Wine Review: Bodega Norton 2014 Barrel Select Cabernet Sauvignon

Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon (100%)
Region: Luján de Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina.
Producer: Bodega Norton
Alcohol: 13.6%

Deep ruby-red in color; with aromas of blackberry and red pepper with hints of spice; dry with full body, balanced acidity and firm structure; ripe black fruit is enhanced by notes of vanilla and black pepper, with flavours lingering on to a medium finish.

Suggested Food Pairing

grilled skirt steak with chimichurri sauce, braised lamb shanks and Grilled Chorizo

liz-palmer.com – June 15, 2017
Rating: 88 points

Notes
Awards: Silver Wines of Argentina, awarded 2016

Wine Review: Fleur Du Cap 2016 Bergkelder Selection Chardonnay

Varietal: Chardonnay (100%)
Region: Western Cape, South Africa
Producer: Bergkelder Ltd.
Alcohol: 13.6%

This lush offering is medium-bodied, brilliantly clear with light straw hues; boasts fresh citrus notes on the nose followed by hints of tropical fruit, revealing hints of oak and spice, which unveils right through on the taste; a beautiful balance between sweetness and acidity that leads to long lingering finish.

Suggested Food Pairing
This wine works wonders with seafood especially shellfish, mussels and oysters. It is also a good choice for creamy curies, rich chicken dishes and medium cheeses. Serve chilled, but not ice cold.

liz-palmer.com – June 13, 2017
Rating: 90 points

Notes:
Fleur du Cap has been ranked amongst the world’s finest Chardonnays as one of only two South African wines to receive a gold medal at the 2015 Chardonnay du Monde competition in Burgundy, France.

http://www.fleurducap.co.za/
www.instagram.com/fleurducapwines/
https://twitter.com/FleurduCapWines?lang=en

Book Review: The Ultimate Guide To Champagne

 

“Congratulations Liz for putting your PASSION for Champagne into life and making it accessible to many people.

Great book, with all what needs to be known about Champagne and getting to appreciate it more, from his history to his making, and demonstrating again that wine (even if it is not still) is always about people and passion!

Thank you for your great contribution to the world of wine and your tribute to Champagne.”

 

Christian Frayssignes
Christian Wine Consulting
www.christianwineconsulting.com

Press Release: Canadian Author selected finalist in the prestigious Gourmand Wine and Drinks Awards

TORONTO – The Gourmand Awards jury has announced that “The Ultimate Guide to Champagne” by Liz Palmer is a finalist in the category “Best French Wine Book”. The book was published by Liz Palmer Media Group Inc., Toronto.

The Gourmand World Cookbook and Wine Book Awards, often noted as the “Oscars” of the food and wine world, were founded in 1995 by Edouard Cointreau, of the liqueur and cognacs family, and take place in prominent cities each year. Celebrating global cookbook and wine book publishing, the awards feature many world-renowned chefs, photographers, wine writers and food writers each year.

This year there were over 10,000 submissions from over 209 countries competing for the awards. The list of finalists can be found here: http://www.cookbookfair.com/

“Being announced a 2017 finalist in the Gourmand World Cookbook and Wine Book Awards was a surreal feeling,” says Liz. “I was sitting on the tarmac at the João Paulo II Airport (Azores) going through my emails and found the press release … I wanted to jump up and down—I was so excited!!” “It’s truly a real honour to be nominated!”

The Ultimate Guide To Champagne will now compete in its category against winners from other countries for the Best in the World. The results will be announced on May 27 & 28, 2017 at the Gourmand Awards Ceremony in Yantai, China.

ABOUT THE BOOK
There is much more to champagne than the drink – Champagne is named after the region where it is grown, fermented and bottled. This essential guide takes you to this region, explores its culture and honours its history.

Unlike any other book about Champagne, The Ultimate Guide To Champagne is the most comprehensive and visually stunning guide you’ll ever come across – in these pages you’ll discover:

Over 220 Engaging Photos, Maps, Detailed Charts, and Historical Anecdotes
How to Explore the Region
Grape Varieties and Styles
Grand Marques / Growers and Cooperatives, The Annual Viticulture Cycle, Harvest and Production, Champagne and Food Pairing Guides
How to Cook with Champagne
Recipes from Champagne Families
How to Taste and Identify Flavors
How to describe and Rate Champagne
How to Shop, Store and Serve
Champagne Etiquette & Style
Tips for Weddings
International Champagne Bars
The Economics of Champagne
Health Benefits
Science Facts
Extensive Glossaries
and much more…

The Ultimate Guide To Champagne is highly recommended for everyone, from beginners to experts. It’s a remarkable point of reference into which any wine lover or professional can dip in and browse.

The Champagne Bible for ALL wine lovers.

Amazon and Kindle Site https://goo.gl/a7JH9j

ABOUT THE GOURMAND AWARDS

• The Gourmand World Cookbook Awards were founded in 1995 by Edouard Cointreau. Every year, they honour the best food and wine books, printed or digital.
• Books from 209 countries participate in these prestigious awards, the only international competition of the sector.
• Every year, Gourmand gives the awards in a very special location for gastronomy. The awards ceremony is an opportunity to meet top people in the world of food wine and books: hundreds of international publishers, authors, chefs and journalists participate.

Canadian Press Contact
liz@liz-palmer.com
phone +1 (416) 616-0999

Liz Palmer is available for interviews and live appearances.

The Ultimate Guide to Champagne Book Review by Zis Parras Ph.D.

This book is an excellent resource for the wine enthusiast and novice alike. Liz Palmer has truly written the ultimate guide to Champagne. This book covers all the key points about Champagne from the history, business, gastronomy, tourism, and many references to Champagne in popular culture. Palmer describes the region of Champagne with a level of familiarity and intimacy that the reader will truly appreciate. What I especially liked about this book was the inclusion of addresses of wineries, places to stay, other places of interest and a calendar of annual events. This helps give the reader a detailed overview of the region of Champagne. Palmer includes many practical hints and tips, that will make visiting the region of Champagne easy, enjoyable and stress free. The timeline in Chapter 3 “History of Champagne” is a very useful tool for anyone with an interest in knowing the key events about Champagne. Chapter 4 which describes the many parties involved in the growing, making, marketing and branding of Champagne. This chapter is very instructive on demystifying the historical and traditional ways in which Champagne is sold around the world. Chapter 8, which describes on the economics and the business side of Champagne help to explain why the wine commands the premium prices it does. Chapters 9 througho 12 covers shopping, tasting and the etiquette of Champagne all addnd but describes the also having the reader appreciate the special nature of Champagnethe wine. Chapters 13 to through 20 describe outline where to enjoy Champagne, the gastronomy and cocktails all and help to illustrate how and where to enjoy drinking Champagne. As a person who loves glossaries,, for seeking technical definitions, I found this glossary to be very thorough. Most people (unlike myself) probably never read appendices and but the ones in this book are just very as useful and informative as the rest of the book. The book ends with Appendix Appendices A through C that lists quotes, vintage years summaries and Champagne knowledge and was a great way to end the book. The size of the text, the quality of the printing and the many photographs all combine to create an inviting and easy to follow book. The overall impression is was not lost on me as to the special nature of Champagne for France and for the world. Champagne is the world’s premium wine that never falls out of fashion. Champagne appears to be gaining momentum as the one wine people everywhere associate with style, quality and celebration. This book is an excellent resource that is also enjoyable to read and it will be part of my sources on wine for many years to come.

Zis Parras Ph.D., WSET L3, French Wine Scholar
Wine Agent
Toronto, Canada

The Ultimate Guide to Champagne is available on Amazon and Kindle at http://amzn.to/2lF8ZFX