By Robert Giorgione on May 24, 2013
Hotel Chocolat is a British cocoa grower and chocolatier. Their story begins: ”Many years ago, Rabot Estate owner and co-founder of Hotel Chocolat Angus Thirwell was packing to visit his childhood home in the Caribbean when a mysterious gift arrived. It was an old book, sent with a note by a customer he’d never met: ‘Thought [...]
Posted in Featured, Product Reviews | Tagged An Epicurean Odyssey, Angus Thirlwell, Book, Chocolate, eBook, Food and wine matching, food blogs, Hotel Chocolat, Rabot Estate, Robert Giorgione, Roving Sommelier, Sleeksters |
By Robert Giorgione on May 23, 2013
I got home last night after a long day of wine tasting at the London International Wine Fair, a couple of business meetings and a drinks and canapes party in Marylebone. I was still feeling a bit peckish. So I opened up my fridge to be confronted by a bottle of Sherry. It was just [...]
Posted in Featured, Food and Wine Matching, Sommelier Stories, Wine Reviews | Tagged An Epicurean Odyssey, Book, Boutinot, Charcuterie, Cheese, eBook, Fernando de Castilla, Food and wine matching, food blogs, Palo Cortado, Palomino, Passionate For Palomino, Robert Giorgione, Roving Sommelier, sherry, Sommelier, Sommelier Stories, Spain, Spanish produce, Spanish Wine, wine blogs, Wine Reviews, Wines from Spain
By Robert Giorgione on May 20, 2013
As per usual, each month I like to post an article called “An interview with…”. This may be in the form of a Q & A or a video interview, where my monthly focus can share his/her knowledge and experiences to a wider audience. However, first I must apologise for the delay with this latest [...]
Posted in Featured, Interviews, Sommelier Stories, Tasting Notes, Videos, Wine Reviews | Tagged An Epicurean Odyssey, Book, Bruno Colomer Marti, Cava, Codorniu, eBook, Food and wine matching, food blogs, Interviews, Penedes, Robert Giorgione, Roving Sommelier, Sommelier Stories, Spain, Spanish produce, Spanish Wine, Tasting Notes, Videos, wine blogs, Wine Reviews, Wine tasting, Wines from Spain, You Tube |
By Robert Giorgione on May 18, 2013
There is no denying that eating raw oysters is a uniquely invigorating experience. No other food conjures up as strong a taste sensation as a bracing salty oyster: the essence of the sea in edible form. While the oyster connoisseur may claim that cooking an oyster is blasphemy (preferring to eat them raw with nothing [...]
Posted in Featured, Food and Wine Matching, Sommelier Stories, Wine Reviews | Tagged An Epicurean Odyssey, Beer, Book, Borough Market, Champagne, Cider, eBook, Food and wine matching, food blogs, Oysters, Robert Giorgione, Roving Sommelier, Sauvignon Blanc, Sommelier, Sommelier Stories, wine blogs, Wine Reviews |
By Robert Giorgione on May 17, 2013
This is a press release sent to me by Chris Stroud (London-based Marketing Manager – New Zealand Wine Growers Europe). “There’s no doubt about it, Sauvignon Blanc is special. It is the varietal that awoke the world to New Zealand wine and continues to dazzle wine critics across the world. Accounting for 84% of wine exported from [...]
Posted in Featured, Wine Reviews | Tagged #SauvBlanc, An Epicurean Odyssey, Bob Campbell MW, Book, eBook, Marlborough, New Zealand, New Zealand Wine Growers, Press Release, Robert Giorgione, Roving Sommelier, Sauvignon Blanc, Sommelier Stories, Tasting Notes, wine blogs, Wine Reviews, Wine tasting |
By Robert Giorgione on May 15, 2013
Seeing as today’s #WineWednesday on Twitter, I thought I would treat you to a little question. Do you prefer to drink Pinot Gris or Pinot Grigio? By the way, this is not supposed to be a trick question, but essentially the two wines are produced from the same grape variety. Yes, Pinot Gris (French) is [...]
Posted in Sommelier Stories, Tasting Notes, Wine Reviews | Tagged Alsace, An Epicurean Odyssey, Book, eBook, Italian Wine, Italy, Marlborough, New Zealand, New Zealand Wine Growers, Pinot Grigio, Pinot Gris, Robert Giorgione, Roving Sommelier, Sommelier Stories, Tasting Notes, Tinpot Hut, Villa Maria, wine blogs, Wine Reviews, Wine tasting |
By Robert Giorgione on May 14, 2013
Allegedly, wine writers just ‘write’ about wine and the art of food and wine matching every once in a while, yet sommeliers actually practise and demonstrate their skills and communicate their passion for food and wine matching, on a daily basis. It is a skill that requires dedication and the precise understanding of your product and your [...]
Posted in Food and Wine Matching, Sommelier Stories, Wine Reviews | Tagged An Epicurean Odyssey, Book, Caesar Salad, Chardonnay, chicken, Chile, eBook, Errazuriz, Food and wine matching, food blogs, New York, Orrery, Robert Giorgione, Roving Sommelier, Sommelier, Sommelier Stories, wine blogs, Wine Reviews, Wines of Chile |
By Robert Giorgione on May 11, 2013
Yes, that’s right! You did read that correctly – a Danish artisan chocolatier! Mikkel Friis-Holm is quickly grabbing the attention of chocolate lovers and connoisseurs around the world with his exquisite, pure dark chocolate bars. Helen Heslop (General Manager of Alexeeva & Jones in London’s trendy Notting Hill) gave me one of his 70% cacao “pure dark [...]
Posted in Food and Wine Matching, Product Reviews, Sommelier Stories, Wine Reviews | Tagged Alexeeva & Jones, An Epicurean Odyssey, Artisan chocolatiers, Book, Chocolate, eBook, Food and wine matching, food blogs, Friis Holm, Helen Heslop, Mikkel Friis-Holm, Product Reviews, Robert Giorgione, Roving Sommelier, Sommelier Stories, Waitrose, Waitrose Wine, wine blogs, Wine Reviews, Wine tasting |
By Robert Giorgione on May 9, 2013
For most people, myself included, there’s possibly no other ingredient considered most quintessentially English, than our wonderful asparagus. More to the point, right now this delicious product is bang in season. Therefore, it should taste at its best. Here’s a quick and simple recipe which I like to cook from time to time. It’s a [...]
Posted in Food and Wine Matching, Recipes, Sommelier Stories, Wine Reviews | Tagged An Epicurean Odyssey, Asparagus, Book, eBook, English Asparagus, English Wine, Food and wine matching, food blogs, recipe, Recipes, Robert Giorgione, Roving Sommelier, Sommelier, Sommelier Stories, wine blogs, Wine Reviews |
By Robert Giorgione on May 7, 2013
Down in deepest, darkest West Sussex is a lovely vineyard called “Stopham Estate“. It was planted and founded by Simon Woodhead in 2007. Even though Simon produces a small, but interesting range of wines, the one I’m most enthusiastic about is his Pinot Gris. I first tasted it around two and half years ago at the [...]
Posted in Interviews, Sommelier Stories, Videos, Wine Reviews | Tagged An Epicurean Odyssey, Book, eBook, Interviews, Pinot Gris, Robert Giorgione, Roving Sommelier, Simon Woodhead, Sommelier Stories, Stopham Estate, Stopham Vineyard, Sussex, Videos, wine blogs, Wine Reviews, You Tube |
By Robert Giorgione on May 2, 2013
For me, kicking back and relaxing with family and friends and enjoying good food and wine is one of life’s little treats. You may be aware that I have a particular passion and fondness for all things Spanish. I really love the ‘tapas lifestyle’ – taking your time to enjoy tasty, little morsels, which are mainly [...]
Posted in Sommelier Stories, Wine Reviews | Tagged An Epicurean Odyssey, Book, Dos Palmas, Food and wine matching, Gonzalez Byass, Jerez, Palomino, Passionate For Palomino, Robert Giorgione, Roving Sommelier, sherry, Sommelier Stories, Spain, Spanish produce, wine blogs, Wine Reviews, Wines from Spain |
By Robert Giorgione on April 29, 2013
It’s pretty much a well-documented fact that I love New Zealand. Not only do I have family and friends there, but also I adore the country for its natural and picturesque beauty and for the production of premium quality wines. For me, Marlborough, as a wine region has become synonymous with Sauvignon Blanc. Without question, [...]
Posted in Sommelier Stories, Tasting Notes, Wine Reviews | Tagged An Epicurean Odyssey, Book, Dog Point Vineyard, eBook, Fields Morris and Verdin, Fifth Floor, Ivan Sutherland, James Healy, Marlborough, New Zealand, New Zealand Wine Growers, Orrery, Robert Giorgione, Roving Sommelier, Sauvignon Blanc, Sommelier Stories, Tasting Notes, wine blogs, Wine Reviews |
By Robert Giorgione on April 26, 2013
Whether you’re in the mood for traditional fish n chips (or ‘fush n chups’), a Thai style fish curry or a lovely, comforting fish pie, for me, this off-dry Riesling from New Zealand should do the trick. Waipara, located in Canterbury in the South Island is steeped in tradition for making top-class Rieslings. There’s a taste and [...]
Posted in Food and Wine Matching, Sommelier Stories, Wine Reviews | Tagged An Epicurean Odyssey, Book, Canterbury, eBook, Food and wine matching, Greystone, New Zealand, New Zealand Wine Growers, riesling, Robert Giorgione, Roving Sommelier, Sommelier Stories, Waipara, wine blogs, Wine Reviews |
By Robert Giorgione on April 25, 2013
Back in the day, Thursday night was always pasta night in our household. I fondly remember my father used to cook up many delicious meals that normally featured various types of pasta and tasty sauces. One of my favourites was the one with rabbit. Here’s a simple recipe that I like to cook from time to [...]
Posted in Food and Wine Matching, Recipes, Sommelier Stories, Wine Reviews | Tagged An Epicurean Odyssey, Book, Chardonnay, eBook, Food and wine matching, food blogs, New Zealand, New Zealand Wine Growers, Pinot Noir, recipe, Recipes, Robert Giorgione, Roving Sommelier, Sommelier Stories, wine blogs, Wine Reviews |
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