American Sommelier

Principles of Blind Tasting Seminar June 25

admin — Fri, 07 Jun 2013 21:49:17 +0000

Here’s your opportunity to explore the wonderful world of Blind Tasting…without the pressure of an exam! In this fun, consumer-friendly seminar, we will be introducing the basic principles of blind tasting: how we do it, why we do it, why you should do it too.

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Decanting Seminar June 19

admin — Mon, 03 Jun 2013 16:18:08 +0000

It’s harder than it looks…just ask GQ’s Alan Richman, who nearly lit himself on fire while attempting to decant a bottle of wine before the judges at the 2011 Best Sommelier in America competition (read his article).

That’s why we’re hosting a hands-on seminar on when, why and how to properly decant. Here’s your opportunity to watch the technique demonstrated by industry professionals and then try it out yourself…so you don’t end up like Mr. Richman in front of the entire restaurant on a packed Saturday night.

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Sud de France Sommelier Competition 2013: Monday, June 17th in NYC

admin — Tue, 07 May 2013 18:53:34 +0000

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Practice Your Service in the Skills Lab (May 22)

admin — Fri, 03 May 2013 16:14:36 +0000

It’s one thing to observe, read about and listen to a lecture on proper service…it’s another to actually execute it! Studies show that personal feedback on practice is one of the most powerful influences on learning and development. Sign up for a private Skills Lab session to practice any of the skills taught in the Sales, Service & Buying Seminars and get individualized advice from top industry professionals.

Consider it Personal Training for your service muscles!

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SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT: Bouchard Finlayson

admin — Wed, 01 May 2013 16:52:51 +0000

Near the Southernmost point of Africa lies a valley named Hemel-en-Aarde (Heaven and Earth) framed by mountains and within sight of the ocean, with frost free, soft, beneficial weather and the most perfect clay shale vineyard soils…

Established in 1989, Bouchard Finlayson is a boutique winery dedicated to the making of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc wines of outstanding quality.

Located in the wine ward of Walker Bay, an hour and a half from Cape Town, the 125-hectare property currently has 22 hectares under vines; the rest is mountain land, covered by the spectacular indigenous ‘fynbos’ flora of the Western Cape. With only a small portion of the farm under vine Bouchard Finlayson is able to ensure the conservancy of the mountain land.

Bouchard Finlayson’s flagship wine is the Galpin Peak Pinot Noir, which has won many an award and accolade. Growing on the slopes of Galpin Peak, repeated vintages of this path-blazing wine continue to reflect a true celebration of Pinot-crafting, consistently endorsing the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley as a jewel in the hunt for this illusive grape. Bouchard Finlayson is renowned as one of South Africa’s top wineries and this can be attributed to their philosophy and focus to produce wines of the finest quality.

The surrounding coastal town of Hermanus lures tourists and locals to partake in many exciting adventures. Hermanus is famous for the Whales that venture into their waters, Shark cage diving is another great attraction for the brave and courageous. If you prefer to keep your feet on the land, Hermanus surrounding mountains offers the most fantastic hiking trails with spectacular views.

Bouchard Finlayson invites you to visit the farm as well as discover the local area.

Learn more about Bouchard Finlayson

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Sales, Service & Buying Seminar #3 on May 8

admin — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 21:43:25 +0000

Sign up for the third of our Sales, Service & Buying seminars, focusing on “Handling the Bottle” and red wine service. We’ll touch on cellar management and restaurant layout in addition to using a cradle and dealing with large format bottles. Students are welcome to sign up for this seminar even if they didn’t attend the first and/or second seminars.

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Board Member Michael Herklots Hosts his Ninth Annual Birthday Fundraiser

admin — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 21:17:46 +0000

It is that time once again! Since 2005, I’ve hosted a birthday party to raise money for my high school alma mater, Killingly High School, in Danielson, CT. KHS is a public school in a working class town in Northeast Connecticut. The majority of families in this area are on low fixed incomes, and though obviously supportive of the School System through taxes, they simply cannot afford to do more. The Learning for Life fund was set up in 2005 to supplement the General Education budget for the Career Pathways Program. This program allows students to identify potential career paths, and focus their High School Education towards completing a Career Pathway- completion results in an official “career packet” and certification of “hireability”, as well as up to 16 applicable credits towards college education in participating institutions. While many students often go directly to work from high school, the experiences they have the opportunity to participate in through the Career Pathways program make them incredibly valuable potential employees, and for those who do choose to go on to higher education, the cost savings in credits often is the single factor that makes college a possibility.

I hope you’ll take a moment to read the most recent Learning for Life Newsletter. At this very moment there is a group of students competing in Los Angeles as part of the Student Television Network Convention… an opportunity where they not only achieve high accolades on a National level, but one that wouldn’t be possible without the support of the Learning for Life Fund. My hometown’s young people are finally able to experience what real life is like in other parts of the country… a critical point to being able to make adult life decisions.

EVERY dollar raised goes directly towards supplementing the funding for these incredible programs at Killingly High School. Take a look at the PREVIOUS Learning for Life Newsletter. The last page features a line-item expense breakdown. $16 for recognition plaques. $92 for round trip bus transportation to Providence. $785 for round trip bus transportation to New York City for the Photo Journalism students. $3,842 for an incredible new CNC Shark Pro Plus Routing machine – a machine used in the Construction Tech pathway, that they also use to help make signs and other materials for local businesses. Literally EVERY dollar is positively affecting the life of Killingly Young people!

Last year we raised $75,000… and since 2005 we’ve raised over $250,000. I hope you’re able to help support this incredible cause. If you cannot attend an event, but would like to donate, we’ve got some options. You can mail a check payable to “KHS Learning for Life” to Michael Herklots c/o Nat Sherman 12 East 42nd Street New York, NY 10017. (Checks will not be deposited until after May 21, 2013) You may also donate online http://www.gofundme.com/1gnb40 though they do charge a processing fee that come out of the final donated amount!

This year, we’ll once again host two events.

Monday, April 29, 2013
The Carnegie Club
156 West 56th Street
6:00pm-10:00pm

This is a free event! Cigars and Hors d’Oeuvres will be provided. There will be an incredible raffle, plus silent and live auction!

Tuesday, April 30, 2013
The Grand Havana Room
666 Fifth Avenue 39th Floor
6:00pm Cocktails and Hors d’Oeuvres
7:00pm Dinner

This is an elegant sit down steak dinner. Incredible wines will be served.
The event features a Silent and Live Auction!

$325 per person.
Tickets must be purchased in advance.

Email mherklots@natsherman.com for more information.

Thanks in advance for your continued support!

Michael

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OreGONE Wild Seminar on April 25

admin — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 21:38:45 +0000

We’ve gone wild for Willamette! Join us on Thursday, April 25th as we forge our very own Oregon Trail in this fun and informative seminar exploring the appellations of the Willamette Valley.

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SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT: Channing Daughters Winery

admin — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 17:00:40 +0000

A Vineyard With a Purpose
Atlantic breezes cool our vineyards creating a climate hospitable to a wide array of fascinating grape varieties. At Channing Daughters we grow and create wines from the white varieties Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Tocai Friulano, Sauvignon Blanc, Muscat Ottonel, Malvasia, Gewurztraminer, and Pinot Bianco, and the red varieties Merlot, Blaufrankisch, Pinot Noir, Dornfelder, Cabernet Franc, and Cabernet Sauvignon. Soon the reds Teroldego, Refosco and Lagrein will join them. We are the only winery on the East End growing and producing wines from many of these grapes. Our home is a beautiful plot of land in Bridgehampton that contains twenty-five acres of vines, our small winery and tasting room. We source about fifty percent of our grapes from special sites and people on the North Fork.

Commitment to Quality
Our foremost commitment at Channing Daughters Winery is the care of our grapevines and the quality of wine in the bottle. Starting with intense and careful culture of our vines to the hand-picking of ALL grapes, gentle whole cluster-pressing of white fruit, stomping by foot with punch-down by hand of red grapes, and gravity bottling, our methods remain traditional and artisanal. Wine is grown by hand at Channing Daughters. We are proud of every single bottle and are excited about your interest in our wines.

Wine From Unique Vineyards
We allow our wines to naturally express the earth that grows them. Small and unique vineyard lots of grapes are fermented and bottled separately, bearing a Vineyard Designation and Appellation of Origin. Channing Daughters is proud to produce wines bearing all three Long Island AVA’s. The North Fork of Long Island, The Hamptons, and Long Island are all utilized. Whether it is a varietal Sauvignon Blanc from the Mudd Vineyard on the North Fork, Blaufrankisch from our Sylvanus Vineyard on our Estate in Bridgehampton or a blend of varieties and vineyards like our Vino Bianco, which bears a Long Island AVA, we believe in celebrating the place, vineyards and region from which we are lucky enough to produce wine. We are also grateful to be working with mature vineyards. Our own Sculpture Garden Vineyard was planted in 1982 and the Mudd Vineyard on the North Fork (one of our most prized sources) was planted between 1975 and 1983.

Artisanal Experimentation
We are interested in continually pushing the boundaries of what is possible in our vineyards, our cellar and our region. Currently we are producing about seven thousand cases of wine a year spread across twenty-six different bottlings. We strongly believe there are different foods, occasions, people, seasons and moods that demand different flavors, smells, textures and styles of wine. To this end we create single vineyard varietal wines and blended wines, wines made with indigenous, wild yeast as well as commercial yeast, and occasionally a blend of both. Some wines are filtered and fined, some are not. Stainless steel tanks and barrels as well as French, Slovenian, American and Hungarian oak barrels are used in various sizes, formats, percentages and ages. We will co-ferment white and red fruit. We enjoy fermenting some white wines on their skins. We seek deliciousness. We do everything by hand in small batches with lots of love and attention in order to fulfill our commitment to quality wine in the bottle.

Learn more about Channing Daughters Winery

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Next Sales, Service & Buying Seminar on April 3

admin — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 15:07:05 +0000

Focusing on the importance of internal team communication and the basics of white wine service. We’ll also demonstrate how to use an Ah-So!

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