Rosé Garden Party at Wine Authorities

Wine Authorities is hosting its first ever Rosé Garden Party on May 17 from noon to 3pm. This special outdoor and indoor event will celebrate rosé wines, which are ideal for spring and summer food pairings. Plus, you can feel good about drinking a glass of wine because Wine Authorities will donate a percentage of its total rosé wine sales for the year to help find a cure for breast cancer.

On May 17, Wine Authorities will sample a variety of rosés and offer even more for purchase by the ounce and glass through its Enomatic wine dispensing machine. Plan to attend this great event to discover just how perfect dry rosés are when paired with N.C. oysters and fried fish from Walking Fish, a local Community Supported Fishery sourcing seafood along N.C.’s coast.

Chef Drew Shephard of Stanbury will be creating delicious fried fish plates highlighting Walking Fish’s catch of the day. Oysters from Jay Styron will be served steamed or raw. Farmstead cheese plates will also be available for $9 each, including local goat’s milk cheeses from Prodigal Farm of Rougemont, N.C.

Wine Authorities features wines from small, independent, family-owned farms around the world. Included this year will be Domaine Pinchinat from Provence, Bodegas Aliaga from Navarra, Barnard Griffin Rosé of Sangiovese from Columbia Valley, Arrocal from Ribera del Duero, Meinklang from Austria and dozens more. Rosé Garden Party visitors will enjoy a free tasting of four rosés, then can pick a glass of one for $15 which will include a fish or oyster plate.

Make sure you wear your best garden party-style hats and bow ties! Prizes and discounts will be awarded, and a $100 gift certificate will be given out for the best Rosé Garden Party costume. This special event is sure to be a great time!

Wednesday Wine and Dine at North Raleigh Neomonde

Neomonde Cafe & Market (North Raleigh) is starting a new special: Wednesday Wine and Dine. Make sure you make plans to attend the first event!

If you’ve ever been interested in trying new wine from Lebanon and beyond, this new special is definitely for you! Beginning Apr. 16, Neomonde Cafe & Market will feature a weekly Wine and Dine evening. Wine and Dine is your perfect opportunity to try a new type of wine along with some delicious food. This special will include half-priced bottles of wine of your choosing and a $5 sampling mezza plate.

Neomonde is known for its traditional Lebanese appetizers, some of which will be available on the Wine and Dine mezza plate. One of my favorites is the award-winning hummus with fresh pita bread. The hummus is extra creamy with the perfect amount of garlic and lemon juice. I also enjoy other options like the grape leaves stuffed with rice, tomato and Mediterranean spices. No matter what you sample, I’m sure you will enjoy the many options Neomonde has to offer.

Make plans to attend Neomonde’s new Wine and Dine event. It’s a great deal, including wine and a delicious Mediterranean sampler. Plus, you can shop around Neomonde’s grocery section for food to take home with you! You’ll find everything from fresh baked breads to Lebanese sweet treats.

The Triangle Wine Experience 2014

The Triangle Wine Experience will celebrate its 21st anniversary with a three-day culinary and wine event on Feb. 6-8, 2014. This Foodie celebration is held in Raleigh and brings together some of the country’s leading wineries and culinary experts. All proceeds from the three-day event will benefit the Frankie Lemmon School and Development Center, a non-profit, tuition-free facility that serves children ages three to five with special needs.

The Triangle Wine Experience includes winery dinners hosted on Thurs. evening, Feb. 6. This evening event pairs the Research Triangle Area’s hottest restaurants and chefs with some of the world’s finest wines. Some winery dinners are open to the public and tickets are still available for events hosted by Greater Raleigh chefs, including Midtown Grille, Nina’s Ristorante and Poole’s Diner. The chefs and wineries are waiting to serve you an excellent meal paired with amazing wines. Purchase your tickets today before they sell out!

Another event open to the public is the Triangle Wine Experience’s Sip, Shop and Sign. Retailers in Greater Raleigh will host participating wineries to showcase and sample their wines. This special event is a chance for customers to taste and buy wine, as well as have their bottles personally signed.

The grand gala and auction is a black tie event offering professional wine tasting, live and silent auctions and an evening full of dancing, drinks and entertainment. Although tickets are sold out for this event, you are still able to participate in the auction by placing an absent bid. Auction lots include extravagant events, fine wines and entertainment.

Visit the Triangle Wine Experience’s website to purchase tickets and to get more information about participating restaurants and wineries.

Written by local Foodie, Kristen. Follow her foodie adventures on Twitter!

All photography credited to Nancy Thomas Photography.

The Wine Feed is Moving and Expanding

You may remember my past blog about The Wine Feed, a local online retailer and store. Co-owners Philip Rubin and Phillip Zucchino founded The Wine Feed in 2011 after graduating college and learning about wine through their international travels. They have provided visitors and residents of Greater Raleigh with quality, hand-picked wine selections with friendly, down-to-earth customer service.

In Apr. 2011, Philip and Phillip created a unique wine retail operation: TheWineFeed.com. Their goal was to leave the intimidation factor of wine in the past. Their model focuses on wine styles above brand name, country of origin, vintage and grape variety. Since opening, Phillip and Philip strive to educate their consumers about wine. You’re free to order online or visit their store to discuss wine and make your purchases.

The Wine Feed has great news for visitors. They will expand by relocating to 602 Glenwood Ave. in the recently opened Hampton Inn & Suites Raleigh Downtown/Glenwood South building. Situated in the heart of the Glenwood South District in downtown Raleigh, the new location will offer an inviting retail space, wine bar and extended hours to better serve customers. The relocation on Glenwood Avenue just a few blocks north of its current space will allow The Wine Feed to broaden its range of wines available for in-store purchase. The company’s convenient online ordering and delivery services will continue to be offered. The Wine Feed’s new wine bar will also offer tastings and unique wine selections supported by an expanded staff of wine advisers to answer questions and assist customers with purchasing decisions.

The new hours will be from 10am–7pm on Mon. and Tues., 10am-10pm on Wed. through Sat. and on Sun. from noon-8pm. The Wine Feed will host wine classes and other special educational programs in the new space. Co-owners also plan to host events with more interactive wine experiences. Head over to The Wine Feed for a special event and to check out their new space conveniently located in one of Greater Raleigh’s newest hotels. For more information on The Wine Feed and to follow updates on the move and upcoming events, visit www.TheWineFeed.com.

Written by local Foodie, Kristen. Follow her foodie adventures on Twitter!

The Art of Pairing Wine and Cheese at The Chef’s Academy

I attended The Art of Pairing Wine and Cheese at The Chef’s Academy in Morrisville on Friday evening. Mary Margaret McCamic led the class in an exploration of the different ways that wine and cheese can work together. We tasted seven different wines paired with six different cheeses. Mary Margaret loves wine and received her diploma of wine and spirits after quitting her job as a high school teacher to study in New York City. She enjoys learning about wine and food but most importantly, loves sharing her knowledge with others.

There are five pairing concepts to consider about wine and cheese: texture, dominant flavors, location, weight and acidity. For instance, cheese and wine that grow in the same area are nicely paired. I also learned that if a cheese is salty, serve a sweeter wine to tame the flavor. If you are serving a goat cheese, one of my favorite cheeses, you would want to pair an acidic, tart wine to match.

Mary Margaret also decoded wine terms that I’ve often heard thrown around by restaurant servers. I usually just pretend I know what they are talking about! Mary Margaret discussed the differences in dry and sweet wines. Dry wines have little to no residual sugar whereas sweet wines have leftover detectable sugar. Dry wines are acidic, which is responsible for the fresh tart taste in wine. Acidity is important in wine because it brings freshness and balance to the wine. Another term you find many wine connoisseurs talking about is the body of a glass of wine. Body is determined by how full a wine feels in your mouth. Mary Margaret broke this down into simpler terms by comparing wine to milk. A light-bodied wine would have the mouth feel of skim milk and a full-bodied wine would have the mouth feel of whole milk.

The first pairing was the Non-Vintage Gruet Blanc de Noirs from New Mexico with Saint Andre Triple Cream cow’s milk cheese from France. The cheese is rich and buttery with a bloomy rind. The wine was perfect and cleanses your palate after the cheese coats your mouth. Mary Margaret created this pairing to demonstrate how texture is important when serving wine and cheese.

The second pairing was the 2011 Domaine Baron Sauvignon Blanc “Les Vieilles Vignes” from Touraine, Loire Valley, France with Sevre et Belle Bucherondin goat’s milk cheese from the same location. Goat’s milk cheeses have a strong flavor and are paired nicely with a dry, acidic wine. The strong taste of the cheese causes the wine to have a sweeter flavor. This light-bodied wine smelled amazing and I tasted hints of bell pepper and jalapeno. Mary Margaret created this pairing to demonstrate how location and acidity are important when serving wine and cheese.

One of my favorite pairings was the 2010 Cave de Beblenheim Heimberger Gewurztraminer from Alsace, France with the Ca de Ambros Tallegio cow’s milk cheese from Italy. I loved the floral smell of the wine. This aromatic wine complimented this “stinky” cheese. After this pairing one of the participants said, “Consider my mind blown!” Mary Margaret created this pairing to demonstrate how dominant flavors and weight are important when serving wine and cheese.

I’m slightly obsessed with figs and I’m big on dessert. I’ll admit to having a massive sweet tooth. I tried the Cesar Florido Chipiona Muscat Pasas from Jerez, Spain and immediately fell in love. This wine has a high sugar content and wonderful fig flavor. The wine would be perfect for dessert when paired with a rich and creamy cheese topped with fruit preserves. Mary Margaret surprised the class with this seventh wine and we ended class on a sweet note!

I found the course to be extremely helpful because most people, including myself want to make a great impression around the holidays. I’m not an expert at pairing wine and cheese but after this class I now feel comfortable serving a glass of wine with cheese to my holiday guests with sophisticated tastes! I enjoyed Mary Margaret’s interactive teaching style and visual aids like maps and pictures.

I encourage you to sign up for The Chef’s Academy’s January 11, 2013 class, The Art of Pairing Wine and Food. The class is $50 per person and you will actually be cooking and tasting wine! Please call Angela at (919) 246-9041 to make your reservation. This class would be perfect to give as a gift to your loved ones this holiday season.

Written by local Foodie, Kristen. Follow her foodie adventures on Twitter!

The Wine Feed

Whether you’re a Greater Raleigh resident or just visiting, I’m about to introduce you to one of my favorite, locally-owned stores, The Wine Feed. You might walk right past the store if you didn’t know it was there. However, keep your eyes peeled and you’ll notice that the store is conveniently located in downtown Raleigh at 18 Glenwood Ave. Ste. B.

The Wine Feed’s young and internationally traveled co-owners, Phillip Zucchino and Philip Rubin both attended Enloe High School and Appalachian State University. During college they saved their pennies for weeks at a time just to try unique types of wine. Their love and desire for amazing wine soon turned into something bigger than they would have ever imagined. Phillip Zucchino (on left) spent three years in France earning his BTS Viticulture-Oenologie degree from the Institut Rural de Vayres. Philip Rubin (on right) spent seven months in Spain studying wine and has an Advanced Certificate from the Wine and Spirit Education Trust. They strive to explain and teach wine to people of all ages.

In April 2011, they created a unique wine retail operation: TheWineFeed.com. Their goal was to leave the intimidation factor of wine in the past. Their model focuses on wine styles above brand name, country of origin, vintage and grape variety. Since opening, Phillip and Philip strive to educate their consumers about wine. You’re free to order online or visit their store to discuss wine and make your purchases. They also offer wine of the month clubs and hand select wines they think you will enjoy. They believe in developing relationships with their customers and bringing them quality products.

The wine finder on The Wine Feed’s website is amazing. Being a Foodie, I especially appreciate how the wine finder will highlight wines to pair with different types of foods. For instance, the wine finder will narrow down a few wines I could pair with my homemade spaghetti and meatballs I plan on cooking tonight. You can also use the wine finder in the store. The Wine Feed has shown innovation in their industry but having an iPad in their store that you can utilize to find your perfect wine.

You will find each wine on the iPad located on the wall to the left. Each row of wine is organized by price and each column is organized by the style of wine. I’m fresh out of graduate school and I really appreciate the top row, wines under $10!

Not only can you interact on the website or visit The Wine Feed to pick your perfect wine, The Wine Feed also hosts a variety of events. With the holidays just around the corner, I know I’ll be making multiple trips out to The Wine Feed. During December’s First Friday, The Wine Feed will be hosting Sip, Shop and Send. You can taste eight different wines, sample sweet treats from The Cupcake Shoppe and peruse gift and food pairing packages. The best part about the evening is that you can go home with a perfectly wrapped gift or schedule deliveries for your loved ones. I hope Santa brings me a cupcake gift set, which includes freshly baked treats from The Cupcake Shoppe with perfectly paired bottles of wine. So, bring your friends and go out for an enjoyable evening at The Wine Feed on December 7, 2012, 5:30-9:30pm.

You can’t attend a holiday event without having a glass of champagne. A glass of sparkling bubbly always puts me in the holiday spirit! The Wine Feed is hosting an interactive champagne class on Wednesday, December 12, 7-8:30 p.m. to help prepare hosts and guests for the perfect holiday toast. Debra Lewis of Vintage ’59 will educate attendees on the history and tradition of champagne while offering five high-end champagnes for tasting. The Wine Feed is always hosting events and I encourage you to check out their website for more information.

Written by local Foodie, Kristen. Follow her foodie adventures on Twitter!