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Andrew is the Master Sommelier for Premier Beverage Company and works throughout the state of Florida to spread his knowledge of wine through education and training programs with customers and consumers. In March 2007 he became just the 10th person to win the Krug Cup, a highly coveted award given to those who pass the extremely rigorous Master Sommelier exam on the first attempt. In 2008 he was bestowed with the title of one of five “Best New Sommeliers” by Wine & Spirits Magazine. Prior to joining Premier, Andrew was a member of the prestigious sommelier team at The Breakers Palm Beach.
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12/23/2009
Well, here we are… at the end of another year. I always look back and think about the new wines that I’ve tried – the good, the bad, the great and the awful (fortunately not too many of these this year!). I think about the meals I’ve had, the friends and family I’ve shared them with – and then, I celebrate another year. For all of the good and bad, it’s time to celebrate… and there is no better way to celebrate than with bubbles – Champagne, Sparkling Wine, Cava, Prosecco, etc… Whatever you like that puts you in a happy, celebratory mood.
For me, I am a self-proclaimed bubbles fanatic… I could drink Sparkling Wine with every meal, every day, for the rest of my life and never get bored. It’s the perfect wine for every occasion – celebrating? Of course! Great mood – why not? Bad day – tell me bubbles doesn’t change your mood immediately….
So, as we look back at the past year – be it good or bad – this is the occasion for Sparkling Wine… Here are a few of my favorites that I’ll be toasting with this Holiday Season.
California Sparkling Wine – ...
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11/10/2009
What to drink for Thanksgiving Dinner… the question that always plagues us. As a wine professional, my family and friends always ask what works and what doesn’t with the myriad of flavors, smells and colors that abound on Thanksgiving. Hopefully I can help shed some light.
1. Get a red and a white. There is simply no way to match all of the flavors with either one separately, so try both. White to start, red to finish.
2. The old standby White with White, Red with Red still works… White wine with white meat, red wine with the dark meat… but don’t forget the cranberry sauce and gravy, which can both change what really goes best.
3. Pick a wine that you like. At the end of the day, no wine will be perfect with all of the flavors, so pick one you’ve tried and really enjoy. Chances are, you’ll enjoy it with your Thanksgiving meal too!
Some specific types of wines I like with my Thanksgiving dinner…
Sparkling
La Marca Prosecco, Italy - $10-12
This beautiful sparkling wine from the area of Conegliano e Valdobbiadine in Northeastern Italy is made entirely from the local Prosecco grape. Light bodied and ...
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8/31/2009
Part of learning how to taste is realizing the differences between wines of different regions and countries. At the most basic level, we often hear wine critics or writers define wines in terms of their “world”. What exactly does this mean? When we talk about Old World wines, we’re generally talking about wines from Europe – France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, etc. New World generally refers to the Americas – United States, Canada, Chile, Argentina; as well as Australia, New Zealand and South Africa (more of a cross between Old and New). Other than a geographical designation, what does that mean to the everyday wine consumer? Well, to generalize (again!), comparing Old vs. New World is like comparing grapefruit to oranges – are there similarities, sure, but the differences are what make the wines unique.
Old World wines tend to come from cooler climates, so they tend to not be quite as ripe – think tart Granny Smith Apple and Lemon Rind for white wines and tart cranberry and unripe blackberry for red wines. They also tend to have a higher level of acidity (part of the reason food and wine go so well together (again, generalities!) is ...
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8/19/2009
Every day I get asked a lot of questions about wine, both from consumers and those in the business alike. The one I hear most frequently is “how do I learn to describe all of those smells and flavors out of the glass and into words.” I always hear “You must be a natural taster” or “I’ll never be able to do that”… the truth is, that I am not a natural taster nor did I think I would ever be able to describe a wine. When I first started tasting I had no idea why it was important for me to describe what I smell and taste in a glass of wine. I soon learned that if you can describe what’s in a wine, then you can tell someone else what you do and don’t like in a wine, etc. When I first started seriously tasting, I would go through a wine in my head, but I wasn’t good at it - I didn’t know if what I thought even made sense! Only after tasting a lot of wines and listening to others come up with similar notes to what I had, I realized that maybe I could learn ...
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7/31/2009
I want to welcome you to what I hope to be a fun, educational and interactive “blog” of sorts. I love wine - the smells, the taste… though what I love even more than the flavors in any given bottle of wine are the discussions the wine creates – do you like it? Is it good? What kinds of food will pair well with it? To me, wine is about family and friends and enjoying each others’ company. Sure, the alcohol helps with that a little bit, but that’s not why I drink wine.
Wine is a staple in many cultures around the world, and it has been that way for millennia. In the US, we view wine as a luxury - something to drink on a special occasion - I say hogwash. With great wine being produced from every corner of the globe in every price-point imaginable, we too can live the “French Paradox” or “La Buena Vida”.
Whether you choose to spend $5 or $500 for a bottle, know that quality is out there – just maybe from different places that you might be used to. Being a dedicated wine drinker takes a leap of faith. If you ...
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