Letters: Drinks list for a new restaurant

Bill:

I am opening a "global" themed restaurant north of Boston in two months and am attempting a beverage/whiskey list that represents accordingly, and strays from the norm of same ol' menu selections.

Any direction you could provide would be appreciated. Thank you.

-- Scott Plath, Lowell, MA

Dear Scott:

I'd suggest keeping really "up" on what is going on in emerging markets such as the tequilas of Mexico, the sochus of Korea, the caçhascas of Brazil and neighboring lands.

Each can do wonders for cocktail recipes when used with always-fresh ingredients (fruits, herbs, the occasional veggie like cucumber) and creating such a list not only would pair nicely with global cuisine, but would be a great selling point in getting noticed.

In addition, for the non-cocktail portion of your drinks list, I'd strongly suggest getting into a wide range of teas. They're becoming extremely popular all over the U.S. and wildly popular in many European and Asian markets.

Good luck with your project.

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NY's newest wine will come from ... Staten Island?

If non-New Yorkers know anything about Staten Island, it usually involves its storied ferry service from Manhattan or wisecracks made about it on "The Sopranos." Lush vineyards don't usually figure into the equation.

Now, however, the enclave across the Verrazano Narrows Bridge from the Big Apple proper is about to make a change.

With a little help from its Italian sister city, the borough often remembered for its former landfill is preparing to open the only large-scale and educational vineyard in New York City. And its creators are looking forward to producing their very own nectar of the gods -- the Super Staten Island Red.

Go here for the full story.

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Women's Wine Competition, round 2

The 2nd annual National Women's Wine Competition is nearly upon us.

The nation's only wine competition judged solely by women is scheduled for March 16-19 in Santa Rosa, CA. The field is expected to be 2,500 entries from 30 U.S. states and seven foreign countries. Medal-winning wines will be published in a "Wines Women Love Shopping List" that will become available April 1 online. The complete list of judges already is available online.

Judith Oppenheimer, event co-founder and director, said, "The point of the competition is to have top women identify and recommend top wines. With our Shopping List, you have the assurance of knowing the wine you select has impressed extremely discerning women palates.

"Many Americans love wine, but are unsure of what to buy. The choices are enormous, and most people don't want to risk tossing the dice on a $10, $20, $30 or more bottle of wine without some recommendation from a source they can trust. The Wines Women Love Shopping List takes the guesswork out of buying wine."

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French facing wine bottle shortage

We hear about the ongoing problems besetting the French wine industry -- erratic weather, overproduction, mounting global competition, regulatory battles -- but a new one is being felt: A bottle shortage.

"The issue is glass supply. We have a big problem, we cannot get bottles to put our wine in," said Jean-Claude Mas, director of Domaines Paul Mas, which sold nine million bottles of wine from the southern Languedoc region last year.

In an interview with Agence France Presse (AFP), Mas was asked about his plans for lighter, eco-friendly glass bottles and packaging he had spoken about last year.

"It is not a question of lighter or not" anymore, he said. "As of this month, for my top selling white sauvignon blanc wines, I have zero glass stock and an order for 36,000 bottles. I have no plan B."

The problem of bottle supply has been a nagging one for French wine producers across the board, according to AFP, "but in the Languedoc, where wine sales are picking up rapidly after a slump at the beginning of the millennium, the issue now appears more critical. Another Languedoc producer with supply problems said he was ready to move bottling to Britain.

"I have bottles all right. I had to commit to requirements of two million bottles this year," said David Rowledge of Alchemy Wines, a Britain-based company that sold 1.7 million bottles of Languedoc wine last year. But he is still without the particular bottle he needs for his white wine.

"The other option is to get bottles from China, and that's not eco-friendly at all," Rowledge said.

Several months ago, Castel, another major French producer which produces at least 110 million bottles of Languedoc-Roussillon wines annually, said if glass bottle supply problems continued it would consider a move to PET plastic bottles.

"The situation has not changed," said Franck Crouzet, Castel communications director, at Vinisud. "We have been told there will be supply problems in 2008 as there were in 2007."

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Inaugural Wine Expo set for Big Apple

The New York Wine Expo, which its organizers say will be an annual event, debuts Friday, March, 7 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in Manhattan.

The three-day event, co-located with the International Restaurant & Foodservice Show of New York, is an exposition that will cater to both the general public and the trade. Visitors will be able to sample from among 600 different wines from more than 150 winemakers, as well as take in demonstrations, panel discussions and seminars.

For consumers, the event will be open from 7 to 10 p.m. Friday and 2 to 6 p.m. Saturday. Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. will be dedicated to the trade. Ticket prices change after Feb. 29. Full details are available on the Web site.

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California wine pioneer dead at 81

From Wine Spectator:

Peter Newton, founder of Sterling Vineyards and Newton Vineyard in Napa Valley and a pioneer of Bordeaux-inspired red wines in California, died Feb. 4 in St. Helena after a long illness. He was 81.

There were fewer than 25 bonded wineries in Napa in 1964 when Newton, an Englishman who worked as an executive for the Sterling International Paper Co., co-founded Sterling Vineyards in Calistoga with his business partners.

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Wine startup takes tips from beer world

Excerpted from the online Fog City Journal:

The MAS Wine Co., which brews its red and white wines MAS Vino and MAS Vino Blanco at the Jepson Winery in Hopland, CA, is seeking to spread the word about its unusual products.

MAS distributes nearly all its wines in something near and dear to the beer brewers' and lovers' hearts -- stainless steel kegs, a far cry from cork and bottle and screw tops in the wine domain. ...

"Through our colleagues in the beer industry, we've placed our red and white kegs in stores and restaurants in all of the Bay Area's nine counties, Eureka, Mendocino and Sacramento County. We're off to a great start," said MAS President Andy Woehl.

MAS is an 18-month-old startup with officers and investors based in San Francisco, Sacramento and Sonoma County. The company has a Web site and a mailing address in Cloverdale where its winemaker and production chief live.

"No bricks and mortar. Just wine," Woehl says.

The company's airtight, 15-liter kegs hold 20 bottles of wine and keep wine fresh for 60 days. The company is also introducing 11-liter kegs that hold 15 bottles of wine. The kegs are manufactured in Germany and reduce energy consumption and waste associated with packaging, delivering and storing glass bottles. The kegs are delivered in a just-in-time distribution system. The wines are blended with grapes grown in Napa, Sonoma and Mendocino counties.

"We went to the beer industry because they are the people who know all there is to know about selling beverages in kegs to a large customer base," Woehl said.

The company's main product is wine by the glass from kegs directed at a target audience of young professionals 25-40 years old who are educated, interested in wine and eat out several times a week. The kegs are at two-dozen restaurants, hotels and other eating and drinking establishments in the Bay Area.

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Heavy medal the tune in Florida judging

The results are in from this year's Florida State Fair International Wine and Grape Juice Competition, held in Tampa.

The gold medalists, by state:

CALIFORNIA
• 10 Knots Cellars, Paso Robles, 2005 Moonraker
• Adobe Road Winery, Petaluma, 2005 Herrerrias Vineyard Pinot Noir
• Adobe Road Winery, Petaluma, 2004 Bavarian Lion Vineyard Knights Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
• Adobe Road Winery, Petaluma, 2005 Cabernet Franc
• Adobe Road Winery, Petaluma, 2005 Finish Line Meritage
• Al-Bi Winery, Dellroy, Lakeside Red
• Barefoot Cellars, Healdsburg, N/V Shiraz
• Bianchi Winery, Newport Beach, 2004 Single Collection Cabernet Sauvignon
• Black Box Wines, San Francisco, 2006 Merlot
• Blackstone Winery, San Francisco, 2005 Reserve Pinot Noir
• Campus Oaks, Stockton, 2005 Old Vine Zinfandel
• Cass Winery, Paso Robles, 2005 Estate Late Harvest Cabernet Franc
• Castoro Cellars, Templeton, 2005 Reserve Tempranillo
• Chameleon Cellars, St. Helena, 2005 Zinfandel
• Clautiere Vineyard, Paso Robles, 2004 Estate Bottled Mon Rouge
• Concannon Vineyard, San Francisco, 2005 Limited Reserve Petite Sirah
• Conn Creek Winery, St. Helena, 2004 Anthology
• Cypress Vineyards, San Jose, 2007 White Zinfandel
• Cypress Vineyards, San Jose, 2006 Shiraz
• Cypress Vineyards, San Jose, 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon
• Domenico Wines, San Carlos, 2005 Syrah
• Dominari, Napa, 2005 Merlot
• Edward Sellers Vineyards, Paso Robles, 2005 Cuvée des Cinq
• EOS Estate Winery, Paso Robles, 2005 Estate Bottled Petite Syrah
• Filsinger Winery Inc., Temecula, 2007 Estate Bottled Gewurztraminer
• HRM Rex Goliath, San Francisco, N/V Cabernet Sauvignon
• Hunt Cellars Winery, Chatsworth, 2003 Destiny Vineyard Cabernet Bon Vivant
• Hunt Cellars Winery, Chatsworth, 2003 Duets Red Wine
• J. Lohr, San Jose, 2006 Arroyo Vista Vineyard Chardonnay
• J. Lohr, San Jose, 2007 Wild Flower Valdiguie
• Jodar Vineyards & Winery, Placerville, 2004 Estate Reserve Apollos Lyre
• Langtry Estate & Vineyards, Middletown, 2005 Tephra Cabernet Sauvignon
• Montevina Winery, St. Helena, 2005 Terra d'Oro Zinfandel Home
• Montoya, San Martin, 2006 Petite Sirah
• Napa Cellars, St. Helena, 2005 Zinfandel
• Napa Cellars, St. Helena, Cabernet Sauvignon
• Napa Cellars, St. Helena, 2006 Chardonnay
• Oak Leaf, San Francisco, N/V Chardonnay
• Opolo Vineyard, Paso Robles, 2004 Rhapsody
• Opolo Vineyards, Paso Robles, 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon
• Peirano Estate Vineyards, Lodi, 2006 Estate Grown Petite Sirah Heritage Collection
• Peju Province, Rutherford, 2004 Estate Bottled Cabernet Sauvignon
• Pepi, Santa Rosa, 2004 Sangiovese
• R & B Cellars, Alameda, 2004 Saxy Syrah
• Richard Partridge Wines, Cerritos, 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon
• Robledo Family Winery, Sonoma, Red Hills El Rey Cabernet Sauvignon
• Robledo Family Winery, Sonoma, 2005 Rancho Emilliano Merlot
• San Marcos Creek Vineyard, Paso Robles, 2004 Estate Zinfandel
• Sextant Wines, Paso Robles, 2006 Night Watch Proprietary Red
• Shannon Ridge Winery, Clearlakes Oaks, 2006 Syrah
• Shasta View Vineyards, Montaque, N/V Estate Grown Unfiltered Armonia Rossa Red Blended Wine
• The Hogue Cellars, San Francisco, 2006 Riesling
• Three Thieves, St. Helena, 2006 The Show Cabernet Sauvignon
• Toasted Head, San Francisco, 2004 Shiraz
• Trecini Cellars, Santa Rosa, 2005 Syrah
• Trentadue Winery, Geyserville, 2004 La Storia Estate Meritage
• Trentadue Winery, Geyserville, 2005 Estate Merlot
• Trinchero, St. Helena, 2005 Family Merlot
• Trinitas Cellars, Napa, 2004 Old Vine Petite Sirah
• V. Sattui, St. Helena, 2006 California Muscat
• WTJ Grahams, San Francisco, N/V 20 Year Tawny Port

CONNECTICUT
• Sharpe Hill Vineyard, Pomfret, N/V Ballet of Angels

FLORIDA
• Empire Winery and Distillery, New Port Richey, N/V All Natural Royal Mead Honey Wine
• Florida Orange Groves Winery, St. Petersburg, N/V Mango Mamma Sparkling Mango Wine
• Florida Orange Groves Winery, St. Petersburg, N/V Mango Manna
• Florida Orange Groves Winery, St. Petersburg, N/V White Sangria Hurricane Class 5
• Henscratch Farms, Lake Placid, N/V Foot Stomp
• Henscratch Farms, Lake Placid, Snow Bird
• Henscratch Farms, Lake Placid, N/V Country White
• Henscratch Farms, Lake Placid, N/V Country Walk
• Henscratch Farms, Lake Placid, N/V Country Blush
• San Sebastian Winery, St. Augustine, N/V Vintners Red
• SeaBreeze Winery, Panama City Beach, N/A Palmetto Red
• Strong Tower Vineyard & Winery, Spring Hill, N/V Blanc du Bois
• Strong Tower Vineyard & Winery, Spring Hill, N/V Blanc du Bois Select
• Tangled Oaks Vineyard, Grandin, N/V Noble Red

GEORGIA
• Georgia Wines Inc., Ringgold, N/V Tarabella
• Still Pond Vineyard & Winery, Arlington, 2004 Batch Number 1 Noble Late Harvest

IDAHO
• Bitner Vineyards, Caldwell, 2006 Late Harvest Riesling

ILLINOIS
• Coopers Hawk Winery, Orland Park, 2006 Barbera
• Lynfred Winery, Roselle, 2007 Seyval Blanc
• Oliver Winery, Bloomington, N/V Soft Red
• Oliver Winery, Bloomington, N/V Mango
• Oliver Winery, Bloomington, N/V Black Cherry

INDIANA
• Ertel Cellars Winery, Batesville, N/V Foch
• Ertel Cellars Winery, Batesville, N/V Blackberry Wine

KANSAS
• Holy-Field Vineyard & Winery, Basehor, N/V Kaw River Rhine

MICHIGAN
• Braganini Reserve, Paw Paw, 2006 Reserve Riesling
• St. Julian Wine Co., Paw Paw, N/V Passionate Peach Spumante
• St. Julian Wine Co., Paw Paw, N/V Cathermans Port

MISSOURI
• Augusta Winery, Augusta, 2004 Estate Bottled Norton
• St. James Winery, St. James, N/V Country White
• St. James Winery, St. James, 2004 Reserve Norton
• Stone Hill Winery, Hermann, 2005 Chambourcin
• Stone Hill Winery, Hermann, Steinberg White
• Stone Hill Winery, Hermann, 2007 Vignoles
• Stone Hill Winery, Hermann, Double Gold
• Stone Hill Winery, Hermann, N/V Concord

NEBRASKA
• Soaring Wings Vineyard LLC, Springfield, 2007 Vignoles
• Whiskey Run Creek, Brownville, 2007 Edelweiss

NEW HAMPSHIRE
• Candia Vineyards, Candia, N/V Vault Reserve Noiret

NEW JERSEY
• Hopewell Valley Vineyards, Pennington, 2005 Porto Bianco

NEW MEXICO
• Black Mesa Winery, Velarde, 2006 Estate Grown Velarde Merlot
• Black Mesa Winery, Velarde, 2006 Seyval
• Luna Rossa Winery, Deming, 2003 Nini

NEW YORK
• Anthony Road Wine Co., 2006 Cabernet Franc/Lemberger
• Casa Larga Vineyards, Fairport, N/V Estate Bottled Pallido
• Chateau Frank, Hammondsport, N/V Methode Champenoise Célèbre Crémant
• Dr. Konstantin Frank, Hammondsport, 2006 Riesling Dry
• Duck Walk Vineyards, Water Mill, N/V Boysenberry Fruit Wine
• Earle Estates Meadery, Penn Yan, N/V Raspberry Reflections
• Goose Watch Winery, Romulus, N/A Diamond
• Goose Watch Winery, Romulus, Melody
• Goose Watch Winery, Romulus, N/A Golden Spumante
• Goose Watch Winery, Romulus, N/A Classic Cream Sherry
• Hunt Country Vineyards, Branchport, 2006 Simmons Vineyards Cayuga White
• Knapp Winery, Romulus, 2006 Estate Bottled Cayuga White
• Knapp Winery, Romulus, N/V Superstition
• Lakewood Vineyards, Watkins Glen, 2006 Chardonnay
• Lamoreaux Landing Wine Cellars, Lodi, 2006 Estate Bottled Chardonnay
• Penguin Bay Winery, Romulus, N/V Percussion
• Pindar Vineyards, Peconic, 2005 Estate Bottled Cabernet Franc
• Torrey Ridge Winery, Penn Yan, N/V Diamond
• Torrey Ridge Winery, Penn Yan, N/V Catawba

OHIO
• Breitenbach Wine Cellars, Dover, N/V Roadhouse Red
• Chalet Debonne Vineyards, Madison, 2005 Chambourcin
• Ferrante Winery, Geneva, 2006 Signature Series Riesling

PENNSYLVANIA
• Antler Ridge Winery, Mertztown, N/V Raspberry Bramble
• Arrowhead Wine Cellars, North East, N/V Dazzleing Niagara
• Flickerwood Wine Cellars, Kane, N/V Tribute
• Flickerwood Wine Cellars, Kane, N/V Sweet Angel
• Flickerwood Wine Cellars, Kane, N/V Flickerberry Dew

SOUTH DAKOTA
• Prairie Berry Winery, Hill City, 2007 Frontenac
• Prairie Berry Winery, Hill City, N/V Chokecherry Medley

TENNESSEE
• Mountain Valley Vineyards, Pigeon Forge, N/V Muscadine
• Mountain Valley Vineyards, Pigeon Forge, N/V Mountain Valley

VERMONT
• Shelburne Vineyard, Shelburne, 2006 Whimsey Meadow Rosé
• Shelburne Vineyard, Shelburne, 2006 La Crescent Semi-Dry

VIRGINIA
• Winery At LaGrange, Haymarket, 2005 Meritage

WASHINGTON
• Chateau Ste. Michelle, Woodinville, 2005 Indian Wells Cabernet Sauvignon
• Chateau Ste. Michelle, Woodinville, 2006 Dry Riesling
• Kestrel Vintners, Prosser, 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon
• Northstar Winery, Woodinville, 2004 Merlot
• Saint Laurent Estate Winery, Malaga, 2005 Mrachek Vineyards Merlot
• Sandhill Winery, Ridgefield, 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon

WEST VIRGINIA
• Watts Roost Vineyard, Lewisburg, 2006 Landot Noir

WISCONSIN
• Chateau St. Croix Winery, St. Croix Falls, 2006 Martell Vineyard Frontenac
• Wollersheim Winery, Prairie du Sac, N/V Dry Riesling

FOREIGN
• Alice White, Australia, 2007 Shiraz
• Angoves, Australia, 2006 Vineyard Select Riesling
• Domaine Pinnacle, Cowansville, Quebec, 2006 Apple Ice Wine
• Magnotta Winery, Vaughan, Ontario, 2005 Meritage L.E. VQA
• Magnotta Winery, Vaughan, Ontario, 2006 Gewurztraminer VQA
• Viña la Playa, Chile, 2004 Axel Primero

Go here for a list of all medals awarded. And, go here for a guide to America's wine trails.

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Oregon wine competition heavy on the gold

Zerba Cellars swept the maximum of three gold medals as well as best-of-show in the 31st annual Newport (OR) Seafood & Wine Festival's Commercial Wine Competition.

Zerba is the only winery in the Walla Walla Valley. Its vines were planted just five years ago by owners/partners Cecil and Marilyn Zerba and Mark and Dana Rentz. The competition restricts the number of entries per producer to three, and this year's record field of 156 came from 54 wineries.

Doug Nierman, Zerba's winemaker, saw his cabernet sauvignon take the best-in-show award as well as a gold in its class, and his merlot and syrah each won golds.

Overall, the five-judge panel awarded 25 gold, 31 silver and 43 bronze medals.

The Seafood & Wine Festival will run Friday-Sunday this week.

The gold medalists (go here to see all awards):

• Anthony Dell Cellars, Willamette Valley, 2005 Pinot Noir
• Anthony Dell Cellars, Rogue Valley, 2005 Red Blend
• Chateau Ste. Michelle, Columbia Valley, 2006 Chardonnay
• Coleman Vineyards, Willamette Valley, 2006 Pinot Noir
• Columbia Crest, Washington State, 2005 Red Blend (cab, merlot)
• David Hill Vineyards & Winery, Willamette Valley, 2006 Chardonnay Reserve
• Griffin Creek Vineyards, Rogue Valley, 2005 Cabernet Franc
• Griffin Creek Vineyards, Rogue Valley, 2004 Syrah
• Henry Estate Winery, Umpqua Valley, 2006 Riesling (4.5% RS)
• Honeywood Vinery, Willamette Valley, 2004 Pinot Noir
• Melrose Vineyards, Umpqua Valley, 2005 Merlot
• Sagelands Vineyard, Columbia Valley, 2005 Chardonnay
• Sagelands Vineyard, Columbia Valley, 2004 Red Blend, "Freddie's Blend"
• Sienna Ridge Estate, Red Hill-Douglas Co., 2003 Pinot Blanc
• Silvan Ridge, Oregon, 2006 Pinot Gris
• Spangler Vineyards, Southern Oregon, 2006 Viognier
• Spangler Vineyards, Southern Oregon, 2006 Petite Sirah
• Troon Vineyards, Applegate Valley, 2005 Port-Style "Insomnia Port"
• Tualatin Estate, Willamette Valley, 2005 Pinot Noir
• Willamette Valley Vineyards, Oregon, 2006 Riesling
• Wine by Joe, Oregon, 2006 Pinot Gris
• Wine by Joe, Oregon, 2006 Pinot Blanc
• Zerba Cellars, Columbia Valley, 2005 Syrah
• Zerba Cellars, Columbia Valley, 2005 Merlot
• Zerba Cellars, Walla Walla Valley, 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon

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Drink calorie listing nears in NYC

Food calories have been getting most of the coverage in news about New York City's new regulation requiring chain restaurants to display calorie information. However, the rule includes cocktails, sodas and other beverages that appear on menus as well.

The law is scheduled to go into effect March 31, in place of a different version that was struck down last year by a judge.

However, the New York State Restaurant Association has filed a federal lawsuit challenging the latest regulation which would require restaurants with more than 15 outlets across the country to be in compliance.

Giving consumers information about the calories in what they're drinking can help them make better choices, Margo Wootan, director of nutrition policy at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, told Business Week.

"We've gotten to the point in our food culture where people expect to have a sweetened beverage with their meal," she said. "People end up drinking a lot more calories than they think."

An 8-ounce margarita on the rocks has 290 calories. That size is the equivalent of a cup, but in many restaurants, drinks come in much larger sizes.

"It's really a shock to see a drink is 500, 600 calories," Nonas said. "That's almost a third of what you should eat for the day."

New York City, which banned trans-fat-laden cooking oils from all restaurants last year, is the first U.S. city to enact a regulation requiring calories on menus.

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Cheers awards go to top chains

Fourteen awards were handed out as part of the 2008 Cheers Awards for Beverage Excellence, sponsored by the industry magazine Cheers, at its recent annual beverage conference in Miami.

Twelve program awards and two individual awards were presented by editor Donna Hood Crecca. They were:

Best Chain Beverage Menu: Outback Steakhouse
Best Chain Beverage Merchandising: Hard Rock Café
Best Chain Drink Program: Ruth’s Chris Steak House
Best Chain Signature Drink: Walt Disney World Resort
Best Chain Adult Non-Alcohol Drink Program: ESPN Zone
Best Chain Spirits Program: Bennigan’s Grill & Tavern
Best Chain Beer Program: Buffalo Wild Wings
Best Chain Wine Program: Carrabba’s Italian Grill
Best Chain Hotel Beverage Program: Hilton Hotels
Best Chain Multi-Concept Beverage Program: Back Bay Restaurant Group
Best Chain Overall Program: Walt Disney World Resort
Best Chain Responsible Alcohol Service Training Program: Applebee’s International
Raising the Bar: Patrick Henry, Patrick Henry Creative Promotions
Industry Innovator of the Year: Ann Rogers Tuennerman, Tales of the Cocktail

They were selected from a field of 110 entries from 47 restaurant chains. The competition was open to all chain restaurants, defined as an operation with five or more locations in two or more markets. The chain must be in existence for at least three years. Awards criteria include the program’s creativity, originality and impact on the sales and profitability of a full-service restaurant operation. Other factors considered are the level of marketing support, staff training and overall operator commitment to the initiative that lead to its success.

The entries were evaluated by a judging panel that included previous Cheers Awards for Beverage Excellence winners and other leading operators.

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Letters: What's the status of Kentucky wine sales?

Bill:

I now live in Kentucky, but have family in California who are wine producers.

What I want to know is what the current situation is in Kentucky for ordering out-of-state wines?

My cousins' winery is Heringer Estates. I have wanted to order for a couple of years now, but so far have been prevented from doing so.

-- Thomas in Kentucky

Thomas:

In 2005, U.S. District Judge Charles Simpson in Louisville said the state of Kentucky could not enforce its criminal statute against out-of-state wineries shipping into Kentucky. His ruling also struck down provisions of then-current Kentucky law requiring consumers who want wine shipped to order it in person.

In February 2007, Kentucky state regulators opened the door to shipments from small-farm wineries (those that produce no more than 50,000 gallons of wine annually) both inside and outside Kentucky when they dropped out of a federal lawsuit over the issue.

That decision means that 43 licensed wineries in Kentucky are now able to ship wine to customers who place phone or online orders. Small wineries in other states are eligible to do the same if they are licensed by Kentucky to do so.

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So, what are you waiting for?

Just like "guest towels" and "good china," many people also have that special wine being saved for an occasion that may never come.

The wine experts at The Wall Street Journal have taken on that silliness with this preview of "Open That Bottle Night."



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