Travel Channel Academy Shoot-- Pairing Wine with Film

This weekend I expanded my communication skills considerably by attending the Travel Channel Academy in NYC. This four day workshop is intense and expensive ($2,000 not including MAC laptop or camcorder rental), so you really need to be serious to consider doing this. However, for those of us for whom time is more valuable than dollars, this course provides the perfect quick and dirty intro to shooting and editing.
Heavy-hitter TV production team Michael Rosenblum and Lisa Lambden led the long days, which took place in a third floor conference room at CUNY’s School of Journalism. Part of the value for dollar was making contact with top level Travel Channel execs like Lori Rothschild Ansaldi. When she dangled freelance video projects in front of us, it was like watching lions circle for the kill: we salivated over the thought of being paid $1000 to sell off exclusive rights to our two minute travel pieces.
Our first projects were harried: we were quickly taught video basics and thrown onto the streets of Manhattan to shoot about 20 minutes of tape, which we later edited down to a one minute clip. In the screening, our feelings were not spared as we were subjected to, as Michael called it, Public Humiliation and Public Praise. I felt slightly terrified of the prospect, but, in the end all of the criticism was tempered with humor, and our work was the better for it.
For the second shoot, we were required to find a character. Where in NYC would I find someone who came across well on camera (their requirements) and was involved in wine (my requirements)? Thinking about the wine shops, restaurants, and bars I’ve been to, I remembered meeting Jean Luc Le Dû, proprietor of Le Dû’s Wines in the West Village.
I made quick contact with him Saturday morning, and, even though Jean Luc was moving his apartment that day, he made time to meet me at his store. While I waited, I met his associate Yannick, an enthusiastic wine lover who is currently in the process of pursing his Master of Wine from the Court of Grand Sommeliers.
When Jean Luc arrived, he was all quick movements and fast talk in his melodious French accent. Following him around the store was a bit of a challenge, but, in the end, I got some great footage of him tasting wine that was poured for their Saturday wine tastings, talking about wine with his associates and customers, and telling stories about Romanée Conti for the camera.
It was a lovely visit and made a great subject for my two minute video. If the Travel Channel doesn’t buy this clip, you’ll see it posted here within a few weeks.

I Earned My Long Island Wine Tasting Badge at TasteCamp East

If I were a scout, I’d be sewing a patch embroidered with a glass of red wine and a map of Long Island on my green-sleeved uniform today. Because at TasteCamp, I had earned bragging rights to knowing more than a little about wines from both the North and South Forks.
TasteCamp East was organized by the energetic Lenn Thomson. He matched up 30 bloggers with more than a dozen Long Island wine producers and the result was a glorious weekend of discovery.

Friday
Our entrée to Long Island wine began Friday evening in the grand tasting room at Raphael Winery, where members of the Merlot Alliance poured their wines. Merlot is Long Island’s signature grape. In many bottlings of Long Island Merlot, winemakers feel free to stir in Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, or Petit Verdot. The Aussie-born Pellegrini winemaker took us through a flight of Merlot that began in 1993. I was impressed that the older wines stood up and offered a nice amount of fruit and color despite being 16 years old. Favorite wines from that evening included the 2004 Clovis Point Merlot blended with Cabernet Franc and the 1998 and 2000 Wölffer Merlots.
After enjoying passed appetizers and a good share of wine tasting, we settled at formally set tables complete with candelabras. Dinner was ever-so-good after a dreary day driving out to the edge of Long Island. The foie gras and poached pear appetizer and short rib ravioli in particular were stunners.

Saturday
Saturday morning started early as we corralled into a back room at Roanoke. The set-up was professional: spit buckets, water bottles, and information sheets about the wine. We sat at long tables and went to work on our tasting, learning that they like their wines unfined and unfiltered—an approach we would see again out here. Our next stop was Paumanok, where the smiling welcome of Charles Massood eased our way into their terrific line-up, including a super crisp Chenin Blanc and their elegant Assemblage, a Bordeaux-type blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot. I was thrilled that his son, winemaker Kareem, took us into the cellar for 2007 barrel samples that left our tongues bright purple.
Our lunch was at Shinn Estate. We eagerly attacked a buffet of duck breast, mushroom salad, penne and asparagus, green salad, and calamari. The lunch wine that was my favorite of the weekend was the barrel sample of the 2007 Shinn Cabernet Franc. Long Island Cabernet Franc was a revelation to me. I had tasted quite a few Cab Francs on my trip to the Loire Valley last summer. In France, this wine can be pale in the glass and in the nose it often takes on vegetal components. Here, it is a riper, meatier red--darker in color and more intensely flavored. Then again, I’m told that 2007 is an exceptional vintage.
Lunch was followed by lengthy chats by North Fork winemakers who conveyed their passion for farming sustainably, despite the challenges of their maritime climate. Before entering the winery, I had admired the sunny dandelions and brilliant green ground covers that grew between the vines, which had just gone through bud break (every blogger took the same close-up photo). Barbara Shinn explained that they intentionally created a meadow to bring in good bugs and assist their vineyard’s ability to thrive organically. This attractive and incredibly down-to-earth winemaker said the funniest line of the weekend: “They say that good wine is made in the vineyard, but good wine comes from a horse’s ass.” These words to live by were uttered as the group passed around a flower pot of aged manure that’s used as fertilizer—I kid you not.
The after-lunch tasting in the garage of Shinn was overwhelming—too many wines in too little time. We had all slowed down by that point, tired by the food and the pace of the day. (I never did get that double espresso I needed!) It was more of a social time for us to catch up with old friends and get to know new ones better. As Finger Lakes publicist Melissa Dobson and I exchanged girly hugs, it occurred to me that I was enjoying the company of my fellow bloggers as much as the wine. These are vibrant, funny folks who share my passion, and I was delighted to spend the weekend with them.
On the huge porch at Bedell, we shivered in a cool spring breeze as we ran through their line up, which included some yummy but expensive selections, including an oaked Chardonnay which I might have bought if it had been $30 instead of $48. After our tasting, we soaked up thin rays of sunshine and admired the flat, wide vineyard behind the open-air deck. Some of our party dropped off, but the boldest ones soldiered on to a final tasting at Lenz—and I’m so glad I did. The winemaker was a character: bearded, hippy-like and precise in his opinions. Maturity ebbed away as we laughed at each other spitting into a grate in his drive, giving each other points for distance and style. We drank frothy barrel samples poured from a plastic pitcher and were pressed to guess the variety—the white pinot noir stumped all but the most astute.

Sunday
Sunday morning, our numbers had dwindled further, and my group got a bit lost as we ambled over two ferries and across lovely Shelter Island. When we reached the regal Wölffer Estates, we found our companions in a beautiful tasting room, its high ceilings crossed by thick wooden beams, a beautiful iron chandelier hanging over a grand dining room table. Our red wines were served in bell-shaped Reidel glasses. We swirled our Merlot and watched it spin, like Flamenco dancers careening in long skirts. Roman Roth, the German-born winemaker, grinned as he discussed 2006, a challenging year that still produced a wonderful fruity wine. We ended that tasting with a golden dessert wine from grapes that had been attacked by Botrytis—a very good thing! This is the same noble rot that creates exquisitely sweet and complex Sauternes in France. It seemed sinful to pour the rest of our glasses down the spittoons—but we had one more winery before we were done.
Our weekend finished at Channing Daughters. Their fast-talking winemaker Christopher Tracy was lively, fun, down-to-earth, knowledgeable—I can’t say enough about how I enjoyed his hospitality. Luckily, his wines reflected his boundless enthusiasm. In terms of winemaking, he took a distinctly different view than other Long Islanders, looking to grape varieties from Northeast Italy and the Adriatic-influenced Veneto rather than Bordeaux. One sip of his Tokai Friulano and we were convinced that he was right. As we petted his fuzzy, brown Labroodle and enjoyed the sound of rain pinging on the porch roof above, we felt a comfortable pleasantness steal over us. We had learned so much, tasted to exhaustion, taken pages of notes, and sent out dozens of tweets. At last, we could relax. On the porch at Channing Daughters, drinking fine wines on a rainy Sunday afternoon, we knew how pleasant a trip to Long Island wine country could truly be and we enjoyed the moment….not as bloggers, but simply as lovers of the good life.

Taste Camp Anticipation

I’m pleased as punch to be part of Taste Camp East, a by-invitation-only wine bloggers event on Long Island’s North Fork. The event was organized by Lenn Thomson, author of the highly-regarded New York State wine blog , Lenndevours.
I’m especially looking forward to spending time with some of the great folks I met at the California Wine Bloggers Conference, such as Rémy Charest, Robbin Gheesling, and Melissa Dobson, all great wine bloggers and very cool peeps.
Lenn did an amazing job organizing a full weekend of Long Island wine tastings. Tonight, we’re being treated to dinner by Raphael Winery and the Long Island Merlot Alliance. Saturday we’ll be spitting a lot—woe to those who don’t because we begin at 10:00 am -- tasting through the day at these vineyards: Roanoke, Paumanok, Shinn (who’s treating us to lunch!), Bedell, and Lenz. Our Saturday dinner is being put on by Grand Cru Classes and it’ll be BYOB. Can’t wait to see what these wine lovers bring to dinner—it’s always fun when the bloggers start pulling out their favorite bottles. Sunday there’s an outing to the southern side of the island for tastings at Wolffer Estate and Channing Daughters.
I expect to come home with red-stained teeth and a high appreciation of Long Island wine. Cheers to all the sponsors and organizers of Taste Camp East!

St. Michael’s Food and Wine Festival Sizzles on the Chesapeake

Record-setting April temps struck during this year’s St. Michael’s Food and Wine Festival, which made the nice folks at the D’Marie booth very happy. They sell a mix that you stir into red or white wine, pop in the freezer, and a little while later you get an icy slush made with wine. Their little cups of red and white wine slush tasted great on such a scorcher, and as did crisp whites like Pinot Grigios—although I steered clear of anything red for the first couple hours.
Although the event officially began at 11:00, the local liquor laws required everyone to wait until 12:00 to pour. Someone shouted “ 11:59” the minute before and then it was “12:00, You can pour wine!”
My schedule only allowed me one day at the festival, but it was well worth the drive down Maryland’s rural eastern shore. The folks who run the fest have Southern hospitality down pat and welcome you with big smiles. The location of the event, right on the water at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum, was scenic and fascinating. Our tickets to the festival also included entry to the museum’s exhibits. I climbed up a furnished 19th century lighthouse and got a fantastic view of the water and the festival.
Two large tents are set up where the wineries pour. There is also cheese sampling from a quality local producer Firefly Farms. My husband and I always take some of their fresh goat’s milk cheese home with us.
This festival has terrific speakers, but the supply of public tickets is unfortunately very limited. I arrived half an hour early for the first speaker, the Wine Coach, and was already too late. As the day wore on, I began to think that I could only get into one seminar due to the long wait. I choose to hear Danielle Cyrot, winemaker at Napa Valley’s St. Clement Winery, voted Best Boutique Winery two years in a row. She was a delight—young, upbeat, and informative. Her seminar focused on tasting the four Cabernet Sauvignons that comprise the blend of their signature wine, Orropas. As Danielle described the topography of each of the different vineyards, I imagined myself in California hiking in the vineyards again. I later introduced myself to Danielle, who was quite gracious. Hope I have the opportunity to visit her winery one day.
After the seminar, my husband and I strolled the tents and took time to chat with both the exhibitors and attendees. At the Lockwood booth, we drank Syrah and debated with another wine lover just who sang Que Sera, Sera….one I-Phone search later and we had the answer: Doris Day in an Alfred Hitchcock Film.
At the festival’s end, my husband and I scampered down the shore to soak our tired feet in the cool water of the Chesapeake. It had been a hot, fun time at the St. Michael’s Food and Wine Festival on Maryland’s scenic Eastern Shore.

Bordeaux Prices Show Signs of Dropping

During the spring, wine buyers flock to Bordeaux to taste the vintage of the previous fall. So in March, the 2008 wine from the great Chateau was being tasted. There is a tradition here when it comes to pricing the wine: the famous wine critic Robert Parker will release his reviews (on a 100 point system) and then the chateau owners will put a price to bottle, most often in June.
But the rarified world of Bordeaux wine cannot escape the world financial crisis. In addition, many observers believe that the pricing structure in Bordeaux became out of whack after the spectacular 2005 vintage. It seems that the prices for 2006 and 2007 Bordeaux did not drop much, even though the wines from these years did not compare to the 05. That was in the days when investment bankers with bulging wads of cash snapped up Bordeaux, pushing the prices out of the reach of the average wine collector. But those days are done. In light of the world financial crisis, many are concerned about the world’s most prestigious wines languishing without buyers.
Already, one Chateau owner has taken measures to deal with that. Chateau Angelus is offering their 2008 at a 40% price drop from their 2007. We’ll see if other chateaux follow suit. If they do, this could mark the year that sky-high Bordeaux prices fueled by flush investors finally float down to earth. While these are never going to be inexpensive wines, they could at least be a little more within reach, especially in the wines classified further down the traditional Bordeaux ranking.

World Wine Guys Visit Windows on the World Wine School

Monday night I a met a dynamic duo of food, wine, and travel writing, Mike DeSimone and Jeff Jenssen, the world wine guys. While I'm always excited to talk to other wine & travel lovers, I was especially pleased to speak with them because I had recently read their article on visiting Rioja in Wine Spectator. The Windows on the World Wine class that I visited on Monday night was focused on Italy and Spain, and Kevin Zraly had invited the guys to tell us a little bit about what’s happening in Rioja – basically a construction boom that is attracting the world’s most innovative architects including Frank Gehry and Philippe Mazieres. After the class wrapped up, I chatted at length with them about their time traveling around Spain and other European wine destinations, including their recent trip to Hungary to visit the land of the delicious dessert wine, Tokai. When I later checked out their fun website, I discovered some yummy international recipes including fried calamari, Beef Bourguignon, and Sultan’s Chicken. Keep a look out for more of their journeys in upcoming issues of Wine Spectator or take a look at their site for their travel recommendations.

Valrhona Chocolates, Van Leeuwen IceCream & Mr. Cupcakes

O.K., I admit it. In addition to loving liquid refreshments, I have a sweet tooth. I can go days without eating dessert, but if I am going to indulge, I want something wonderful—no waxy chocolate bars or cookies filled with artificial ingredients. For whatever reason, it’s been an awfully sweet week. Here are the sinfully good sweets that were worth the indulgence:
Valrhona Chocolates – My dear friend James came home from a weekend in Amsterdam with a box of these decadent and beautifully crafted “bon bons” for me. Every day, we each have one. I am a true chocolate lover, and these may be the best box chocolates I have ever had. I understand that there is a Valrhona Boutique in the Trump Place Food Emporium—much closer than Europe!
Van Leeuwen Ice Cream – At a recent writer’s meetup, I started talking about the sample ice cream that I tried recently and a fellow writer cried, “The ice cream truck!” It seems that Pete Van Leeuwen has an honest-to-goodness truck that treks around NYC. But, we can eat his cool treats without running down the street to catch him—it’s sold at Whole Foods. To give you an idea of how good this is: my husband brings home several half-gallons of ice cream every week and I never eat it. Unless it’s scorching hot, I find ice cream pretty easy to resist. But this ice cream is so high quality, it might as well be in a different food group: there are only about four ingredients per container, including fresh cream, hazelnuts from Italy’s Piedmont (in chocolate hazelnut, my favorite flavor), and actually less sugar than the bigger brands.
Mr. Cupcakes – Well, you have to drive to Jersey for this one! Let’s face it: cupcakes are having a moment. I know New York has its share of bakeries like Magnolia that offer the darling little treats, but I’ve heard tell of a NJ spot that is worth the trip. This past Tuesday the whole family headed to Clifton and we were not disappointed. With flavors like Peanut Butter & Jelly, Chocolate Strawberry, Smores, Red Velvet, and more, this is a fun spot to pick up a box. And, at $1.50 a piece, it’s a super economical indulgence. We ate ours at Brookdale Park , a sprawling green space designed by the Olmsted Brothers of Central Park fame.
Back to the wine anon. Hope readers will excuse a girl for sharing a little dessert love.