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Food & Drink Favorites From Wine Enthusiast's Toast of the Town

YumSugar — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 05:50:21 PDT

March and April are some of the best months of the year, not only because the blooming flora and fauna unleash the Spring fever in me, but also because the calendar is packed with exciting wine and food events. Last week marked the date of one of my favorite fêtes, Wine Enthusiast's annual Toast of the Town. The party boasts a dizzying amount of wine and food amidst the elegant backdrop of San Francisco's Opera House. I went heavy on the food this year, since I'd come straight from another wine event, but I still had plenty to rave about. Read on for the best tastes of the evening.

Top Tastes From San Francisco's Toast of the Town

YumSugar — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 15:00:02 PDT

Last week, PartySugar and I attended Wine Enthusiast's yearly bash, the Toast of the Town, which was held this year in San Francisco's stunning, historical War Memorial Opera House. There, we sipped our way through four levels of food and wine, enjoying everything from Korbel to Cristal - a tough job, but somebody had to do it. Read on to learn more about the most memorable (and affordable!) wines of the night.

YumSugar Gift Guide: Last Minute Gourmet Gifts

YumSugar — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 11:16:11 PST

As much as we try to avoid it, last-minute shopping inevitably seems to be a part of every holiday season. This year, do yourself a favor: Ditch the stressful, crowded mall, and shop online instead.

Email your Internet-savvy foodie friend with the gift of a customizable Tastebook; set your wine-loving college roommate up with a Wine Enthusiast subscription. For the truly special oenophile, opt for Williams-Sonoma's new wine club - a gift to enjoy year-round.

For more gift ideas, browse the selection below and check out all the gift guides on HolidaySugar.

PartySugar Behind The Bash: Wine Enthusiast's Toast of Town

partysugar — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 14:18:11 PDT

Last Thursday night I was invited to Wine Enthusiast's big wine bash, Toast of Town. Held at the War Memorial Opera house, the fête was four floors filled with wine and food. To see what the party was like, check out some noteworthy wines, and read some fun tips I picked up at the event, click the "Start Slideshow" button below.

Learn More About Wine at Wine Enthusiast's Toast of the Town

partysugar — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 13:27:11 PDT

One of the best ways to learn about wine is to taste it. And a great way to taste a lot of different types of wine is to attend a wine-tasting event like Wine Enthusiast's Toast of the Town. The magazine is hosting an evening - in four major cities across the nation - of great wine, fabulous food, and moving music. Proceeds from the event go to San Francisco Food Bank, a company that provides food to starving locals.

The San Francisco event is this Thursday, Mar. 27 and I will be in attendance. Will you be there? Let me know and I will see you there!

For those of you not in the area check out Wine Enthusiast's upcoming tastings in Atlanta, Chicago, and New York. If you still aren't near any of those cities, consider hosting your own wine tasting to toast your town!

Have you been to a large wine-tasting event? Tell us about it below!

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Wine Enthusiast's Toast of the Town

YumSugar — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 14:44:06 PDT

Calling all wine lovers (actually, I should say wine enthusiasts)! Wine Enthusiast magazine is hosting an evening of music, wine (well I should hope so) and eating. Dubbed as "Toast of the Town," the tasting will feature premium wines and spirits from over 70 international producers, as well as signature dishes from over 30 Bay Area restaurants. The event is not exactly cheap (VIP $185, Tasting $95), however the benefit is for America's Second Harvest: The Nation's Food Bank Network and will also feature a silent auction of fine wine and accessories (plus think of all the wine and food you can taste).

Tickets for Toast of the Town are available online or at the door. The event takes place this Thursday (March 29) at the War Memorial Opera House.

I plan on being there, so if you're planning on attending, drop us a line and we'll see you there!

And for those of you not in the area, there are two other events going on soon. One in New York on April 23 and one in Chicago on May 3.

Andrea Robinson on Female Sommeliers and the Future of Wine in America

Susannah Chen — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 11:17:58 PDT

The world of wine has been a traditionally male-dominated industry, but that hasn't gotten in the way of wine educator Andrea Robinson: she's not only a TV host and author, but also one of only 17 women in the world who've been appointed the title of master sommelier. She was the first female ever to be chosen best sommelier in the United States by the Sommelier Society of America.

I met the enthusiastic wine personality, whose petite stature belies her upbeat demeanor, at an Aspen event to showcase her new line of stemware, The One. Over a glass of rosé, she weighed in on what it's like as one of the industry's few female leaders and how the landscape of wine is changing in America. See what she shared when you read more.

Learn John Besh's New Style of New Orleans Cooking

Katie Sweeney — Sat, 18 Jun 2011 10:49:47 PDT

This morning at the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen, chef John Besh took the stage and discussed the new cuisine of his beloved New Orleans. The hands-on chef, who describes his cooking style as "chaotic," cooked up an amazing-looking shrimp and heirloom tomato gumbo, black pepper blue crab, and deep-fried soft-shell shrimp.

He talked about the history of the city and how its wide variety of settlers, from the Spanish to the French to the Vietnamese, added to the colorful cuisine that NOLA is known for. "Everyone that comes to the city adds and leaves something to the food. The Spanish brought the sofrito, the French the roux, the Africans and Native Americans - they all helped build the food of New Orleans."

Besh also provided some tips on how we can incorporate the spirit of NOLA into our own kitchens. Find out what they are, after the break.

8 Tips For a Painless Move

Mandy Harris — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 10:15:00 PDT

Decorating and arranging a new space is a pretty exciting prospect for any home decor enthusiast. But the act of physically moving out of one home and into another generally doesn't top anyone's list of favorite activities. While there are no real shortcuts to changing spaces, there are certainly things you can do to make the process as smooth and painless as possible. Read on for eight easy tips.

Save your friends for later. Enlisting the help of friends and family when you move is to be expected. But instead of having your loved ones do the heavy lifting, consider saving their help for when you'll really need it. Hire movers to handle the boxes and furniture on moving day, then open a bottle of wine, turn on some music, and have your friends and family help with the daunting (but fun) task of unloading some of those boxes. As long as you're a little flexible with how your kitchen drawers are organized, you'll save yourself days of tedious unpacking.
Move your most prized breakables yourself. The biggest drawback to using movers, aside from the cost, is fear that your possessions will be damaged in the move. Pack up a box or two with your most expensive and breakable items (your grandma's china, your Riedel wine glasses), and move just those boxes yourself.
Label every box with its destination and contents. As you pack and seal up each box, write its destination room and a fairly detailed list of its contents on the top and sides. That way, the movers can deposit your boxes in the right rooms, and you'll know exactly where to find everything.
Pack for a short trip. As you're packing everything you own into boxes or bags, set aside a suitcase and toiletry bag, and pack those as if you were going away for the weekend. Your new home may be a mess for a while, but at least you'll be able to shower and get dressed each day without too much hassle.

Keep reading for four more tips to make moving less painful.

A Look at Moët & Chandon's Latest Champagnes

Susannah Chen — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 14:09:35 PDT

As sparkling wine enthusiasts, Katie and I couldn't turn down a rare opportunity to try some of Moët & Chandon's latest releases with the Champagne house's chef de cave Benoit Gouez himself. At a private tasting, we sampled a curated collection as Gouez talked to us about Champagne's evolving market. See what one of France's notable winemakers had to say about the American palate - and what we thought of his bubbly! - when you keep reading.