-loving civilians, who are naturally more concerned with the price and availability of their favorite wines than with the challenges of producing them, will derive great pleasure from the precise, perfumed, suavely tannic 2016s from the outset. One caveat: following a small crop of very ripe, large-scaled wines in 2015 that are quickly disappearing from retail shelves around the world, if they made it that far in the first place, the more classic ‘16s won’t be easy to find either.” –Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
“2016 is a seriously delicious vintage. Bad news, burgundy lovers: there is a serious shortage of wine… 2016 has produced already-charming but potentially long-lived reds with a winning combination of bright, fresh, burgundian, expressive fruit with good but not insistent acidity.” –Jancis Robinson, MW
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About Boisset Collection
Boisset Collection is a family-owned collection of historic and unique wineries bound together by a common cause: authentic, terroir-driven wines in harmony with their history, their future and the land and people essential to their existence. With more than twenty-five historical and prestigious wineries and tasting salons in the world’s preeminent terroirs, including the Côte d’Or, Beaujolais, Rhône Valley, California’s Russian River Valley and the Napa Valley, each house retains its unique history, identity and style, and all are united in the pursuit of fine wines expressive of their terroir. Boisset Collection has also branched out beyond wine to offer luxury goods, both of its own design and from partnerships with historic companies such as Baccarat, Lalique, Christofle and Bernardaud. To learn more about the Boisset Collection, visit www.boissetcollection.com
About Jean-Claude Boisset
In 1961, a tenacious eighteen-year-old, Jean-Claude Boisset founded his eponymous négociant winery in Nuits-St.-Georges. An artisan Burgundy producer with an audacious, authentic style, the winery is housed in a former Ursulines convent where Winemaker Grégory Patriat strives for authentic wines in which human intervention has been kept to a bare, discreet minimum. Utilizing native yeasts and never more than 30% new oak, the wines are concentrated, well-rounded, and naturally expressive of their terroirs. The winery embraces the philosophy devised by the Boisset family of the “viniculturalist” — where the winemaker is as much engaged in the vineyards as in the cellars, building close partnerships with growers to achieve the highest quality in the vineyards.
About J. Moreau & Fils
Specialists in the wines of Chablis since 1814, J. Moreau & Fils has built its reputation on a love of wine and respect for the terroir. Located just outside the village of Chablis, J. Moreau & Fils’ house style is to capture the purity and minerality of Chablis in each of its stunning wines. The wines can be characterized by Chablis’ signature lively minerality and a perfect balance between terroir, fruit, structure and texture, making them accessible in their youth while simultaneously possessing a great aging potential.
About Mommessin
Founded in 1865, Mommessin has been bringing the world excellent wines from Beaujolais and Burgundy since it began exporting in 1890. Through our own properties as well as long-term contracts with growers, some over 100 years old, we are able to consistently bring you exceptional wines of quality. The story behind the key: in 1889, Mommessin acquired La Grange Saint-Pierre, several ancient stone buildings in Mâcon that originally belonged to the Abbey of Cluny. The abbey’s emblem, the Key of Saint Peter, became an enduring symbol at the Mommessin winery, one that can be seen today on all Mommessin wines.
How To Sip Luxury with Water Sommelier Jessica Altieri
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Living the High Life: How To Sip Luxury
Jessica Altieri – Water Sommelier and Luxury Brand Influencer
Luxury has always fascinated humans. Cave dwellers admired amber and bright pebbles, rough cut as they were. In the time of the Greeks, people read Plato’s marvelous descriptions of Atlantis, covered in gold, silver and mythical metal orichalcum with wonder, imagining what life was like in that faraway land that now lay under the sea. Medieval royalty bedecked themselves with as many gemstones as would fit on a single person without making it impossible to walk.
Even then, sometimes not walking was a willing price to pay for Awesome Middle Ages Bling. (Just saying.)
Today, the luxury lifestyle looks a little different. From writers such as F. Scott Fitzgerald and Ian Fleming come descriptions of elegance in different 20th-century time periods. From 50 Cent and Snoop Dogg, we get accounts of everyday living accompanied by jewelry, cars and expensive drinks.
Well, our hiphop friends aren’t far off, because cars and beverages are among the go-to luxury items humans in the modern era enjoy most of all. Here are a few of our favorites for your consideration.
The Luxury Lifestyle Today
So, did I mention that rides and bevies pair exceptionally well? Because if not, let me just say it again: People have loved drinking expensive things in the back of expensive vehicles since the dawn of time. Today I’ve paired a few of the most stunning new cars on the market with a few of the crispest, most delicious libations available. Feel free to mix and match!
Put on your driving suit, because it’s time to tour the Amalfi coast, admire the epic sea views of Morocco or climb the fresh-breezed mountains of British Columbia.
“The new Continental GT features clean, superformed lines and a wide, low body, evoking a sense of speed and presence,” explains the website, adding that the car was “created for agile, exhilarating driving.” Oh, and it’s green, too! With best-in-class fuel emissions, you can now drive a smidge too fast without worrying about Mother Earth. Yay!
Described as a “large barge in charge” by Autoweek, which adds that a ride in the Rolls-Royce Phantom feels like “being whisked about in a sedan chair carried by beauty queens stepping on marshmallows while wearing extra-large and comfy bunny slippers.” In other words, the Phantom is a luxury ride with no parallel when it comes to comfort and quiet.
With 287 pounds of sound-dampening material, a quarter inch of glazing on the glass and foam-lined tires, you don’t need to worry about a single road noise disrupting your classical music or hushed conversation.
… except the sound of sipping.
Australia has a firm place in the history of winemaking. None deserves its reputation so richly as Penfold’s, which came on the scene in 1844. Its annals include founding by Dr. Christopher and Mary Penfold, but when he turned to focusing on his medical career, the vineyard fell largely into Mary’s hands. She was succeeded by her daughter, Georgina – proving once again that women can rock the business sphere just as hard as any man.
In the last 170-plus years, the vineyard has transformed itself into a name synonymous with luxury, greatness, taste and pedigree. (BTW, this might be a good time to mention that at one point there was a Penfold’s car, shaped like a wine bottle, combining the two very things we’re talking about here today.)
If you’re not in a wine mood, however, how about a glass of water?
For those not yet in the know, Svalbard is one of the coldest regions in the world. So cold, in fact, that it was chosen as the site of the Global Seed Vault, a bunker-like storage facility that houses thousands of seed varietals. Think of it as the human race’s “Oh damn, the world has ended and we better figure out how to save seeds without power so we can start farming again when the dust from the supervolcano finally clears in a hundred years” form of insurance.
Yeah, it’s that cold.
Much like the luxury water Svalbarði, award-winning and ultra-low-mineral still Arctic iceberg water, perfect for a refreshing crystalline draught or the world’s most delicious cup of tea. Believe it or not, it is the world’s northernmost bottled water and is tagged as a “taste of snow in the air,” due to those lingering glacial flavors. Trust me, don’t miss out on this one.
A Day to Remember … A Life to Remember
Hopefully now you have a few more ideas about your next picnic/joy ride. Your honey will ride in high style, thirst quenched by the perfect vino and most luscious water. So whip out that calendar, schedule in a free Saturday and sit down to dream about luxury. Or, if you can, actually live it (wink, wink), all life long.
Any questions? Feel free to get in touch with Jessica Altieri just as soon as you like!
How To Sip Spring at Chicago Hotel Wine Bars
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Go for the wine: 5 Chicago hotels worth visiting for their world-class wine bars
Jessica Altieri, Luxury Brand Influencer and Wine Tasting Expert of Wine Channel TV, takes you inside 5 Chicago hotels worth visiting for their world-class wine bars. Check out the video for Chicago Hotels worth visiting including; The Peninsula Chicago – Virgin Hotel Chicago – Cambria Hotel & Suites Chicago Magnificent Mile – Kimpton Hotel Monaco Chicago – Sofitel Chicago Magnificent Mile
We know that Chicago is blessed with a solid and still burgeoning wine scene, but how is the wine situation at some of the city’s favorite hotels, you ask? For tourists and locals alike, there is an impressive collection of wine bars and lounges connected to just as lovely hotels and make for a memorable night out, lunch, dinner or happy hour. The exotic atmosphere of sitting in a luxe lounge, sipping on a sassy new Shiraz that you’ve discovered, and being surrounded by an interesting international crowd is something that’s hard to beat and hard to find elsewhere. We’ve rounded up five hits below that should definitely be up top on your to-sip list.
Two worthy wine watering holes can be found inside the lavish definition of luxury, The Peninsula Chicago. Pierrot Gourmet is the true blue wine bar (and bistro) of the two, where a Parisian-esque outdoor area blends beautifully with their bright, friendly interior made of light wood. Sample seasonal, festive fair paired with complimenting European wines and flights, to the sounds of traditional music for special occasions. Later, mosey into another one of their drinking establishments,The Bar, for a more lounge-like vibe with their darker lighting and cozy armchairs to relax in.
Two Zero Three is a casual spot adjacent to Virgin Hotels’ Chicago property in the Loop, where you can find a creative approach to wine drinking at this coffee and wine bar combo. Listen to old records spin and grab a book from their collection, as you nibble on cheese or other light fare with your Moscato…the perfect scene. If you get sleepy part way through your wine date, try one of their clever coffee concoctions to perk you back up. One thing to make note of is, as it’s also a coffee shop, their 7pm closing time – you’ll just have to get started drinking earlier in the day, in this case!
Cambria Hotel & Suites Chicago Magnificent Mile
52Eighty Rooftop Lounge at Cambria Hotel & Suites has a lot going for it, starting with of course its prime location boasting rooftop views while you taste the latest trendy wine to sweep the city off its feet. Sit inside or out and get the vistas either way, without having to worry about what kind of weather the predictably Windy City has cooked up. Enjoy fine charcuterie joined with an equally fine wine from their long yet carefully curated list, and to continue on the wine trail the hotel itself regularly hosts international wine events; it even has an on-site wine shop.
Right next to the hotel, South Water Kitchen is technically a full-service restaurant, but their wine list is also full enough to satisfy even the most stuffy of wine aficionados. Supporting mainly American west coast wineries, they cover all types while bringing these same flavors gracefully into their food offerings. Try the vegetarian-friendly zucchini with white wine garlic sauce, or alternatively, the Midwestern star walleye with red wine veal demi. Their moody, dark wood-finished interior with simple mosaic-adorned floor is comfortable and inviting, coaxing you to stay for hours savoring the homey goodness.
Sofitel Chicago Magnificent Mile
Another winner along the truly Magnificent Mile comes at Sofitel’s Le Bar, where their massive windows and roaring fireplace are only the beginning of the classy, comfy outing you’ll have here. Cutting-edge fiber optic lighting is sure to wow you and any company you bring, so suggest this for a future outing and get mega style points. Champagne is in abundance on the menu, and you can nibble on wine-centric tapas to exquisitely complement the bubbly, including generous servings of fresh bread, cured meats and selected cheeses. Don’t miss the chance to try many options at once in their tempting combination of wine flight and cheese flight together.
Stay tuned for “inside sips” on great Chicago Hotel Wine Bars and what’s ahead for the summer of 2018.
March Madness 2018 and Wine
CommentJessica Altieri, Brand Influencer and Joe Harden, Winemaker Talk Hoops and Passion
At 6’7″, Joe Harden may be the world’s tallest winemaker, (send us pics of anyone taller), but these days he is best known for his winemaking excellence at Robert Mondavi Winery. Joe is now sharing his passion for wine with wine lovers around the world with the team at Robert Mondavi Winery.
In April 2014, Joe was asked to take the reins as Winemaker for the red wine program at Robert Mondavi Winery working on their Bordeaux varietals. Join Wine Channel TV host Jessica Altieri with Robert Mondavi winemaker Joe Harden for an exclusive interview at Formento’s restaurant in Chicago. Joe and Jessica talk about the passion of Robert Mondavi and his vision for creating wine experiences for every food and wine pairing. Formento’s Executive Chef Todd Stein paired 3 exquisite dishes for the featured Robert Mondavi wines.
In January 2015, Formento’s, an Italian-heritage restaurant was created in honor of owner John Ross’ grandmother, Lucielle Formento. This is “old-school” meets “new school” customers. Executive Chef Todd Stein brings his love of all things Italian to the table. Check out the 3 delicious dishes prepared by Chef Todd with amazing wines from Robert Mondavi.
For more information Robert Mondavi wines, visit Robert Mondavi here and for a great Chicago Italian dining experience, visit Formento’s here .
Secrets of NBA Wine Passion with ESPN NBA Writer Baxter Holmes
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ESPN staff writer and all-around sports enthusiast Baxter Holmes is known for his in-depth, sometimes delightfully quirky stories. I was lucky enough to talk with him for a leisurely chat – paired on my end with a glass of Puramun Malbec Reserva from Mendoza, Argentina – and speak with him about a subject near and dear to my heart.
Baxter Holmes, who has been hailed for such stories as blowing the lid off the National Basketball Association’s secret PBJ addiction (we knew it!!), is back with another fascinating look at life inside the food and beverage choices of NBA players. Today’s story centers on what we’re fondly calling the Banana Boat Story, for reasons which will soon become clear.
The friendly looking Oklahoma native, who now lives in and spoke to me from his current city of residence, Los Angeles, took time out of his story-swamped schedule to speak to me about … you guessed it … wine.
From Basketballs to Bottles
But first, let’s cast our memories back a little further, to the day when young Baxter was innocently sitting in geometry class sophomore year. There was a knock at the door, followed by the appearance of the high school basketball coach – also the sports editor for the local newspaper – asking if Holmes wanted to cover the team.
Beginning with the first fateful basketball game, Holmes was hooked. Upon graduating high school, he traveled around the U.S. for school, internships and assignments with such luminous publications as The Boston Globe and The Los Angeles Times.
Holmes got my attention with a recent piece, The NBA’s Secret Wine Society, which details the recent devotion certain NBA players have developed for the world of wine.
“I had noticed for some time the players were posting a lot of pictures of wine on social media,” Holmes tells me. The subject has also come up in interviews, and it slowly became apparent that wine is “more than just a side project” for these players: It’s a sideobsession.
Dedication and Discipline … to More than B-Ball
In his travels from Oklahoma to Los Angeles to Cleveland to Houston, covering the story, Holmes was struck again and again by the level of attention NBA players gave to their study of wine. We’re talking the big names, “at the top of their game the NBA.” People whose schedules are already full, Holmes explains, yet this does nothing to dim “their level of curiosity and their hunger to learn.”
Helming this oenological ship were superstars Dwayne Wade, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul and LeBron James (of banana boat fame … told you we’d circle back).
Their mutual obsession began on vacation, and they realized that they were all on “their own little wine journeys,” as Holmes charmingly puts it, and that perhaps they ought to continue those journeys together. And thus was the Banana Boat Tasting Group born. (Not an official title, perhaps, but let’s all just pretend it is, because life is better that way.)
One of the most interesting aspects of the NBA wine story is the fact that the players are not just feigning their enthusiasm or using oenology as the next form of bling. This is not a drill. They really, really care about wine: its roots, its manufacture, its ins and outs.
Holmes tells the story of Carmelo Anthony, challenged to bring the best bottle of wine he could get on to a dinner hosted by the biggest wine collector on the East Coast (at least according to Anthony), and majorly sweating the decision. Not in a casual way, Holmes points out. His stress was more akin to taking a game-winning shot or making a playoff appearance.
So, you know. Did we mention these guys really care about wine?
Wine and the Game: More Similar Than You Might Think
That may be, ponders Carissa Mondavi, granddaughter of California winemaker Robert Mondavi, due to some striking similarities between the obsession and the game. As Holmes writes in his ESPN article, reflecting her thinking, “NBA players are the product of so many unseen hours spent perfecting so many hidden details, all leading to the moment when the ball is tossed in the air. So too is wine crafted against countless variables — the weather, soil, harvest, tanks, the barrels and blends, the delicate alchemy of it all — until, one day, the cork is pulled. For both to shine, it takes so much work no one will ever see.”
Once more, Carmelo Anthony is the perfect exhibit, becoming truly zealous in his study of wine documentaries, the intricacies of tasting, and especially tasting notes. Some people have, Holmes explains, a pitch-perfect accuracy in picking out tasting notes: “Let’s say there’s 12 tasting notes in a glass and they can pick up all 12 of them blindly.” Pretty impressive.
Anthony desires this skill as well, and he’s getting there: “He became really dedicated, trying to get at least three or four. He says he can now do that these days, which is a point of pride.” It’s a skill that takes an incredible amount of practice, which again highlights that uncanny resemblance between the game of basketball and the art of wine tasting.
A Not-Inexpensive Habit
It shouldn’t surprise us that the people who feature regularly on MTV’s Cribs are willing to drop huge sums of money in pursuit of their passions. LeBron James has mentioned his fondness for an occasional bottle of ’09 Screaming Eagle Cabernet, which ranges from $2,500 to $5,000 or more. J.J. Redick also pops into Holmes’ mind as a player with upscale predilections. Perhaps the NBA notable with the most expensive taste of all is Gregg Popovich, head coach of the San Antonio Spurs.
Nor is Holmes himself immune to the humanity-wide interest in very spendy bottles. When asked if he could have any bottle of wine to share with any person, Holmes reveals his perfect bottle to be Romanée-Conti – which he witnessed getting rave reviews during his travels, and which routinely sells for close to 10 grand per bottle. His partner in wine? None other than his wife on her birthday.
* pause for heartfelt awwwwwww *
The players wives’ are almost equally enthused, if not more so. One of his best sources for the story, Holmes reveals, was Gabrielle Union, famous actress and wife of Dwayne Wade. Not only does she know a whole lot, she was super excited to chat about it, answering emails instantaneously and reliably picking up the phone when called. Our conclusion? Well, once again, we have to give the players, along with their friends and families, a lot of credit: This ain’t no trend.
Building a Story
Wine to NBA players is much as wine has been to enthusiasts for thousands of years: part of their way of life. Holmes is just happy that they chose to spend so much time sharing their enthusiasm with him.
“I relied on a lot of people who were very very generous with their time in helping me do that,” he says. Wine is a very complex, almost endless subject. “I mean, it dates back to the beginning of civilization.” In his pursuit of knowledge on the subject, he modestly reveals that he leaned heavily on the players and wine experts to fill in the gaps of his knowledge.
We must say, however, that Holmes doesn’t need anyone to instruct him in how to tell a story. He credits his father for giving him a leg up … or at least a really good metaphor to draw on. As both a high-powered regional sales manager and a builder of log homes, Holmes Sr. taught his son a steadfast work ethic along with a “one log at a time” approach to work. As his father carefully stacked trunk by trunk, so does Holmes today ask one interview question at a time. With enough questions, voilà: You have a story.
Whether the story is about sports, wine or anything else, that’s the ultimate goal: to build a great house.
“I certainly feel very driven to tell the best story, the definitive story, the one that people will remember,” Holmes tells me. “You know, I hope that when people are thinking of the NBA and wine, that this is the story they’ll think of.” I think they probably will.
In closing, I would be remiss in my duties if I didn’t share this fun little tidbit from the rapid-fire question section at the end of our chat: Given the choice between giving up food, wine and sex, Holmes regretfully chooses wine. Considering his dedication to the crafts of both storytelling and oenology, though, we’ll give him a pass.
This one time. Got that, Holmes?
For the full interview, please feel free to listen to the podcast episode and subscribe to Wine Conversations with Jessica Altieri. I’d also like to extend one last thank you to Baxter Holmes for joining us on the show and giving us the inside scoop. Be sure to go visit him on Twitter, where he shares his adventures writing for ESPN and Esquire “now and then.”
2018 Oscars and Wine
CommentMeet Legendary American Lyricist Sheldon Harnick - Fiddler On The Roof
The 2018 Oscars is a day to celebrate great films. I had the chance to meet Sheldon Harnick, an American lyricist best known for his collaborations with composer Jerry Bock on musicals such as Fiddler on the Roof. What are his views on 2 of the most important things in life? You guessed it; “Wine and Film”. Enjoy the conversation!
Stay tuned to Wine Channel TV and wine influencer Jessica Altieri for all your wine lifestyle happenings around the world.
And have you subscribed to the “Wine Conversations with Jessica Altieri podcast yet? It’s not hard knowing what you want when you walk into a Starbucks or a Baskin-Robbins. But finding the right wine? With this podcast you can fake it till you make it. You’ll be sipping with a pro and celebrity guests from the world of wine, music, sports, fashion and food. For every “drinking” reason or season, I’ll cut through the BS and give you great wine choices for ladies night out, tailgating, “date night hero” nights, or just sitting on your couch and getting smashed. Subscribe here..
Wine and NBA with ESPN NBA Writer Baxter Holmes
CommentStay Tuned for Upcoming Podcast and "The Banana Boat Story" with Baxter Holmes
Excited to be sharing the ariwaves with Baxter Holmes with ESPN NBA Writer Baxter Holems this week and talkign about wine AND NBA.
Subscribe here to catch all the inside sips with Baxter!
How To Pair Politics and Wine with Evan Siegfried
CommentEvan Siegfried is a nationally featured political commentator, millennial expert, and author of GOP GPS.
Today’s conversation is with Evan Siegfried, a Republican political strategist and commentator, and equally important, a passionate NYC wine lover and dog owner. Evan is the author of GOP GPS: How to Find the Millennials and Urban Voters the Republican Party Needs to Survive. When he’s not writing for the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post or other publications, he’s busy building his wine collection.
I get the conversation started while sipping an exceptional new release, Sonoma-Cutrer’s limited-production 2017 Rosé of Pinot Noir which showcases the artisan craftsmanship and innovation of this premier winery in the Russian River Valley. Politics and wine discussion; yes, but also some “Evan” focused questions which include the most unique thing he’s bought online and his favorite appliance in house. Join me and Evan for an “award-winning” podcast you won’t want to miss!
Featured Segment Introduction:
Jessica: “So, let’s start with the beginning. I mean tell me about yourself. Where did you grow up and what did you really want to be when you went to college?”
Evan: “Well, I grew up in New York City actually on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. And I didn’t know what I wanted to be when I grew up. But I found out quickly what I didn’t want to be and I didn’t want to be in finance. And I thought I wanted to be a lawyer especially since I come from a family of lawyers. And then I took an internship in high school in between my junior and senior years with the Manhattan DA’s office and I realized, no! This isn’t for me whatsoever. This is boring. So, I went into college just completely confused. No real idea what I wanted to do but I started taking political science classes because it was interesting for me. Then I said, all right! Well, I’ll major in it. You know it’s a respectable major. It can be applied to multiple different businesses and it’s a liberal arts degree. And in my senior year, I got the opportunity through Fordham University through a program they have to work from the UN full-time and get credit for it, unfortunately not a salary. And I took night classes at the same time and it was a really eye-opening experience. But it was also very much you’re the lowest level grunt sort of gofer. I got the coffee. I made the copies. I handed out press fact sheets to the press at the United Nations and I really made sure that they were catered to. And I completed that and wound up going and bumping into a reporter I had dealt with at the UN, and saying to him just after I graduated, I have no clue what I want to do. And he said, why don’t you move to DC and go work there? Capitol Hill is a great place for you and I think you’d thrive. So, I started interviewing for jobs on Capitol Hill and I got a position with the press office of Senator Bill Nelson from Florida. Worked for him and then moved back up here a couple of months later to work for the Rudy Giuliani presidential campaign, his 2008 run.”
For the rest of the interview, listen to the podcast above and subscribe to Wine Conversations with Jessica Altieri
Special thank-you to Evan and be sure to visit his website at: www.evansiegfried.com
Sip and Sandwich with Potbelly CEO Alan Johnson
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"Don't Forget To Hug The Stove"
When you meet Alan Johnson, the new President and CEO of Potbelly, you know right away that there’s going to be lots of laughter, conversation and stories to require at least one bottle of great wine and a few sandwiches.
Join me for a conversation that takes us on a ride from South Africa, working for Michael Eisner, being the CEO of BevMo! and why Alan loves going to the grocery store for hours and not always hitting the Amazon Prime button.
Join me and Alan for an “award-winning” sips and sandwiches podcast and “Don’t forget to hug the stove!”
Here is an overview of the first part of our conversation. Enjoy and grab your favorite Potbelly sandwich and bottle of wine!
Jessica Altieri: [00:00:09] Welcome to Wine Conversations. I’m your host Jessica Altieri, CEO and certified sommelier of the Wine Channel TV Digital Network. This is podcast number 14 “Sips and Sandwiches” with Potbelly CEO Alan Johnson in Chicago on Monday February 12th, 2018. A glass of wine is just a conversation waiting to happen as I always say, and today’s conversation is with Alan Johnson the CEO of Potbelly and we are sipping some Napa cellars Cabernet to get the conversation started.
Jessica Altieri: [00:00:49] Welcome to Wine Conversations.
Alan Johnson: [00:00:51] Hey thanks Jessica. Lovely to be here. Great to see you all. How are you enjoying the Chicago winter so far?
Alan Johnson: [00:00:59] Look there’s no such thing as bad weather. There is only inappropriate clothing, so once I sorted that out then it’s been just fine.
Jessica Altieri: [00:01:08] I like that answer. That makes sense. Nothing that a great bottle of wine can’t solve and warm you up with.
Alan Johnson: [00:01:15] I see you have a treat for us here. ( Napa Cellars)
Jessica Altieri: [00:01:16] We have a nice treat and we’re going to talk about that and I want to tell people about everything you have going on in your current role and how we got in touch here in Chicago. But first I want to start from the beginning and how you got to where you’re at today. So first tell me about where you’re from.
Alan Johnson: [00:01:32] That’s a complicated question you see because most times that means where is that accent from. So, when I tell them I’m from Chicago which is where I live now people don’t believe me, but I was born in Rhodesia which is now called Zimbabwe. And then I moved to South Africa I grew up there as a young adult. I left South Africa at the age of 19 and moved to Australia raised three kids in Australia and then left at the age of 29,30 travelled around the world went to the US with my job for Pepsi years working at Pizza Hut and went to the worldwide headquarters of Pizza Hut which believe it or not is in Wichita Kansas.
Alan Johnson: [00:02:20] Lovely place and quite a culture shock going from Sydney Australia to Wichita Kansas.
Jessica Altieri: [00:02:35] So where did you get to school though?
Alan Johnson: [00:02:39] In Australia.
Jessica Altieri: [00:02:41] What did you want to be?
Alan Johnson: [00:02:42] Well, you know this strange thing is I wanted to be a doctor and moved to Australia and then as it turned out had to miss a year because of the transition from South Africa to Australia and ended up enrolling in business school and then four years later with a business degree really straight but it was a great decision. So, I ended up in Wichita, Kansas and then I was working in strategic planning for Pizza Hut worldwide and I was sent to eastern Europe to open Pizza Hut, KFC and Taco Bell. I lived in Warsaw Poland for a couple of years.
Jessica Altieri: [00:03:28] So you know a little polish…
Alan Johnson: [00:03:32] Yes….so we have that in common and a love for wine and food.
Jessica Altieri: [00:03:44] I can’t even imagine the food over there. So how long were you in Poland?
Alan Johnson: [00:03:48] About a year and a half a year and then moved back to Australia thinking OK that’s it I’m going to put down roots going to live back in Australia and quite literally three months later I found myself in Boston where I was the chief operating officer for a movie theater company building these big megaplexes. I did that for whatever it was three four years.
Jessica Altieri: [00:04:12] Wait…. the type of megaplexes like we could drink and eat in?
Alan Johnson: [00:04:16] We opened the very first stadium megaplex on the East Coast of the US with valet parking,and ATM’s that distributed movie tickets not cash, VIP seating and even specialty food, not just popcorn and Pepsi.
Alan Johnson: [00:04:42] And then Michael Eisner visited one of our theaters and liked what we were doing.
Jessica Altieri: [00:04:52] How was that first conversation with him?
Alan Johnson: [00:04:53] Very nerve-wracking because he’s such a legend and he’s such a visionary and he’s see things so different. Anyway, he wanted me to go and work for a small division that kind of focused on restaurants and regional based entertainment.
[00:05:17] And I packed my bags, left Boston into L.A. and spent five or so years working in wonderful businesses like ESPN Zone which was a restaurant-based sports restaurant and club Disney and Disney Quest, opened Disney Quest here in Chicago on Ohio and Rush. And worked in the theme park part of Disney in the days when the Internet bubble burst in year 2000 if you remember all the drama and was asked by then the chairman of the Internet group to go help figure out how to write the Internet business because they were losing a lot of money. And spent a lot of time building what back then was the equivalent of Orbitz and Travelocity and Expedia. They hadn’t been thought of. And we built a complex travel site that you could plan your Disney vacations and you know book your hotel your rental car, your airfare and buy your tickets to the theme park. And then I had an epiphany at the end of that which was sort of you know I need to start working for me rather than these big you know companies like the Pepsi’s and the Disney’s. And so eventually I got together with an ex-Pepsi friend of mine that I had known for 25 years who purchased a small company and that’s how you and I had our paths cross. BevMo was a small chain in California, the equivalent of what you have here with Binnys. And we had 50 stores only in California a few in Arizona.
Alan Johnson: [00:07:30] We took the company from 50 to about 165.
Jessica Altieri: [00:07:45] Was it difficult going from somewhere like Disney to BevMo?
Alan Johnson: [00:07:48] It was, not for any reason other than I’ve been in the “eatertainment” business for 30 years.
Alan Johnson: [00:08:11] So the transition was difficult in that I was so used to sort of a huge organization and BevMo in those days was relatively small and was a private company, so you could you could quite literally sit there and make have a conversation on Monday morning and decide what to do on Monday afternoon and launch it on Tuesday morning. And so, you had to move a lot quicker. But I quickly fell in love with the people, fell in love with the industry. I mean our industry really attracts people with a deep passion for the love of the grapes and the story behind the passion behind who makes the product. And so that was you know a wonderful introduction to a business in California which brings us to Napa which is the mecca for you know for the U.S. It doesn’t get any better. I lived maybe half an hour, 40 minutes from Napa.
Jessica Altieri: [00:09:18] How wonderful and you mentioned you had seen me judge? I’ve been doing professional wine judging for seven years. I didn’t know that at the time and I just knew that you had worked with one of my dear friends, Wilfred Wong. Who is a legend in the wine judging industry and now with Wine.com. And that’s just funny how everything kind of intertwined.
Alan Johnson: [00:09:36] There you go. I mean when I first joined of course you know to be honest, I didn’t know a lot about wine. I’m not quite sure.
[00:09:47] And Wilfred you know he’s a tremendous teacher and he teaches in a way that is non-technical. And so, you know I just sit down with Wilfred and his tasting room and he said, “Alan we need to broaden your palate.”
[00:10:09] And we would sit there and maybe taste 20-30 wines in one flight. And he loves to teach them, and he is such, I think the right term legend. And Wilford will never ever forget what wine you like and one day you’ll be just sitting there all sudden Wilford will put a glass in front of you say, “I know that you will love this”. He just has this knack of remembering that one thing that you once said to him. And I mean he will bring a different bottle to someone else and you know what I also liked with Wilfred is for me the romance of wine with food and then great conversation. It doesn’t get any better than that; you need all three.
Jessica Altieri: [00:10:57] I agree. That’s my slogan; “Wine is just a conversation waiting to happen” and I completely agree with Wilfred too. The other point is I don’t know if you ever notice he takes such meticulous notes about every single wine that he tastes and judges.
Alan Johnson: [00:11:18] And we also had in common, photography. So yeah, I mean the whole food, the wine, the photography and you know Wilfred also I think because he’s had to deal with many maybe built in assumptions that people have about you know how an Asian guy can know that much about wine. Let me tell you, walk through the streets of Europe with Wilfred and you’ll see what a legend he is and every ounce of that hard work. So, I was blessed for five or six years Wilford shared an office not far from me and particularly on those days where I knew he was tasting something special.
Jessica Altieri: [00:12:20] Tell me what led you to your next destination then on your path. It sounds like you’re happy there.
Alan Johnson: [00:12:28] Yes happy wonderful team great brand. The number one player in California. And then just wanted something different to do. Got an opportunity to do what I thought was retire and then I quickly figured out you know what retirement’s not in me now. So, for the last couple of years I’ve been in the frog kissing business. You know and hoping that you pretty much like what happened with BevMo and along came after about a year and a half this wonderful brand that I’d heard of, but I didn’t know a lot about Potbelly and a recruiter called me and said hey you know is that something that you’d be interested in. And to be honest I don’t know anything about it, but I’d love to find out.
Jessica Altieri: [00:13:23] Had you gone to Potbelly before enjoying their sandwiches?
Alan Johnson: [00:13:27] No. You know what. I think I did. And if I did it was that one of the airports that I had no sort of specific recollection of ever being at a Potbelly. Anyway, I spoke to a number of my friends who know Chicago very very well. And soon as you say Potbelly, they say, “I love Potbelly”.
Jessica Altieri: [00:13:47] Can you tell the story of how it originated in case people don’t now. It’s a great story.
Enjoy the rest of the podcast and the story of Potbelly from Alan. And subscribe to my Wine Conversations podcast here: http://www.revolverpodcasts.com/shows/wine-conversations-with-jessica-altieri/
Cheers!
Wine and Cupid Perfect Pairing for Valentines Day
CommentCupid and wine both make us stupid. In the best possible way! Yes, Valentine’s Day is exciting but oh, the stress— planning the date, picking out flowers, cooking, figuring out if your significant other is really worth all this trouble . . . so let me make wine pairing the no-brainer easy part.
Snapshot
Imagine you’re on safari. Hunt out the right wine for your trip. (No machete required!) Plenty of varietals out there roar for your attention. Yes, flowers and cheese and chocolate are in the romance savannah. Now lock them in your sights. See the blue veins in that cheese? Blue veins cry for darker sips like Banyuls and port. You know that classic pairing, port and blue cheese? Well, Banyuls and dark chocolate will make the hyenas howl. Ecstasy. Even if your date’s a dud!
Fave Sips
- Jam Jar Sweet Wine
- Royal Tokaji Mad Cuvée 2009 Late Harvest
- Taylor Fladgate Vintage Porto Vargellas 2001
- 2008 Vial Magneres Banyuls Rimage
- Domaine Sigalas Vin Santo 2004
- Far Niente Dolce 2007 Napa Valley Late Harvest Wine
- Inniskillin Vidal Icewine (half bottle)
Great Eats
A vintage port like Taylor’s, with its beautiful clean finish, burnishes bitter dark chocolate. Not a port fan? Mix things up with Italian Vin Santo and crunchy biscotti, the traditional pairing in Italy—and Italians know romance! But honestly, to do justice to the February freeze, splurge and open a bottle of Inniskillin. It’s harvested during Canada’s subzero weather, when grapes are frozen on the vine! Perfect with salty nuts for a cozy night in. Or step it up a few romance notches with elegant foie gras dishes.
Happy Valentines Day from Jessica Altieri and Wine Channel TV!
The Super Bowl 52 Sip on a Ferris Wheel
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How To Drink Wine for Super Bowl 52
Instead of watching Super Bowl 52 in a bar, or at a friend’s house, we’ve got an idea for you. You get on a plane and head over to Vienna, Austria and get your tickets to Wiener Riesenrad, a famous 200-foot-tall Ferris Wheel in Vienna, Austria. The Weiner Riesenrad was erected in 1897 to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of Emperor Franz Josef I. Super Bowl 52 on your iPhone might work, we’re not quite sure. But you won’t be disappointed either way with the Ferris Wheel ride.
Now, you may not be able to get the “gang” together like I did. Joining me for this Super Bowl 52 viewing party would be Fritz and Lissi Wieninger, from Wieninger Wines, 3-star Michelin Chef Juan Amador, and Stefan Schauer from world-famous Staud’s preserves.
And of course, we need a little” live music”. How about being serenaded by world-renowned tenor, Michael Schade. Schade regularly performs at the Canadian Opera Company, Vienna Staatsoper, Salzburg Festival, Metropolitan Opera, Washington Opera, Opéra National de Paris, San Francisco Opera, Hamburg State Opera, the Lyric Opera of Chicago and the Los Angeles Opera. Private and luxury cabins in the Wiener Riesenrad Ferris Wheel can be reserved for romantic, candle-light dinners—an elegant and exclusive setting with appetizers and Hochriegl “Cuvee Sophie” sparkling wine followed by a three-course meal and two bottles of wine, Grüner Veltliner Bründlmayer and Wiener Trilogie Wieninger. Though, unfortunately, private serenades by Michael Schade aren’t always part of the deal. The Ferris Wheel cabins can also be hired for weddings, groups, cocktail hours, breakfasts, and coffee breaks.
Watching Super Bowl 52 is optional on this trip. Now get those airline tickets! Prost!
Water Sommelier Jessica Altieri Inside Sip - Svalbarði Polar Iceberg Water
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Hydration Celebration with Svalbarði
Earlier this year, Jessica Altieri became a certified water sommelier. In fact, the only certified water sommelier in the state of Illinois. So, we wanted to start sharing with you the stories behind some incredible water brands that you should be pairing up with your wine, food and beyond.
Today we tell the story of Svalbarði , an award winning, ultra-low mineral still Arctic iceberg water. Svalbarði is the world’s northernmost bottled water and is recognized by the Fine Water Society as the world’s best tasting super low mineral water.
It gets its tagline a “taste of snow in the air” due to iceberg waters that are some of the rarest in the world. This water is as unique as its story that we learned from its founder Jamal Qureshi.
In 2013, Norwegian-American Jamal Qureshi collected meltwater as a gift for his wife while travelling in the Norwegian island territory of Svalbard – one of Europe’s last great wildernesses. The pure water would make for a delicious cup of tea, he thought. That’s a pretty thoughtful gift and one of the things that first caught our attention about this brand.
Nonetheless, 4 years later, that creative, generous thought transformed into an epicurean product, which is redefining the very notion of pure drinking water.
With approval from the Governor of Svalbard, Jamal chartered an icebreaker – the Ulla Rinman – and sought out the purest of icebergs just 1,000km from the North Pole at 79° north. As fresh as the day it fell as snow up to 4,000 years previously, 15 tons of ice is gathered by the crew.
Svalbard’s glaciers release approximately 5 billion cubic meters of icebergs into the sea every year. The team heads out for anywhere from 3 to 7 days to find the perfect ice.
The icebergs need to be from the most protected inner part of the glacier. The presence of ancient air bubbles, which make a crackling sound as they melt, is a key sign that the right pre-industrial era iceberg has been found. The source ice can be up to 4,000 years old and requires no chemical treatment.
The iceberg must then be carefully lifted out of the arctic water. This is dangerous and risky work. Rough seas can threaten to crash tons of ice against the gathering vessel. Ensuring maximum safety means sometimes the search must move on to find a safe location with the right type of ice.
The ice is then gently melted in a specially constructed machine and bottled by hand, capturing the best drinking water in its cleanest form. In order to retain the water’s natural composition and premium taste, no chemistry-altering filters are used, only micron filters and UV light to adhere to international standards.
Each expedition yields 13 thousand bottles of pure drinking water; therefore, each batch is a limited edition. The product can be shipped around the world.
Based in the Arctic outpost of Longyearbyen, an important center for global warming research – Svalbarði is an environmentally friendly company with a deep interest in raising awareness for polar and climatic research.
The company operates sustainably for the conservation of the Arctic environment in three main ways:
- Firstly, Svalbarði is carbon neutral-certified which means that the company invests in a carbon-offsetting scheme, which supports projects around the world. These have included a wind farm in western China, and upgrades to local water infrastructure in Uganda and Malawi. Their pure drinking water is produced in an entirely sustainable manner.
- Second, they use their position as a global company based in the Arctic to raise awareness of the vital role Svalbard plays in scientific research of global warming on an international scale.
- Third, the company aims to lessen the impact of global warming. Through a partnership with the Crop Trust, they support the preservation of food crop seeds representing 15 thousand years of human agriculture which are endangered by the changing climate.
If you’re still wondering what defines the brand, it’s all about the location, Svalbard! You have one of the world’s most northernmost communities where there are more polar bears than people, and 60 perecent of it is covered by glaciers.
When you see a bottle of Svalbarði, most people get the same reaction: “wow”. This bottle belongs on your dining table or up on your mantle, with its visually stunning look that matches the rarity of the source.
Jamal had some very interesting pairings to pair with Svalbarði that should be on your 2018 tasting experience list. The first thing to keep in mind is their tagline – “the taste of snow in air”. The water is so light it’s like when you were a kid eating snow. The water is perfect for enhancing delicate flavors, as well as fish and light desserts.
Given its lightness, Svalbarði is not suited to a full-bodied wine with a bold structure which would overwhelm the iceberg water’s nice delicacy. Instead, it blends ideally with a soft, suave wine with a moderate alcoholic level.
Some recommended wine pairings would be fresh and fruity white wines; rosé, Beaujolais, aromatic sparkling wines, classic cava and champagne.
The water you use for your coffee also makes a difference! For instance, when Svalbarði is paired with a strong and astringent espresso, helps to dilute the harsh, intense and persistent sensations.
And let’s not forget about tea. Light green tea is a perfect pairing with Svalbarði because the iceberg water’s structure does not overlap the tea’s astringency and sharpness – allowing a better perception of its refreshing, aromatic notes.
When made into ice cubes, Svalbarði’s softness and delicateness helps to bring out the aromas and flavors of Vodka as well.
Some great eats to pair up with this water would be oysters, foie gras, lighter cheeses, fried shrimp and grilled seafood in general. Drink something unique, amazing, pure and fresh for your next celebration.
For more information on Svalbarði, please visit svalbardi.com
And for more great water and wine pairings, stay in touch to your water sommelier and wine sommelier, Jessica Altieri on Instagram @winechanneltv
What The Flavor Of Water Is Telling You
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When we think of flavorless, the classic example is water. Berries are sweet; mushrooms are umami; collards are bitter. But water? As Popular Science so eloquently puts it:
“For thousands of years, philosophers claimed that water had no flavor. It’s the baseline for the sense of taste, they said—a starting point and null condition. What water is to tongues, darkness is to eyes and silence is to ears. ‘The natural substance water per se tends to be tasteless,’ wrote Aristotle.”
Aristotle Was Wrong
Despite the eloquence of pretty much everything Aristotle ever wrote, the statement itself is far from true. We humans have pretty sensitive tongues, and can detect a huge array of flavors, even very subtle ones. As it turns out, water is full of such subtle flavors.
For instance, calcium. This is a very common mineral found dissolved in water. As reported in Live Science, our tongues are sensitive enough to taste calcium; in fact, we have actual receptors for them. Those are specific taste buds dedicated to detecting specific flavors such as salty or sweet … and now, calcium-y. A dry, coating sensation can usually be felt from waters that are rich in Calcium.
Though at higher levels it becomes harsh and bitter, it’s quite pleasant in water. Clearly water isn’t just a blank slate.
Water Wisdom
Water can give you other clues as well. If it’s full of harsh rotten-egg flavor, that means there’s too much hydrogen sulfide in it. While sulfur itself isn’t bad for you, the strong flavor can indicate that you’re picking up too much of the pipe lining on the way out of the tap – and that’s not good.
Other aquatic clues? Mineral water has a good name for a reason. While you might think de-mineralized water was the most favored, that’s not true. People actually prefer water with the right balance of natural salts and ions.
Tough gig figuring all this out, right? That’s where Jessica Altieri, America’s Water Sommelier, comes in. There’s no better source for water know how. Drink the Right Water. At the Right Time.
Visit www.jessicaaltieri.com/water-sommelier to learn more.
Wine Conversations with Jessica Altieri now Available on reVolver Podcasts
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Picking what you want when you walk into a Starbucks or a Baskin-Robbins is easy, but how do you find the right wine? With Wine Conversations with Jessica Altieri on reVolver Podcasts, you’ll be sipping wine like a pro.
I’ll Kiss Your Glass–and Tell
Let’s face it. Buying and learning about wine can be about as much fun as a blind date—all nerves, the wrong kind of mystery, and in the end, no guarantee. What you really need is a gal in the trenches. Last week, I tasted over 300 wines in one afternoon. Get it? My tongue is your tongue. My taste buds are at your service. I’ll kiss your glass, and tell! No date required. With the Wine Conversations podcast, you can “fake it till you make it”.
Every try talking to folks at a supermarket about wine? If only they’d put up honest signs in liquor stores, with a big red arrow, saying, “This wine sucks.” Or give out wine warnings on restaurant menus, “Guaranteed to kill your meal.” I get the feeling we all had plastic surgery just to look STUPID when it comes to buying wine.
Forget the surgery. Forget the wine gambling, and the Rosé roulette. I drink wine like I have conversations—bold and brave. How else could I run my own Wine Channel TV Network and host worldwide events as a certified sommelier? Adventure! To me, hunting down the best wines is high adventure. And I have drunk enough varietals—bad and great—to help you over the “wine dating” hump.
It’s not hard knowing what you want when you walk into a Starbucks or a Baskin-Robbins. But finding the right wine? With this podcast you can fake it till you make it. You’ll be sipping with a pro and celebrity guests from the world of wine, music, sports, fashion and food. For every “drinking” reason or season, I’ll cut through the BS and give you great wine choices for ladies night out, tailgating, “date night hero” nights, or just sitting on your couch and getting smashed.
Penfolds g3 Experience with Peter Gago
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Join Wine Channel TV wine expert Jessica Altieri with Penfolds Chief Winemaker, Peter Gago for an exclusive interview celebrating the release of “g3”. Where did the passion come from? Learn about “The Grip of the Grape with Peter Gago. g3 is a special wine blended from three Grange vintages spanning seven years – 2008, 2012 and 2014 released globally on October 18, 2017 in Hong Kong.
Watch the short, fun interview with Peter and Jessica and stay tuned for the full-length interview later this week.
Below are the details of the g3 release from Penfolds:
“Penfolds has released a special wine blended from three Grange vintages spanning seven years, aptly named Penfolds g3. A Penfolds first, these vintages of 2008, 2012 and 2014 (a vintage to be globally released in 2018), energetically entwine to create a completely unique Grange expression.
Penfolds Chief Winemaker, Peter Gago said “Put simply it’s Penfolds ‘House Style’ distilled … Penfolds g3 is a natural end result of the venerated art of blending. It is a blend where each individual vintage selected delivers a depth of character and flavour honouring our flagship Grange”.
Blending across vintages is part of Penfolds winemaking philosophy and has been since 1844. Penfolds Tawny styles, famous in the mid 1800’s continue a long tradition of fortified wines that celebrate this particular blending style. Winemaking saw this style as a natural progression to apply this technique to a create a new red table wine.
Two of the Grange vintages selected for this wine are recognised as some of the finest Granges released, so why blend them? Peter said, “it wasn’t about selecting the biggest or the best Grange vintages, in fact it was about making something different – but not just to be different”.
Each Grange vintage component selected to make this wine brings something different to the final blend. Broadly: Grange 2008 is a big bold wine, Grange 2012 is about elegance and sophistication, while 2014 is a young wine that serves to ‘freshen up the blend’. The 2014 vintage is yet to be released, making it even more of an evocative beyond-reach inclusion.
This endeavour adds new meaning to Penfolds ongoing pursuit to confidently move into the future whilst always respecting the ethos of the past and tradition.
The original experimental 1951 Grange created by Max Schubert is now a wine regarded as one of the world’s most celebrated collectables. Grange is a multi-vineyard multi-district blend retaining its proven stylistic template to this day. The same is true of Penfolds g3 but also across vintages.
The inaugural celebration of Penfolds g3 took place at the Liang Yi Museum Hong Kong on Wednesday 18 October. A magical evening attended by international friends of Penfolds including global media and collectors.
Only 1,200 bottles are available around the world from Adelaide to Paris, Hong Kong to New York. RRP $3000.00 AUD for a 750ml bottle.”
Expressions of interest via www.penfolds.com . And remember to stay tuned for more on Penfolds later this week on Wine Channel TV