Phoodie.com Editor Joins Wine School Team
Filed Under The Wine World
One of the better known food and beverage bloggers in Philadelphia is now the newest member of the Wine School team. “Collin Flatt is going to be a great asset to the school,” says owner and founder Keith Wallace. “I hire only the best wine instructors available, and Collin has proven to me he has what it takes to play in the big leagues.”
Like many Fine Arts majors before him, Collin’s food and wine career was originally nothing more than a few gigs as a bartender. However, he pulled off the impossible. After several years in Rome and New York, he returned to Philadelphia as an industry insider. “This is my calling. I suck at everything else,” quips Collin.
Along with teaching at the Wine School, Collin will remain a notorious figure in Philly’s culinary scene. Along with his well-known work as the editor of Phoodie.com, he will continue in some less boisterous ventures. These include his work as a trusted broker in the fine wine auction market, and as a consulting sommelier. Most recently, he has teamed up with legendary chef David Ansill to redevelop the menus at Ladder 15.
Collin is the third well-known food and wine writer to join the staff of the Wine School. He follows in the footsteps of Brian Freedman and David Snyder. At one point, all three were students of the Wine School. “I am not sure if its a chicken-or-egg thing, but our Foundation program is a breeding ground for creative foodies. Go figure,” says Keith. “It sure helps that I don’t have to look far to find top-notch staffers.”
Come join us at the Wine School of Philadelphia this spring and give a warm welcome to our newest authority on fine food and wine, Collin Flatt!
To set up a time to speak to Collin Flatt, please contact the Wine School at 1-800-817-7351, ext. 33, or email press@vinology.com.
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Wish I thought of that.
Filed Under The Wine World
Imagine being able to try a dozen different wines in an evening. Maybe even watch a video of a sommelier talking about those very wines. Hell, maybe even ask him/her questions via a live online feed. It would be like wine school without me (sigh). Brixr has taken the concept and are using TinyBottles (a kinda new packaging program in which suppliers can offer their wines in taste-sized portions) to create virtual wine classes/tastings. Very cool concept, and I really wish I thought of that first!
The tastings packs are pretty reasonable, and the concept is very very cool.
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L’Angolo di Vino, 2/24/2009
Filed Under The Wine World
If you’ve read any of the wine reviews I’ve posted over the last couple of years you are well aware of my fondness for the unusual, the eccentric, and the downright outside-the-box ( literally and figuratively) wines that pop up.
The latest discovery was Hilberg-Pasquero’s 2007 “Vareij”, a one of a kind blend of 80% Brachetto and 20% Barbera. As far as I know, no one else is attempting to merge these Piedmontese varietals, and if they are it’s doubtful the results could be more interesting.
It opens to intense aromas of spice and sharp red fruits, followed by waves of blueberries and exotic hints of cumin that may remind some of Lacrima di Morro d’Alba from Marche. The fruit stays ripe and juicy, strawberries and red raspberries from the Brachetto, riding on a refreshing layerof acidity supplied by the Barbera. Refreshing and accessible.
The fact this is labeled a VdT may unintentionally be damning it with faint praise, especially among consumers looking for those DOC and DOCG “guarantees”. Hmmmm, weren’t there some Super Tuscans that began life as VdT’s?
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Convicted!
Filed Under The Wine World
The judge has ruled and Red Bicyclette suppliers convicted. It seems Gallo itself was duped by those meddling Merlots and Syrahs posing as Pinot Noirs.
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L’Angolo di Vino, 2/16/2009
Filed Under The Wine World
Monastero Suore Cistercensi 2007 “Coenobium”, Lazio
You have to be a certain age to remember when cloyingly sweet Riesling with a “Blue Nun” label was all the rage, or, more to the point, what was available to wine drinkers of modest means.
The nuns who produce ”Coenobium” near the town of Vitorchiano,north of Rome, have blended a wine of depth and complexity that won’t leave anyone who tries it feeling the least bit blue. With consultation from Giampiero Bea, son of Montefalco’s Paolo, the good sisters have elevated Trebbiano Toscana above its often pedestrian persona – first, by blending it with Grechetto, Malvasia, and Verdicchio; second, by allowing the juice to remain in contact with the skins for about two weeks.
The result is a medium bodied wine that fills the mouth with just-ripe peach and apricot flavors that take on a savory, earthy quality. Aromas of herbs, dried flowers and chalky minerals keep rising to the surface. There’s a solid core of flavor aided by persistant acidity that delivers sensations of warmth all the way to a mildly dry finish. In a word, delicious.
Paradoxically, this is a wine that remains relatively obscure even though approximately 80% of the total production per year is shipped to the States, a little over 3000 cases.
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Byzantine-era Wine Press Found in Israel
Filed Under The Wine World
Archeaologists dig up a 1,400-year-old wine press in Central Israel. Read the Associated Press report here!
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Was Gallo Duped? We’ll Know in a Few Days
Filed Under The Wine World
Another day, another scandal:
It’s all about the Red Bicyclette, the Pinot Noir grape, and a little winery what goes by the name of Gallo.
Radioflyer from Toys Warehouse
Read here.
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Are the Times A-Changin’?
Filed Under The Wine World
A New Jersey bill – if it becomes law – would allow direct shipping of wine to consumers. Will this decision help out us consumers in the Keystone state?
Sen. Brian Stack (D., Hudson), a sponsor of the bill, states “Out-of-state visitors who try New Jersey wines and want to purchase them shouldn’t be shut out,” he said. “It’s time we give consumers and vintners the ability to deal directly with each other.”
Amen!
Story here.
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Authentic Brunello di Montalcino
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The scandal is in the past, but not the too-far past; thus, many questions still surround whether one is buying an authentic Brunello di Montalcino or a bottle of Rosso di Montalcino (those “Brunellos” made with grapes other than Sangiovese). Hark! And good news! One can now check the 2004 vintage using either a cell phone or the internet.
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Wine Criticism a Thing of the Past?
Filed Under The Wine World
Well, I don’t see that happening. Not anytime soon. But Oliver Thring does have an interesting article in The Guardian about American wine critic Tim Hanni’s stirring the proverbial wine world pot. And the fuss is simple: Is wine criticism necessary? Helpful? Hanni doesn’t necessarily think so. And if what Hanni says is true, then a wine critic is just (as Thring puts it) “someone with a tongue and a thesaurus.” Read the article here and then be sure to jump on over to the word of mouth blog to see what others are saying.
Wine Critic Tim Hanni
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