Displaying items by tag: Spirits

Summary:

Fortified wines such as port, sherry or marsala are slipping out of fashion. It’s no different with Madeira, but this highly food-friendly beverage deserves your attention.

Madeira is unique in its exceptional acidity and freshness, and also in its ability to age. No other wine has the ability to start showing its fruit at its best when 100 years old.

We’ll talk about this Portuguese island – where it is, and why the terrain and climate are different compared to the Azores or the Canary islands. How did vines come to be planted here, and what are the conditions for grape growing?

We’ll cover the winemaking, how madeira is made and what you can expect from the various styles and single varietals. Get to grips with 10-year-olds, colheita, frasquiera, garrafeira and more. Understand why Sercial, Verdelho, Bual and Malmsey are so revered, and why Tinta Negra Mole was always regarded as second best. And what about

Learn the difference between madeira’s two key ageing techniques: estufagem and canteiro.

There will also be a brief mention of the developing sector of Madeiran still (unfortified) wines, and how this compares with the traditional and hard-to-find vino seco.

Presenter: Simon J. Woolf

Simon J Woolf is an award-winning English author and wine writer, currently based in The Netherlands.

An acknowledged expert on the developing niche of natural wine, he's written for Decanter magazine, Meininger’s Wine Business International, World of Fine Wine and Noble Rot, and many other publications. Simon is the editor of The Morning Claret, an online wine magazine which specialises in natural, biodynamic, organic and orange wine.

Simon's first book "Amber Revolution - How the world learned to love orange wine" was published in 2018, and won the Roederer Wine book of the year award in 2019. Simon has also won numerous awards for his magazine features and online columns.

Simon travels regularly to countries such as Georgia, Slovenia, Italy and Portugal, where he continues to research the stories and traditions behind artisan winemaking. His second book, Foot Trodden, a collaboration with photographer and wine communicator Ryan Opaz, was published in October 2021. It is described as a journey deep into the soul of Portuguese wine.

Simon is also active as a presenter, editor, wine judge and translator.

WSG members still enjoy a discount on Simon's book "Food Trodden" ! Get your discount HERE

Summary: 

Armagnac is finally having its moment! The latest 2016 numbers from the BNIA, the Inter professional Bureau for Armagnac (http://www.armagnac.fr/en), shows the US firmly leading as the Number 1 export market for Armagnac, with sales growing 33% by volume and 19% in value. What was once France’s best-kept secret is now everyone's favorite new spirit discovery! Bartenders, importers, restaurants and retailers have all embraced this small region producing the world’s oldest brandy.

With annual production still hovering around the 6 million-bottle mark, Armagnac is the original artisanal craft spirit. 20% of distillation in the region still takes place by roving distillers that criss-cross the countryside, travelling from farm to farm to distil their wines in the late fall. Maturation takes place in century-old cellars lined with 400L barrels mostly produced from the local oak. Tucked away in the dusty corners of the cellars, you will find hand-blown bottles holding vintage Armagnac, dating back to the late 19th century in some cases.

Join May Matta-Aliah, the official BNIA Armagnac Educator who has been working with the region since 2009, for an informational webinar about Armagnac. May will provide some historical background on Armagnac then bring it to the modern day to discuss some of the trends and changes that the region has been witnessing in the last decade. Finally, May will share some delicious Armagnac cocktail recipes with you to inspire you not only to enjoy the spirit neat but to have some fun mixing it up.

Presenter: May Matta-Aliah, DWS, FWS

May is a New York based wine educator and President of In the Grape. She is a seasoned presenter, an accredited educator, and brings over 15 years of experience and knowledge to all her work. Since 2009 May has represented Armagnac in the US as the Official Ambassador to the region.

May is a firm believer in making wine and spirits education accessible to everyone from wine and spirits trade professionals to curious appreciators. Her experience includes a long-standing affiliation with the prestigious International Wine Center, where she has been teaching the classes of the Wine & Spirits Education Trust, to frequently sold-out consumer classes at a variety of venues around New York City.

She has designed and taught custom courses to industry organizations and presented at large trade conferences such as Tales of the Cocktail, San Antonio Cocktail Classic, New York Wine Expo, Society of Wine Educator Annual Conference and the French Wine Society Annual Conference.

May’s numerous accreditations include the Diploma in Wines & Spirits from the Wine & Spirits Education Trust (WSET), she is a French Wine Scholar (FWS) from the Wine Scholar Guild, as well as the Certified Wine Educator (CWE) through the Society of Wine Educators.

Summary: 

After a first webinar earlier this year on the vins doux naturels of France, Guilherme will focus this time on the fortified wines from the rest of the world with a focus on Italy, Spain, Portugal, Greece and New World (i.e. South Africa, USA, Australia).
 
He will explain them in their historical and geographic context; present to you their terroirs, appellations, vinification methods and aging methods.
 
Finally, he will discuss the gustative and olfactive characteristics of these wines.

Presenter: Guilherme Marques Martins, PhD  

Guilherme Martins holds a PhD from the University of Bordeaux (France) in wine microbiology and biotechnology, and an enologist graduate degree from the University of Vila Real (Portugal). His experience as a winemaker covers such countries as Portugal, France and the US.

He is currently the coordinator of the Master in Vineyard and Winery Management at the Institut de Sciences de la Vigne et du Vin at Bordeaux. His teaching presently focuses on winemaking as well as winery design and equipment.

He collaborates in wine consulting for various academic and commercial projects. He also lectures at various locations around the world, and actively participates in promoting and developing innovations in winemaking research useful for both students and the community at large.

Learn more about French Fortified Wines with the French Wine Scholar study and certification program.

Summary: 

What is fortified wine? Our presenter will answer this question, along with providing a historical and geographic context.

Guilherme will present the winemaking principles associated with fortified wines, with a particular emphasis on French fortified wines, inclusive of their terroir, appellations, vinification methods and ageing method.

Specifically, he will cover Vins Doux Naturels from the Rhne Valley, Corsica, Languedoc and Roussillon as well as Vins de Liqueur (AOP: Pineau des Charentes, Floc de Gascogne, Macvin du Jura and Non-AOP: Ratafia Champagne, Cartagne Languedoc). Finally, he will discuss the gustative and olfactive characteristics of these wines.

Presenter: Guilherme Marques Martins, PhD

Guilherme Martins holds a PhD from the University of Bordeaux (France) in wine microbiology and biotechnology, and an enologist graduate degree from the University of Vila Real (Portugal). His experience as a winemaker covers such countries as Portugal, France and the US.

He is currently the coordinator of the Master in Vineyard and Winery Management at the Institut de Sciences de la Vigne et du Vin at Bordeaux. His teaching presently focuses on winemaking as well as winery design and equipment.

He collaborates in wine consulting for various academic and commercial projects. He also lectures at various locations around the world, and actively participates in promoting and developing innovations in winemaking research useful for both students and the community at large.

Learn more about French Fortified Wines with the French Wine Scholar study and certification program.

Summary: 

What is the proper way to store and serve sparkling wines, fortified wines or dessert wines? Plus, once you have them in the cellar, what is the best way to recommend and sell these wines? Master Sommelier, Matt Stamp, will lead us through the proper serving techniques for these special wines.

Presenter: Matt Stamp MS

Matt Stamp learned the wine and restaurant trade in his hometown of Omaha, Nebraska, where he managed V. Mertz, a local fine-dining institution owned by his family. Matt built the restaurant's award-winning wine list and earned the staff a semifinalist nod for a James Beard Award in Outstanding Wine Service.

Matt has worked as a sommelier at The Farmhouse Inn and Restaurant in California's Russian River Valley and at The French Laundry in Yountville, one of a handful of American restaurants to have earned three Michelin stars. While at The French Laundry, Matt finished first in the inaugural TOP SOMM competition in 2010, earning the title Americas Top Sommelier. He also completed the Master Sommelier exam in 2011, joining the premier ranks of fewer than 180 Masters worldwide.

Matt is the Education Director for the Guild of Sommeliers, a non-profit organization that provides networking, educational, and scholarship opportunities for its members. He hopes to have a great impact on the next generation of sommeliers through education and mentorship.

Learn more about wine with our wine study programs.

Summary: 

A brief, informative high-level review of the entire process of creating the world's most iconic brandy, Cognac, led by a B.N.I.C. Certified Cognac Educator, Hoke Harden. 

You will explore the oenology, the terroir, fermentation, distillation, and the ageing, maturation and blending processes that culminate in one of the most treasured of spirits.

Presenter:

An enthusiastic lover of wine and spirits, Hoke Harden left a career in academia to follow his other muse for the last 35 years, trekking around the world to the great producing regions. Recently referred to as a veritable walking omnibus of wine and spirits knowledge, he has experienced every possible facet of the world of wine and spirits as a retailer, restaurateur, bartender, buyer, wholesaler, supplier, marketer, critic, writer, competition judge and an educator.

He is currently with Elixir Vitae Wine & Spirits Consultants, the Taste & Compare Academy of Wine, Spirits and Food in Portland OR, a writer and blogger, a member of the Society of Wine Educators, Wine & Spirits Instructor at Mt. Hood Community College, a Master Instructor with the French Wine Academy and a B.N.I.C. Certified Cognac Educator.