Decanter's Fine Wine Encounter

Just got back from a quick trip to London where Coutet was featuring our 1999 and 2004 vintage.

Thanks to our friends who volunteered at our booth, I was able to take a walk around the Ball room to try some new stuff:

1) Rubicon Estate, Napa (love their Zinfandel)
2) Diamond Creek Vineyard, Napa (three different cabs originating from different parcels -- all three are very distinct -- and yummy))
3) Stag's Leap Wine Cellars, Napa (Artemis Cabernet Sauvignon 2005)
4) Goldeneye, Anderson Valley (Very elegant pinot noirs)
5) Rupert & Rothschild Vignerons, South Africa (Their Edmond 2003 -- a Bordeaux bland with 75% Cab -- had a fantastic finish -- CHOCOLATE)
6) Bodega Catena Zapata, Menoza Argentina (I tried their three Malbec's -- each produced at a different altitute; I preferred the mid-altitute one due to tannins -- I think it was the Altamira)

Unfortunately, that was it...The show went really well -- so well that we ran out of wine for the last 30 minutes. Record traffic!

Zinfandel Tasting

1) Kangarilla Road, Australia – McLaren Vale, 2004
2) Joel Gott, California, 2005 *2 (one of which was ok and one of which was terrible)
3) Valley of the Moon, Estate Old Vine Zinfandel, California, 2004
4) Rancho Zabaco, California – Sonoma County, 2005
5) Frog’s Leap, California – Napa Valley, 2005
6) InZINerator, California, 2003
7) Ridge – Lytton Springs, California, 2004

Yeah -- another survey -- but everyone can take this one...

My team and I are working on a project for Entrepreneurship and New Ventures and we NEED YOUR HELP! We are developing a business plan for a fun new business idea, but we need to collect some market research to make sure we are on the right track.

Please take a couple minutes to fill out the following survey for a chance to win a $50 American Express Gift Card:

http://kellogg.qualtrics.com/SE?SID=SV_aftLdfTgA6cr4tS&SVID=Prod

(If you completed our first survey – sent out last week – here is your second chance at winning a $50 American Express Gift Card!)

And if you have so much fun taking the survey that you just can’t stand it – PLEASE send it along to all your friends. We want to get the non-Kellogg perspective as well.

Thank you all for your help!

Alinea

Aline B found herself at AlineA for dinner last night. 23 courses and 4 hours later -- we still looked alive and here is the proof... Good company, good food and excellent wine -- what more could one ask for?

Survey for My School Project!

If you are married or engaged, please take a couple of minutes to fill out the following survey for a chance to win a $50 American Express Gift Card:

http://kellogg.qualtrics.com/SE?SID=SV_cAU6PrSSqd2tTuY&SVID=Prod


Thanks!!

YOU Junior Board's Ninth Annual Wine Tasting Event

Here is what was on the menu at last Saturday's event:

Gruet Blanc de Noirs Champagne, New Mexico
2006 Montes Sauvignon Blanc, Curico Valley, Chile
2006 Bex Riesling QBA, Mosel, Germany
2006 Carchelo Monastrell, Jumilla, Spain
2004 Gravity Hills Zinfandel, California
2005 Las Pinot Noir, Trentino, Italy
2004 Kaiken Malbec, Mendoza, Argentina ** Everyone's favorite by far!

Pinot Noir Blind Tasting

Last night was Pinot Noir night!

Here is what we tasted:

Gary Farrell Russian River Valley Star Rdige Vineyard 2002: very fruity, good
Williams Selyem Sonoma Coast 2003: my favorite of the night
Lucien Crochet La Crois du Roy Sancerre 2004: yes they make Pinot Noir in Sancerre, France -- French oak baby.
Laetitia Arroyo Grande Valley 2005: Burst of energy but short finish.
Echelon 2006: American winemaker who imports the juice from France? We weren't very clear. Least favorite of the night
Maison Champy Bourgogne 2005: Yes, this was French.
Regis de Valliere Bourgogne 2005: This one too.

Fabulous night.

Birthdays...

Imagine not seeing your Kellogg crew for more than 12 weeks...now imagine the first week back...Sacrifice yourself -- skip sleep and head out to see everyone.

First on the agenda-- Catching up with those that are a year older!

Raz's surprise party at Bar Louie...Ashish, what's that on your forehead? You look like your glowing -- Must be all that wiseness...

Pati's celebration and Barbara's goodbye party at Sound Bar:

Here are photos from dinner at Quartinos (where the wine is cheaper than water), my own birthday celebration.
Interesting, I don't think Jeff's ear would be tasty...

Special thanks to Matt K for the photos -- as my camera was stolen from the dinner table!

Finger Lakes -- New York

Yes, the state of New York has a wine industry...

Dr. Konstantin Frank: 2006 Dry Riesling
Dr. Konstantin Frank: 2006 Rkatsiteli
Dr. Konstantin Frank: 2006 Dry Rosé
Ravines: 2003 Pinot Noir
Hunt Country: 2006 Pinot Gris

This blog is dedicated to Carl Messina, who sold his soul to the evil company that starts with P that competes with the M company...The Finger Lakes is his sales region.

Anyways, interesting wines. I can't say I have much experience tasting these varietals - so this was about exploring and trying something new.

According to Craig -- our fabulous host -- Dr. Konstantin Frank is the most recognized brand from the region.

I liked the dry reisling best. As pointed out -- that's their specialty. Not a big fan of the rose. For something off beat -- try the Rkatsiteli.

Cheers,
Aline

Courtesy of a classmate...

In a number of carefully controlled trials, scientists have demonstrated that if we drink 1 liter of water each day, at the end of the year we would absorb more than 1,000 grams of Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria found in feces. In other words, we are consuming 1,000 grams of Poop. However, we do not run that risk when drinking wine (or rum, whiskey, beeror other liquor) because alcohol has to go through a purification process of boiling, filtering and/or fermenting. Remember:
Water = Poop
Wine = Health

Therefore, it's better to drink wine and talk stupid, than to drink water and be full of shit.

Driving back to Evanston

Fred and I drove back out to Chicago on Tuesday. Back in June, we came across 36 states plus 2 Canadian provences during our cross country adventure. This time -- I am sad to report that we only saw 34 US license plates and 3 Canadian plates. And here are the winners (in order of appearance): Massachusetts, Texas, New Jersy, New York, Ohio, Wisconsin, Rhode Island, Florida (this car and I played tag for over 2 hours...), Vermont, Virginia, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Missouri, Maine, Maryland, Ontario, Tennessee, Illinois, Brunswick, Connecticut, Montana, California, Michigan, Oklahoma, Quebec, Utah, Louisiana, Kentucky, Georgia, Iowa, Washington, Alberta, Nebraska, Minnesota, Nevada and Colorado. Overall -- I was disappointed with Florida, although usually a very popular plate during long trips, the state was under represented...

A special thanks to my brother for enduring the long car trip. A shot out to Red Bull for allowing him to be fully operative at 6AM (about 6 hours earlier than his usual wake up call).

Harvest

Figures that the day I have to catch a plane to head home we'd start harvesting. Very cool -- we've got a team of about 35 collecting the sauvignon blanc today. I am taking pictures -- but since the docking station is in the suitcase, you'll have to wait to see.

Last Friday was my last day at my internship. To celebrate, I was treated to a bottle of '97 Mouton Rothschild for lunch yesterday. Although I was the designated driver, please understand that I could not pass on the content of my glass. Luckily, the meal at Café Lavinal absorbed the alcohol sufficiently. The team and I also celebrated at Coutet on Monday night (both the end fo the summer and my birthday -- for anyone that may not have remembered....) with a dinner featuring champagne, fois gras, chocolate cake, and a bottle of '80 Coutet of course...

Not sure that my usual at Nevins or the Keg will measure up after this summer...

Petrus

To add to my list of visits -- Petrus, St. Emillion.
Heading over this afternoon and I'll be sure to report back on this infamous cru.

A Rainy Thursday

Not that this day differs from any during the past 10 week -- this weather might beat last year's summer in Boston in terms of rain! (At least my car is not at risk of rusting in its current parking space -- anyone who doesn't know the rust story, I'll be happy to fill you in.)

For the last two weeks I've been working at Coutet since the office was closed. No time for the weary -- per my earlier blog, I was wearing our green outfits and in charge of several important tasks, including: car cleaning services, courtyard upkeep, adminstrative support -- yes, these tasks do require an MBA!

Seriously, it was lots of fun. I even spent an entire afternoon in my rubber boots following the technical director during his rounds of each parcel -- that's 38.5 hectares of checking for viruses, mildew and drought effects. Post-dinner activities involved continuing my summer project -- once everyone was out of the way...or rather covering for all those truck drivers on vacation, sick leave, etc. (remember this is France.)

Apart from learning technical wine stuff, I did get a close look at the work culture here. Move slower -- you are in the agricultural industry. Then again, France is the only country that has managed to make grapes stop growing Friday afternoon and begin again on Monday morning. As a result, this place is heaven for all micromanagers -- they can keep busy all day supervising! I am totally serious -- might be one of the very few experiences where micromanagement is called for.

Another 6 days of work before I head to Paris, onto Boston and finally back to Chicago. I am keeping myself busy typing up a summary of my discoveries and recommendations for the chateau. But the energy level is somewhat low...First off, half the office is still on vacation -- it's really quiet here. Second, a whole bunch of emails from people back in Evanston are going around. Third, and this is stupid, I still don't have a group for any of my classes!! Anyone looking for a group member for ENTR 462, FINC 446, INTL 474 and OPNS 454 -- please send me an email.

Anyways -- John and Nicole were here this weekend. We had a fabulous time eating and drinking (duh)! Now the house has been taken over by a whole bunch of Dad's colleagues. We kicked off their seminar with a tour of Coutet and dinner.

Green

The village folks refers to us as cacti (plural of cactus?)

Update

So here is bried recap of life in Bordeaux:

- Last week I went on a tour of Lynch-Bages, located in Pauillac. Fabulous. We tasted their 2001 vintage (if my memory serves me right)

- The office is closed since Monday for 2 weeks. As a result, I am working from Coutet. A less than a minute commute to the office is fabulous. To blend in with the rest of the team, I get to wear these green overalls -- I look very authentic. Will have to bring pictures back. As unstylish as this uniform might be, imagine the time I save every morning picking out my wardrobe!

- Although the week started out rainy and overcast -- we've are now on the second consecutive day of sun. Amen. It is important that August is sunny as there is a major impact on the grapes, the month prior to the harvest.

- I am giving a tour to some of the Toyota F1 team members on Saturday morning. I know nothing about F1 racing. Its one of these dudes: http://www.toyota-f1.com/public/en/team/index.html --- not sure which one. Will provided an update post visit.

- I finished Harry Potter last night after a marathon reading session. Sad that the story wouldn't continue -- but nice to finally have an ending -- not sure that I could wait another 2 years for a new installment.

- This afternoon I am off to explore Bordeaux, specific rue St. Catherine -- the longest pedestrian street in France (according to the office of tourism). This street is full of stores of course.

Hope everyone is doing well,
Aline

Frog Pond by Bzz Agents

You guys have all heard about my obsession with this Boston-based company BzzAgents! I've been a BzzAgent for over a year. I just received an email announcing this cool new feature called Frog Pond -- this is where we find out about cool websites. Today' website is PaperBackSwap.com -- online book swapping communit. If you are a big reader and looking to clean out your bookshelf to make room for new titles on a small budget (=postage), check it out!

Château Latour

Yesterday I was lucky enough to tag along with some wine and spirits experts for a visit of Château Latour. Located in Pauillac, this property is a first classified growth that consist of 66 hectares. The chai is absolutely beautiful (pictures to come) -- all modern with concrete, french oak, stainless steel elements for a very contemporary style but yet true to its surrounding elements -- the vignes (boy, I think I need to stick to less poetic interpretations of my visits).

The tasting room has a beautiful view of the vignes with full length windows and ultra modern waterfall sink -- so eventhough the wine is too good to spit, you actually want to spit to take a closer look at the fancy sink!

Served at the tasting:
Grand Vin de Latour (2001): Nose reminded me of vanilla beans. Taste was very closed and therefore did not meet my expectations set forth by the nose. Finish was long and elegant. Hopefully this vintage will open more with time. To help, make sure to decanter this wine.
Les Forts de Latour (2003): very powerful nose and taste.
Pauillac (2006): since this vintage is still in the barrels undergoing vinification, tasting is somewhat crude. Yet -- you can taste beyond the wood (at least more so than the last time I tasted directly from the barrel.

Life is so hard

We've been so busy tasting wines and visiting vineyards that I have not had the opportunity to update you all of my adventures. So here is a quick run down of estate visits over the past two weeks:

Mondorion (St. Emillion)
Château La Pointe (Pomerol)
Château Guiraud (Sauternes)
Château Mouton Rothschild (Pauillac)
Château Margaux (Margaux)

And now I must hit the road to avoid the traffic jams.
Cheers,
Aline

BP's Oenoclub tasting

Last Thursday I had the opportunity to attend a tasting held for the employers, who are all members of the Oenoclub (of course). The evening's theme was sweet wines.

Here is a run down of the things we tasted:

1- 2004 Wittman spatlese, Rheinnessen: this is a reisling. Very pale straw. Nose: white flozers, pears. Taste: tangy, very light, citrus. Overall my favorite of the evening (which is a good thing since this was the cheapest wine on the list).

2- 2005 Domaine du Clos Naudin, Vonvray demi-sec (which translates to half-dry): this is a chenin passerille. Pale yellow. Nose: compared to the first wine, you could already tell that this wine was drier, smoking gun, honey, abricot, mineral. Taste: wood, heavy, fume, high acidity, and the mineral quality of the same is found again. Oh boy, I did not like this at all -- the demi-sec confused my nose and tongue. It's like a man afraid of committing -- the wine wants to be both single (sweet) and have a girlfriend (dry). And this is not possible (even if you are in France, which we could discuss in a completely different blog why everyone has the perception that a lack of monogomy is ok amongst the French, or even worst, the expected norm).

3- 2004 Uroulat, Jurancon: petit manseng passerille. Light gold. Nose: citrus, mushrooms, humidity. Taste: tangy, zesty, acidity, passion fruit.

4-2005 Domaine des Forges, Quart de Chaume: chenin botrytise. Very light amber. Nose: honey, white flower, candied fruit, light, yeast. Taste: candied fruits, abricots, lots and lots of honey (overpowering), syrup but the after taste was rather nice. You think you are going to drink something light from the smell -- but your mouth is shocked when the texture is more like honey.

5- 2002 Sonnenglanz: gewurztraminer. Golden. Nose: caramel, miel de sapin, maple syrup, almonds. Taste: tangy, pear, quite boring compared to the nose.

6- 2000 Hetsolo 5, Tokaji Aszu: Furmint. Light yellow. Nose: honey, light wood, caramekl, butter, mineral, somewhat closed. Taste: pears, light, tangy, smooth -- a certain fineses. I was happily surprised -- the last time I had tried Tokay was at Schwa and I did not like it (although by that point I had tried to many different types of wine).

7- 1998 Chateau Coutet, Sauternes-Barsac: Semillion, Sauvignon Blanc, Muscadelle. Alright I am way too bias..... So I wont say anything here.

8- 1995 Chateau Coutet, Cuvee Madame, Sauternes-Barsac: Semillion, Sauvignon Blanc, Muscadelle. Only produced in very small quantities when the harvest is exceptional, it was a rare treat to have a glass of Cuvee Madame.

9- 2002 Chateau d'Yquem, Sauternes: Semillion and Sauvignon Blanc. Golden straw. Nose: mineral, woody, mushrooms. Taste: very elegant, light, citrus -- lacks the Yquem explosion in your mouth experience -- but it is a very young wine still. Overall -- not bad and worthy of the brand.

A work sponsored event, we were all required to blow in the balloon before getting our car keys.

Treasure Hunt

My colleagues are very smart -- and thus undertook a search for a case of wine, hidden as part of a nation-wide treasure hunt hosted by a magazine. I can't reveal where we were heading to search for this fabulous case of wine -- just in case you decided to go there yourself -- but I will tell you that it was very muddy. I came along with the digital camera to capture the moment of glory (as the clues required a strong knowledge of France and wine -- and you will all agree that neither of these topics are quite my forte -- yet). I think the area would have been muddy regardless of the weather -- but today it was pouring. In this case, curiousity did not kill the cat -- but rather, a nice pair of shoes!



The hunt is still on -- hopefully I will be able to update this blog with the winners and winnings.

Working

Yes, the fun is now over and I am rolling up my sleeves and getting things done. The good news is that I've moved up in the world -- my first internship in 2000 at the "M" company required that I share a cube and this cube was actually smaller than any regular cube because of its location. Now at the "R" company I get to share the break room! My project is huge and I only have 10 weeks -- two of this week require me to work offsite while the rest of the company shuts down for vacation (we are in France remember). So no time to chat!

Apart from that, this region is obsessed with meat-- seriously. I can't recall the last time I had a meal without meat, or bread, cheese and wine for that matter.

Special Guest

My uncle and aunt have a fabulous restaurant/hotel in Molsheim, France. They recently hosted a very special guest... Can anyone guess who is the middle of this picture?

New Housing

When my unlce told me that my summer accodomations would cost 12 euros per night, I became suspicious. My gut feeling was right, the place was the pits. Stuck in the middle of the woods and far from the main house, a call of nature required me to brave the elements as well as a construction site. Enough said. Luckily I have found a new place to call home -- a 2 star hotel, restaurant and bar only 10 minutes from the office....

Vinexpo

Blame Vinexpo (the biggest industry tradeshow in the world, this event is held in Bordeaux every two years and requires one to fight his/her way in 2 hours worth of traffic every morning and every night) for the lack of a recent blog. So here is a run down of the week long events:

Saturday: the kick-off cocktail party at Chateau Haut-Bailly--http://www.chateau-haut-bailly.com/. The night included a 2004 tasting of the Graves, a champagne toast and dinner prepared by famous French chef. The dinner was concluded with a Brazilian dance show.

Monday and Tuesday: booth duty for the Union des Grand Cru tasting (10am to 5pm); we served our latest vintage -- 2006. Most of the attendees where members of the press or buyers.

Wednesday: booth duty for the Grand Cru Classe de Sauternes; we served our 2002 and 2004 vintages along our colleagues (aka competitors). Again, the attendees mostly comprised of the press and buyers.

Thursday: I babysit while my uncles dressed up like penguins (picture taken in front of the chapel) and went to the finale -- la Fete de la Fleur -- where the menus where typed on Hermes leather. They came home around 3am and felt obligated to open a bottle of Mouton Rothschild to properly end the night! I was the designated driver to bring the one of the right to the airport the next morning.


Friday: a rare opportunity, a visit of Chateau Yquem....the view is just fabulous!

Convertibles and champagne

Within my first 24 hours at Coutet I was already sunburned. Unfortunately the result is a farmer's tan! This happened while sharing an aperitif on the terrace with the owner of Pompei restaurants (Chicago, IL) and his wife (my first guests of the summer). We had a lovely tour of the grounds and chai followed by a glass of the 2005 millesime (which is scheduled to be bottled sometime this fall).

If anyone has any suggestions how I might even out my tan before Saturday so I don't look stupid in my dress for the upcoming black tie event --- I am am ears.

I arrived in Strasbourg late Saturday night, joining my grand-mother for 3 days. She is now in a wheel chair which she calls her convertible! For Sunday lunch we went to the Hotel Diana where we had ourselves a glass of Chartreuse de Coutet (1999) and some champagne (more specifically, I sipped and she drank). After our four hour celebration we headed home for a much deserved nap. We've been catching up on the past year; she has been patient enough to look at the gazilion photos from Kellogg. This short trip is also giving the opportunity to catch up on sleep :) The weather is fantastic in these necks of the woods -- although last night we had ourselves a nice thunder storm.

I hope everyone is doing well!

Finally here

I made it to the vineyard yesterday!!! The trip went very well. Today I have my first visit which will involve a tour and tasting. This evening I'll head to Strasbourg to see my grand-mother. As predicted my email access is unpredictable, therefore I will be using this blog to keep in touch with everyone. Leave a message. (Gosh darn it, I hate these French keyboards!!!!)

Priceless

1,000 miles
$32.80 in tolls
3 tanks of gas
4 toasted bagels and bottled water from various service stops


Spending 15 hours with your younger brother driving cross country and keeping track and spotting licenses plates from 36 different US states and 2 Canadian provines...PRICELESS


And here they are in order of appearance: Illinois, Missouri, Indiana, Minnesota, Michigan, Florida, North Caroline, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Iowa, Mississippi, Maine, Oklahoma, Georgia, California, New York, Colorado, West Virginia, Texas, Connecticut, Oregan, Ontario, Utah, Virginia, New Jersey, South Carolina, Kansas, Kentucky, Montana, Massachusetts, Quebec, New Hampshire, Vermont, Arizona, Tennessee, Rhode Island and finally, Maryland.

Voulez-Vous Coucher...(you can finish the rest of the song...)

So a lot of you have asked me: where are you going to live this summer?
Well I knew that on weekends I'd be staying here: www.chateaucoutet.com. But this is actually quite far from my summer internship! So during the week, I need to a room about 20 minutes away from the office. And here we go: http://perso.orange.fr/real-en-medoc/. Not bad I would say (although the true test will be the room I actually sleep in versus the living room -- but there is one thing for sure -- the bed couldn't be as hard as the McManus Mansion mattress!!). A special thanks to my uncle who conducted the onsite search to confirm cleanliness.

'Ray Bucknell

Apart from being finals 'weekend' here at Kellogg -- this weekend is also my 5-year college reunion. Wow! Five years -- that's half a decade! It was like yesterday that I was studying for some final or other on the ground floor of the library (far left corner cubicles). Actually, by this time of the year I was already home for the summer and hostage in a real cubicle (doing endless hours of data entry -- think Office Space).

So let's take a break from wine today and dedicate this posting to all the Bisons from class of 2002 who made it to the Bull Run --and Chi Phi (as I understand this was the only place to be this weekend)! A special thanks to Liz for keeping in the loop to the weekend's events.

Ode to Bucknell

Back in the days (pre-college basketball miracle -- us winning Patriot league and making it to the sweet 16) -- no one knew of Bucknell. "Where do you go to school?" "Bucknell U." "What?" "Small school north of Penn State." "Penn State you said? My niece/nephews/wife's cousin, etc. went there! Great school, great football!" "No no - BUCKNELL -- home of the bison, and no our football team is definitely not that great -- but the pep band rules!" Yes, our dear Bucknell is located in the middle of nowhere and easy to forget...

But thanks to alumni donations and super basketball team -- our school is now on people's radar. Today, everyone walks around cell phones amongst a new gazillion brick buildings -- new homes to the geology and pyschology departements (while I never had a decent classroom at my frequent home: Coleman Hall)! Verizon had still to come out with its "Can you hear me now?" campaign -- and thus, cell phone reception in the Susquehanna Valley was scarce. But being an alumn from a small school, stuck in the middle of nowhere is, in my opinion, the best. It means you actually get to know your classmates, who are too far away to go home for the weekend.

So what did the Bisons do for fun in the middle of nowhere? Gosh, we must have been easily amused. I remember a wide array of fraternity parties, even a foam party behind the Smith Hotel and Vedder, movie nights in the Langone Center, bowling night with CALVIN & HOBBES! We had trips to New York, DC, even Quebec City. Football games on Saturday nights, basketball games on Wednesday nights (when no one even knew we had a basketball team good enough to make it to the sweet sixteen). Performances at the Weis Center. To be honest, it wasn't hard to keep busy -- every club and their mother was organizing something.

Some of my favorite memories: Roser 130, Smithopoly, The Bloomsberg Fair, The Aline gravity test -- courtesy of Rob, Line dancing on 2B, Feo: Liz and I should have really charged people as it became somewhat of a therapist's chair -- home of the broken hearted, Moving a loft exactly 1 foot to meet the fire marshalls approval, Jay's sophomore roomate - BT -- what would BT do?, Devin's maps, Easy to open coconuts, Sleeping on a bunk bed that wasn't too stable (ahh Galloway), French toast sticks with the best cheese omelet known to men, Tuesday night stuffed shell night, Turkey & cheese bagels at Larson on Tuesdays and Thursdays, Threatening anyone who slamed doors (you know who you are!), Orange cards at the mailroom (and anthrax threats).

Schwa

According to the Webster dictionary, Schwa is an unstressed mid-central vowel (as the usual sound of the first and last vowels of the English word America). Schwa also happens to be a BYOW&WG (bring your own wine and wine glasses) establishment in Chicago, http://www.schwarestaurant.com/index2.htm.

Last night 6 of us took over the place and toasted to the end of the school year, new friends, etc. Over the course of the evening (actually it was more like the night since our reservations were at 9pm) we tasted 9 different dishes, each paired with its own wine (DANGER DANGER). While some prefer to follow the Wal*Mart approach, this team believes in low volume, high quality (see photo to get an idea of the portion sizes.)

Here are some of the memorable eating highlights (and since I left the menu copies on the table this is all from memory):
- Fried oysters in oatmeal with a shot of oyster
- Strawberry risotto
- Raviolis with goat cheese

- Halibut

- Flower petals

- Some yummy meat with root beer

- Chocolate mouse and strawberry sorbert (they also had some pretzels for the guys)

As for the wine...our wine list consisted of: champagne, Meursault, Reisling, Pinot Noir, Shiraz, Brunello, Disznoko. My favorite had to be the Brunello.

Overall, if you are looking to celebrate with something a little different but with your own wine cellar-- I recommend Schwa!

Around the World

Six Sigma

Now, here is a question that comes from my operations professor: Are Mr. Parker notes an indicator of quality? I thought this was a very interesting discussion topic and therefore have decided to open this up to you all for comments -- as well as add a couple more add on questions: If yes, for what quality dimensions? If no, why not? (If I get enough comments that keeps this topic "fermenting" in my brain -- I may consider undertaking an independent project on this...so take your time and tell me what you think.)

My thoughts: I think the answer lies in defining the dimensions of quality that are appropriate to the industry. The obstacle is incorporating taste as part of a quality dimension (and I do think that taste needs to be accounted for -- have you ever had a bad clementine? I have and it was bad because of taste and therefore did not meet my quality standard). If everyone has different taste -- can a benchmark really be established? If so, who has established this unbias benchmark -- or who has the capacity to do so?

Ok, enough deep thought for one night. Post what you think. Let's see if we can get a lively discussion going!

Temecula

How about a hot air balloon ride to check out S. California's wine region? Come on down to Temecula. This was my first trip out to the area (located half way between San Diego and Los Angeles). Boy is the weather more pleasant than Chicago -- oh sunny CA, how I miss you (and I've only been back for 9 hours)! It will feel like a real vacation everytime I go visit my parents.

Since I was only there for the weekend, I did not have the opportunity to go visit any of the wineyards in the area. I imagine the task of going to see them all will take a number of visits due to the sheer volume --a result of the town's initiatives encouraging investments in wine production to drive wine tourism. As a result of this initiative, a lot of the land currently planted with orange trees is being replanted with vines.

Although this blog is about wine -- Here is my inspiration for today:

This here is an industrial strength stove! Now, imagine you had one of these puppies in your house, apartment, McManus kitchen, etc. -- What would you cook? What would you serve with your dinner (in regards to wine)? And who would you invite to dinner?

Costco and Wine

Tonight the President, CEO and director of Costco visited our Successful Entrepreneurship class. Mr. Sinegal is one of the co-founders. The Costco story is one that is quite amazing. Competing with the likes of Wal-Mart, Target and Home Depot, the wholesale chain is now one of the fifth largest retailer in the world (I think I have my numbers right -- don't quote me). They attribute their success to their ability to contain costs with their operational efficiencies, but more importantly to always doing the right things for their: customers, employees, suppliers and shareholders. In terms of operations -- they focus on selling the products that will give them the biggest volumes. (Hold on I am getting to my wine related fact...) For the consumer, they deliver and gained a reputation for selling high quality products. Mr. Sinegal mentioned their wine section as excellent in terms of quality (and, of course, price). So here is a question for you all: can you imagine buying an expensive wine at Costco? Do you think that a premium wine sold at Costco might have a negative impact on the brand equity? DISCUSS.

Club Will, Casino Royal, Howl at the Moon and Weiner Circle

Oh yes , it was indeed a long night. This posting is more to share some picture from this memorable evening ---versus writing about my latest discoveries and insight on the wine industry. Enjoy.

Club Will

Sydney, London, Chicago

Casino Royal: Gambling for a good cause!

Howl at the Moon!

And finally the infamous Weiner Circle! (I did not order the chocolate milkshake...)

Pictures from Saturday

Terlato Tasting

Last night the new Kellogg Cork and Screw team hosted their first event. They planned an excellent food and wine pairing event at the Allen Center hosted by the Terlator Wine Group (formelly Paterno -- I wonder why they renamed the company with the family's last name). Our master of ceremony was the third generation owner, John Terlato, a very dynamic speaker. His presentation included an overview of the trends that have shaped US wine consumption. He talked about the impact of WWII embargos, prohibition, the Judgement of Paris and the movie Sideways. It was a great presentation followed by a very informative wine tasting. We had the opportunity to taste from their portfolio of products:

• a Sauvignon Blanc: this was served with risotto prepared with goat cheese using a very interesting technique of freezing, frying, etc. -- all this effort to make sure that the cheese complimented (versus masked) the risotto. The pairing was very good. Grassy, fresh -- easy to drink! This is my favorite white wine of the night.
• a Sanford Chardonnay: my least favorite of the bunch -- this was served with shrimp and some other type of fish. We took a vote to see which compination people liked best and the room was split half and half.
• a Rossi del Mantalcino: this Tuscan wine is made from the Sangiovese varietal (which I can't for the life of me pronounce). This was served with BBQ pork -- fantastic. This was my favorite pairing of the night.
• a Rutherfold Merlot: this was actually served as the enigma of the night. Amongst the 6 of us at our table we guessed: Merlot, Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon -- and we felt strongly that it could be a blend. My guess was a blend that included malbec. Come to find out that the wine was indeed a blend! (Mad skills I tell you!!) Between the two reds, this was my favorite.

Post tasting included a quick dinner at BK lounge. I'll post pictures from this event in the near future!

Here are some quick facts from last night's lecture: Pinot Noir is the hardest varietal to harvest, a luxury wine is a wine that costs more than $15 (according to current market segmentations), and people are really interested in Zinfandel's right now!

Casillero del Diablo

To celebrate the end of our project we toasted to a glass of Casillero del Diablo's Cabernet Sauvignon -- I believe it was a 2003 reserve. This wine is produced by Concho y Torro. Very yummy. I first had this wine in Dubai (of all places) at Jumeriah Beach hotel' Beachcomber restaurant -- that overlooks the majestic Burj Al Arab. If you check out Casillero del Diablo's website you'll find a game where you have to find the devil hidden away in the caves...before it became the vineyard's cellar. Very creative.

"Producing and Marketing a Premium Turkish Wine"

Our Global Initiatives in Management (GIM) class is handing in their research papers tomorrow! I had the pleasure of working with Jeanette, Shane and Jeff on a wine related project during the winter quarter that concluded with a two-week in-country research trip to Turkey and Dubai.

And for those that are skeptical of the viability of this Turkish industry...Did you know that Turkey produces 5% of the world's grapes and has twice the grape of Australia, a major wine producer? I think it is safe to say that this GIM team has truly become an expert on our topic and is ready to give you an honest opinion of Turkey's future in wine production and promotion -- domestically and internationally. So, here is your opportunity to ask your questions!

Here are some pictures taken during our meeting day with Doluca-- which started out with a glass of their Serafin Sauvignon Blanc (at 11am) followed by bottomless cups of tea:

Cheers everyone!

First day of work

...is scheduled for Monday, June 25th.

A Good Quote

Found this insightful, funny quote while using Online Anthropology tools from our Research Methods class:

“Men are like a fine wine. They start out as grapes, and it's up to women to stomp the shit out of them until they turn into something acceptable to have dinner with.”

Please comment...

Cork and Screw

Kellogg has this fabulous wine club called the Cork and Screw. Each year the 2nd year leaders vote on a new group of leaders amongst 1st year slates that have labored hours over a complex application. My team, the Grape Nuts, rocked! We had a multimedia presentation incorporating everyone's ideas. Unfortunately, we lost :( Monday was somewhat of a gloomy day. On the bright side of things -- one less leadership role isn't bad! This will leave all 8 of us with more time to...drink!

Photos from the Winter Quarter

Spinazzola Gala, Boston - Me and Philippe at the Coutet stand. This was our first year participating in this annual charity event. This is a great event featuring Boston's top restaurants and some of California's most prestigious wines. We also donated bottles for the silent auction. This is a black tie party not to miss in Boston. Here is a link to the organization: http://www.spinazzola.org/.

The next day, we were exhibiting at the Boston Wine Expo -- the largest consumer wine show in New England. This was the second year that we were in the Grand Cru room. Always a great show -- although if you can get trade passes and go before masses, it is really the best way to taste some awesome stuff.

Back in January, Philippe and Dad took part in the Union des Grand Cru North American tour. Their stop in Chicago included a tasting at the Drake Hotel. I stopped by between my Marketing Distribution and Family Business class. Please remember to spit when attending a tasting featuring more than 40 wines!!

Storing Your Wine in the City

Yesterday I headed to the Old Town section of Chicago to check out a wine storage place. The idea is that your collection is so big that your cellar is too small, or you live in an apartment and don't even have a cellar, and you need to outsource storage. This place is climate controlled, etc. I've been hearing about this place for months! With the weather not looking any better it was time for a field trip. A special thanks to Viv and Matt for letting me tag along...and not being surprised that I wanted to capture our trip on camera.

My main interest is, of course, the Sauternes and Sauternes-Barsacs. I am happy to report that I located an entire case of Coutet!

Some people have fancy shelves within their storage areas -- which resemble cages. Others just keep everything in cases and boxes. Some individual create complex stacking system to maximize space and try to overcome the lack of a uniform bottle shape amongst brands! Then there are those that forget to store their wine so that the liquid is always in contact with the cork (this is to make sure the cork doesn't dry out) -- amateurs. There was one common practice amongst these wine collectors: place your Yquiem half bottle in plain view! Yes, this cellar is not just storage but also a place to show off your grape juice. Very interesting!

Why start this blog?

Basically, life is too short for my thoughts to go unpublished. Yeah, I wish...Realistically, I think this bog will not only keep everyone abreast of my activities while in b-school -- but provide you guys with a comical interpretation of my journey into the wine industry. Let's just hope I have time to update this thing.

As you guys know, I'll be heading over to France this summer to work on a premier wine in viticulture. To prepare for this internship, I've started immersing myself into the beverage world-- reading books, attending tastings, taking on class projects related to the industry, etc.

And yes, this will allow me to communicate with everyone in one place. And hopefully, no one will feel like I've moved 1K miles away -- even though I have!

So let the blogging begin!! Feel free to post questions!