Staying Home: Less News, More Booze

Two weeks of quarantine has simultaneously gone by really fast, yet somehow slowly. The boys started their online learning sessions for school, while the adults in the house still have work to accomplish. When there is downtime, I know it is too easy to scroll through the news feed on my phone and get annoyed or angry or anxious about where things are headed with a pandemic. Instead, why not take the opportunity to take a deeper dive into something you already enjoy? Like booze!

You can nerd out through study and research, read fascinating accounts of wine and history, or learn how to make a cocktail. There is enough out there to keep you engaged for as long as we need to stay holed up at home. Here are some of my favorites that pair perfectly with your favorite beverage of choice.

Note: links to book titles send you to Amazon’s web site as a point of reference, but note that with the pandemic impact you are likely not getting these books in two days through Prime. Consider alternative sources or e-book versions if you can.

Wine & War, Don & Petie Kladstrup: The setting is France during World War II and the Nazis are in full force. Through the turmoil, you get to learn about how German wine merchants conducted business with France, the fate of legendary French vineyards, and how French wine producers coped with being prisoners of war. A wildly entertaining read that offers plenty of perspective.

An outstanding take on the Aviation. You don’t have to buy Creme de Violette AND you get to have Lavender Liqueur on hand for any unaged spirit-based cocktail.

The World Atlas of Wine (8th Edition), Hugh Johnson and Jancis Robinson: If you want to nerd out with a desk reference of colorful maps that discusses a full range of worldwide wine regions, this is the book for you. There’s even a section that covers all of the basics of wine production, storage, service, and how to taste wine. Give yourself a crash course in wine from the comfort of home.

How To Cocktail, America’s Test Kitchen: Over the years, I have become a fan of America’s Test Kitchen on PBS when it comes to learning more about cooking. The folks there try many ways of preparing a dish, whether changing proportions of ingredients or method of cooking. Well, that experimental mentality was applied to making cocktails, even providing opportunities for you to make your own liqueurs, sugar and salt rims, or snacks to enjoy for a cocktail party (to have inside with family or virtually). I have made the lavender liqueur from the book, and let me tell you…it’s easy to do and makes a great addition to an Aviation.

Booze & Vinyl, Andre Darlington and Tenaya Darlington: If you have some old records laying around, dust them off and have your own listening party, complete with beverage pairings! Booze & Vinyl is a fun book that discusses timeless albums and cocktails to go with the mood. Everything from Johnny Cash to The Clash, Frank Sinatra to Madonna are covered with interesting stories about the artists and the music. The authors also penned TCM Movie Night Menus, another book I recommend if you gravitate more towards being a foodie.

Upcoming Wine & Spirits Seminars

For those of you who don’t know, not only do I spend time working on my personal beverage blog, but I also have the glitzy position of Director of Marketing & Education at the Divine Wine Emporium here in the shoreline village of Niantic, CT. With fall coming up, it means we start rounding up guest speakers from different wine and spirits companies to tell good stories and of course, pour samples for us to try.

So let me be a shill and give some press to Divine Wine today. Our calendar is filling up fast, and we are getting the festivities started tomorrow night. The guest speaker programs are typically free, while our in-house educational sessions require a fee of some kind. Here’s a rundown of what we have coming up, and if you are in town give a call to Divine Wine at (860) 691-1053 to RSVP for any of the programs below.

Thursday, September 20th, 7:00pm (Cost: $0): Single Cask Nation & More. Josh Hatton, founder of Single Cask Nation and Northeast Regional Manager for ImpEx Beverage, will be talking whisk(e)y with us. He has seven whiskies in total to share, two of which come from Single Cask Nation. Other products include Kilchoman and Isle of Skye from Scotland and Ohishi from Japan. Josh is a great guy, who I got to know back in March at a trade tasting with Skurnik Wines & Spirits.

Wednesday, September 26th, 7:00pm (Cost: $0): Piazzo Winery. We welcome this outstanding producer of Piedmont wines to the classroom. We already carry the Piazzo Barolo, and we will be tasting a range of other wines from the region (expect this to be a red wine-leaning seminar). Marco, the grandson of Armando Piazzo who is heavily involved at the winery, will be our presenter for the evening.

Wednesday October 10th/17th/24th, 7:00pm (Cost: $100 for the three sessions): Wine 101. The Boss himself, Ken Turcotte, Certified Specialist of Wine and WSET Advanced Level III is running his tremendous foundation wine course that he has taught to nearly 1,000 students over the last 16 years. He covers everything from field to bottle in a fun, casual setting over three Wednesdays in October. The tuition covers all study materials and wines that will be tasted.

Thursday, October 25th, 7:00pm (Cost TBD): Gin Lane 1751. Geoff Curley, founder of Gin Lane 1751, is extremely passionate about gin and works to not only build his brand, but to promote the gin category. He will be offering a full seminar on gin, complete with sampling four products, and providing practical know-how in the form of cocktails, classic and modern.

What We Are Drinking In February

Another round of brutal wintertime sickness put me behind the 8-ball once again when it comes to sharing some fun drinking info. However, a lot has developed behind the scenes where I am going to be busy in the month of February. This is thrilling for me as it will help me push through the rest of this awful winter with some tremendous events and classes.

If you are in Southeastern Connecticut, you won't want to miss these.

Frederick Wildman 2016 Burgundy Tasting (Trade only), February 8th

Frederick Wildman & Sons is an importer/distributor of fine wines, who will be hosting an event in Boston showcasing wines of Burgundy's 2016 vintage. Winemakers will be on-hand, so this will be a fun one. You will certainly get a report of the experience from me sometime next week.

Japanese Whisky Class at Divine Wine, February 15th

I will be launching a Japanese whisky session in the store's classroom from 7:00-9:00pm, featuring a range of whiskies acquired by Skurnik Wines & Spirits in 2017. More Japanese whisky products seem to be hitting shelves weekly as it is the fastest-growing whisky category at the moment. This course will expand on basic topics covered in my Whisk(e)y 101 sessions and take a deeper dive into what's happening in Japan. Just $20 per student. You can register by calling (860) 691-1053.

Wine 101 at Divine Wine, Begins February 21st

The Boss himself, Ken Turcotte, will be running his awesome wine foundation course over three consecutive Wednesday nights beginning February 21st, 7:00-9:00pm. Ken has delivered this course to over 1,000 students during the store's 15 years of existence. Taste wines and discuss all aspects of wine from field to bottle in a casual setting. Tuition is $100 for the three-week package, which includes study materials and wines. Call (860) 691-1053 to register and make payment.

Trimbach visits Divine Wine, February 22nd

We are in for a real treat later this month as Jean Trimbach of legendary Alsace wine producer Maison Trimbach, presents a range of wines in the Divine Wine classroom from 7:00-8:30pm. Trimbach has been making exquisite wines since 1626. This is one I am not going to miss. Absolutely FREE to attend, but you can buy wines at the end of the program if you like. Call (860) 691-1053 to RSVP.