IN THIS ISSUE:
A. Feature:
Strategic Partnerships in the Special Events Industry
B. Event Highlights:
October Wine Tastings with Sommelier Kleinhans
C. Wine Elite Philosophy:
An Interview on Cheese Essentials
This is
Sommelier Insight, the Wine Elite newsletter for wine connoisseurs, event managers and hospitality professionals.
The Wine Elite is your go-to partner for keynote speeches on wine appreciation and expert-guided tasting experiences, nationwide. Our partners are the industry leaders in the hospitality and corporate field.
Consider an upgrade for your current pipeline of corporate meetings, client dinners and holiday functions, to the unique programs of the Wine Elite, which have been enjoyed by thousands of attendees.
Click here to download our program package for corporate and special events. Your company could enjoy unforgettable events like the recent
Dinner with Picasso at the Ritz-Carlton in Laguna Niguel, or like the
Sommelier Wine Dinner series at Cafe Beau Soleil.
Please enjoy this monthly newsletter and send any feedback to
[email protected]. We will swiftly reply to each email.
A. Case Study of Strategic Partnerships in the Special Events Industry
The Wine Elite Sommelier company is an independent go-to source, interfacing between wine appreciation and special event design. We partner with the best companies in their respective fields to integrate their strengths for innovative services that are without competition.
Our most recent partnership involves the leader in entertainment venues, Live Nation's "House of Blues". Together with the Wine Elite, House of Blues offers a solid event speaker program to their clients, available at House of Blues locations in the American West and beyond. Please see a large version of the below fact sheet
here.
We continue to build winning relationships with industry leaders. Please consider our
venue partner services and contact us to discuss opportunities.
B. Upcoming Wine Tastings — Email us if you would like to join our Public Tastings.
The Wine Elite offers ongoing programs that all deliver our signature format of sommelier-guided wine tasting experiences, often with a blind-tasting twist to them. Wine dinners and seminars are offered at top restaurants in the greater Los Angeles and San Diego areas. We invite our business partners to experience one of these tastings, so that you can be better informed when offering our services to your clients. Reserve with
Joey.
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"A San Diego Night in Wine": High-End Pairing Dinner with old and rare wines at the waterfront Red Marlin, on Saturday, October 12th. See the full menu here.
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"The Great Wines Of France": Joey's monthly Sommelier Fireside Chat & Dinner at the award-winning Pinot Provence, Costa Mesa, on Wednesday, October 23rd. Here is the detailed menu. An exclusive collector's dinner of the top wines of France will also be held on Saturday, October 19th.
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"Dinner with the Three Epicures": Premiere of our new wine and culinary speaker program at the legendary Mistral French Bistro in Sherman Oaks. Sommeliers Joey Kleinhans and Adam Edmonsond partnering with culinary expert Dr. Larrian Gillespie to deliver a guided symphony of the senses with the wines and delicacies of the French South West, on Monday, October 28th. Review the exciting menu here. The Three Epicures can be booked for your event via [email protected].
C. Wine Elite Philosophy: Cheese Essentials
Today we are interviewing our resident cheese expert Thomas Buergi. Tom covers advanced cheese tasting discussions at the Wine Elite, and combines deep cheese experience with a winemaker's education from UC Davis.
His Swiss heritage positions him as one of the authorities in the field of cheese pairings that complement the great European wines from the matching regions. Tom's cheese/wine workshops are important components of the Wine Elite suite of event options.
Tom, there are probably a few types of cheese that represent key flavors from the major regions. What are the most important cheeses from France, Italy, Switzerland, Spain and the Netherlands that are worth studying, from a perspective of uniquely representing the region?
As with fine wine, I recommend focusing on the traditional made versions, now available at better food markets and specialty stores. I always imagine one of those stylized maps with pictures of regional landmarks and local specialties.
France: Brie and Camembert in the north, Roquefort Blue from the south west, creamy white goat Chèvre from the Loire Valley, and a Reblochon from the Savoy/Alpine area.
Italy: of course the King of Cheese – the famous Parmigiano Reggiano (preferably aged), fresh Mozzarella di Bufala, and Gorgonzola blue from Piedmonte/Lombardy regions.
Swiss, which I’m somewhat partial to, must include Emmentaler (the real “Swiss” cheese), Gruyère, and some of many special regional Alpkäse.
Spain’s Manchego is very versatile, popular, and now as easy to find as any classic French or Swiss cheese.
From the Netherlands, try the variety of well aged Gouda – they can become almost like a Parmigiano in texture.
What are the classical wine pairings to these?
Many times (but not always) matching wines and cheese from the same or nearby regions is the best place to start.
After all, they probably had hundreds of years of practice! Focus on a balance between the wine and cheese – neither should overpower the other.
Salty cheese with sweet wines (blue cheese with dessert wines), rich creamy soft cheese and wines with acid and/or bubble or moderate tannic reds; semi-soft and hard cheese with mature medium or full bodied reds. Also look at the type of milk used in the cheese. A general guideline is goat cheese goes with white wine, sheep cheese goes with red wine, cow‘s milk with both red or white.
Some classic pairings include:
Chèvre goat cheese and Loire Valley white wines (Sancerre/Sauvignon Blanc), triple crème Brie with Champagne, or hearty younger red Bordeaux or Merlot;
White Burgundy (Chardonnay), Pinot Gris, with nutty Emmentaler or Gruyère. A red Burgundy or Pinot Noir works too.
Try a sweet Port, Sauternes, or late harvest wine with Roquefort or Gorgonzola blue cheese.
Most full bodied red Barolos, Chianti, or Merlot pair nicely with Parmigiano, and even Prosecco/sparkling wines as an appetizer. Manchego with Rioja or a dry Sherry.
How has your Swiss background influenced your perspective on the marriage between studying cheese and making wine?
Both my grandfather and father were trained as Master cheese makers in Switzerland, from the Emmental region, and specialized in the large traditional “Swiss Cheese” Emmentaler.
Even though I was born and raised here in Southern California, and my father changed careers when he came to L.A., we always had plenty of Swiss, Italian and French cheese at the table. Friends and relatives from the Old World would often bring us a lot of great cheese that was hard to find here.
For the last few years I have been helping make wine at a Southern California winery, and was surprised to see how many similarities there are in crafting “living” products like wine and cheese. Maybe that’s why they all go together so well.
You can reach me via [email protected] if you have any questions. Santé!
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Resource Links
September 2013 "Sommelier Insight" Newsletter