Sommelier Insight for hospitality professionals and wine connoisseurs.

IN THIS ISSUE:

A. Feature: Wine as the Topic for Successful Keynote Speeches
B. Event Highlights: 2014 Outlook for our Public Wine Tastings
C. Wine Elite Philosophy: A Wine Interview with Art Professor Joe Poshek


This is Sommelier Insight, the Wine Elite's monthly update for special events professionals and wine aficionados. Each month, we deliver new event ideas and objective perspective on wine from independent wine educators, sommeliers, and other wine experts.

Call 310 467 5582 now if you are interested in one of our sommelier-guided wine tasting experiences for your corporate or private function.

Watch our brand-new corporate event video here to get ideas for your special event pipeline: Video.

You can email us anytime for more information, or review the newly updated website at www.WineElite.org.

Also, as our holiday gift for you, see here our new 2-page user guide on the essentials of wine. The second page includes the 9 critical grapes of the world that any wine drinker should learn and understand first!



A. Keynote Speeches on Wine

Corporate events, association gatherings, client dinners and other professional meetings can be significantly enhanced by adding a keynote speaker to the program. A keynote address on wine serves several meeting objectives at the same time, delivering an entertaining and educational insight into a topic most people find fascinating, allowing them access to etiquette and world knowledge they can apply socially and in client-facing situations.

Our speaker events usually include the interactive component of hands-on tasting for all guests. Larger events may involve a whole panel of our experts who discuss wines in front of a large audience. 

Click on the picture to use the full pdf of our speaker one-sheet. We included several ideas for event formats that have been proven successes with small and large groups.
 




The Wine Elite also signed with a major speaker bureau and talent agency last week to offer speaking engagements across the United States more broadly. We will share details in the next newsletter.

 

B. Upcoming Wine Tastings  Our Business Partners can join one of our Public Tastings for free


The Wine Elite hosts an ongoing series of sommelier-guided wine tasting dinners, often in our signature blind-tasting format.

In 2014, we are launching several new wine programs in partnership with top venues:
  • Ritz-Carlton Downtown LA -- Starting in late January, sommelier Jörn Kleinhans will lead monthly blind-tasting dinners at L.A. Live.
  • Pinot Provence in Orange County -- We will continue our monthly wine pairing dinners, starting on January 15th, 2014.
  • Descanso Gardens Cafe in Pasadena -- Our sommelier team will host several wine dinners at this Patina Group property.
     
  • Numerous guided wine seminars will be available for anyone to join, posted weekly on our regional Wine Elite Society websites.Join!
If you are a top hotel or restaurant interested in finding out how a structured wine program can benefit your business, check out our restaurant programs here.

Also, Sommelier Jörn Kleinhans will be featured in a 1-hour interview on GrapeRadio (America's #1 Wine Talk Show) later this month. We will share the interview link in the January newsletter.



C. Wine Elite Philosophy: An Art Professor on the Fascination of Wine

Professor Joe Poshek has been the Academic Advisor to the Wine Elite since 2011. He has guided hundreds of wine students through the classical European wines, and is a frequent guest speaker at the public tastings of the Wine Elite Society.

Joe holds the diploma from the Wine and Spirits Educational Trust, its highest designation in wine. He is one of the most effective teachers on advanced wine appreciation on the West Coast.

Joe, tell us about the delights and frustrations of blind-tasting the wines of the world.

Blind tasting is the best, and the worst. It removes all pretenses, price, names, bottle labels, etc. All you have are your senses. What do you see, smell, taste, feel? With a sparkling wine you can even hear it. I also like blind tasting with some food to see what style of wine works with different types of food. And no, blind tasting does not mean that you keep drinking until you can’t see anymore!
 
What is the best approach to "know" wine?
 
To understand wine it’s essential to realize that there are many different styles of wine. We are not just looking for the “best” wine if it even exists. It is important to at least try many of the styles of wine globally  to experience what each of them has to offer. For us in California it is essential that we also try some old world wines to experience the mouth-watering acidity levels that usually are a characteristic of these wines.
 
You are a professional musician, educator and experts of the visual art... why does wine fascinate you?
 
First of all, keep in mind that if wine didn't have alcohol in it no one would be nearly as interested in it as they are now. Wine is capable of possessing a myriad of aromas, flavors and textures. Experiencing the many combinations of nose and palate is an interesting lifelong quest. The ultimate expression of wine is with food, so now we have brought in another variable to this quest.
 


Resource Links

New: Fully Updated Wine Elite Website

New: Public Speaker Program on Wine One-Sheet

New: Wine Elite Corporate Event Video

New: Essential Wine Tips 2pager

New: Special Events Idea One-Sheet


November 2013 "Sommelier Insight" Newsletter

October 2013 "Sommelier Insight" Newsletter

September 2013 "Sommelier Insight" Newsletter

August 2013 "Sommelier Insight" Newsletter
 
Jörn Kleinhans, CSW
Certified Sommelier, Public Speaker on Wine, and Chief Sommelier of The Wine Elite.

The Wine Elite is an independent sommelier company specializing in high-end wine tasting experiences, with nationwide availability.

Our sommelier network spans across all 50 states and the Caribbean, with the strongest presences in Los Angeles, Orange County, San Diego and Las Vegas.

For more information, go to www.WineElite.org.






















 

Featured Noble Wine:

Rioja Gran Reserva - Rioja comes in different oak aging classifications, Gran Reserva is the best bottling. Gran Reservas are known for their smooth vanilla, smoke and leather flavors, stemming from several years in (mostly) American oak barrels.  
Red Rioja is based on the Tempranillo grape. The specific bottle shown in the photo is a reliable Gran Reserva producer, and there are many more.












 
Professor Joe Poshek's deductive blind-tasting approach is a stunning demonstration of applying systematic wine knowledge.
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