Knox Dobson ’s Superior Ready-to-Drink Improved Whiskey Cocktail Wins Prestigious Double Gold Medal & Old Fashioned Wins Gold At 2024 San Francisco World Spirits Competition
Knox & Dobson, a new collection of superior ready-to-drink cocktails, proudly announces that their Improved Whiskey Cocktail has been awarded the prestigious Double Gold Medal and their Old Fashioned Cocktail has won a Gold Medal in the Ready-to-Drink category at the 2024 San Francisco World Spirits Competition (SFWSC).
Founded in 2000, the San Francisco World Spirits Competition is the oldest and largest competition of its kind. Receiving a high-tier medal at SFWSC is a testament to exceptional quality and craftsmanship.
This year’s competition featured nearly 5,000 entries, judged by experienced and knowledgeable spirits critics through a blind tasting process, ensuring impartiality and integrity.
Knox & Dobson’s new collection of premium ready-to-drink bottled cocktails is designed to be shared with friends, making it easy to simply Open, Pour, and Enjoy!
The collection was meticulously curated with an uncompromising commitment to quality, craftsmanship, and taste by Knox & Dobson Founder & President Rob Levy (Former Owner, The Raymond 1886) and Creative Director Peter Lloyd Jones (The Raymond 1886, Everson Royce Bar, Proof Media Mix).
The lineup includes a gin Martini, classic Old Fashioned, Improved Whiskey Cocktail with Maraska Maraschino Liqueur, Rye Manhattan, and Moscow Mule.
Each cocktail features the highest quality ingredients such as hand-selected barrel-aged whiskey, distilled gin, natural cane sugar, and authentic Angostura Bitters.
“Our mission was to create a collection of cocktails that were equal in taste and quality to those freshly crafted by a skilled bartender. Peter Lloyd Jones was the best choice, and I can’t imagine working with anyone better,”
Rob Levy
Knox & Dobson Founder & President
“Pete’s experience at 1886 Bar at The Raymond and Everson Royce Bar, combined with his passion and creativity, make him the perfect partner at Knox & Dobson.”
Levy’s upbringing in Skokie, Illinois, at Knox Avenue and Dobson Street, is where he spent most of his adolescence in the ‘60s and ‘70s, hanging out “on the corner” with neighborhood kids who remain lifelong friends. Knox & Dobson is as much an elevated on-the-go handcrafted beverage experience as it is a distillation of hometown pride and a love of bringing people together.
The Knox & Dobson Improved Whiskey Cocktail (35.42% ABV), which was awarded this year’s Double Gold Medal, is made with straight aged rye whiskey, Maraska Maraschino Liqueur, and Angostura bitters. This cocktail features a spiced flavor profile combined with American oak, citrus, and bright and deep cherry notes, making it a whiskey cocktail meant to be sipped and savored.
The Knox & Dobson Old Fashioned (38% ABV), which was awarded the Gold Medal, consists of straight aged bourbon, natural cane sugar, orange oil, and Angostura Bitters. Enjoy the taste of aged bourbon with bright citrus flavors, bitters, raw cinnamon, clove, and American oak.
Knox & Dobson’s new collection of superior bottled cocktails are best served chilled or over ice. Each 200-milliliter bottle features two servings, perfect for sharing, so simply Open, Pour, and Enjoy!
Knox & Dobson is available for delivery Nationwide.
Visit Knox & Dobson to order your new favorite bottled cocktails today.
To see the full list of locations to purchase directly, please visit Knox & Dobson’s Stockists page.
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Inspiring Flavor behind Maker’s Mark Cellar Aged 2024 — Preview Tasting Review
Inspiring Flavor behind Maker’s Mark Cellar Aged 2024 — Preview Tasting Review
In celebration of the debut for Maker’s Mark Cellar Aged 2024, I joined a group of whisky and spirit reviewers at Maker’s Mark headquarters in Loretto, Kentucky for a day of tours, lunch and of course a private tasting.
Our Cellar Aged 2024 tasting was led by Innovation Manager Beth Buckner and Senior Director & Head of Innovation Blake Layfield.
The limestone shelf that surrounds Star Hill Farm, homeplace to the Maker’s Mark Distillery, is key to crafting the unique taste of its bourbon
Today’s tasting takes place in a built-in cave within the limestone shelf itself, at a chilly 50 degrees. It’s a memorable experience for a memorable bottle. As we walk into the limestone cellar, there’s dozens of barrels stationed on the floor, which is part of the Private Selections Program we’ll hear about below
Maker’s Mark Cellar Aged 2024
Maker’s Mark Cellar Aged 2024 blends 15% Maker’s Mark 12-year-old and 85% Maker’s Mark 13-year-old, at 59.7% ABV or 119.3 Proof.
The aroma carries notes of caramelized sugar and toasted almond. The palate unveils a delicate interplay of buttery shortbread, a surprising bite of coconut, and spices. A lingering finish highlighting dried dark fruit and oak undertones.
Side by side: 2023 vs 2024
The 2024 bottle (the 2nd inaugural Cellar Aged effort) takes a noticeable turn from it’s 2023 first path.
The 2023 is a blend of 87% 12-year-old and 13% 11-year-old barrels. Proof at 115.7
In comparing, you’ll notice strong differences. 2023’s bottle offers lighter greeting. Aromas of caramel syrup, cinnamon sugar, subtle red fruit. Cornbread, apricot, brown sugar.
Whereas 2024 is a more matured taste profile. The aroma carries notes of caramelized sugar and toasted almond. The palate unveils a delicate interplay of buttery shortbread, subtle coconut, and spices. A lingering finish highlighting dried dark fruit and oak undertones.
Private Selections Program
A Maker’s Mark priority is to maintain their taste profile. Famously, aged between 6 – 8 years old, but every barrel ages a little bit differently.
When loyal customers asked for a single barrel, they had to politely decline, but wanted to find a way to excite and involve their audience base.
So they created the Private Selections Program, which is how enthusiasts visit and pick their taste, a vision of what they want their Makers Mark to taste like and then the company uses custom staves in a barrel, which were seen stored on the floor around us.
Maker’s Mark Cellar Aged 2024 will be available for a suggested retail price of USD $174.99 in the United States
The limited-release Maker’s Mark Cellar Aged 2024 will be available for purchase at the Maker’s Mark Distillery by booking the Cellar Aged Experience at https://www.makersmark.com//distillery/visit-us.
For more information about Maker’s Mark, please visit www.MakersMark.com.
ABOUT MAKER’S MARK
Maker’s Mark® is the iconic handmade Kentucky bourbon driven by a vision for better flavor and a better world. Maker’s Mark began with the innovative spirit of Margie and Bill Samuels, Sr., who in 1953, fulfilled their dream to create a delicious bourbon without the bite, using soft red winter wheat instead of rye to enhance the softness, sweetness and signature creaminess. Highly desired around the world, Maker’s Mark is handmade, hand-dipped in our signature red wax, and every barrel continues to be rotated by hand and is aged to taste not time.
Always true to the founders’ vision, Maker’s Mark continues to shape the brand’s future through purposeful, flavor-driven innovation. In recent years, the brand has introduced thoughtful, super-premium expressions to its portfolio, including Maker’s Mark 46, Maker’s Mark Cask Strength, and Maker’s Mark Cellar-Aged, all Double Gold winners of the 2024 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, as well as Maker’s Mark Private Selection: the brand’s custom barrel program.
Coconut, oak, dried fruit: Maker’s Mark Cellar Aged 2024 Debuts its most Mature Bourbon
Makers Mark Cellar Aged 2024 Debuts its most mature bourbon
Makers Mark, the iconic Kentucky bourbon driven by a vision for better flavor and a better world, announces the 2024 release of Maker’s Mark Cellar Aged: the annual, global limited-release expression that delivers the distillery’s highly anticipated and oldest release.
Maker’s Mark Cellar Aged 2024
Like the inaugural, award-winning 2023 release, Maker’s Mark Cellar Aged 2024 is aged to taste, not time – now blending 12- and 13-year-old Maker’s Mark to unlock new flavors.
“We surprised the world
with the debut of Maker’s Mark Cellar Aged last year,
a bold step in our family’s legacy because, for more than 65 years, aging our whisky for a decade-plus wasn’t something we did,”
Rob Samuels
8th generation whisky maker and Managing Director,
Maker’s Mark.
“Staying true to our founders’ flavor vision and our relentless pursuit of excellence, we’re thrilled to introduce our most mature bourbon yet.”
Meticulously crafted, Maker’s Mark Cellar Aged 2024 blends 15% Maker’s Mark 12-year-old and 85% Maker’s Mark 13-year-old, at 59.7% ABV or 119.3 Proof.
Aroma: Maker’s Mark Cellar Aged 2024
The aroma has notes of caramelized sugar and toasted almond.
Palate: Maker’s Mark Cellar Aged 2024
The palate unveils a delicate interplay of buttery shortbread, rich coconut, and bright spices. A lingering finish showcases dried dark fruit and subtle oak undertones.
“Delivering an elevated expression that’s distinctly Maker’s Mark,
Cellar Aged finishes maturation in our LEED-certified cellar,
built into the limestone shelf that surrounds us,
creating a richer, deeper and more complex bourbon,
free from the harsher tannic effects commonly found in older American whiskies,”
Dr. Blake Layfield
Head of Innovation and Blending, Maker’s Mark
The limestone shelf that surrounds Star Hill Farm, homeplace to the Maker’s Mark Distillery, is key to crafting the unique taste of its bourbon – thanks to the innovative spirit of Margie and Bill Samuels, Sr., who in 1953, chose the land in Loretto, Kentucky because of its water source and natural watershed.
Maker’s Mark still owns, protects, and enriches all 76 acres of its main lake’s watershed; and today, is the largest bourbon distillery in the world to achieve B Corp Certification and the first distillery to achieve Regenified Certification, a reflection of the brand’s dedication to regenerative agriculture practices that enhances the flavor of its bourbon.
Maker’s Mark Cellar Aged 2024 will be available for a suggested retail price of USD $174.99 in the United States beginning today; in the United Kingdom, Germany and select Global Travel Retail accounts in the coming weeks; and in Korea, Japan and Singapore in early 2025.
In the United States, in addition to select retailers nationwide, the limited-release Maker’s Mark Cellar Aged 2024 will be available for purchase at the Maker’s Mark Distillery by booking the Cellar Aged Experience at https://www.makersmark.com//distillery/visit-us.
For more information about Maker’s Mark, please visit www.MakersMark.com.
ABOUT MAKER’S MARK
Maker’s Mark® is the iconic handmade Kentucky bourbon driven by a vision for better flavor and a better world. Maker’s Mark began with the innovative spirit of Margie and Bill Samuels, Sr., who in 1953, fulfilled their dream to create a delicious bourbon without the bite, using soft red winter wheat instead of rye to enhance the softness, sweetness and signature creaminess. Highly desired around the world, Maker’s Mark is handmade, hand-dipped in our signature red wax, and every barrel continues to be rotated by hand and is aged to taste not time.
Always true to the founders’ vision, Maker’s Mark continues to shape the brand’s future through purposeful, flavor-driven innovation. In recent years, the brand has introduced thoughtful, super-premium expressions to its portfolio, including Maker’s Mark 46, Maker’s Mark Cask Strength, and Maker’s Mark Cellar-Aged, all Double Gold winners of the 2024 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, as well as Maker’s Mark Private Selection: the brand’s custom barrel program.
Award-Winning Horror Hit “Soul Trader” Screens in LA for Calabasas Film Fest Sept 21, Susan Dynner, Shauna Grace in-person
Award-Winning Horror Hit “Soul Trader” Screens in Los Angeles Calabasas Film Fest Sept 21 1pm.
Award-winning short film The Soul Trader returns to Los Angeles to be screened as part of Calabasas Film Fest on Saturday September 21 at 1pm.
The Soul Trader is a 12 minute short proof of concept for a feature or series directed by Susan Dynner (Brick, Punk’s Not Dead, Code Blue: A Love Story) and starring Shauna Grace (Real Housewives…, Vanderpump Rules), Shane West (A Walk to Remember, ER, The Dirty South), Donna Mills (Knots Landing, Nope, Origin).
The story follows Coral Chase (Shauna Grace), an occult hitwoman who has the power to steal life-extending souls, which she then sells to vain, wealthy elites like Erica Claessen (Donna Mills), who clings to the crumbs of youth. She’s flanked by stoic bodyguard Damien (Shane West), who ultimately emerges from the shadows as her rival when she’s about to carry out a money-spinning hit at a target’s home and realizes she’s not the only one with murder in mind.
“We’re excited that the audience is falling in love with this story and
a strong female lead.
I want to keep sharing this story with audiences everywhere”
Director / Producer Susan Dynner
The short film launched at the Cannes Film Festival’s American Pavilion in May and has been gaining momentum ever since.
It won its first award just weeks later at the Manhattan Film Festival in NYC. Then more acclaim at Rock The Shorts in Beverly Hills and DC Shorts in Washington, DC, one of the country’s largest short film festivals.
Now it’s set to screen at many more festivals on the West Coast, East Coast and across the globe.
“I’m proud this project is inspiring so many women.
We meet people after every screening, women who are excited by the Coral characters.
Playing the role of Coral, working with our cast and crew has been incredible.
But the biggest thanks is the reaction from the audience.
Getting to meet people who are excited and inspired by the story and characters.”
Actress / Executive Producer Shauna Grace
Meanwhile the filmmaking duo Susan Dynner and Shauna Grace are busy taking meetings toward their next step.
What is their next step?
“This was always meant as a proof of concept short film to become a feature film or TV series.
With the sold-out screenings and awards, it just confirms our feeling that this story is so much bigger than a short.”
Susan Dynner
Actress Shauna Grace has been receiving strong reviews, comparing her on screen presence to other heroines including Charlize Theron and Scarlett Johansson.
Dynner’s experience as a studio development executive for visionaries such as Richard Donner and Wolfgang Peterson shines through. Also, her producing work on Sundance hit “Brick” and festival darling “Punks Not Dead” shows her ability to bring production value on a range of budgets.
Both Dynner and Grace will attend their Calabasas Film Festival screening on Saturday September 21 at 1pm and be available afterwards to discussion.
The Soul Trader is directed and produced by Dynner, written by newcomer Mike Underwood, photographed by Matthias Schubert (The Door Man, Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me, Shelter in Solitude), produced by Lauren Bancroft (The Making of Happier Than Ever: A Love Letter to Los Angeles, Wild Bitch, Bite Size Halloween), edited by David Hopper (God Bless America, In Between Songs, Rust Creek), and executive produced by Shauna Grace, with music composed by Jeff Russo (Fargo, Ripley, Star Trek: Discovery).
See The Soul Trader at Calabasas Film Festival on Saturday September 21, 2024 at 1pm. Tix available here: https://calabasasfilmfestival.com/session/shorts-program/
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Celebrate the Annual AbilityFirst Food & Wine Festival June 5
Celebrate the Annual AbilityFirst Food & Wine Festival June 5 in Pasadena, CA.
Come celebrate the AbilityFirst Food & Wine Festival presented by CHUBB, a spectacular outdoor gourmet food and drink in-person festival taking place on Sunday, June 5th, 2022 from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm in the stunning gardens at the Historic Laurabelle A. Robinson House in Pasadena!
This year’s AbilityFirst Food & Wine Festival will bring nearly 400 guests together for one exquisite evening featuring more than 20 top restaurants, cocktail bars, wineries, and breweries and much more.
Some of this year’s AbilityFirst Food & Wine Festival Restaurants and Desserts include Alexander’s Steakhouse, El Cholo Café, Gale’s Restaurant, Mi Piace, Porto’s Bakery, Ruth Chris Steak House, Tam O’Shanter, We Olive, Lark Cake Shop, Poppy Cake Bakery Company, Nothing Bundt Cakes, and more.
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Hollywood Bowl is heating up this summer with Boyz II Men & TLC, “Kinky Boots,” Michael Franti, and so much more
Related: Sustainably Crafted Flor de Caña Rum launches #TogetherForAGreenerFuture
AbilityFirst Food & Wine Festival Drinks
Beverages featured include Cocktails and Spirit Tastings from 1886 at The Raymond, Dulce Vida Tequila, Krafted Spirits, JuneShine, and Golden Road Brewing, along with specially curated Wines. Pasadena’s very own Cerveceria Del Pueblo will also be pouring their distinctive beers showcasing flavors and aromas from South America, and Califia Farms and PepsiCo will be serving non-alcoholic beverages.
Festival Worthy Cause
Proceeds from this year’s AbilityFirst Food & Wine Festival presented by CHUBB will directly benefit AbilityFirst which has targeted programming to help an individual successfully transition from childhood to adult life; providing employment preparation, training, and experience; building social connections and independence; and offering both their participants and their caregivers an opportunity to refresh and recharge through their recreational activities.
Related:
LA Phil Introduces Club 101 inaugural membership program for The Hollywood Bowl and The Ford summer seasons
AbilityFirst’s person-centered programs empower individuals to discover what is important to them in their lives, and to develop the skills that are important for them to achieve their goals.
Related: Eddie Vedder’s Sixth annual Ohana Festival returns in Dana Point Sept 30
AbilityFirst Food & Wine Festival Incredible Sponsors
Sponsors: Additional sponsors include, Bank of America, GHJ & Advisors, The Hartford, Longo Toyota-Longo Lexus among others.
AbilityFirst Food & Wine Festival Tickets
Ticket Information: The AbilityFirst Food & Wine Festival will take place on Sunday, June 5th, 2022, from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm at the Historic Laurabelle A. Robinson House. For more information and to purchase Tickets directly to this year’s AbilityFirst Food & Wine Festival, please visit Tickets to AbilityFirst Festival of Fall 2022.
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Seafood, BBQ, Even Dessert: Chile’s Santa Ema Winery brings Flavor to your next meal
Chile’s Santa Ema Winery brings Premium Flavor to your next meal.
Chile’s Santa Ema Winery brings culture, family and premium wines to focus over their multi-generational history. Have you tasted one of their bottles? It brings dimension to light dishes, like seafood, heavier like BBQ, even dessert.
Today I have the opportunity to speak with Santa Ema’s Jaime Merino about life, history, flavor pairings and what’s next for Santa Ema.
I don’t know if people truly understand how busy wine professionals are. Would you mind just giving us an idea of how much you’re traveling and how you spend your time?
Jaime Merino: Yeah, absolutely. You know that in the wine industry, it is extremely important to be in front of the distributors that are our commercial arm into the different states.
We need to have an importer because we are an imported brand. So our wine’s coming from Chile. In order to get into the U.S., we need to have an importer. So we spend a lot of time in front of the importer and virtually every week we’re in touch either via video calls or phone calls or face to face, taking the wines into each one of the states, we need a distributor in those states.
That is the representative of the wine. So we assigned the brand to a set distributor in New York, for instance, and then that distributor with their sales force is going to take the wines to the trade, to the street. So it’s going to take it to the wine stores, going to take it to the restaurants, going to take it to the clubs, depending on the legalities of each one of the states.
Therefore, we need to spend a lot of time with the distributors and the sales forces of those distributors to make sure that they have the information for each one of the wines that they’re gonna be pushing. And then not only with the Salesforce of the distributors, but also with the trade and their sales forces.
Because any one of us as a consumer walking into a wine store that has already made the decision that we want to buy a wine, we probably have a budget. And also we probably have an idea that we want either a white or a red, but then we need to start diving into the details. Do I want domestic? Do I want imported?
And then if it is imported, do I want old world, new world? Then you start narrowing to the point that you’re going to say, I want to buy a wine from Chile.
Then that opens a new box of alternatives. So you can imagine the process of getting to one particular bottle of one particular supplier needs a lot of skimming into this very interesting and complex wine industry.
So let’s talk about the historic brand. Can you share a little bit about the history?
Jaime Merino: Yeah, absolutely. Santa Ema with one M, because we come from Chile.
But Santa Ema is a family owned company. It is owned by a family, last name Pavone, that their roots go back to Piedmont, Italy. So today, the company is run by members of the third and fourth generation of the family, and the founder of Santa Ema is the grandfather of the third generation, a gentleman named Pedro Pavone, that migrated from Italy, a little region in the Piedmont, Italy, called Rivalta.
And he migrated into South America, went across the Andes in a sidecar motorcycle and established himself in the heart of the Mao Valley, southwest of Santiago, the capital city in Chile. So he established himself in that area in 1917. And established his family, grew his family, and with his son, Felix Pavone, they bought some land and one of the properties that they bought in Isla del Maipo was actually devoted to agriculture, and that particular property, the name was Chakra Santa Ema, that is like an orchard Santa Ema or Farm Santa Ema.
So that is the origin of the name / brand that we use. Because Santa Ema was a staple landmark in that particular region.
They planted vineyards, they started producing wines that initially they were selling bulk.
But then in 1956, they founded Ema Winery, and they started producing their own wines to be bottled and started selling in the domestic market. Throughout the years and throughout the development of this company, pretty much done by Felix Pavone, we’re talking second generation.
The first exports of Santa Ema happened in 1986 into Brazil. When Brazil was just starting into becoming a wine consuming country. Today Brazil is one of the engines in South America in terms of top markets for wine consumption.
So ultimately it started as a father son business that grew and evolved into a multi generational still family business.
Yes. And probably different to many families involved in the wine industry and in the wine business for the Pavone family, this is it. So this is what they do. This is their life. This is their reputation.
Basically, they are not in the wine business because it’s trendy, because it’s fashionable. No, this is a business for them with family members hands-on. Today we have members of the third generation and fourth generation so we are undergoing a very interesting times to the winery because you can imagine that the members of the third generation are people mid 50s to early 60s and then the members of the fourth generation are their early tp mid 30s. Professionals coming from college with sometimes different visions from traditionally what the family has done.
A second ago, you mentioned regions. Let’s talk about the vineyard and the regions and the soil types Santa Emma uses and works with.
Jaime Merino: The winery and most of our properties are established in the Maipo Valley in Chile. Maipo is probably one of the most traditional valleys and wine regions in the country. Chile, for those people that have a rough idea of what Chile is, first of all, we need to look at South America.
If you look at South America, and – I will challenge people reading this to grab a map and look at South America – you’re going to notice that South America is shaped as a cluster of grapes. Therefore, no secret why South America is a very good vineyard paradise, as it is referred to sometimes, and that’s why we have very strong countries in South America producing wines.
Of course, Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil producing these days. Peru becoming a very interesting offering of wines. There is wine produced in Bolivia, Chile. We’re going to start seeing a lot of wines coming from South America. But then if we go back to Chile, Chile sits on the western side of South America.
It runs north to south, and it roughly expands for 4,000 miles, but with an average width that is no more than 180 to 200 miles. So the best way to picture Chile, as I normally explain to consumers and trade, take the northern tip. take the southern tip, flip it upside down, and bring it to the west coast in the U.S.
So now, the northern part of Chile is going to be from Los Angeles all the way down to Baja California.
Baja California, that is super dry and desert, that is going to be your Atacama Desert in Chile. The central part of the country, It’s going to run from San Diego all the way up to San Francisco, so it’s going to be pretty much the agriculture area of the country.
That’s why, when we move, into October, November, we start seeing a lot of peaches and plums and fruits coming from Chile because we are in the opposite season. Then if you go from San Francisco up to Seattle; and all the way up to Alaska, that is going to be the southern part of the country. So you’re going to go into the lake districts, ultimately you’re going to go into Antarctica.
So that is a good way to picture how Chile looks from north to south, that will be like moving from south to north on the western side of the U. S.
Now, if you grab Chile and you put it across the U. S., it will span more or less from New York all the way up to Seattle. So that is going to be the length of the country if we put it across the U.S.
I love those comparisons.
Jaime Merino: Appreciate that. Yeah, just to give a sense of location and a sense of what people should find there because sometimes at least here in the U. S. Chile is known for some ideas of certain regions, like for instance, the northern part of the country because of the Atacama Desert and the geysers in the in the northern part of Chile, or if you go to the southern part of Chile and you go to Torres del Paine, that is a very touristic area. Or ultimately, if someone is a little bit more exploring with an exploring soul, they can jump into Easter Island, that is also Chilean territory, and that will be more of the Polynesian side of Chile.
In terms of the Maipo Valley, it sits pretty much in the central part of Chile in the belly bottom of the country, Santiago being the capital city, and Maipo surrounds the Santiago to the south and runs from the foothills of the Andes, starting at 1,000 to 3, 000 feet above sea level, all the way to the coast, so we’re moving east to west, bordering the Pacific Ocean.
That is going to be pretty much what you’re going to see in Maipo. And that applies pretty much to most of the wine regions in Chile, running east to west. With very few exceptions, most of the valleys in Chile, Maipo for instance, they take the name out of the river that runs through the valley that waters the vineyards and all the agriculture activity that happens in the valley.
So Maipo Valley is because there is a Maipo River that runs from east to west. And then, since you’re coming from the Andes, starting at 3,000 feet and then going through the central part of Maipo and into the ocean you have very different growing conditions in Maipo Valley.
So most of the time I tell consumers when you are exposed to a bottle of wine coming from Chile that on the front label reads Maipo Valley, try to ask where in Maipo, because the conditions are going to be totally different.
Just to give you an example, here is a Sauvignon Blanc Select that reads Maipo Valley, but this is a central part of the valley that is only 25 miles inland from the ocean. So we have good, cool conditions to be able to produce a very expressive, fresh, crisp Sauvignon Blanc.
But then, on the other side, I have a Cabernet Sauvignon, also from Maipo Valley, but here we have a combination of fruit coming from a vineyard that we have at 1, 000 feet above sea level, with fruit coming from a vineyard sitting roughly at 500 feet above sea level.
Okay, so it is extremely important to understand this. Probably people are wondering why the altitude is so important or how the altitude could impact in terms of the style of wine that we’re going to produce. In simple words, if any of you come to visit us in Maipo, say January, February, March, that is our summertime, the first thing that I’m going to do is to make sure that you’re wearing a hat, that you have enough water, and most importantly, that you have sunscreen on you.
Okay, so let’s take this example now to the vines. Can we control the amount of water that the vines have? Yes, because our vineyards are planted with drip irrigation systems, so we can control the amount of water that each vine is getting.
Can we give hats to the vines? No, they need to find their own ways to protect themselves by growing extra leaves, trying to generate a very populated canopy of leaves to protect the clusters. What do the clusters do? Because we cannot put sunscreen on the clusters, so they need to naturally grow thicker skin to protect the fruit.
And just because of that thicker skin, you’re gonna have more structure, more tannin, more varietal expression. So that’s why it makes a very important difference where you’re planting your fruit or your vines in order to determine the style of wine you’re gonna get.
The higher you go, the more robust wines you’re going to be able to produce just because of this natural protection the vines develop.
We’re going to talk about your bottles.
Because we have a lot of foodies reading. What kind of foods would be great to pair with each one?
Jaime Merino: Before I go into the specifics of the wine, and particularly to all the foodies, I am one of those. Let me tell you that anytime that a winemaker that is going to be,”the winery chef”, is thinking on the wine that he’s going to be producing, he should be thinking immediately with what type of food he’s going to be pairing that wine.
That is probably one of the key aspects to understanding wines, and this is going to be at the same time an invitation to all our viewers, foodies or not foodies, to break taboos.
And what I mean by this is that probably our grandparents and eventually our parents were of the idea that whites are for seafood and shellfish and reds are for meats and game and why?
Why? Break taboos, play with this. This is a life element that we need to challenge to see how it performs with different types of foods and different types of elements. Also one of the other big differences that I find in Chile, comparing the U. S., in Chile, wine is part of the diet.
So for us, any meal lunch or dinner could not exist without a glass of wine to go with whatever type of food we’re going to be having. That is also a huge difference being part of the diet and not just looking at wine and approaching wine as a special occasion product that we’re going to be consuming.
Having said that, I have in front of me three of the most popular wines in our portfolio:
Santa Ema Select Sauvignon Blanc
Sauvignon Blanc is our Santa Ema Select Terroir. So Chile, in terms of whites, produces Sauvignon different types of white varieties. Chenin Blanc, Pinot Grigio, that is extremely popular, but Sauvignon Blanc is the queen of the whites, and Chile has a very strong reputation for Sauvignon Blanc.
One of the things that you need to be aware of is that stylistically, what we try to accomplish here is not the super grassy, grapefruity, very exuberant nose that you will find in Sauvignon Blancs coming from New Zealand. Sometimes you’re going to find that in Chile. But the style of wines in Chile in general is more geared towards France, the old world.
So this is going to be like a crossover between New Zealand and Sancerre. You’re going to have more minerality, you’re going to have a little bit more complexity, and not that you’re going to open this bottle and you’re going to have that very exuberant nose that is going to be extremely, Intriguing. No, it’s a little bit more tame.
It has a very nice refreshing acidity. It has a very crispy style with very interesting citrusy notes to it, making it a very good wine to enjoy at the end of the day, just because you want to hit a glass of wine at the end of the day or to be paired with food.
What type of food?
In my world, I will do ceviche all day long. If not, I will go with some oysters. Maybe with a delicate white fish – flounder or cod, for instance. Not too elaborate, not too much abusing on dairy products, cream or butter. The more simple, the better.
Cabernet Sauvignon from Maipo Valley and I have Merlot from Maipo Valley. I’m going to leave Merlot to the end. Although in tasting order, most probably. We’re going to do first Merlot and then Cabernet Sauvignon, but I’m going to explain the reasons why I’m leaving this Merlot to be the last one.
Santa Ema Select Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon from the Maipo Valley. In terms of the fruit, a combination of fruit coming from the central part of the valley and fruit coming from our vineyards in the foothills of the Andes. Just to give a little bit of the extra kick, extra structure, a little bit more of a backbone.
A Cabernet Sauvignon by the book, meaning a very honest, true expression of the variety. We use a combination of French and American oak barrels. We want a little bit of the expression of both types of wood. American most of the time is going to be more chocolate, more vanilla, more of the “sweet tastes” that you will find in wine.
French is going to give you more of the leather, the tobacco, a little bit more of the complexity. And that is the reason why we use a combination of both types: American oak barrels and French oak barrels. But not to abuse the oak, so we keep a percentage of the wine in American, and percentage of the wine in French, normally six to eight months, sometimes up to 10 months.
Then we blend it all together and we put it back in the bottle just to keep a good expression of fruit.
Red meats, strong cheeses, it works extremely well. So if you guys like grilling, barbecuing, big time, a perfect match to go with anything that you’re going to be grilling, barbecuing, but please leave the barbecue sauce in the pantry or the refrigerator because the sweetness of the barbecue sauce is going to kill most of the wines that are going to be pairing with it.
If you want ribs with barbecue sauce, fantastic! Drinking wines that are going to be suited for that is going to be challenging. I’m telling you try to keep your meats as clean as possible in terms of any super hot, spicy additions or the sweetness of barbecue sauce.
Santa Ema Reserve Merlot
Santa Ema has been working with Merlot for many years to the point that our reserve on Merlot is one of our flagships in the portfolio. Iit is a very particular wine because we use American oak barrels that are produced by a cooper in Missouri specifically for this wine with specs that are determined just for this wine.
What is the secret is that these barrels are toasted inside at a certain level of temperature that is going to allow a caramelization of the wood. That is going to be transferred ultimately into the wine via very distinctive notes of vanilla, roasted coconut, and sometimes nuances of chocolate, to the point that in certain markets, this wine is referred to as the cookies and cream wine or the chocolate kiss wine.
It’s a very interesting bottle to explore and to renew your vows with Merlot.
We have a very strong influence of Italian dishes here, so say a lasagna, chicken parmigiana will go extremely well with this, a Mexican dish with mole sauce, not too spicy mole, not too much in the heat side of mole, but more in the profile taste of mole. And if you really want to throw a curveball to this Merlot, try to venture and pair it with tiramisu and see what happens.
Phenomenal ideas.
Just to give you a little thing in relation to food and wine pairings. Many years ago, in a wine event here in Atlanta with Alton Brown, that is one of the Food Network celebrities, we put together a seminar “How to destroy a wine” and the whole concept of it was, me choosing wines, Alton Brown cooking and in the last minute doing something to what he was cooking for me to be able to say, ‘Alton, you destroyed my wine.’
So it was a very interesting experience and particularly for the consumers attending a very eye opening experience that very simple things like [preparing] a green salad that you drizzle some olive oil and you put a little bit of salt and pepper and in the last minute you say, ‘Okay, I’m going to pour this with the Sauvignon Blanc.’
Then Alton asking me, ‘Do you want me to squeeze some lemon on your salad?’ Sure, absolutely. But you destroy my wine. The show [had ]little tips and things like that.
Is there anything that we haven’t talked about that you really feel the audience wants to hear about or you want to share?
Jaime Merino: Today, one of the biggest challenges that we have as a country, Chile has a very good established reputation as a wine producing country, but most of the time perceived as a good value producing country, inexpensive wines coming from Chile. So you’re going to find brands out there, sometimes retailing for $5, 6, 7 a bottle.
And that’s fine. But that is one aspect of Chile. There’s another aspect of Chile of more premium, super premium, ultra premium wines.
I feel very often that consumers are afraid to venture into those more expensive wines. And sometimes when I’m talking more expensive, normally they retail between $15 and $18 a bottle.
That is a new Chile that needs to be discovered because that is where most of the interesting revolution in terms of the wine industry is happening right now.
My invitation is to go to your preferred store, go to the South American section or Chilean section, if there is one, and see what they have from Chile. Okay. That really
Where can we find these wines? What’s the website? And how can we follow you on social media?
Jaime Merino: Okay if you want to know a little bit more, go to www.SantaEma.CL the CL is for Chile.
If you want to follow us on social media, Instagram and Facebook
The easiest way to buy Santa Ema is go to wine.com and see what is available in your region,
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Los Angeles’ A.O.C. Welcomes Celebrated Guest Sommelier Bobby Stuckey MS Feb 28
Los Angeles’ A.O.C. Welcomes Celebrated Guest Sommelier Bobby Stuckey MS Feb 28
Caroline Styne and Suzanne Goin welcome the co-owner of Frasca Food & Wine and Scarpetta Wines to A.O.C. on 3rd Street for an evening showcasing his boutique wines.
Caroline Styne and Chef Suzanne Goin will host a special evening at A.O.C. on Wednesday, February 28, 2024, featuring James Beard Foundation award-winner Bobby Stuckey of Boulder’s Frasca Food & Wine and Scarpetta Wines.
Bobby will serve as Guest Sommelier, showcasing the imported wines of Murva and his own Scarpetta Wines.
Caroline Styne has curated wine flights to be enjoyed during dinner, and guests can also choose from featured bottles from Murva or the Scarpetta wine library.
Additionally, A.O.C. will offer a selection of Italian cheeses for wine pairings. The menu will be à la carte, and reservations for the event are encouraged.
“I am beyond excited to have my idol,
Bobby Stuckey, working the floor with us at A.O.C.”
Caroline Styne
“His charisma and dedication to outstanding hospitality are inspirational.”
This evening presents a rare opportunity to meet Bobby Stuckey, a highly talented and charismatic figure in the hospitality industry.
WHEN:
Wednesday, February 28, 2024
5:30 – 10:00 p.m.
WHERE: A.O.C., 8700 W. 3rd Street Los Angeles, California 90049
Phone: 310.859.9859
Bobby Stuckey began his distinguished career in restaurants in his home state of Arizona, working his way from dishwasher to management, establishing his position as one of the leaders in the hospitality industry.
He joined the staff of The Little Nell restaurant in Aspen as a sommelier in 1995. During his five-year tenure, The Little Nell received numerous awards for wine and service, including Gourmet’s “Best Wine Service” Award; Mobile Travel Guide’s Five Star Hotel and Restaurant Rating; Wine Spectator’s Grand Award; and a nomination from the James Beard Foundation for Outstanding Wine Service.
In 2000, Stuckey moved west to work with world-renowned chef Thomas Keller at The French Laundry in Yountville, California.
Within his first year, Stuckey led the acclaimed restaurant’s team to earn the James Beard Foundation’s Outstanding Wine Service award and San Francisco Magazine recognized him as “Wine Director of the Year.”
The French Laundry received the James Beard Foundation Award for Outstanding Restaurant Service in 2003. It was during his tenure at The French Laundry where Bobby met his future business partner, chef Lachlan Mackinnon-Patterson.
With the vision of opening a neighborhood restaurant reminiscent of the Italian frascas they had visited in Italy’s Friuli-Venezia Giulia region, Stuckey and Mackinnon Patterson opened their first restaurant, Frasca Food and Wine, in August 2004, in Boulder, Colorado. Having researched and traveled throughout Italy many times, both were deeply inspired by this region in particular — the international influences of its cuisine, the profusion of local ingredients in its rustic yet elegant dishes, its passionate relationship between food and wine, and the gracious hospitality of the locals. Receiving his Master Sommelier Diploma in 2004, Stuckey has been bestowed with some of the restaurant and wine industrys’ highest honors such as James Beard Foundation nominations for Outstanding Wine and Spirits Professional, Outstanding Wine Service, and won the prestigious award for Outstanding Wine Service in 2013.
In 2007, Stuckey and Mackinnon-Patterson launched Scarpetta Wines to produce Friulian white wines. They now produce over eight varietals. In January 2011, Stuckey and Mackinnon-Patterson opened Pizzeria Locale Boulder, a full-service, contemporary pizzeria inspired by the traditional pizzerias of Naples, Italy located adjacent to sister restaurant Frasca with a similar attention to hospitality in a contemporary, laid back, interactive atmosphere. The partners also own and operate fast-fine versions of Pizzeria Locale Denver, with four locations in the Denver Metro area.
In the fall of 2017, Stuckey and Mackinnon-Patterson, along with partners Peter Hoglund, and Continuum Partners’ Mark Falcone, opened Tavernetta in Denver’s Union Station neighborhood. Located directly off the Union Station train platform, Tavernetta is inspired by Italy’s vast culinary traditions, with a menu that celebrates authentic regional classics from across the entire country in an approachable and welcoming environment. In December 2019, they opened Sunday Vinyl, a European-inspired wine bar & restaurant dedicated to providing the highest quality analog listening experience, adjacent to Tavernetta in downtown Denver.
Frasca Food and Wine celebrated 15 years in 2019 and the same year, under Bobby’s direction, the restaurant won the 2019 James Beard Foundation Award for Outstanding Service (changed to Outstanding Hospitality for the 2020 Awards thanks to Bobby’s recommendation).
ABOUT SCARPETTA WINES:
Scarpetta — The drivers of Scarpetta Wine are Bobby Stuckey M.S. and Lachlan Patterson former chef de partie at The French Laundry. They conspired to open a restaurant in Boulder, Colorado and thanks to a fateful trip to the Alpine region of Italy they had their inspiration… the cuisine and culture of Friuli. Always digging deeper for Friulian inspiration, Bobby and Lachlan travel to the region several times a year, even taking their entire staff along for a week of eating, wine tasting and general Friuli-worship every summer. It was only natural that when Bobby and Lachlan dreamt about starting their own wine label they looked first to the beautiful whites of Friuli, and Scarpetta was born. Murva – Moraro and Mariano del Friuli, Isonzo – The wines produced by Alberto Pelos at Murva are pure and vibrant. Alberto, who spent many years as winemaker at Vie di Romans, describes the vineyard soils that comprise Murva’s vineyards as dolomitic, with small pebbles rich in iron and aluminum, and a high sand and clay content (feretto). He farms 4 hectares of vineyards that he owns, and 1 hectare that he farms in the center of town which is part of a community outreach program to support troubled youth. The Murva wines have distinct salinity and energy that are not to be missed by any lover of Northern Italian whites.
ABOUT THE LUCQUES GROUP:
With the opening of Lucques, their flagship restaurant, in 1998, James Beard Foundation award-winning Chef/Author Suzanne Goinand award-winning Restaurateur Caroline Styne planted the seeds for The Lucques Group, a Los Angeles hospitality company that comprises two fine dining restaurants – A.O.C. in both Los Angeles and Brentwood. Along with these culinary enterprises, the company also owns the Larder Baking Company and oversees Hollywood Bowl Food + Wine, which curates all the food and beverage outlets at L.A.’s iconic music venue. The duo also operates two new restaurants – Caldo Verde and Cara Cara, and the new Dahlia cocktail bar at the Downtown L.A. Proper Hotel. The Lucques Group is dedicated to seasonally influenced cooking and focuses on sourcing local, organic produce from which Goin creates soulful dishes that are bold in flavor, vibrant, layered and complex.
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