Wine and Spirits Travel

A previous engagement kept me from accompanying the rest of my group to Epernay on a visit to the Perrier Jouet Champagne House.  Epernay had been a classic stop on my October trip to France so I was familiar with this champagne filled city, but wanted to learn more about this brand and its history. Though the wine and spirits giant Pernod Ricard now owns Perrier Jouet, it still bears the legacy of the family it came from in 1811.  The house includes extensive caves which housed many fine champagnes, as well as Italian prisoners during the war.  Most of all, it is filled with tradition founded by Pierre-Nicolas Perrier and Rose Adelaide Jouët on Avenue de Champagne in Epernay, now home to an abundance of champagne houses.  Before I left France, I did have a chance to sit with Cellar Master Herve Deschamps who told me about what makes Perrier Jouët stand out from the rest, “It’s a family work ethic,” he said, “to preserve the quality and maintain the same style.”  The vineyards, w

To say the Perrier Jouet Anniversary Gala was over the top would be an understatement. Beaux-arts de Paris was filled with exquisite photographs of everyone and every time of the champagne. As we walked along through the gallery, we were all dressed to the nines and then some.  I had meticulously picked out a long black dress with a white beaded lace top and a graduated overlay over the black jersey bottom which fit in perfectly and it was certainly the perfect setting to sip Champagne . The evening included the picture of French elegance herself, actress Catherine Deneuve and her son, actor Christian Vadim, as well as model Jeri Hall and her daughter Georgia May Jagger, who is currently following in her footsteps as a model, and actor Alain Delon. Also on hand was Pernod Ricard royalty, including Chairman Lionel Breton and Cellar Master Hervé Deschamps, and the executives of the company's U.S. distributor, Southern Wine & Spirits.  I was honored to be one of only a handfu

After a disappointing dinner at Les Tablettes de Jean-Louis Nomicos, Paris once again showed me its magic. Or, more accurately, Perrier Jouet did. We went from dinner to a place I had yet to go to in Paris, even though it is one of the most famous – especially in the cocktail world. It was more or less the “home” of the infamous Ernest Hemingway. The bar that bears his name is in the Ritz Carlton and it was nothing like I expected. In what would probably be referred to as a “hole in the wall” if it were any place else, this tiny room holds no more than two dozen. What it lacks in stature, however, it makes up for in elegance and in some very creative cocktails. Our group was treated to a selection of highly priced (around 30 Euros a drink) concoctions by the gracious representatives of Perrier Jouet, who understood our need to have a little break from the bubbly.  I actually tried three of the mixtures, favoring the first, Serendipity. It was a combination of Calvados Pays d’Aug

With the exception of an April trip to Canada, I hadn’t planned on leaving the country for awhile, but when one of your favorite champagne companies asks you to go to a three day celebration in Paris, what do you say?  I said yes, of course, and began my journey from Champaign (Illinois, that is) on Saturday. With spring just around the corner, there were no weather delays to deal with and my flight to Chicago went off on time.  I settled in at the Admirals Club with a few hours to wait before my American Airlines flight. I spent a short time at the bar, enjoying some low cal nutrition (before my French feasts) from the hummus appetizer with a glass of a crisp Seaglass Sauvignon Blanc . I made a mental note to fit the Santa Barbara wine region into my schedule sometime soon. Before I knew it, the announcement came for my flight and I headed to my first business class experience on American in years. After 16+ hours to Australia , the flight to Paris was a breeze, made even easier

I've been enjoying a bit of time at home to catch up on stories, but that's almost over.  Tomorrow I travel to Paris for a whirlwind three days celebrating the 200th anniversary of Perrier Jouet Champagne . The last time I was in France, I spent my time in Champagne & Burgundy and didn't even make it to Paris.  I won't have much time to look around this trip, but it's going to be quite an exciting experience. I begin my adventure with my first stay at The Westin Paris , where I'll be enjoying the Six Senses Spa before my yacht cruise on the Seine River. Then, it's a preview of contemporary artist Daniel Arsham's new exhibit at the Beaux Art Museum, where I will be attending the black tie 200th anniversary of Perrier Jouet Champagne Gala! I will also get to spend sometime learning about this champagne and may even sneak in some talks with a few of the celebrity attendees. Of course, you can expect lots of photos and details, so stay tuned!

I try to take one big trip and one quick getaway each month. I often do the latter in Chicago, about two hours from my home. Even though I’ve been in the Midwest over two years now, I never have a problem finding something unique to do in the Windy City. I started my latest Chicago adventure with a Chef’s Table event by The Local Tourist.  My friend Theresa Carter does a wonderful job with these events, which include everything from seven course formal meals, to pizza and wine pairings -- like the one I attended at Red Flame Pizzeria .  This restaurant/wine bar has many wine selections are reasonable, wide ranged and many are available by the glass. The Chef’s Table event is a great way to network for business, or make new friends, while tasting food that Chicago’s Local Tourist will stand by.  At Red Flame we had a Brushetta Trio for a starter, followed by a selection of pizzas (including the veg HEAD, with wild mushrooms, spinach, roasted garlic, basil and extra virgin olive oil

It’s been many years since I took a ride down to Coconut Grove, a former “it” place in Miami that has lost a bit of its thunder to South Beach.  My main purpose for this trip was to check out the Mayfair Hotel and, more specifically, its Spartico Restaurant. There were a  number of hiccups during my stay at The Mayfair and I hope to return soon for a more complete visit of this popular hotel, but everything went more than smoothly at its new restaurant, Spartico .  It’s not often I get to taste and hear about every aspect of a restaurant (with an acclaimed chef) so this experience was a real treat for me. I started in Spartico at lunchtime with Jonathan Eismann, the hotel group’s consultant.  Chef Eismann is best known as the executive chef/owner of Pacific Time and is involved with a number of other restaurants in the Miami area.  Eismann is also one of the few chefs who has participated in all 10 South Beach Food and Wine Festivals.  This year I got to taste one of his great dish

It may have seemed like I had more than enough to eat and drink while covering the South Beach Food & Wine Festival , but it’s my job and I had to keep up the work during my last day in South Beach. I’ve recently started working as a cocktails writer for AOL’s Slashfood (the section will be introduced soon) so I needed to “research” some assignments.  Today’s task included flavored rum and my friends at Cruzan suggested that the News Café would be the perfect place to “investigate.” I met with Al Serrano, the News Café’s Beverage Manager to talk about the restaurant.  It’s got a perfect location on Ocean Avenue, directly across from the beach. The place was packed at lunch time, as Serrano says it often has been during the restaurant’s 22 years in this spot.  The unusual thing about this place – in addition to the variety of tropical drinks that can even be ordered inside coconut cups – is that it is open 24 hours a day.  In the style of diners I am used to in New York, the h

I was invited by Beam Global to a party at the Presidential Suite of The Royal Palm to launch the new Cruzan Strawberry.  Considering this was the middle of the South Beach Food and Wine Festival , I knew that I was obligated to attend as many parties as I could, so Lynn and I were one of the first to arrive. Cruzan flavored rums are known for their genuine taste and the strawberry is no different.  Whether you are sipping it on ice, mixing it into a cocktail or pouring it on strawberry shortcake (one of the offerings), the latest flavor is definitely a keeper. Of course, while I was checking out the new I also needed to make sure the old was as good as I heard, so I tried the Mango and Black Cherry flavors (separately) with club soda, Coconut with Pineapple Juice and the Pineapple by itself over ice.  I can confirm that they are all good! We headed back to the Riu South Beach for a good night’s sleep before Sunday’s final day at the Food Network Festival.   I was at the Whole