Manoavino Taste!

Exciting Spring Events at French Institute Alliance Francaise

Never satisfied with simply great, French Institute Alliance Française has stepped up their spring events with a partnership with Food and Wine Magazine to present two exciting programs in their 2014 Art de Vivre Series for food and wine lovers like you and me.

À table !

The Art of French Dessert: Cronuts, Chocolate, Pastries
Dominique Ansel, Jacques Torres & Zachary Golper• Wed, May 7

The Greats of French Cuisine in NY
Alain Ducasse, Anita Lo & Maguy Le Coze • Wed, June 4

&

Wine Tour de France

Bordeaux Smackdown: 2009 vs. 2010 Vintages • Thu, May 1
The Secrets to Drinking Top French Wine in NY • Thu, May 15
Tasty Terroirs • Thu, June 12

So we say Sante!  --- Cheers!  More Information Here

Red Wine with Chicken? Well Yea, Almost Anytime

The conventional wisdom of white wine with chicken and fish and red with meats is so old school.  Light, Medium, even full bodied red wines are fabulous with inspired and richly flavored chicken dishes. Here is an Italian combo you will love.

The Wine: Castello Monaci Salice Salentino Liante $$

The Food: Country Italian

The Place: Home this night, with are hearts in Salice Salentino, Puglia.

A Perfect Time to Discover Chilean Chardonnay

Chardonnay is a wonderful grape because it so gracefully embraces and expresses the terrior of the places where it is grown. Chilean Chardonnays are delicious but certainly different than French or California or any other of the many regions where this grape flourishes.  I find them especially good with food that has a South or Central American influence. They are also incredible values.

The Wine: Quintay Clava Coastal Reserve Chardonnay Casablanca Valley $

The Food: Mexican inspired Grilled Tilefish, Sautéed Grape Tomatoes and Roasted Carrots and Parsnips.

The Places:  Home of Course, it was Saturday, and Casablanca, Valparaíso Region, Northwest of Santiago, Chile

Wine maker Paula Cardenas will put a smile on your face as you sip her luscious wine.

An Austrian Wine, Leth Gruner Veltliner, with T.S. Ma Chinese Cuisine

 

Years ago, I’d accept “Gruner What?” as an acceptable question, no more! Gruner Veltliner is a wine you either love, or you haven’t tasted it, or OK, you hate all white wine, that I’ll accept.  It pairs well with so many cuisines, but especially Asian. This particular Gruner is exceptional. If you have not tried Gruner Veltliner, time to get with it. If you have, this is one you will love.

The Wine: Weingut Leth, Gruner Veltliner Steinagrund 2012 $$

The Food: Fresh, Healthy and Authentic Chinese from the kitchen of Thomas Ma

The Places: T.S. Ma, Chinese, in Montclair NJ, and Winery Leth, Fels am Wagram, Austria

Prosecco was Created for Meals Like This - Asolo Prosecco Superiore Millesimato

They say that Prosecco was created for afternoon drinking, though in the US it is consumed much later than that. As its popularity has grown  here, so has the quality of production in Italy. This Processco made this meal perfect.

The Wine: Montelvini, Venegazzu, Asolo Prosecco Superiore Millesimato $$

The Food: A lovely brunch with friends, soup, salad, sandwich; simple, yet crafted to perfection

The Place: Home of Anne and Will, overlooking the falls, at The Mill, Little Falls.

The wine complemented each dish from soup to dessert so perfectly.