Appetizing Events: House of Mandela Wine Signing at Bed-Vyne Wine

House of Mandela Wine Signing
Tukwini Mandela and Dr. Makaziwe (Maki) Mandela, respectively daughter and granddaughter of Nelson Mandela.

“The family tree is like a vine that grows. It’s who we are and where we come from.” Dr. Makaziwe (Maki) Mandela

Each bottle has a bee symbolizing the Mandela family token. It symbolizes courage, compassion and a concern for others; the wings represent the many branches of the Mandela family tree and invoke shared circles of friendship and community relationships. A few weeks ago, Bed-Vyne hosted Dr. Makaziwe (Maki) Mandela and Tukwini Mandela, respectively daughter and granddaughter of Nelson Mandela to sign bottles of their House of Mandela Wines. The wines are produced in the world’s most beautiful, bio-diverse winelands, in an environmentally sensitive and ethically responsible techniques. Within the collection are three labels: The Royal Reserve, the Thembu Collection and sparkling.  Read more

Appetizing Events: NYC’s Wine and Food Festival, Jordan Vineyards Retrospective, Part III

Jordan's Winery's vintages from 2001 to 2007
Written by Janelle Carter of CorkChronicles.com

This is the final part of a series of three reviews of the 2011 Food Network New York City Wine and Food Festival. Please visit part one and two for more.

Jordan, a Sonoma winery, strives to produce wines that have the elegance, nuance, and balance of Bordeaux Cabernet Sauvignon blends. Certainly, they have succeeded in making Cabernets with finesse and balance. As we tasted through 7 different vintages, I found the most prominent note that ties all the vintages together is blueberry. It is a distinctive note, among others, in the flavor profile of each of the vintages we tasted. Read more

Appetizing Events: NYC’s Wine and Food Festival, On Top of a Dream, Part II

Champagne and Caviar over Fried Oyster on the Half Shell
By Janelle Carter of CorkChronicles.com and Sanura Weathers of MyLifeRunsOnFood.com

This is the second part of a series of three reviews of the 2011 Food Network New York City Wine and Food Festival. Please visit part one and three for more.

Imagine stepping into a lobby elevator where you were simply looking to wind down the day with a few colleagues, and stepping out onto the penthouse floor with magnificent views of the Manhattan skyline, Godiva chocolate and Nicolas Feuillatte Champagne to greet you. Sound like a dream? Well, it kinda was… Cocktails & Caviar at Dream Downtown Hotel. This event was hosted by Debi Mazar and Gabriele Corcos of Extra Virgin, a couple who are as beautiful on the outside as they are inside. Read more

Wine and Food: NY Autumn Apple Prosciutto Pizza and Riesling

Goat Cheese, Apple and Proscuitto Pizza
By Janelle Carter of CorkChronicles.com and Sanura Weathers of MyLifeRunsOnFood.com

On one of the last days of Summer, I met Janelle of the CorkChronicles.com at Chelsea’s Market with a pizza box. She met me with bottles of wine in hand. We set off towards the High Line park, learned about the anti-alcohol laws in New York City’s parks with a firm verbal warning, and returned to Chelsea’s Market to eat our coveted fine meal with wine secretly hidden in a brown paper bag. After comparing which wine paired best with the pizza, we parted ways. She left for Washington D.C. and me for Brooklyn. Next month, we’ll meet again for the second installment of our monthly collaboration of pairing wine with food.  Read more