deVine Thoughts

Author: Ed Fong & Annabelle Evaristo

Just when you think you have heard it all, they come up with another wild and crazy idea! “Wine Guy” Ed Fong, “Travel Gal” Annabelle Evaristo and “Food Guy” Daniel Costa are teaming up to form a new wine and culinary travel company aptly, named Terra Globetrotters.

Ed Fong and Annabelle Evaristo are managing partners of deVine Wines & Spirits, Edmonton’s premier fine wine store. Now open for six years in downtown Edmonton, deVine Wines has earned a reputation for providing great customer service and a world class selection of fine wines and spirits. deVine Wines has just been named “Best Wine Store” by the readers of See and Vue Magazine for the third year in a row.

Daniel Costa has recently taken the restaurant scene in Edmonton by a storm with the opening of his new digs, Corso 32. Daniel’s passion for creating authentic Italian food served in a sexy, yet cozy setting, has helped ignite interest in our local dining scene. His family roots in Campania, Italy, are the source of his inspiration in the kitchen. The readers of Vue Magazine have just named Corso 32 “Best Italian Restaurant” in Edmonton.

The Fun Begins!

Ed, Annabelle and Daniel are launching their first wine and culinary tour this fall. You can join them for an exciting 14 day tour of Italy now!

We can promise you this won’t be your ordinary travel “packaged”” tour experience. Why? Well, how often do you get to explore a country and your passion for wine and food with three personal tour guides who are in “the know”? And you will travel in comfort and style! You will be staying in Three and Four Star Hotels throughout your tour and you will be transported in a private van by an experienced driver.

You can read all the details in Word doc format here

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Author: Dirk Chan

The Wine Regions series is now in full swing, and this next edition features Central Italy with its famous regions of Chianti, Brunello di Montalcino and Tuscany and is scheduled for next Thursday, May 12 at 7pm.

Italy is famous for its Chianti, from the much travelled Tuscany region near Florence and Pisa. Made from the fruity Sangiovese grape, we will taste various versions including Chianti and a Ruffina Riserva. Brunello di Montalcino is made from a special clone of Sangiovese and considered the creme de la creme of this grape with the earlier drinking Rosso and then the long aging Brunello and its Riservas.

Finally, we will taste the so-called Super Tuscans, though officially known as Vina da Tavola (table wine) is technically the lowlife of the region because of its non-adherence to regulations and laws, but to the wine connoisseurs of the world, these are the best of Italian wines (and priced accordingly). Some of them are 100% Sangiovese, but numerous others are blended with international varietals like Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot or Syrah. Central Italy has delectable food and these wines are made to showcase that and are wonderful for pairing. If we can find a good one, we’ll start off the evening with a Lambrusco red bubblie.

You can sign up for the event here..

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Author: Dirk Chan

The wine regions of France are pretty fabulous and that’s the ultimate understatement. Bordeaux, Burgundy, Alsace, Sauterne, Champagne, Rhone are pretty glamorous and very expensive – all have established followings. Thus, it is little wonder that the Loire Valley in northern France is under-appreciated – alas, it deserves your attention nonetheless. There is no 1855 classification or 1er and Grand Cru’s here, but just well made and inexpensive wines.

There are two grapes in play here , the white Chenin Blanc and the red Cabernet Franc. The fabulous white grape Chenin Blanc is produced in still, bubblie and dessert styles with its glycerin, oily honeycomb and beeswax personna with amazing acidity. The Anjoy Chenin Blancs are dry with quince and apples. In Vouvray, it is off-dry with lovely floral characteristics. When left on the vines to develop noble rot, viscous dessert wines are mesmerizing with considerable ability to age. The red grape is Cabernet Franc (normally used as a blending grape in Bordeaux) in all its glory – full of florals, wild flowers, flavorful, tannic, complex and earthy. This early ripening grape with its chalky character and disease resistent character is a thrill to enjoy and easy to appreciate.

Please join us for our next Wine Regions series tasting – The Loire Valley this coming Thursday, May 5 at the store at 7pm as we taste both the Chenin Blanc and the Cabernet Franc. Let’s discover a region that should surely be more renown than it is. You may discover a new favourite. Menu and signup here..

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Author: Hayley McRae

The spirits event of the Year! We are excited to present this fun-filled stand-up seminar and tasting hosted by Audrey Fort of EWG Spirits and Philip Duff, world renowned mixologist and Gin expert, featuring G’Vine gins, Excellia tequila and June liqueurs. Please join us Thursday April 28 at 7pm to learn about and taste through the history of Gin (components and final product) and associated cocktails.

The G’Vine Nouaison Gin we’ll be tasting was named ‘Best Distilled Gin in the world’ by renowned global authority Drinks International – it is distilled in Cognac with a botanical formula that includes green grape flowers resulting in a real unusual juniper kick that makes a great dry Martini.

The Excellia Reposado Tequila and the Excellia Anejo Tequila we’ll be tasting were both Double Gold Medal winners at the recent 11th Annual San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

This will be a well attended event, so please book early to avoid disappointment. We’ve been informed a third surprise guest will be present as well, it will be a hoot! More on the products and for registration, click here..

Philip Duff – Globetrotting cocktail guru, bar trainer, writer and Amsterdam speakeasy founder Philip Duff has been a leading figure in worldwide bartender training since forming Liquid Solutions Bar & Beverage Consulting in Rotterdam in 1999.

One of the world’s best-known bartenders among the mixology and media communities alike and a hilarious and engaging speaker, Philip’s sought-after bartender seminars have been attended by more than 10,000 students in over 100 cities around the globe and he has won awards and nominations from such institutions as the International Bartenders Association (IBA), the Flair Bartenders Association (FBA), Universidad del Cocktail (Argentina) and Tales of the Cocktail.
Also an in-demand writer, Philip writing has been widely published in magazines such as Mixology (Germany), BarLife (Czech Republic), Imbibe (UK), Imbibe (USA) and Australian Bartender. His articles have also appeared in Food & Wine (USA), Playboy, FHM, CLASS magazine, Bar & Beverage (Canada) and others too numerous to mention.

You can view a 2010 Vancouver YouTube video of Philip here..

Audrey Fort – Marketing and Business Development Director EWG Spirits and Wine After a master in international trade and Russian language, Audrey started her career in the luxury goods in Moscow where she developed her “fighting spirit” (well, 1997 was certainly still a wild period…)

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Author: Dirk Chan

Another Easter is upon us, and we are flooded with Easter Dinner wine pairing requests. If you have an unique dinner planned other than the traditional turkey and ham, then by all means bring your menu into the store or drop us a line, and we would be happy to choose specific matches to enhance your special evening. For those doing turkey and ham and all the cranberry fixings, here are a few favourites at deVine’s that will suit the bill nicely:

Bubbles:

Whites:

Rosés:

Reds:

Dessert:

Denouement:

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Author: Hayley McRae

The spirits event of the Year! We are excited to present this fun-filled stand-up seminar and tasting hosted by Audrey Fort of EWG Spirits and Philip Duff, world renowned mixologist and Gin expert, featuring G’Vine gins, Excellia tequila and June liqueurs. Please join us Thursday April 28 at 7pm to learn about and taste through the history of Gin and cocktails.

The G’Vine Nouaison Gin we’ll be tasting was named ‘Best Distilled Gin in the world’ by renowned global authority Drinks International – it is distilled in Cognac with a botanical formula that includes green grape flowers resulting in a real unusual juniper kick that makes a great dry Martini.

The Excellia Reposado Tequila and the Excellia Anejo Tequila we’ll be tasting were both Double Gold Medal winners at the recent 11th Annual San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

This will be a well attended event, so please book early to avoid disappointment. More on the products and for registration, click here..

Philip Duff – Globetrotting cocktail guru, bar trainer, writer and Amsterdam speakeasy founder Philip Duff has been a leading figure in worldwide bartender training since forming Liquid Solutions Bar & Beverage Consulting in Rotterdam in 1999.

One of the world’s best-known bartenders among the mixology and media communities alike and a hilarious and engaging speaker, Philip’s sought-after bartender seminars have been attended by more than 10,000 students in over 100 cities around the globe and he has won awards and nominations from such institutions as the International Bartenders Association (IBA), the Flair Bartenders Association (FBA), Universidad del Cocktail (Argentina) and Tales of the Cocktail.
Also an in-demand writer, Philip writing has been widely published in magazines such as Mixology (Germany), BarLife (Czech Republic), Imbibe (UK), Imbibe (USA) and Australian Bartender. His articles have also appeared in Food & Wine (USA), Playboy, FHM, CLASS magazine, Bar & Beverage (Canada) and others too numerous to mention.

Audrey Fort – Marketing and Business Development Director EWG Spirits and Wine After a master in international trade and Russian language, Audrey started her career in the luxury goods in Moscow where she developed her “fighting spirit” (well, 1997 was certainly still a wild period…)

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Author: Dirk Chan

Bairrada is a Portuguese wine region located in the Beiras region of Central Portugal. This wine region is better known for its austere, unapologetic and long-lived reds made of local indigenous Baga grape. Carlos Campolargo Winery has not been bogged down by traditions and in the first of two Portuguese tastings in support of Al Fresco, we will feature a sit-down tasting with the influential third-generation winemaker, Carlos Campolargo.

His family has been working in viniculture and wine growing for several generations. Currently, with over 170 hectares under plant, there is over 300k bottles produced every year. With a history going back to the 1920’s, they now have cultivated dozens of different grape varieties (including Baga) yet still managing to respect the unique Bairrada terroir. The Campolargo wines are well-architectured and have delighted the consumers and received the highest acclaim from the wine media. Carlos has been chosen the wine producer of the year by numerous Portuguese magazine. He has also designed some of the most inspired wine labels around further helping his wines to stand out and be remembered in the competitive wine market.

Come and visit with Carlos and his Arinto and Bical whites, a Sparkler and his wide range of indigenous and international reds on Tuesday, April 12th at 7pm. Annabelle will preparing some authentic Portuguese fare as well in this rare tuesday night tasting. Please join us for this Al Fresco fundraiser in support of E4C Lunch Program. You can register for this tasting here..

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Author: Dirk Chan

There are many who consider Bordeaux the single most precious wine producing region in the world. With its illustrious history and a track record second to none for aging wines, it is no wonder why the prices are among the highest in the world. In the second in a three part Top Drops on Bordeaux for 2011, deVine will feature the P’s of Bordeaux on Saturday, April 9 at 7pm, focusing on three of the most sought after regions: Pauillac, Pomerol and Pessac-Leognan.

Pauillac is the most famous and prestigious left bank appellation – it is home of three of the five First Growths from the 1855 Classification. Generally, the Cabernet Sauvignon based reds result in a style that is full-bodied, tannic (hence ageworthy), creme de cassis, cedar and blackcurrants.

Pomerol is a tiny appellation by size but it is the king of the right bank. Some of the best Merlots grown in the world is from here. A robust wine, with an exclusive smooth quality akin to liquid velvet. Pomerols are expensive wines because of the relatively small amount of wines made (we’re talking a few thousand cases compared to tens of thousands from left bank wineries).

Pessac-Leognan is further south of Pauillac and the blend here is roughly 50-50 Cab and Merlot. The unmistakable quality of Pessacs are their powerful bouquet with cigar box, tobacco leaf and minerals quite noticeable and enthralling.

As usual with our Top Drops series of tastings, we’ll taste a young, mid-term and an older bottling from each of these three regions. It promises to be a thrilling tasting where we’ll talk appellation characteristics, Bordeaux futures, storage, great vintages and all things Bordeaux. Serious tasting of course given the $125 price tag but sure-to-be fun and informative as well. There are only 6 spots left for this sit-down event so book your spot now to avoid disappointment. Click here to register now..

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Author: Dirk Chan

The much anticipated 3rd Annual Al Fresco block party on 104th Street is scheduled for Saturday, June 11th. It will be the biggest and best one yet with numerous new ideas and special events being planned. Look for our online auction webpage coming very shortly with both a wide array of desirable and collectible items for your consideration. For the second year in a row, our fundraising will be in support of the E4C School Lunch Program.

As everyone knows, setting up a large event such as this requires lots of volunteers, hours and money. We will be doing a few events leading up to Al Fresco to generate some needed funds to make this event a success, the first of which is the Al Fresco in Italy tasting on Saturday, March 26 at 7pm at the store. This is a stand-up mingle festival style event with 15 wines from the Italian portfolio of Jennifer Klinck of Vendemmia International Wines being showcased. There will be some Southern Italian munchies provided by Daniel Costa and his new restaurant Corso 32 that will pair with the wines beautifully.

Tickets are selling very fast so register quickly to avoid disappointment. Unlike our other festival style tastings, there is no drop-in for this event due to the food component of this tasting. You can pre-register by clicking here..

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Author: Dirk Chan

If you are a classical music fan, you will be familiar with the Russian composer Modest Mussorgsky’s masterpiece – Pictures at an Exhibition. The re-occurring common ‘Promenade’ theme depicts the composer walking from picture to picture at a gallery, sometimes lively, sometimes ponderous, the movement is meant to show the difference in feeling the stroller has as each new painting is viewed.

devine is doing a variation on ‘Pictures’ with local photographer Fred Katz. The destination is Fred’s southside studio (10104 – 80 Avenue) on Thursday, March 17 at 7pm, and we’ll do several high-end wines with some delectible munchies. $50 of the $80 fee will go to support the Edmonton Support Network.

Fred Katz is an artist with an appreciation for the timeless and priceless value of portraiture. Strolling through the gallery, what is most outstanding to a visitor is the character and depth that each portrait has, what makes Katz one of Canada’s most successful portrait photography artists is the time he spends with each client, understanding the dynamics of their family and designing a portrait that reflects their unique lifestyle.

At the age of 30 Katz became one of the youngest Canadian photographers to receive the prestigious Master of Photographic Arts Award. He was the winner of Alberta’s Wedding Album competition for four consecutive years as well as Canadian winner for Best Electronically Imaged Portrait and recipient of the Fuji Film Masterpiece Gallery Award.

Peruse Fred’s photography and chat with the man himself while you enjoy fine wine and appreciate some fine portraiture. Mussorgsky would be proud! This is a stand-up in-studio event at the Fred Katz Photography Studio at 10104 – 80 Avenue.

Sign up for the Fred Katz Studio Wine Tasting here..

Visit Fred’s website at http://www.fredkatzphotography.com..

More on the Edmonton Support Network at http://www.thesupportnetwork.com..

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