Flights + Bites: The Pasta of Italy & The Wines of Italy

Flights + Bites:

The Wine & Food Lover’s Pairing Club

Our award-winning chef and award-winning wine & spirits educator team up to bring you a series of unforgettable evenings of themed wine and food pairings.

Learn about different styles of cuisine, wines from around the world, and pairing techniques while enjoying delectable wines and freshly prepared small bites.

Friday, August 2

6:30~8:30 pm

Pasta of Italy & Wines of Italy

To see all of our Pairing Club offerings, click here: Perfectly Paired!

Vino Bianco: White Wines of Italy

Wine Institute of New England

presents

Vino Bianco: The White Wines of Italy

Although often thought of as a red wine region, Italy produces an amazing assortment of white wines worthy of exploring. We will taste white wines from several regions throughout Italy, north to south, guaranteed to have you consider giving up your chardonnay!

Friday, May 10, 2019

Andiamo Vini Bianchi! 

Vino Rosso: The Red Wines of Italy

Wine Institute of New England

presents

Vino Rosso: The Red Wines of Italy

Journey through the vineyards of Italy with us as we explore the amazing variety of reds – from soft and fruity to big and bold – this incredible region has to offer. We will taste some classic examples of Italian wine, as well as a few lesser known but up and coming varieties. Andiamo!

Friday, March 22, 2019 

Andiamo Vini Rossi!

Twelve Nightcaps Before Christmas – The Re(night)cap with Afterword

The nightcaps we posted are good all year long

With any of these you will never go wrong

In case you missed one we’ve reposted them here

With one afterword, coming sometime next year…

imageEpilogue: Oktopusake Premium Junmai Sake, Connecticut

On the rare occasions I’m not drinking wine with sushi, I opt for sake instead. Sake is a perfect pairing with sushi and, since it is a rice wine, I can still call it research. I was very excited to learn that there is a local company working on perfecting their own sake. Oktopusake will soon be offering three varieties of their premium junmai sake to Connecticut consumers: Sun – a traditional dry sake; Moon – an unfiltered version (think milky white and slightly sweet); and Stars – a specialty reserve sake that will be as black as squid ink because it will be tinted with, well…squid ink! We will keep you posted on Oktopusake’s progress and are very much looking forward to seeing this new local product in Connecticut stores and restaurants in 2014.

 

 

Re(night)cap: One of the questions I encounter the most as a wine educator is “What’s your favorite wine?” I confess, it’s a question I’ve come to dread because I always feel like I’m disappointing the inquisitor. My answer usually goes something like this: “I don’t really have a favorite. It depends on the day, the time of year, the company in which I find myself, and any gustatory delights with which I may be pairing the wine.”  If really pushed, I’ll tell them that I am a Champagne girl. This seems to provide them with a little more satisfaction. But the truth is my favorite wine changes on a monthly, weekly and even daily basis. And I am always waiting to find my next favorite wine. The beauty of the wine world is that there is always more to explore. So, here I will present a list of my 12 favorite wines right now for drinking and gifting during the holidays, one day at a time for the next 12 days.

A Votre Santé!

For the full list of 12 nightcaps, click here: Nightcap Recap

 

 

 

 

 

Rising Star!

Amarone is finally a DOCG, Italy’s highest quality category. The promotion was finalized on March 24, 2010 and is effective with the 2010 harvest.