Summertime is the perfect time for German wines

Dwight The Wine Doctor-Summertime the perfect time to think of German wines

Story and photos by Dwight Casimere

1. Dwight The Wine Doctor with Eberhard von Kunow of Weingut-von Hovel estate

2. Doris Eymael of Monchhof Estate Wines

3. German Wine With Soul

4. Bert Selbach of Dr. F. Weins-Prum estate of Wehlen/Mosel

5. A French television news crew does a live shot outside the Tribeca townhouse where disgraced former IMF head Dominique Strauss-Kahn resides in house arrest during his trial for attacking a hotel maid in New York

New York--Summertime is here and this is the perfect time to think of the light, fruity and flavorful wines of Germany. It’s been some time since I’ve savored the delights of the bone dry (trocken) Pinot Gris Kabinetts of the Kaiserstuhl, or the mouth-wringing “pur mineral” Dry Rieslings of the Rheingau or the dance-in-your-mouth fruity wines of the Mosel. Served well chilled, these are the perfect wines for summer and great with bar-b-ques, salads, seafood and fruit and sorbet desserts, or just drinking by themselves. Besides being terrific on the palate, the wines are also great on the pocketbook!

A recent visit to the famed Robert DeNiro/Drew Nieporent-owned Tribeca Grill in the ultra-hip New York neighborhood of the same name saw the unveiling of the 2011 “German Wine With Soul” U.S. Tour. Entitled “Rudipalooza!” after sponsors, the U.S. distributors Rudi Wiest Selections and Maximum Wine Co., the tasting presented Germany’s top winemakers who are touring the U.S. to introduce the 2010 Vintage of German Wines. Some of the houses the represent are among the oldest names in winemaking, some of them dating back to the time of Napoleon. The wines are readily available at your local wine shop or supermarket.

(Juicy sidebar: On the way to the tasting, I encountered a live TV news crew in front of the $50,000 a month townhouse where disgraced IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn is holed up on house arrest during his trial for allegedly groping a hotel maid. The townhouse is directly across the street from Tribeca Grill.)

One of the first wines I ever had when I was a cub reporter working at a major metropolitan news station in the Merchandise Mart, Chicago, was a Silvaner Kabinett Dry Riesling. I bought at the behest of the kindly wine shop steward, who just happened to be German, at the old Stop ‘N Shop (I’m telling my age!) supermarket across from Sandburg Village, which in those days was one of the trendiest addresses in town. I can’t describe to you the awakening that happened in my taste buds when I first savored the delightful ripe fruit and subtle, underlying sweetness of this wine. It was a real treat to walk into the Tribeca Grill and meeting winery owner Marcel von den Benken and encountering a taste of his 2010 Silvaner Dry, Estate Riesling ($18) and his superlative 2009 Silvaner Kabinett Dry, “Old Vines” Riesling ($24).

Just a note about some of the words used to describe German wines; the words “kabinett,” “spaetlese” and “auslese” are used to describe the sugar level at the time of harvest for each wine. A spaetlese wine has more sugar at harvest as a kabinett, and an auslese has more sugar than a spaetlese. The word spaetlese in German also refers to late harvest wine, in which the grapes are left on the vine after they are ripe in order to increase their sugar content. Although high in sugar levels, these wines also have high acidity, which cuts through the sweetness, thus creating a flavor balance that is thrilling and unique to German wines. Schloss Hallburg wines are one of the best examples of wines that balance the stony and chalky characteristics of the soil with the flavor of ripe fruit.

Next on my tasting excursion were the wines of the Urzig/Mosel regions from Monchhof estates. Their 2010 Riesling Spatlese, “Mosel Slate” ($19.99) absolutely knocked my socks off! It was crystalline, with a brilliant straw hue and a fantastic perfume of jasmine flowers on the nose. This was as easy drinking a wine as ever you could imagine, with peaches and crisp green apples literally dripping from the corners of your mouth. I had one word to describe it, “Sexy!” The 2010 Monchhof Riesling ($13.99) has a similarly smooth, silky taste and texture and delivers a mouthful of pleasure at an extraordinary price. You can’t go wrong with these wines. The Eymael family, which owns and produces Monchhof wines, has a rich history which dates back to the early 1800s. “This is the wine that Napoleon drank,” I was told by my server, who is a direct descendent of the original owners. One sip and I was sure that she was telling the truth.

South African Wines Debuts U.S. Tour at James Beard Foundation

South African wines make 2011 U.S. Debut

Wines reviewed Tuesday, June 7, 2011

1. Dwight The Wine Doctor with Vernon Henn-Thandi Wines-Western Cape, South Africa
2. Aja’ Robinson-Fever Clothing
3. Emil den Dulk-De Toren Private Cellar, Stellenbosch, South Africa
4. Ken Kotze- Cellar Master, Morgenster Wines
5. The fauna among the floral wines at the James Beard Foundation Greens Wines of South Africa tour event

New York-Wines of South Africa Winemaker Tour 2011 kicked off in New York’s famed Village neighborhood near Washington Square with a tasting of 50 of their outstanding new wines in an event at the historic Astor Center hosted by James Beard Foundation Greens. In addition to sampling the best wines from South Africa, participants had an opportunity to nosh on South African inspired hors d’oeuveres created by South African native, Chef Hugo Uys of Paris Commune. The event was a foodie’s delight!

Some of the wines were familiar to American wine lovers, such as Henry Kotze’s Morgenster and Richard Kershaw’s Mulderbosch Estate. Others, such as Black African winemaker Vernon Henn’s Thandi wines, were new to the U.S. market. The event provided a cornucopia of tastes and textures unique to South Africa.

Nearly a dozen South African winemakers were present to pour their wines and describe, first-hand, and the verdant growing regions that are unique to their country. Stellenbosch, South Africa’s most famous winegrowing area, was well represented by such stellar labels as Raats Family Wines,De Toren, DeMorgenzon, Morgenster, Waterford Estate and Warwick Estate and Vilfonte, among others. Distributors were also on hand to let everyone in the toney crowd know where they could find the wines at their local wine shops.

Surprisingly, most of the wines I tasted and enjoyed the most were in the very comfortable $10-$24 dollar range. I was amazed at the quality of wine that was available, in abundance, under $30. The price and the wine's outstanding flavors and accessibility, makes for an ideal summertime value, especially for those interested in pairing wine with food. With summertime here, South African wines, with their bright, sunny flavors and easy drinkability are the perfect match for a picnic, a sailboat ride or an afternoon on the lawn, taking in a summer festival concert. Ravinia and Millennium Park, here I come, bottle of Mulderbosch in hand!

Some of my personal picks and favorite among the throng are:

Mulderbosch Chenin Blanc 2009 (Western Cape) -$13.99. This is what Chenin Blanc is all about and no one does it better than this venerable winemaking estate. The flavors are redolent with lush, vivacious tropical fruit. The aroma of perfumed flowers hits you before you even get the glass to your mouth. This wine is sex in a bottle!

Thandi Shiraz/Cabernet Sauvignon 2010 W.O. Western Cape-$13

Winemaker Patrick Kraukamp really nailed it with this youthful, fruit-forward beauty. The word Thandi meanings nurturing, loving care and that’s exactly the principal that guides both the winemaking a business models of this progressive winery. The Thandi project was one of the first Black Economic Empowerment projects set up by the post-Apartheid government. As a result, the workers now own 2/3rds of the shares of the winery. In 2004, Thandi met strict government standards to become the first Fairtrade certified winery and has become the model for subsequent awardees. The Fairtrade Premium provides money for education for the families that live in the community. This is a classic red blend that combines a rich, ruby-red color with semi-sweet fruit concentration, a bit of pepper plant spice and hints of roasted coffee on the nose. Its available at most local wine shops and, from the comments garnered at this tasting, it will be moving off the shelves fast!

Reyneke Reserve White 2009-Stellenbosch from Indigo Wine Group.-$15

Winemaker Norman Goodfellows knocked it out of the park with this one. It’s become my summertime white “go-to” wine. This Organic wine made from100% Sauvignon Blanc has intense notes of grapefruit and melon and a honeysuckle perfume on the nose. It is crisp and flavorful with an underlying note of the slate soil

that informs its rich character. This is a great wine with summer salads, seafood or just drinking alone on the patio.

As they say in South Africa, “Bakgat!” (Well Done!)

Vintage ports celebrate historic decade on U.S. tour

Vintage ports celebrate historic decade on U.S. tour

Story and photos by Dwight Casimere

1. Dwight The Wine Doctor flanked by David Bruce Fonseca Guimaraens (l) Christie’s Head of wine, Americas, Robin Kelley, O’Connor and Fladgate Partnership’s Robert Bower, Sales and Export Manager

2 & 3 Ports on Parade

4. The Wine Hub/Bayou Buzz’s Philip S. Kampe samples a Croft vintage port

5. Howard Goldberg, a wine writer for the New York Times, savors the 2000 Taylor Fladgate in Ai Fiori’s wine library

“It will be interesting to see how this tasting experience plays out in the media. There’s so much competition for a new audience for all types of fine wines and spirits. Somehow, port has been left out of the conversation. We’re hoping to change that with this new exposure.” Those were the words of Kobrand Spirits Brand Manager Charles R. Viagas as he observed the crowd of wine journalists and prominent members of the wine trade at an Preview Tasting of 2009 Vintage Port hosted by The Fladgate Partnership at New York’s Ai Fiori restaurant high above Fifth Avenue in the ultra chic Setai Hotel.

Port wine is fortified wine produced exclusively in the Douro Valley in the northern provinces of Portugal. Typically regarded as a dessert wine, winemakers have diversified the flavor profile to produce dry, semi-dry and even white varieties that are growing in popularity in Europe, Canada, Australia, South Africa, Australia, Argentina and India. Curiously, the U.S. has been slow to the party and Port remains, at least perceptually, within the domain of armchair intellectuals at stuffy men’s clubs and a few die-hard aficionados.

As a cadre of port winemakers make their way around the country this week in a whirlwind tour of key U.S. cities- New York, Washington, D.C. and San Francisco. Chicago’s Preview 2009 Declaration Tasting was held June 8 at Mastro’s Restaurant, 520 N. Dearborn near the Magnificent Mile. Fladgate Partnership Winemaker David Bruce Fonseca Guimaraens presented a “Decade of Declared Vintages” from the acclaimed port houses Taylor Fladgate, Fonseca and Croft to celebrate an historic first in the wind world; four declared port vintages in a decade. Participants were privileged to taste the 2000, 2003, 2007 and the recently declared 2009 port wines from all three houses as well as a special treat, the Taylor Fladgate Quinta de Vargellas Vinha Velha 2009. The New York City tasting featured remarks by Robin Kelly O’Connor, Christie’s Head of Wine, Americas.

“These port wines are showing great promise going forward over the next five to ten years,” Kelly O’Connor said after tasting a glass of the 2009 Fladgate. “When you’re tasting ports, your palate meets a wall of resistance, which makes it unlike the tasting experience for still wines. Your palate actually adapts and you begin to experience things you would normally not associate with wine, but that are unique to port. These wines are a special treat because they represent some of the finest in the history of port wine. Its quite an exhilarating experience!”

By tradition, April 23^rd, St. George’s Day, is the date upon which the historic Port houses of Taylor, Fonseca and Croft traditionally announce whether they will release a new classic vintage port. In other words, whether they have decided to ‘declare.’ The exciting news is that all three houses have declared 2009. The wines have just been bottled and are being paraded around the U.S. for the pleasure of collectors, journalists and wine enthusiasts. They’ll be available to consumers in retail stores this summer. The big news is Taylor’s release of a small quantity of Vargellas Vinha Velha 2009, the very rare of ‘old vines’ vintage ports from Quinta de Vargellas.

A winemaker has the option of ‘declaring’ a vintage or not. Historically, vintage declarations have only occurred about three times a decade. However, nature has been kind, and four outstanding vintages, 2000, 2003, 2007 and 2009, have all been ‘declared.’ Seldom in the history of over three centuries of port making has the wine world experienced such a sequence of outstanding vintages.

Here are some of the highlights from my tasting notes:

Taylor Fladgate Vintage 2000-$89. This is Taylor’s finest and rarest of wines. It is the very pinnacle of port. Dense and almost black-purple in color, it is rich with a full fruit nose and aromas of dark berry and cedar. This is the classic port in every way, one that invites a long draw on, what else, a Fonseca cigar!

Croft Vintage 2003 Port-$85. This is a huge, mouth-filling port crammed with rich, thick flavors of luscious dark fruit that literally burst open on the palate. There’s an almost overpowering abundance of rich, jammy fruit; currants, blackberries and cherries all against an opulent backdrop of thick tannins. A creamy, blue-veined Stilton would be the obvious choice, but I would also venture to have it alongside a loin of marinated venison or a thick Cowboy steak roasted over a hardwood grill with Portabella mushrooms drenched in the rich port wine and dark olive oil before grilling. Vargellas Vinha Velha Vintage 2009-$249.99. With only a couple of thousand cases shipped to the U.S. and only three bottles to the case, this is going to be a tough one to find. The collectors and exclusive restaurant and hotel sommeliers have already put in first dibs! If you do run across a bottle, break open the piggy bank. This is an outstanding wine from an outstanding estate. Recognized as one of the world’s finest vineyards, the Quinta de Vargellas is traditionally the source of some of Taylor’s finest vintages dating back to the 1890’s. This takes the notion of port to the sublime with deep purple color and a rich flavor and heady aroma that will send your palate into the flavor stratosphere. It’s a mind-bending experience best savored in a darkened room in your favorite chair with only the glow of a roaring fire or your favorite music as an accompaniment. This is what port drinking is all about.

With the rise of specialty spirit such as premium vodka and high-end tequilas capturing the fancy of trendy, young drinkers, this unique collection of fine ports is sure to find a new and enthusiastic audience. You may quote me!

New Orleans' Greatest Chefs Honor Paul Prudhomme's Lifetime of Achievement

Dwight The Wine Doctor

New Orleans’ greatest chefs honor Paul Prudhomme’s Lifetime of Achievement

Story and photos by Dwight Casimere

1. Paul Prudhomme accepts the Ella Brennan Lifetime Achievement in Hospitality Award at New Orleans’ J.W. Marriott ile de France Grand Ballroom dinner in his honor
2. Celebrity Chef John Besh shares his recipe for Slow Roast Saddle of Local Lamb with Dwight The Wine Doctor
3. The main course paired with Pride Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon 2006, Napa Valley
4. Chicago's Chef Rick Tramonto shares news of his New Orleans venture, R'evolution Restaurant at the Royal Sonesta, French Quarter
5. Chef Prudhomme shares a light moment with Dwight The Wine Doctor before the dinner

NEW ORLEANS—“I’m just a cook who likes to make people happy. The fact that I was able to make a nickel at it, was just lucky.” Those were the humble words of Chef Paul Prudhomme as he accepted the Ella Brennan Lifetime Achievement in Hospitality Award at a one-of-a-kind New Orleans Wine & Food Experience dinner in his honor. A galaxy of the Crescent City’s top culinary stars converged on the ile de France Grand Ballroom of the J.W. Marriott hotel to create a lavish six-course meal that included Chef John Folse & Chef Rick Tramonto’s Sugar Cured Duck Ham with Wild Mushroom Cream Orecchiette, Chef Lou Sanders’ Pickled Oysters on the Half Shell with Osetra Caviar and Chef John Besh’s main course of Slow Roast Saddle of Local Lamb with Verbena and Petite Farci of Covey Rise Farms Vegetables.

Chef Prudhomme is credited with almost single-handedly elevating New Orleans’ cuisine to international stature with his signature dishes at K Paul’s and through his numerous television appearances and personal outreach at restaurants and “pop-up” restaurant ‘happenings’ throughout the world over the course of his 40 plus year career.

“Chef Prudhomme is more than a legend, he is both a local and national hero to everyone who loves food and who loves New Orleans,” said Rick Tramonto, a celebrity chef known to Chicagoans as the founder of Tru restaurant on the Magnificent Mile and current owner of Tramonto Steak and Seafood. Tramonto is set to open Restaurant R’evolution in the historic Hotel Royal Sonesta in New Orleans’ legendary French Quarter this fall.

The night’s festivities were preceded by a Moet & Chanson Champagne Reception, Dinner Featured Moet & Chanson Brut Imperial and Brut Imperial Rose ($35.98), Champagne Gusset Brut Grand Rose, Grand Cru, Ay NV ($59.95) paired with Chef Tory McHale’s Crawfish Boil Vichyssoise, Reynolds Family Winery Pinot Noir, Los Corners, 2008 ($52.99) and Reynolds Family Chardonnay, Napa Valley, 2008 ($29.99) paired with Chef Aaron Sanchez’ Seared Local Fish with Louisiana Shrimp Veracruzana & Salsa Verde, Presented by Restaurateur Drew Nieporent of New York’s famed TriBeCa Grill and NOBU followed by Chef John Besh and his Slow Roast Saddle of Local Lamb paired with Pride Mountain Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, 2006 ($75).

Chef Tariq Hanna provided a captivating dessert, P.B.&J. paired with Banyuls, Grand Cru “Clos Chatart,” Jacques Laverriere 1999 Port ($99). Tim Laughlin’s Quartet provided entertainment. Silent and Live Auctions presented a dizzying array of dining and vacation packages and an assortment of exotic wines and novelty items, such as a custom Schecter Limited Edition New Orleans Saints XLIV Champions Guitar donated by the New Orleans Saints Football Club and signed by Head Coach Sean Payton and a “Sippin’ In Sonoma” Wine country week. Electric guitar signed by members of the New Orleans’ Saints Super Bowl Championship team. New Orleans Designer Mignon Faget created the Lifetime Achievement Award.

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

The Ella Brennan Lifetime Achievement in Hospitality The award recognizes one individual each year that has made a lifetime commitment to the hospitality industry through extraordinary leadership, personal and professional accomplishments and philanthropic contributions to the community. The Lifetime Achievement in Hospitality Award is named for restaurateur legend Ella Brennan. Her deep passion and commitment has made a significant and longstanding impact on the New Orleans hospitality industry. This is the second year the award has been given.

New Orleans Magazine & Riedel Glassware sponsored the event.

London in full bloom as nations put forth their best for London International Wine Fair

Dwight The Wine Doctor

London in full bloom as nations put their best wine foot forward at 31^st London International Wine Fair

Story and photos by Dwight Casimere

1. Sunset over Kensington Gardens from the rooftop restaurant Min Jiang at the Royal Garden Hotel, London

2. Mark Bilt of Bilt Wines, Stellenbosch, South Africa

3. Dwight Casimere on Kensington High Street, London

4. Original art graces the labels of ENATE wines of Spain

5. Export Area Manager Tomas Arribas shows off an ENATE label selected for display in an exhibit at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art

6. South Africa makes a big splash at the 31^st London International Wine Fair

7. At the Uruguay tasting pavilion

London, England--London is in full bloom as the sight and smell of Daphnes, Magnolia and Camellia fills the air in this misty and magical city.

The 31^st London International Wine Fair kicked off at Excel London convention center with a dizzying round of tasting events and more than 20,000 wines and spirits being poured for industry professionals, including importers, merchants, producers, agents, restaurateurs, wholesalers, sommeliers and wine journalists. Some 100,000 people are expected to make their way among the breathtaking array of tasting booths and to attend focused tastings and seminars.

Preceding the fair was the announcement of the winners of the International Wine Competition. France came in first, with 1,932 medals. Australia took second place with just over a thousand and France garnered 979 medals to come in third.

Australian label Wolf Blass proved a highlight among competing winemakers, taking four gold medals with its Black Label 2006, Gold Label Riesling 2008, Platinum Label Shiraz 2007, and Yellow Label Shiraz 2009.

"There is significant commercial advantage for wines bearing the IWC logo and medal recognition," event director Chris Ashton said in a statement issued as results were announced yesterday.

"The competition generates considerable global media coverage for all IWC award-winners, and this in turn increases sales by strengthening a wine's credibility with consumers."

Innovation is the key as winemakers experiment with new varietals and make key changes in the profile of their existing portfolio to capture market share in the tectonic slip and slide of today’s ever-fluid market. Younger, inexperienced wine drinkers and women are target markets as producers offer lighter, more fruit forward and food friendly wines that are both easy to drink and easier on the pocketbook.

Fusion of wine and art is the calling card of ENATE wines of Spain. “If you look at our labels, each one is an original work of art. The owner is an avid art collector and we wanted to someone represent that in the wine,” said Export Area Manager Tomas Arribas. “One of our wine labels has been selected as part of an exhibit on the relationship of wine to art by the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art,” he said with pride.

Mark Bilton, of Bilton Wines, Stellenbosch, South Africa, in his characteristic jaunty Panama, greeted me with a warm handshake and a glass of his distinctive 2006 Gold medal winning Cabernet Sauvignon ($20). The elegant, stylish wine is redolent with flavors of cinnamon and cloves. This is a masculine wine with complex layers of fruit, balanced with touches of black olives and truffles. A grilled steak or hearty beef bourguignon are the recommended mains, but it’s versatile enough to pair with a variety of mildly spicy exotic cuisine. The outstanding balance and style of this wine has re-defined perceptions of quality among South African wines.

Wines of France, Spain, Italy, Argentina and Chile occupied prime spots on the floor of the Excel, with new players, such as Lebanon, Croatia and Russia, vying for attention. These “newcomers” actually bring with them a history of winemaking that practically goes back to the dawn of civilization. While their wines are consumed with relish within their own borders and are known to a handful of intrepid world travelers, this is their first time presenting on the world stage. Their presence makes for an intriguing and interesting London International Wine Fair. Cheers!

Get Reintroduced to Soave Wines of Italy at Eataly!

Dwight The Wine Doctor: Time to Get Reacquainted with Soave

Wines Reviewed by Dwight Casimere May 2, 2011

Eataly

200 Fifth Avenue at 23rd

New York, New York 10010

United States

(212) 539-0204 - Ext. 304

lascuola@eataly.com

Photos by Dwight Casimere

1. The Arena inside the ancient city of Verona
2. Alex Saper, general partner and manager of retail operations, Eataly
3. The vast food and wine emporium at Eataly
4. Dr. Luca Sabatini-Export Director, Cantina di Soave with Dwight Casimere
5. Giovanni Ponchia-Soave Consorzio Tutela
6. Michael Wolff-wine marketer
7. Channeling “Samantha and Carrie” for the new series “Wine & The City!

NEW YORK-One of the first wines I was introduced to as a college freshman was Soave. I remember it vividly. I had it with my then girlfriend, Ruth McIhenny and a former Al American football player from Ohio State, Al Thrasher, who fancied himself to be a soul-singer in the James Brown vein. Needless to say, he was better off sticking to the gridiron. We were all students at the University of Chicago and were hanging out at “The Point,” a Promontory Park that juts out from the shore on the South Side of Chicago to reveal a dramatic view of the downtown skyline. After a hard night of hanging out at the blues clubs in Bronzeville, it was the perfect refresher as we watched the golden sunrise.

Since those salad days, my taste buds have been bogarted by Robert Mondavi’s Fume Blanc, and shortly thereafter, the oaky, buttery Chardonnays of Napa and Sonoma Valleys. Recently, I’ve become enamored of the juicy, fruit-forward white wines coming out of Australia and New Zealand. So, it was with a great deal of expectation and more than a little curiosity that I followed up on an invitation to taste the new line of Soave wines, presented by the winemaker, Giovanni Ponchia of the Consorzio Tutela and Dr. Luca Sabatini, Export Director to the Cantina di Soave at the huge Italian food and wine emporium. Eataly on Fifth Avenue in New York.

Roughly, Soave means “mellow” in Italian, and that’s the best way to describe these highly approachable wines. Only, instead of the light, somewhat inconsequential wine I remembered, the wines now escalate in quality and complexity.

Eataly partner Alex Saper presented an impressive array of wines in Eataly’s La Scoula (cooking classroom) as a chef prepared fresh Risotto. Saper, manager of retail operations and a former financial analyst with J.P. and brother of Eataly CFO and general managing partner Adam Saper, gushed about the wines and their versatility to handpicked gathering of industry professionals and media which packed the room.

“The beauty of these wines is that they are so versatile. They go great with food, but they’re also great just by themselves, or as an aperitif with appetizers,” Saper said.

Dr. Luca Sabatini summed it up best, saying “This year, we have brought to the public a very high quality of wine. I think it will enjoy enormous success in the U.S. market.

Winemaker Giovanni Ponchia was effusive in his explanation of the wines. “What I’m most excited about are the changes that are now going on in Soave. The consortium has been doing a fascinating initiative for white wines made on volcanic soil called Vulcania. We’re starting to see the results now in terms of the new wines that we’re releasing that really express the terroir of the region.”

Soave comes from a region of northern Italy that surrounds the area of the fascinating medieval village of Soave, just outside picturesque Verona, the setting of Shakespeare’s great romantic tragedy, Romeo and Juliet. Soave is one of the world’s top selling wines, and for many years was the vinified calling card of the Italian culinary world.

Servers passed prosciutto-wrapped asparagus and skewers of Rosemary-dusted chicken. A groaning sideboard featured an array of house made salumi and delectable Italian cheeses.

Eataly is the brainchild of culinary heavyweight and celebrity chef Mario Batali and a team of partners that includes fellow culinary maestro Oscar Farinetti and Batali’s New York partners, Lidia and Joe Bastianich. Located in an historic landmarked building, formerly known as the International Toy Center, across from the famous Flatiron building, the ornate lobby, which houses Eataly’s seven restaurants and retail shops, evokes the feeling of an Italian piazza. That visual reference is no accident. The Farinetti’s founded a similar complex in Turin, Italy. There is also an Eataly in Tokyo.

The beauty of the wines is that, in addition to possessing outstanding quality, they are reasonably priced in the $14-$28 range. Among the seven wines presented were:

Re Midas Soave DOC 2010, a golden, straw colored white wine that is beautifully dry, with characteristic aromas of apricot and nectar and flavors of melon and nectarine and a hint of nuts on the palate. The finish is like that of the crisp, early spring air. The wine is made from 100% Garganega grape, the indigenous variety of Soave, and is a prime representative of the grapes grown in the region’s volcanic soil. This “King Midas” wine sells for a very non-regal $24.

Soave Classico Castello 2009 ($22) is one of Veneto’s prima donnas. This bone-dry beauty is also made 100% from the region’s Garganega grape and is the flagship of the varietals.

My absolute favorite was the evening’s finale, Il Casale Soave Classico 2009, a lively, elegant wine with terrific acidity. It has a slightly fruity, fresh taste and a delicate perfume with hints of white flowers. A slight tartness on the finish adds an air of seductiveness. This is an absolute steal at $14!

The other wines presented included Si Soave 2009. Composed of 90% Garganega and 10% Trebbiano, this wine is typical of the light, crisp summer wines we associate with the Soave designation. Its similar to Pinot Grigio in texture and acidity, however, it’s a bit more complex with an extra layer of minerality due to the volcanic soil the grapes are grown in. This one answers the question,” what wine goes with oysters.”? Love the artsy curved bottle and can you believe, its only around $10 a bottle!

Clivus Soave Classico 2009 ($28), Soave Classico Rocca Sveva 2009 ($12) and Danieli Soave DOC 2009 ($22) rounded out the tasting and completed what turned out to be a stellar evening’s experience. Viva Italia! Viva Eataly!

James Beard Awards bestows "Oscars" of the culinary industry on celebrity chefs

Dwight The Wine Doctor: James Beard Awards bestow industries “Oscars” on the nation’s best chefs and restaurants

Story and photos by Dwight Casimere

1. Chef Emeril Lagasse with Dwight The Wine Doctor

2. Dwight Casimere with Food Network’s Bobby Flay

3. A chef and his porcine friends “ham it up” on the Red Carpe

4. James Beard Award celebrant at Lincoln Center Plaza

5. Celebrity Chef Marcus Samuelsson of Harlem’s Red Rooster restaurant, a past James Beard Award winner

6. Outstanding Chef of the Year winner Jose Andres’ minibar restaurant offering of Petrossian Caviar and prosciutto “tacos” at the VIP reception

New York—Petrossian Caviar and Perrier-Jouet Grand Brut champagne greeted celebrity chefs and winners and nominees of the annual James Bear Foundation Awards ceremony at Lincoln Center, the “Oscars” of the culinary industry. Celebrity chefs Bobby Flay, Jacques Pepin and Emeril Lagasse rubbed shoulders with this year’s nominees and winners, including Chef Stephen Stryjewski of Cochon New Orleans, who took home the James Beard award for best chef in the south from Emeril, his fellow New Orleans star chef.

Other winners included Chef Jose Andres of minibar in Washington, D.C., who was named the Outstanding Chef of the Year at the Lincoln Center gala. San Francisco’s Michael Tusk of Quince and Cotogna was named the best chef in the Pacific region. Popular Chicago restaurateur Rich Melman of Lettuce Entertain You was named Outstanding Restaurateur.

In the wine and distilled spirits category, Per Se in New York won for Outstanding Service. The Modern in New York took Outstanding Wine Service honors and Old Rip Van Winkle Distillery in Louisville, Kentucky won the Outstanding Professional Award.

Among top awards, revered Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten's ABC Kitchen in New York was named Best New Restaurant.