![]() The Family Connection - Hristo Zisovski, Beverage Director, Altamarea Group Support local restaurants, they need your patronage now more than ever. Without much needed support from the government it could become even grimmer. Still, it has been devastating, and every day is a grind, an exhausting fight to stay alive. We never closed operations, trying to keep as many people employed as possible throughout the pandemic, through delivery, take-out, nationwide shipping, and outdoor dining. It’s been a really challenging year at Cote in New York. We are bringing our Michelin-starred New York steakhouse, Cote, to Miami this winter, and building the beverage program down there has been a ton of fun, as I’ve re-discovered so many South American classics as well as new up and comers that are doing great things - Clos de Fous, Louis-Antoine Luyt, Wapisa, Zorzal, and Gonzalez Bastias - to name a few. Independent restaurants were already facing headwinds prior to Covid-19, so any support for restaurants that represent the heart and soul of the business is beneficial. The action and resources they provide are critical for so many businesses and workers. The Independent Restaurant Coalition is doing the work for a huge segment of the hospitality industry. Credit to Dorothy Gaiter and John Brecher, since this is an extended version of their “Open That Bottle Night” experience. It’s one method of turning uncertainty into a positive, since one never knows what one is getting the rewards can be so pleasant. This has yielded some delicious surprises. In addition, I get to taste how wines age that might not have been intended for such. The regions, styles, and grape varieties vary, and that is part of the attraction. In 2021, I want to open bottles that I have been saving or that were ‘lost’ in the cellar. ‘Lost in the Cellar’ Bottles - James Tidwell, TEXSOM Of course, I have to plug, Black Wine Professionals, the organization I founded this year to promote and highlight the often overlooked Black wine professional. Since I'm from Texas, I want to highlight the work of Chris Shepherd and Southern Smoke in Houston for all the work they have been doing for restaurant workers. ![]() I'm curious to see what Carboniste from California will do because their sparkling Albariño has been one of my favorite sparkling wines of 2020. I'm looking forward to drinking sparkling wine from all over the world made from a variety of grapes. Sparkling- Julia Coney, Writer, Founder, Black Wine Professionals Imagine if our politicians had the guts, compassion and integrity of José Ramón Andrés. ![]() Wines with meaning to the people who made them, that offer lessons for the rest of us on living life with curiosity, purpose, and integrity.Īnd, my charity: World Central Kitchen. From the Cannonau farmed in Sardinia by healthy, happy elders, the Cinsault in Lebanon which epitomized human resilience, to sherry from Jerez consumed as an act of cultural preservation, these are the wines I want to drink in 2020. In Transformative Wine Journeys, I spotlight the regions that changed how I think and feel about wine - and live life. This prompted the writing of a book I'd long wanted to pen but never sat still enough to create. These connections proved there's still an audience craving to be transported from the couch into distant lands. Finding new ways to connect with wine and travel lovers included virtual experiences and corporate events. But as the notion from the Greek philosopher Epictetus goes, it's not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters. When the pandemic halted travel, I lost a large chunk of income overnight, indefinitely. Sardinia, Lebanon and Jerez - Lauren Mowery, Travel Editor,Wine Enthusiast It's a very good group of people working for a very good cause! It was established this year specifically to provide financial help for restaurant wine professionals during the Covid crisis and has plans to support that community in the future as well. There are so many vital fundraisers out there serving the restaurant world right now that it's hard to choose only one, but I'm going to suggest people donate to the United Sommelier Foundation, because it ties so closely to wine (and because I know too many restaurant wine professionals who are out of work right now). It tastes to me the way melted snow from a pristine mountain field ought to taste (though not like melted snow from Brooklyn drinking that would probably kill you faster than any Coronavirus could). However much I learn about sake, it always seems there are layers and layers to it, both sensory and factual, that still await discovery, at least for my palate and brain. Finally, though I had no plans laid to go to Japan for Covid to screw up, sake.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |