Dear readers, let me introduce you to a man that pushed the level of studying at the Austrian Wine Academy to another level, a level many have never even come close to. Gregor Kren, a sommelier at Oštarija (Novo Mesto) and creator of Slovenia’s hip Pop Up Wine Festival, is the leader that every squad strives towards having. He organized some of the best wine tastings I have ever attended in a place that I would have never seen myself in a hundred years – Rust, Austria. There, while studying the WSET Diploma, we opened Champagne with sabers, studied the shit out of those huge books and laughed our asses off with some of the biggest names in the business. I’ll take this opportunity to thank him for all the awesomeness and legendary friendship we formed. Now, enjoy! Continue reading “Filling in the Blancs: Gregor Kren”
Tag Archives: food
5 Wines to Keep on Your Travel Radar for 2016
Last month, the Prowein International Trade Fair for Wine and Spirits, the largest in Europe, was held in Dusseldorf, Germany. Some 52,000 visitors, 6,000 exhibitors, and 1,000 journalists from 47 countries came to the industry-only event. Even for people that make a living from wine, arriving at the gates of this fair for the first time feels a bit like Frodo in front Mordor; you get a jolt of excitement mixed with pure bliss and a hint of anxiety. Rows and rows of exhibition halls stretch in every direction, displaying every type of vino imaginable: European, New World classics, and exotic destinations such as Bolivia and Lebanon.
My task to readers—as a wine shop owner, sommelier, and devotee of reds and whites—was to find the five wines across the planet that travelers should keep their eyes on this coming year. The results of that mission are below. I hope your discovery of these wines adds special meaning to your journeys this year.
Colio Estate Prism Vidal Icewine 2013
Lake Erie, North Shore, Canada
Canada is COLD. Living there for six years, I completely understand why Canadians are famous for their luscious icewines, better known as “liquid gold.” Producing since 1985, Ontario proves, year in year out, why it has ideal conditions for these types of wines: warm summers to ripen the grapes and cold winters to leave them on the vines until late January for temperatures of 17.6 degrees Fahrenheit or lower in order to fully concentrate the juices and flavors and get a beverage with high sugars and low alcohol. Awarded gold at the 2015 National Wine Awards of Canada, Vidal’s icewine lives up to this reward fully. Putting my nose inside the glass was like putting it in a jar of granny’s apricot jam—fresh, fruity and sweet. On the palate, it’s pure syrup, with notes of orange zest, ripe nectarine, dripping honey and pineapple. The acidity creates the backbone of the wine and is carried out gorgeously in the lasting aftertaste. Continue reading “5 Wines to Keep on Your Travel Radar for 2016”
How to Create a Successful Wine List
The wine list is a very important part of communication between the restaurant and the guest, so its quality is mostly placed head to head with the restaurant’s menu. Although most restaurant owners engage into the selection of wines themselves, I believe that it is never a bad idea to listen to the advice of those who are professionally occupied with wines.
Head to a restaurant and ask the owner what’s the most important thing for a good wine list. Most will tell you that it’s definitely a wider selection of prestigious and expensive wines. Consumers think differently. With the exception of a few wine lovers, the most important thing is that the wine list is readable, understandable, and well designed. There is truth in both statements, but the goal is to take a little from both worlds.
When I consider the essential purpose of a wine list, a few general principles come to mind. First, it should be presented as a precise catalogue of available wines and an effective tool to improve sales and service. Look at it as free marketing of the wine program. The design and organization tell a lot about a restaurant. If the wine list is dry and plain, it is likely that the restaurant will be the same. On the other hand, if it is creative with inventive descriptions that are dedicated to pairing wine and food, it will set priorities in a totally different way. Wines should not be listed by prices, because guests will feel inferior, as if they will be judged by how much money they spend. Descriptions should be the same length for each wine. If the staff devotes itself only to premium labels, neglecting, for example, medium-quality wines, they give the impression of being condescending or arrogant. The difference between a good wine list and excellent wine list is in focus. It is necessary to take into account the food being served. Wines on the list may be good, but if they do not go with the food, the point is missed. Continue reading “How to Create a Successful Wine List”
Grape Nomad 