"Unboxing"...Wine

When I first heard of the "unboxing" phenomena, I really thought, this is the dumbest thing ever-- unless you are a friend of mine who does it. In that case it's BRILLIANT.

Unboxing is as simple as it sounds, taking things out of a box--filming and posting it on social media. I guess it's better than throwing slices of cheese on your toddlers face and filming that.

Then I got to thinking about it. I get excited every time a box of wine is delivered to my house. Sometimes I know what to expect, but more often than not I don't or quite frankly I have forgotten what's coming.

When I have friends over they too are excited to see what's hidden inside of that cardboard, what they might be helping me taste in a day or two, after things settle down in the bottle.

So I'm going to give it a go, not every delivery because once again, I'll forget. I will tell you that I was SUPER excited about this when it arrived, but didn't get that part on film, I'm learning..



The reason I was so excited about this? There are only 1843 bottles of this Besserat de Bellefon Cuvee 1843...and mama now has one. The packaging is beautiful and I can hardly wait to pop this cork and tell everyone about it.

An Afternoon of Drinking with Rob Mondavi Jr

Drinking bubbles with Rob Mondavi Jr in Naples

I recently was privileged to spend an afternoon drinking wine with Rob Mondavi Jr., winemaker at for the family's Michael Mondavi Family Estates in Napa Valley, California.

We tasted through his current releases at The Continental on the famous 3rd Street South in Naples, Fl, over an amazing array of food.

During the course of the tasting Rob sat with us telling stories of the vineyard, the fires, the wines in our glasses and even through the tragic tales, there were lots of laughs. It was also the most beautiful afternoon in Southwest Florida and since we had also shared our mutual love for bubbles, there was no escaping a bottle.

Walking across the street to Sea Salt, where Rob had a wine dinner scheduled later that night, we ordered a bottle of Schramsberg before calling it a day.

Read about Rob's current releases with Michael Mondavi Family Estate and which wines survived the fire here.
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Bubbles, Brunch and Tunes

Photo: Hyatt Regency Coconut Point 

I recently updated the Best Brunch category for !0Best, a division of USA TODAY, and new to the list is the Tarpon Bay Restaurant at the Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort.

The Champagne and Jazz Sunday Brunch features a fantastic spread along with live jazz from 10:30– 2:30. While the music is lovely and the food divine, I particularly like the Champagne part.....it's unlimited, whether in the form of a Bellini, mimosa or straight up.

Photo: Gina Birch

The buffet is full of seasonal fruit, rich cheeses and seafood; some fresh and local others imported from around the world. And the choices don't stop here. Part of the brunch includes a made to order main course such as cornish hens, Waygu beef, fish, omelets, eggs Benedict and more. There is no possible way you will leave here hungry. 

Photo: Hyatt Regency Coconut Point 

The desserts are decadent and the chocolate fountain is always a treat. Enjoy this feast for $48, children 5-12 are $24 and children under 5 are complimentary. This event often sold out at the beginning of the year, so now is the time to get a seat. I would still recommend calling for  reservation, as it is coming up on wedding season and you never know if the room will be booked out. 

Photo: Hyatt Regency Coconut Point 

Box-vs-Bottle

I recently stayed at a very hip, boutique hotel in a trendy neighborhood in Washington DC. A nice perk was the complimentary champagne and wine, in the lobby for happy hour.

I sashayed through the businessmen and foreign visitors to find a table adorned with linen, sparking glasses and (sound effect of a record scratch) rows of boxes. Boxes of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. "This can't be," whispered my inner wine snob, "boxed wine???" Thank God there was champagne.

As the concierge poured my bubbles, he was enthusiastically telling another guest about the boxes of French Rabbit.

They come in Tetra Paks that reduce overall packaging by 90%.  It makes packing and shipping easier and less expensive than bottles, reducing the carbon footprint of the winery. And, he bragged, it's from the Burgundy region of FRANCE! "OK OK," I resigned, "I'll try a glass." I'm not sure if I bought into his enthusiasm or just had low expectations but I was pleasantly surprised. The wine had hints of raspberry and other red fruits. Not a bad happy hour wine after all.

Let's be honest, we've all joked about boxed wines but with wineries and consumers both wanting to cut costs, they're no laughing matter anymore. I have started paying attention to the wine sections of major grocery stores and warehouses like Total Wine, and continue to be surprised at the vineyards I'm seeing box their everyday, top selling juice.

Still not sold on the box, I decided to experiment.  I bought a box and a bottle of Fish Eye Pinot Grigio; put tape on the bottom of numerous glasses indicating which packaging the wine was poured from; shuffled the glasses around and handed them out to some friends. We inspected the color, sniffed, swirled, slurped and wrote down our observations. Initially the bottle flavors seemed brighter but as the wine opened, the difference was so negligible it's hardly worth mentioning. The box did not compromise the integrity of this wine. But boxes are for drinking not aging.

Because the wine is not exposed to air, it can last up to 6 weeks after opening. Most boxes hold the equivalent of four bottles for the cost of about two. Might not be so bad to serve at your holiday parties if you have people on the list who sling it back rather than savor it (wine).

I have written an article featuring boxed wines and alternative packaging for Times Of The Islands Magazine. It will be in the January/February issue so be sure to pick one up or look online for more observations and information.

Could it be time to embrace the box?

***COMMENTS: Thanks to all my Facebook friends for posting so many great comments. I would LOVE it if you could also post your comments here on this blog site. I've had dozens of people tell me they posted and it never showed up. Disappointing for us both. So click comment, type your comment, check the box that says "comment as" then hit post. If a word verification box does not appear next (a scrambled word to retype), your comment did not post. Thanks!

Fine Time at "209"

Last time I visited Punta Gorda (FL), I tried a new restaurant called Opus. An enthusiastic German lady named Ines, was instrumental in helping to get it off the ground, while at the same time running her own   downtown restaurant; Table 209. Her mission complete, Ines is back at 209 full time.

My co-worker had dined there for lunch and couldn't wait to try dinner. When it comes to checking out restaurants it doesn't take much to twist my arm. The outdoor patio looked inviting but the weather wasn't, so we sat at one of the three tables situated in a semi-private section indoors. Our server suggested we begin with a signature Cucumber Champagne Cocktail. It's hard to say no to the bubbles.

However, it was a rainy, dreary night and what I really wanted was a dirty martini. Table 209 only serves beer and wine. The cucumber seemed more suited for the patio, on a warm afternoon. It was good but it just wasn't doing the trick and our server could tell. She grabbed a wine list and removed the cucumber cocktails with a wink, assuring us they would not go to waste; it was her favorite libation.

Settling on a bottle of Mars Venus Cabernet from Chile, we next set our sites on the appetizer menu. The Tomato Soup was rich, with roasted bell pepper, basil pesto and small chunks of mozzarella; just what the doctor ordered.

Next up was the Shrimp Fraiche. It came in a delectable garlic, lemon, butter and sour cream sauce that required extra bread to sop up; so did the next two dishes. The tender Escargot was cooked in white wine, garlic and bacon. Just when I thought the sauces couldn't get any better, the Mussels showed up. They were plump and mild, cooked perfectly in a broth that many patrons ask to purchase for home; white chocolate, coconut milk, garlic and spices. I'm salivating just thinking about it.

The appetizers ranged in price from $6-$12. Next time I'll try to order only one so I can have a proper main course. On second thought, next time I'll try the Sunday Jazz Brunch on the patio, with a Cucumber Champagne Cocktail. The Brunch menu looked fabulous. I'll keep you posted!




***COMMENTS: Thanks to all my Facebook friends for posting so many great comments. I would LOVE it if you could also post your comments here on this blog site. I've had dozens of people tell me they posted and it never showed up. Disappointing for us both. So click comment, type your comment, check the box that says "comment as" then hit post. If a word verification box does not appear next (a scrambled word to retype), your comment did not post. Thanks!

The "Cooooolest" Cocktail Ever

Just a couple of weeks ago I was sitting at the harbor in Copenhagen, Denmark; listening to live music, drinking champagne and enjoying a sunny, 70-degree afternoon. My friend Michelle and I included the duo next to us in a toast and struck up a conversation about sites to see and resturaunts and bars to hit while in town. Our faces lit up at the mention of the ICEBAR. Not just any ICEBAR but one from the original Icehotel in neighboring Sweden.

The first Ice hotel opened 22 years ago in the small village of Jukkasjärvi, Sweden. The story goes: In 1989 Japenese ice artists came to town to visit a cylinder-shaped igloo that had been created by a French artist. There were no hotel rooms available so they got permission to spend the night in the iced exhibition hall, in sleeping bags, on top of reindeer skin. Voila, the Icehotel was born. It is recreated every year from snow and ice blocks from the Torne River.

Spreading "coolness" the Icehotel began opening ICEBAR's around the world; Oslo, Tokyo and this one in Copenhagen. It cost about $30 for admittance and one drink, we paid a few dollars more and got two. That is about all one can stand, even with the heavy poncho's. The number of people allowed in at one time is strictly monitored.

 Booties are also provided for visitors without appropriate, cold weather foot-wear. Thick gloves are attached to the ponchos so you can handle your ice glasses. Yes, the glasses are literally blocks of ice that to me, had a slight "freezer" taste to them. The bar menu had numerous fruity concoctions, that tasted good and made a pretty picture. The bar  served other libations including champagne, my favorite. 

Copycat Ice Bars are popping up everywhere now, including Orlando, on tourist laden International Drive. The owners call it the largest permanent icebar in the world. It's not the original but for most of us, it's alot less expensive to fly or drive to Orlando than Scandinavia.

 By the way: No, my tongue did not stick to the ice.

Bubbly By Moonlight

Did you see the lunar eclipse this week? Spectacular! Since an event like this hasn't happened in nearly 500 years it was cause for celebration in my neighborhood and around the world. What does one drink at 2am, outside under the stars, watching an historic full moon lunar eclipse? Bubbles of course!!!

Snuggled under blankets next to my favorite neighbors, I popped the cork of a French Veuve du Vernay and watched Mother Nature put on a spectacular show. The bubbly was light with lots of pear. Other than watching an eclipse in the middle of the night it would be perfect poolside, for a girl's weekend or mimosa's. Consider it for your New Year's Party.  It's not gonna knock you over with complexity but it's a fantastic value at around $10 a bottle!!

I'll never forget drinking it under the stars, making wishes on the shooting ones and watching the moon turn red with my dear friends! That's what bubbly is all about!