NOVEMBER 8th..A DATE TO REMEMBER..DINE WITH "SUPER STAR CHEF" TOM COLICCHIO..Tom is a 'ROCK STAR CHEF', PAIRING HIS CREATIONS WITH "TORBRECK WINES"

IMAGINE spending your Monday Evening (November 8th) with "Possibly New York's FINEST CHEF", TOM COLICCHIO at his Famous Restaurant, "COLICCHIO and SONS", located at 85 Tenth Avenue between 15th and 16th.

TOM COLICCHIO is a big fan of wines from Australia's BAROSSA VALLEY.
His FAVORITE Wines are from the TORBRECK Vineyard, home of Australia's SUPER STAR WINE MAKER "David Powell" .

The RED wines Tom likes include many wines that are Robert Parker's favorites, including WOODCUTTER'S SHIRAZ, THE GASK, THE LAIRD, THE PICT, LES AMIS, THE STEADING, THE STRUIE, THE FACTOR, RUNRIG and the DESCENDANT.

Many Vintage bottles top $1000.

VISIT http://www.torbreck.com/ to learn more.

On November 8th, at 7pm, TOM COLICCHIO is Hosting a WINE DINNER featuring David Powell's TORBRECK Wines, paired with his Chef Inspired FIVE COURSE DINNER.

I have eaten several times before at Tom's restaurant, COLICCHIO and SONS.
The food is always OUTSTANDING. The ambiance is unmatched. Pair these qualities with WINES from TORBRECK and TOM COLICCHIO's cooking and you will have an Evening that is unparalleled.

TICKETS are $250.
ONLY 30 seats are available

To make RESERVATIONS:
Please CONTACT Elena Silva at: ESilva@CraftRestaurant.com

MENU: by CHEF TOM COLICCHIO
WINES: Featuring DAVID POWELL's Wines from TORBRECK (BAROSSA VALLEY)
PRICE per person: $250
DATE: Monday, November 8th
TIME: 7pm
SEATING: 7:30PM
ADDRESS: COLICCHIO and SONS: 85 Tenth Avenue between 15th and 16th Streets
TO MAKE RESERVATIONS: Please contact: ELENA SILVA at: ESilva@craftrestaurant.com

PHILIP S. KAMPE

5 Wine Blogs

If you are here, it means that wine has a special place in your life and you want to dedicate some time of your day to find out what is going on in this wonderful wine world, don't you?

Well, here are some of the blogs that we recommend:

Dr. Vino's wine blog
http://drvino.com/ wine talk that goes down easy
Recent topics : Wine • Terms • Wineries • Sommelier • Robert Parker • Cabernet • Appellation • Chateau • Pinot Noir • Wine critics • Michael Broadbent • Gamay • Chardonnay • French wine • Gary Vaynerchuk • Jancis Robinson • Grenache • Australian win


Fermentation: The Daily Wine Blog
http://fermentation.typepad.com/
A wine insider's view of that place where culture, politics, wine and I mingle.
Recent topics : Wine • Wineries • Pinot Noir • Wine critics • French wine • Terms • Appellation

Vinography
http://www.vinography.com
Wine and food adventures in San Francisco and around the world
Recent topics : Wine • Wineries • Terms • Cabernet • Pinot Noir • Chardonnay • Appellation • Cabernet Sauvignon • Sommelier • Grenache • Chateau • Australian wine • Shiraz • Wine critics • Jancis Robinson • Chilean wine • Merlot • Italian wine • Enology • Dining

Vinotology
http://www.vinotology.com/
The musings and tastings of a wine enthusiast
Recent topics : Wine • Merlot • Cabernet • Wineries • Cabernet Sauvignon • Terms • Pinot Noir

If you feel that you have a nice wine blog as well, please don't be shy and send us a note. We will take to time to take a look at it. If it's really cool we will recommend it too.

And as usual, don't forget to check what is going on at our main site: www.thewinehub.com

Cheers,
LA

2010 ZAP Festival in San Francisco

Sadly, business in Germany and France made it impossible for me to attend the 2010 ZAP Festival in San Francisco that I had enjoyed in 2008 and 2009. The photo work I had been doing for The Wine Hub and my personal preference for Zinfandel wine led me to the ZAP Festival in 2008. There was simply no better opportunity to sample and understand the virtues of that wonderful varietal than a festival dedicated exclusively to Zins. And that is what the ZAP Festival is, the best show for Zinfandel wines yet. Sure, some wineries slip the occasional Primitivo into the array of wines they provide for sampling if only to educate us about the shared genetics of Zins and Primitivos. But ZAP is Zin, Zin, Zin.

This Zin-rant reflects my preference for Zinfandels. (It has even been proposed as the official wine of the State of California!) You might think that my preference and partiality to Zins accounts for my enthusiasm for the San Francisco ZAP Festival in January 2011. OK, that is somewhat true. But, the ZAP Festival is so well done that nobody walks away from the event without planning to attend the next edition of the ZAP Festival.

(Photo below is from 2008 ZAP at Fort Mason in San Francisco]



If you can only give one day for this ZAP event, choose Saturday, 29 January 2011, at Fort Mason. On that day, you, and several hundred of your friends, will be able to sample hundreds of Zinfandels presented by scores of vintners. However, if you have the time, you will love the earlier ZAP Festival events that put Zinfandel, food and you together… where Zinfandel really shines. I confess; I am a Zinner. And, after spending 27-29 January 2011 at the ZAP Festival, you will be a Zinner too!

* ZAP - Zinfandel Advocates & Producers

Robert F. Tardif, Ph.D.
Sacramento, CA

To learn more about the event, click here:
http://www.zinfandel.org/default.asp?n1=3&n2=189&member=

200 Bloggers Transport Austria's Wine Country to the Entire World via Facebook, Twitter & Co.
Between October 22nd and October 26th, Austria as a wine country was the focus of the international wine blogger scene. Vienna's Schönbrunn palace served as the stylish venue for the annual European Wine Bloggers Conference (EWBC), which was enticed to the Austrian capital through the initiative of the Austrian Wine Marketing Board (AWMB). The event was organised by Gabriella and Ryan Opaz of Catavino Marketing and Robert McIntosh from The Wine Conversation.

This third EWBC conference – held for the first time outside of the Iberian Peninsula - gathered wine bloggers, journalists, key wine trade professionals and social media experts in one setting to discuss the latest challenges for the wine branch and the web. The Austrian Wine Marketing Board ensured that, besides the seminars, discussions and new wine web ideas, Austrian wine always was in the spotlight. Following a tasting of Austrian wine archetypes and presentations by 20 winemakers, and then an evening at a traditional Viennese Heurigen (wine tavern), the big Austrian Wine Party on Saturday night at Österreicher im MAK guaranteed a hot time with cool music.


After the conference itself, all of the wine bloggers had the opportunity to get to know Austria's wine-growing areas. On Sunday, October 24th, wine tours to Burgenland, the Danube the Weinviertel were conducted, and on Monday and Tuesday, October 25th and 26th, there were special press trips to the areas with Austria's new origin-typical wines.

"We Austrians had so much fun discussing, tasting and having a great time with the bloggers," said the Austrian Wine Marketing Board's general manager, Willi Klinger, about the EWBC. "I believe we fit very well together. The blogging scene is very exciting - it's young and it's smart, just like Austrian wine.”


A short film about the event, pictures and quotes by bloggers about Austrian wine and the EWBC, are available via the following links:

General: http://www.winesfromaustria.com/news/info_20101028.html
Video EWBC: http://www.youtube.com/oesterreichwein <http://www.youtube.com/oesterreichwein>

AWMB - Social Media links
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/oesterreichwein/ <http://www.facebook.com/oesterreichwein/> , http://www.facebook.com/austrianwine <http://www.facebook.com/austrianwine>
Twitter: http://twitter.com/oesterreichwein/ <http://twitter.com/oesterreichwein/> , http://twitter.com/austrianwine <http://twitter.com/austrianwine>

AWMB - EWBC links
Best Tweets about the EWBC: http://tinyurl.com/2vgblmu <http://tinyurl.com/2vgblmu>
The best EWBC pictures: http://on.fb.me/9Tz3xO <http://on.fb.me/9Tz3xO>
Austrian Wine Party: http://on.fb.me/9cdJcV <http://on.fb.me/9cdJcV>
Wine Tours: http://on.fb.me/cuF7x5 <http://on.fb.me/cuF7x5> (Burgenland, Danube, Weinviertel)
Key words for searching Tweets: #EWBC, #EWBC10, #oesterreichwein, #austrianwine, #media140

AWMB pictures
Selection Preview: http://access.thelounge.net/ewbc/ <http://access.thelounge.net/ewbc/>
Selection Download: http://access.thelounge.net/ewbc/ewbc_sel.zip <http://access.thelounge.net/ewbc/ewbc_sel.zip>

Franciacorta, Italy's Answer to Champagne

I'm a girl who loves Champagne and all that sparkles and on a recent trip to Italy I discovered a new favorite, Franciacorta. Franciacorta is a sparkling wine with DOCG status (since 1995) from the territory of Franciacorta in the Lombardy region of north central Italy.

What sets this sparkling apart from other Italian sparklers is that it is made in the traditional Champagne method, or as known in Italian as metodo classico. Most other Italian sparklers; Prosecco, Spumante, etc. are made using the Charmat method, where secondary fermentation occurs in a tank, rather than the individual bottles like with the Champagne method. Permitted grape varieties are Chardonnay, Pinot Nero (Noir), and Pinot Bianco (Blanc). I was so impressed with the complex, but subtle and elegant taste...and for the price, a vintage Franciacorta is a great alternative to a vintage Champagne.

My recent favorite Franciacorta finds are:

NV Ca' Del Bosco Cuvee Prestige (around $45): Yeasty, bready style, with a hint of nuttiness, minerality and great acidity

Bersi Serlini Brut Cuvee 4 Millesimo 2004 ($30) 100% Chardonnay, ripe fruit, sage, vanilla, toasted nuts and crisp acidity

Explore and enjoy!

Bridget Coulter Cheslock, Certified Sommelier

VINITALY at EATALY on Monday, October 25th..a CONSUMER AFFAIR in NEW YORK CITY...TICKETS $55..all proceeds DONATED to the American Cancer Society..

On Monday Evening, October 25th, from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm, VINITALY will hold a Benefit Tasting for Consumers.

VINITALY is an ambassador of Italian wine. The VINITALY Tour organizes events in many of the most important cities in the world. Their goal is to facilitate communication between Italian producers and key players in the industry.

VINITALY is the largest wine fair in the world, hosting over 4,500 producers. The event takes place in Verona from April 7th to 11th in 2011. For more information, visit: http://www.vinitaly.com/

Priced at only $55 a ticket, ( food is extra) with all proceeds donated to the American Cancer Society, this event is the First Paid Consumer Event at the Culinary Complex, modeled after one in Italy. The space opened in late August and is home to all aspects of the Italian Culinary World.

EATALY is owned and operated by Italian Restauranteur Partners, Mario Batali and mother and son, Lidia and Joseph Bastianich and the Italian founder of the concept, OSCAR FARINETTI.

EATALY FRANCHISES exist in Turin, Asti, Milan, Tokyo, Bologna and now New York. Future expansion includes GENOA and ROME.

VINITALY will showcase 60 Italian wine producers pouring over 200 wines.

One of the HIGHLIGHTS of the event is the participation from a new "NATURAL" Winery from Le Marche, DOMODIMONTI.

DOMODIMONTI will be pouring their NATURAL wine in America for the first time.

Their wines are made with indigenous grapes from LE MARCHE, including two White wines, one made from the Pecorino grape and other from the Passerina grape.

The Red varieties include Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Montepulciano.

More Information on DOMODIMONTI can be found at their website: http://www.domodimonti.com/
or by contacting MARCO SCAPAGNINI: mscapagnini@domodimonti.com , the North American Project and Marketing Manager.

They HOPE to find an Importer/Distributor for the New York/New Jersey area at the TRADE portion of the show, which runs from 2:00pm to 6:00pm..

To PURCHASE a Ticket to this EXCITING EVENT, at EATALY, 200 Fifth Avenue at 23rd Street, e-mail:
Pamela B. Mohr at: Pamela.Mohr@Cancer.org .

Tickets are $55

PHILIP S. KAMPE

ROMA ADVENTURES...LES ETOILES RESTAURANT AND ATLANTE STAR HOTEL near the VATICAN by Philip S. Kampe

ROMA...........ATLANTE STAR HOTEL....LES ETOILES........ROMA........

When in ROME, do as the ROMANS DO.
Stay at the ATLANTE STAR HOTEL and DINE at the Roof Garden Restaurant, LES ETOILES.

During my most recent visit to Rome, I dined at the 'GARDEN IN THE SKY' and enjoyed a 360 degree panoramic view over the ETERNAL CITY of ROME, complete with a view of ST. PETER'S DOME.

LES ETOILES is operated and owned by ROBERTA MENUCCI. Her staff is very efficient, focusing on local and international cuisine.
The wine list is OUTSTANDING, with wines representing all TWENTY Italian provinces.

Choices range from PROSECCO to BRUNELLO, all at FAIR prices.

The wine steward chose a PINOT NERO to accompany my meal.

I was fortunate to dine on "THE FIRST FRUITS OF AUTUMN" creative seasonal menu at
LES ETOILES.

For 55 euros, I was served a complete meal that was comprised of:

MIXED SALAD with FRESHWATER SHRIMPS and aromatic vinegar.

Autumnal GNOCCHI with CEPE MUSHROOMS.

VENISON CHOP with NERO d' AVOLA Wine sauce.

and CHESTNUT TARTLETS with Chestnut Honey.

This meal easily SURPASSED all other meals I had ever had in ROME.
LES ETOILES is a true gem of a restaurant and is a MUST RESTAURANT VISIT when in Rome.

Located within a short walk of the VATICAN, at 34 VIA VITELLESCHI, the restaurant and Hotel can be reached at (06) 687. 3233.

The ATLANTE STAR Hotel is located in a distinguished 19th Century building, within walking distance to shopping, the BASILICA and other attractions. The attractive rooms, with lush striped fabrics on the wall, include a minibar, SKYE television, in-room safe, WIFI and often a HOT TUB in addtion to the lovely shower.

The STAFF and CONIERGE are helpful, courteous and effcient.

The ATLANTE STAR HOTEL and LES ETOILES can be found on the INTERNET at: http://www.atlantehotels.com/

PHILIP S. KAMPE

Fall 2010 in New Jersey, USA

The bright yellow tones of a tall poplar, the golden leaf of the black hickory, the dark color of oak trees and the splendid glow of the red leaves of maple.
The back roads will take you to a reality that is spectacular!
Life is beautiful...


To watch the video:
http://www.youtube.com/user/TheWineHub?feature=mhum

Cheers,
LA

*** This video is brought to you by Selva Capuzza ***
To buy their wines in the US
http://bit.ly/98CxEB



TheWineHub
One of the pillars of TheWineHub is Wine Tourism. Whether you are a wine maker, or a wine drinker, we all enjoy having discoveries... TheWineHub exists to help you with that.

What WineKnow Knows

If you live in Seattle, WA and you want to learn about wine... you got lucky!
KAREN GRAF & JOEL P. BUTLER MW joined forces and founded WineKnow .

This is what I found in their home page: "We don't pretend to know everything about wine, but we know enough to make you 'dangerous'! And after all, isn't that why you want to learn more about wine?"

Do you want to know more about them?
Go to http://www.mywineknow.com/bios.html

More news about WineKnow coming soon...

Cheers!
LA

ITALY on VACATION by Philip. S. Kampe

LOOKS like I dissappeared for awhile..actually, I, have been on vacation in AMAZING ITALY..from UMBRIA to ROME to the ISLE OF CAPRI..Just ate an unbelivevable lunch at the famous LA CAPANNINA RESTAURANT www.capannina-capri.com .
The wonderful white wines from DOMODIMONTI Vineyards www.domodimonti.com paired perfectly with the stuffed squid and octopus with potatoes for lunch.
Who could ask for anything more?
Much more to follow..
PHILIP S. KAMPE

Red Questions - quiz #100

We will start to post weekly here the "red questions" of our quizzes after a suggestion of one of our top contenders - Rodolphe Boulanger.
He said: "I know nothing about the sugars that prevent water going from roots to shoots... so I'm going to have to research that. It would be helpful for all, I think, if next week when the answers are posted, there's an explanation posted too because I know that most people aren't crazy like us and are not looking everything up in their free time!!!!"

And I agree with him, so here they are...
____________________________________________________________

3) How many grape varieties are listed in the International Vitis Inventory maintained at the Federal Research Institut for Grape Breeding at Geilweilerhof in Germany?

a) 4,000
b) 8,000
c) 12,000
d) 16,000

According to the posting on Wikipedia:

"The Geilweilerhof Institute for Grape Breeding (Institut für Rebenzüchtung Geilweilerhof - IRZ) in Siebeldingen, Germany specializes in breeding grape vine varieties that combine resistance to fungal diseases, frost, and drought with superior wine qualities. It is part of a federal German agricultural research and breeding institute called Bundesanstalt für Züchtungsforschung an Kulturpflanzen. It developed the successful red Regent grape. It has experimental stations in Palatinate, Rheingau and Franconia and maintains germplasm of over 15,000 varieties. It has published the journal Vitis since 1957 and administers the Vitis International Variety Catalogue, a database of grapevine species and varieties."
____________________________________________________________

8) Substances which impede the flow of water from the roots to the trunk and canes for the vine's acclimation process before winter:

a) Suberin and Glycerol
b) Suberin and Callose
c) Callose and Glycerol
d) Raffinose and Callose

In the book "Northern Winework" by Tom Plocher and Bob Parke (a great reference for growing grapes and making wine in cold climates), they say:

"Suberin and callose, substances which impede the flow of water from the roots to the trunk and canes, are deposited in the vascular tissues of the vines, at first slowing, but eventually ceasing the flow of water through the vine. Periderm forms, turning the canes form green to brown."
______________________________________________________________


To play our most recent quiz: http://www.thewinehub.com/learn/quiz

Cheers,
LA

The top 10 players of our weekly wine quiz - September Edition

Congratulations to Rodolphe Boulanger and to the other top 9 players of the weekly wine quiz.
Great job!

2nd STEINER PETER 3350pts 00:13:58
3rd COCHARD MARK 3325pts 00:11:48
4th BERLINGHOF MARKUS 3200pts 00:08:39
5th CHILCOTT JEFF 3150pts 00:11:30
6th GOODMAN RICHARD 3150pts 00:14:31
7th GOUTTENOIRE PIERRE 3000pts 00:13:10
8th ROSS RICK 2975pts 00:12:43
9th KINNAN DON 2950pts 00:13:25
10th MALAGRIFA PAUL 2925pts 00:09:25

To play our quizzes, please go to www.thewinehub.com and click on "learn" and then "quiz"

Cheers!!!
LA

Top 5 players of our EWBC wine quiz - Austria #4

Look who is going to get our books and t-shirts for this month's Austrian wine quiz.
The top 5 players are here. Congratulations to you all. Great job!

1st
BERLINGHOF MARKUS
1000pts
00:01:00

2nd
MüNZENRIEDER CHRISTOPH
950pts
00:01:56

3rd
POHL HEINRICH
900pts
00:01:44

4th
GULLONE VINCENZO
800pts
00:01:04

5th
BIANCONI MARCO
800pts
00:02:08

A new wine EWBC wine quiz was just posted. Don't miss this opportunity to learn more about Austria and its lovely wines.
http://www.thewinehub.com/learn/quiz

Cheers,
LA

Harvest at Château des Moriers in Beaujolais.

A few days of hard work in the vineyards... they were really pleasant because of the fun and good wines that were alternated with the heavy baskets that the boys and girls carried with a smile in their faces...
We recorded this wonderful experience in a 4-minute video that we are now sharing with you.
And yes. It's also about bringing "Miss Vicky Wine" to the US!
A delicious Fleurie Cru Beaujolais made specially for her favorite friends.


Here is the video:




If you are interested in buying the wine, write to us through one of the following and we will give you free shipping:

To our FaceBook friends: Send a message to http://www.facebook.com/Luiz.Alberto.TWH

To our followers on Twitter: Send a DM to @thewinehub

To our connections on LinkedIn: Send a message to http://www.linkedin.com/profile/edit?id=38650882

I hope you enjoy it... Cheers!!
LA

ATTEND a SPECIAL PREMIUM TEQUILA TASTING..a Tasting where you VOTE for your favorite TEQUILA..October 21st..NYC,,by Philip S. Kampe

WHICH TEQUILA WILL BE VOTED Number ONE??

ANTIGUO AVION CABO WABO CAMPO AZUL CAZADORES CHINACO CORZO DON EDUARDO EL JIMADOR EL TESORO ESPOLON HERRADURA HORNITOS INOCENTE LOS OSUNA NOBLEZA RIAZUL TEQUILA 55 TRES AGAVES TRES GENERACIONES VIDA

On October 21st from 6:30-10pm, you will have the Opportunity to taste over 20 HOSTED by the World's Premier Spitits tasting organizer, 'THE FIFTY BEST' www.theFifyBest.com

The event will take place at the EASTSIDE SOCIAL CLUB, 230 EAST 51ST (btw Second and Third Avenue) in New York City. The event will be catered by the fantastic culinary crew at the Eastside Social Club.

I attended a similar 'The Fifty Best' VODKA event earlier in the year and still think about the variety of Vodkas served, the discussion with my table mates regarding the Best Vodka and the overall positive tasting experience I had that evening.

The Tequilia Tasting is worth attending, if you are a qualified Tequilia drinker and can judge Tequilia's nuances.

*To attend this EXCLUSIVE Event, e-mail: Events@TheFiftyBest,com for CONSIDERATION*

***ONLY KNOWLEDGABLE TEQUILA DRINKERS WILL BE CONSIDERED
FOR THIS EVENT***

RESULTS will be Announced on The Fifty Best website: http://www.thefiftybest.com/
**To find this event on the website: Go to the Home page, find Events and press Local**


PHILIP S. KAMPE