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  • Megan Yelenosky: Guild Trip, New Zealand 2010 screwcap vs. cork and it's not just Sauvignon Blanc

    Megan Yelenosky

    This January I was one of the lucky recipients of the Guild scholarships to New Zealand and what a great trip! The Twelve Families were our hosts once we landed and the generous hospitality was instantly poured on, and on behalf of my traveling companions I would like to say, thank you.
    We touched down on our first day and hit the deck running with a quick flight to Gisborne and were met by the Millton’s, who…

  • Yoon's Blog: Seven Flights of Historical California Wines

    Yoon Ha

    On Sunday February 28th, I had the privilege of attending a tasting of mature, benchmark wines from California.  Mr. F, a very prominent collector, who had attended the event that was the topic of my earlier blog, A Sommelier’s Ultimate Experience, had very generously invited me to his residence in Calistoga to join seven of his peers in tasting these historical bottles from his cellar.  The table was set beautifully…

  • Michael Jordan: Best Study Practices

    Michael Jordan

    A very special and heartfelt thanks goes out to Leslie Rudd!  It was my great honor to be selected as one of the MS to participate in the Rudd Roundtable last weekend in Napa Valley where the some of the best and brightest talent in our industry gathered together to study and share some great information about preparing ourselves and each other for the Master Sommelier Diploma Examination and for excellence in the roles…

  • Yoon's Blog: Germany Day Two - (video) "A Good Pinot is Like a Red Riesling"

    Yoon Ha

    To say that this second entry is belated (The Riesling Enrichment trip took place almost 4 months ago) is a gross understatement and I apologize for the gap.  However, I did manage to amass quite a bit of video footage throughout that week.  The most compelling visit on day two was with Klaus Peter Keller of Weingut Keller in the Rheinhessen at his estate in the village of Florsheim-Dalsheim.  In the footage below Klaus…

  • Konstantine Drougos: Commandaria St. Nicholas: 4,000 years of History in a Bottle...

    Anonymous
    Anonymous

    Commandaria has a rich history dating back to Homeric times when it was a popular drink at festivals celebrating the goddess of beauty Aphrodite who emerged from the sea at Paphos in Cyprus - a scene immortalized by Botticelli's famous painting, "the Birth of Venus".

    A dried grape wine from Cyprus was first known to be described in 800 BC by the Greek poet Hesiod and was known as the Cypriot Manna. Previously…

  • Rod Smith: Parallel Paradigms?

    Rod Smith

              From where I sit the wine world, especially in California, went totally crazy in the 1990s, to the point where it became rather bizarre to me. In retrospect it seems like that might have been part of a general insanity that led inexorably to where we are today. Now, as we seem to be regaining our collective senses, I’m wondering where wine sensibility might be headed.
              That’s not so much a question as a group…

  • Yoon's Blog: A Sommelier's Ultimate Experience

    Yoon Ha

    Last Friday night I had the honor and privilege to provide wine service for eight prominent wine collectors at La Toque.  I had spent a week researching the wines and worked with Chef Ken Frank to create an eight-course menu.  This was show time.  These men had dined at every significant restaurant in the world, experienced the best cuisine, wine and service.  Would I be up to the task?  As a sommelier, this would be the…

  • Yoon's Blog: Germany Day One

    Yoon Ha

    I recently returned from a visit to the Rheinhessen, Nahe and Mosel regions of Germany.  I was a recipient of the Riesling Enrichment Scholarship offered by the Guild of Sommeliers and I’d like to share my experience with you. 
     
    The pace was vigorous with 4-5 appointments daily.  Our days started at 7:30 AM with breakfast and ended well into the evening after dinner.  I landed in Frankfurt on Sunday morning and was…

  • Rod Smith: THE SEVEN AGES OF WINE

    Rod Smith
    Back again, with pleasure. I enjoyed the discussion of manipulation, although I feel we barely scratched the surface of perhaps the most vital topic of the moment and would like to take it up again at some point. Meanwhile, have been pondering another aspect of our favorite subject.
              I recently braved spiders and bats to get a grip on the shamble of crates and loose glass I call a wine cellar. By the time I gave up I…

  • Yoon's Blog: Food & Wine Pairing

    Yoon Ha

    The most unique feature of La Toque Restaurant is the food and wine-pairing program. Every presentation on the menu is paired with a distinct wine, including dessert. I present the wines prior to each course and briefly share with guests some facts about the wine and the pairing strategy. The wine and food program has become so successful that it accounts for 70% of our wine sales mix. I’d like to share with you a pairing…

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