You read that right, three judges from the North Coast Wine Challenge, including special guest NFL Pittsburg Steelers‘ star safety DeShon Elliott, joins winemaker Jesse Katz, of Aperture Cellars, and Sawyer Somm on THE VARIETAL SHOW! DeShon shares how he soaked up the wine knowledge and talks competition flights.
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Revealed during the Awards Brunch, hosted by Fairmont Mission Inn, at theSonoma International Film Festival last Sunday March 24th. Watch the highlights, peruse the list for more details: Congratulations & THANK YOU to everyone involved!
SPARKLING WINE
DBL GOLD / 96 Pts Breathless NV Blanc de Noirs Brut, Sonoma County
BEST OF CLASS / BEST SPARKLING WINE
–SIFF WINE AWARDS 2024
Nestled in the idyllic Sonoma Valley lies a winery run by some clown: Squire Fridell, that is. Find out how GlenLyon Winery came to be through his distinctive road to success. Delicious and award-winning, we discuss Suzy’s Toast, Viognier; Hog Wilde Chardonnay; Squire’s Toast Red Blend; GlenLyon Estate Port.
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CALLING ALL WINERIES!!!We are excited to announce theSIFF Wine Competitionis coming up quickly! We would like to invite you to submit your wines for only $25! Just select from the 14 categories listed below, which you would like to enter. Then provide 2 bottles of wine for each category you are entering and include a spec sheet with the level of residual sugar information.
Best Sparkling Wine
Best Chardonnay
Best Aromatic White Wine
Best Sauvignon Blanc
Best Other White Varietals & Blends
Best Pink Wine (still)
Best Pinot Noir
Best Merlot
Best Red Wine Blend
Best Zinfandel
Best Rhone Varieties
Best Cabernet Sauvignon
Best Dessert Wine
Best Port Wine
Sign up to participate HERE! Then deliver the wine to the SIFF office, at 103 E Napa Street, Ste. B, Sonoma, CA (above Maya Restaurant) before February 26, 2024: Judging will be organized and executed by sommelier Christopher Sawyer, and a panel of wine experts, on February 29, 2024.
Please let me or Chay (chay@sonomafilmfest.org) know if you have any questions!
Join me and the judging team of American Fine Wine Competition in Miami at the 17th Annual AFWC “ONE THOUSAND BOTTLES” event – to taste over 700 exceptional wines from small, boutique, family-run wineries across the US, including California, Ohio, Washington, New York, Colorado, Michigan, Virginia, and Oregon, while enjoying incredible food from local restaurants!
Sunday, January 14th, from 6:30-9:00 PM FIU Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management, 3000 NE 151st Street, North Miami, FL 33181
All proceeds benefit the Joel Feigenheimer Endowment Fund, supporting scholarships in the hospitality industry and End Childhood Hunger.
Special thanks to our incredible partners: Smart Source Marketing, Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management at FIU, Two Men & a Truck, Advanced Roofing, VENU Magazine, City & Shore Magazine, South Florida Business Journal, FPL, Coravin, RC Music Group, Chef & Sommelier, Rod Coleman, Esq. & Associates, Preiser Key, Cheney Brothers, Restaurant Placement Group, A Flair For Fudge, The CrepeMaker, Island Fusion, Fogo de Chao Miami Beach, Royal India, and Cristina’s Family Bakery.
Breathless Wines will host the inaugural Breathless World Champagne Showdown Saturday, October 28, 3-5pm, in tribute to World Champagne Day.
Official judges and esteemed guests are invited to a blind tasting of French Champagnes vs. Breathless Sparkling Wine to pick their favorites. In addition to the blind champagne tasting, guests will be treated to fascinating champagne history, varietal insights, and tasting notes from the panel of experts, including:
Sharon Cohn, Sister 1-of-3 Breathless Wines
Sarah Doyle, Wine Reporter at The Press Democrat
Heather Irwin, Professional food and wine writer in Northern California’s Wine Country
Chris Sawyer, Renowned sommelier, wine educator, journalist, critic, and public speaker
For the past 5 years, down in Del Mar at the Toast Of The Coast (TOTC) Wine Competition, the annual meeting for Friends of Pinot Meunier Society has been held. THE VARIETAL SHOW talks to Traci Dutton (CIA) and Adam LaZarre (LaZarre Wines) to find out more about this distinctive varietal!
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Some stellar PINOT MEUNIER examples to share: Best’s Great Western, Bouchaine, Draxton & Left Coast!
Just a quick note to say I appreciate you following my exciting adventures this year! Stick around for more in 2023 and enjoy this little collection of photos from a year of memories.
From my visit to Chef Laura Pauli, winter lights in Oregon, chocolate & wine at Acumen, and the release of A Perfect Vintage. . .
. . . to Be Bubbly in Napa, the stellar crew of Celebrity Solstice, Sonoma Burger delights and the always incredible eats at Gravenstein Grill! So much to share, join me for more in 2023. CHEERS! Christopher
México Selection is a special competition put on by Concours Mondial de Bruxelles. This year THE VARIETAL SHOW was in Parras de la Fuente, in the region of Coahuila. While there I sat down with representative Sergio González, Certified Sommelier for The Court of Master Sommeliers, to discuss the history of wine in México, which includes the oldest winery in the Americas. Together we enjoy the tastes of Casa Madero, Don Leo and Parvada. (Of special note, this region is also famous for Dinosaurs!)
México Selection RESULTS from a total of 737 wines and spirits, from 21 producing states of Mexico and the United States, “Guest Country of Honor 2022”, competed for a distinction. LIKE, SHARE & FOLLOW my You Tube channel, for notification about upcoming episodes, most Tuesdays @12:30pm!
Where are we? Thanks to Concours Mondial de Bruxelles (CMB), the largest International wine competition in the world, The Varietal Show is with Charlie Arturaola in Cosenza, which is on the ankle, of the boot, in southern Italy. He shares his knowledge about Calabrian Wines, history and legends of the area, the origins of wine, and the connection to California. CHEERS!
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