Be Sure to See Wine Enthusiast's New Top Wine Restaurant List

Hurray, hurray, hurray – the Wine Enthusiast Magazine’s August 2011 issue will present America’s 100 Best Wine Restaurants.

Not just wines, but the restaurants in which they are perfectly matched with cuisine. At last, a wine list set in the context of enjoyment!

A single glass of wine is always a pleasure, but when served with the appropriate cuisine, dining can become a memorable experience. This is because terroir, unless interpreted in the strictest soil-only sense, is expansive and inclusive.

What makes a wine great is not merely the liquid in the bottle nor the ground in which it grew. It includes the skills of the blender, the cellar master, the marketers, the sommelier and finally, the chef and the supportive restaurant staff.

Each of these talented individuals adds to the clarification of experience that is the essence of meaningful terroir.

Using the creative lists in Wine Enthusiast’s August issue, it’s now easy (and a lot of fun) to locate the stateside restaurants that embrace this more contemporary concept of terroir. Just take a look at their innovative destination titles: 

• Emerging Stars
• Best Blow Your Mind Bottle Collection
• Bragging Rights for Wine Buffs
• Best Dinner and a Show
• Sexy Sips
• Old School Made Cool - Wine Lists with History
• Best Blow Your Mind Bottle Collection
• Superb Saké Programs
• Outstanding Cocktail Programs
• Beer Trailblazers
• Trend Watch: Pop-Ups to Temp
• Restaurant Radar: New & Notable
• Best Bets for BYOB

With topics such as these, is it any wonder that the Wine Enthusiast Magazine has over 700,000 monthly readers.

And this month they have produced another not-to-be-missed issue.

Don't wait to get your copy as this is sure to be a sellout issue. Just be sure to write your name on your office copy as everyone will want to borrow it – the issue is that good. 

Your Culinary World copyright Ana Kinkaid/Peter Schlagel 2011

Vino Solo Hits a Home Run with their Game Changing Wine Service Set

Every devoted baseball fan knows that this amazing game is fundamentally about surprise - whether it’s when Japan's darling Ichiro Suzuk takes to the field for the Seattle Mariners or when fans discover the new international cuisine now offered at the concession stands. So gone-gone are the days of only U.S. born white players, soggy hot dogs and foamy headed beers were the norm when it came to the fan's team, food and cheers.

Today’s lucky stadium goers can now select slow-cooked pork tacos with a fiery tomatillo-chipotle salsa, sea fresh crab cake sandwiches or Seattle's own Ivar Dogs made with deep-fried cod topped with Pacific coleslaw and savory tartar sauce to name only a few.

But wait – something is missing: where oh, where’s the wine? The creative team at KDM Partners have solved this mystery with their innovative Vino Solo, a unique single unit combination of both wine flute and wine bottle.

Made of PET, the entire serving unit is crafted from light weight plastic and totally recyclable.  Simply unscrew the beverage flute from the top of the wine bottle, pour and enjoy. The wines, a rich merlot and a classic chardonnay, are excellent. There is absolutely no “plasticy” aftertaste and the lip of the flute is as smooth as any traditional wine glass. It's truly guest perfect!

And which baseball team will be the first to bring wine, safely and easily, to their savy fans? Why, it’s the New York Mets, of course.  And if the Mets decide to use a private labeling service available from KDM, this creative wine presentation may soon be baseball’s newest hip must-have souvenir of a day at the ballpark.

But why stop there – Vino Solo is perfect for any outside event, busy theatre froyer, airline food tray or resort poolside event.  And with so many points of application, well, it seems Vino Solo just won’t remain “solo” very long, inside or outside the stadium's walls. So cheers to KDM for an outstanding new food service product!

Your Culinary World copyright Ana Kinkaid/Peter Schlagel 2011