New Year 2014: Felice Anno Nuovo

It's been a good year, with lots of good wine, great food and incredible people.
I've tried more new wines this year than the year before, met new people in the wine industry and tried different types of winery work. Safe to say it's been an amazing year "wine wise". 

Hopefully next year will be equally great or perhaps even better. Maybe I'll get to try Harvest, something I always miss due to school. Since I graduate in May, I hope that I'll be able to go to Harvest, even though I'll have to go to the gym everyday if I want to be any help at all. 

 

Thank you to everyone who made this year great! Especially my friends in Italy! I miss you guys and hope to see you soon!

Felice Anno Nuovo!

Wine in Brazil

I have been so lucky when it comes to wine. I started with Barolo and Burgundy, at the top. It's a blessing and somewhat of a curse, because I missed out on the journey of trying other wines. 


 


Now that I am in Brazil with the Dias family, I am surrounded by  restauranteurs and winemakers and wine people, all who are from Brazil or Portugal. 

So, in the next few days I will be trying a lot of different wines, expanding my horizons and experiencing different cultures. 

Safe to say I am super excited!

Christmas Eve

In Norway it's tradition to eat what we call "stick meat" which is lamb, and it does not really go with any wine. But we chose Bartolo Mascarello's Barbera, because of all the wines, Barbera is one of the ones that goes best with "stick meat", but most importantly, it's because Maria Teresa likes Lamb.

The wine was amazing as always, smooth and easy to drink, yet complex, and you can tell it was made with love and passion.
More winemakers should make wine like this, and if you ever have the pleasure of meeting Miss Barolo Mascarello, she will blow you away with her enthusiasm for her work and her passion for the grapes and her wine. And if you don't get to meet her, Alan will probably show you around, and he is also wonderful, sharing Maria Teresa's passion and enthusiasm for the wine.

Favorite Wine Stores in NYC

Astor Wines
Astor wines has a large selection, and you can find both Cavallotto and Vietti. What I like about Astor Wines is they don't just have the Barolo's, they have Barbera and Dolcetto, and also inexpensive white wine.  Check out their website here.

Moore Brother's Wine Company
Discovered completely by accident, this wonderful wine store is located right next to La Pizza Fresca. To my delight, I found Ettore Germano's wines there! Dolcetto, Barbera, Langhe Nebbiolo, Barolo and his Langhe Chardonnay! I did not see his Herzu, which is my favorite, but I am still impressed! Learn about their impressive efforts to bring great wine to the US here.

Flatiron Wines
This store is small, yet has a great selection. Their burgundy sections is great, along with their Piemonte section. The staff is helpful and friendly, and the prices are pretty good. Definately a go to when in New York. Check out their website.

Chamber Street
Although I have never actually been here myself, I know this is one for the books. At Chamber Street you can find old gems at a decent price, and from what I hear, the staff is very knowledgeable and helpful. It's on my "Barrel list" for sure! You can find more information on their website.

Christmas Wine Wish List

Like many other people in the wine world, I have put together a little wish list for those who are interested in wine.

Blindtasting Sleeve

If you are a blindtasting lover, these wine sleeves are awesome. Many different colors make it so you can blintaste many wines at a time. Learn more about them here.

 

Wine Tumbler
If you live in a college apartment, travel a lot or just in general, wine tumblers are great! I have them in my college apartment and use them when I want to drink on the boat or go on a weekend trip. You never know which glasses you will get when you travel, so I always bring my own. Look at them here.

Wine Skin
Something less fun, but necessary for the wine traveler, is the Wine Skin. It makes it possible to buy wine when you travel, giving you the change to bring home wine that you can't buy it where you're from. You can buy it here.

Wine Glass Identifier
If you have dinner parties with many people, it can be hard to keep track of who has which glass. Here's where wine identifiers come in handy. You can look at a past post about them on my blog. Check them out here. 

World Atlas of Wine
If you don't already have one, or the person you are giving a gift to doesn't already have one, the World Atlas of Wine is a great book to learn about wine. It's the book I used for my wine course. 
You can buy it on Amazon, and you can learn more about it here.

Wine Glass Writer
Another prop that goes well with blindtasting is the Wine Glass Marker, a marker that you can write on your glass with. 
Learn more about them here.

 

Blenheim - Pictures

 Cavallotto Pinner - always a winner

 Home made syrup- YUM!

Blenheim NYC

Blenheim is owned by a Norwegian, Morten Sohlberg. The restaurant, located in West Village NYC, is named after his farm outside of the city, where they grow their own vegetables and raise their own meet (animals). The restaurant takes on a farm-to-table approach, which is impressive for a restaurant in NYC.
The Team at Blenheim include Morten, Min Ye and the chef Ryan Tate. 

The food was incredible, the service great and ambiance spectacular. Their wine list included Cavallotto's Pinner so I was very happy. 

This place is definitely worth a visit. It was just such an amazing food experience. I will be coming back for sure. 

Learn more about them here: http://www.blenheimhill.com/

Sorbet: Thyme, Cider and Citrus

#tbt France Summer 2014

Wish I was back in France, drinking white burgundy and eating amazing food. Hope I get to go back soon!