BottleBlog by Bottlenotes: wine tasting notes, wine tasting event info, wine tasting trip recommendations, and more.

Attend the POP! Launch in San Francisco

After receiving rave reviews for the POP! Launch at Christie's in NYC, from guests and staff alike, we are now even more excited to bring the party to San Francisco. On Thursday July 31st, we will be holding our West Coast Launch for POP!, the new Champagne and Sparkling Wine Club by Bottlenotes, here in the City by the Bay. We will be featuring an array of Sparkling Wines and Champagnes, including the best of Taittinger, Ayala, and more, accompanied by caviar by Tsar Nicoulai.  Set in the beautiful Frey Norris Gallery, guests will have the rare opportunity to sip bubbly while strolling amongst and admiring the Gallery's renowned collections of contemporary art from across the globe.

It is our pleasure to invite you to join us for a celebration of Champagne and good company on this special evening. If you wish to attend the event, or would like to learn more about Bottlenotes' Wine Club offerings, please click here for more details and information - we strongly suggest you reserve tickets well in advance, due to high demand and limited space. We very much look forward to seeing you there!

Cheers!

POP! Launch in NYC

Last Thursday evening a wonderfully mixed crowd gathered in the Nautical exhibit of the Christie's auction house in Manhattan. The setting was exquisite and had the feeling of a museum after hours. A buzzing crowd meandered about the long hall tasting a wide assortment of Champagnes/sparkling wines while viewing artifacts from the Titanic, meeting new people, and snacking on caviar provided by Tsar Nicoulai (all of which comes from sustainable sources!).

It was amongst our favorite Bottlenotes parties to date. Click here to view the photos

Bastille Day Wine and Chocolate Pairing by Bottlenotes and Richart Chocolate

Bastille Day Wine and Chocolate Pairing by Bottlenotes and Richart

OK, I’ll admit it: wine and chocolate paired together have never really been my thing – until the chocolate and wine pairing event put on by Bottlenotes and Richart Chocolate on Thursday, July 13.  In honor of Bastille Day, the wine club and the chocolate boutique partnered up to host a chocolate and wine tasting – and my worlds collided. For years I had to listen as others would rave in ecstasy at “this rich dark chocolate with that big Cab,” or “this smooth slab with that elegant Pinot.”  All there was left to do was sip my wine in terror, fearing that at some point, someone would actually see me slip that square of chocolate into my pocket for later consumption. 

However, while the French were honoring their compatriots who had stormed the Bastille, Richart’s chocolate and Bottlenotes’ wine (some from France and others made in the French style) took my palate by storm, and helped me see the light – and, well, the dark too.  Replacing thoughts of terror, were musings on terroir, as it applies both to wine and chocolate, as I began to think about the different characteristics of chocolate from around the world.  

During my personal revolution of taste, roughly 30 people were enjoying the event around me -- a nice crowd for the chic Richart boutique on the corner of Sutter and Stockton in downtown San Francisco.  Guests included Bottlenotes club members, friends of members, and walk-ins.  All were invited both to taste sumptuous pairings and put their own judgment faculties to the test by rating a panel of French wines, which included selections by Chateau LaGatte, Domaine Courbis, Domaine de Chatenoy, and Denis Gayte.  Favorite combinations included the Pretty Sally Cabernet Sauvignon (http://www.bottlenotes.com/wine%2Dshop/p-4368-pretty-sally-cabernet-sauvignon--2003.aspx) with the Venezuela Cocoa Ganache, and the Heron Pinot Noir (http://www.bottlenotes.com/wine%2Dshop/p-4418-heron-pinot-noir--2003.aspx) with the Jasmine Ganache.

Needless to say, I was no longer a Marie Vintoinette fearing a chocolate-robed* hazelnut cream; at the end of the night, I happily headed out of there with a box of Ganaches and a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon under my arm.

Let us know what your favorite combinations of chocolate and wine are, and in the meantime, check out these and other wines on www.bottlenotes.com.  /wine-shop

Cheers!

By Antonia Moran, Director of Food & Wine Research, Bottlenotes, Inc.

*(or robeSPIERRED, for those of you hopeless punsters out there…)