by Paige Donner

Cognac for the most important ♥ holiday of the year!? Yes! And not just for your fella. But for your Lady (love) as well. 

Scenes from Cognac

all photos by and c.Paige Donner 2012 

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Click Here for Slideshow Hennessy, Courvoisier, Remy Martin and Paul Giraud (in that order)

Women love things that are smooth, warm, that glide just the right way and yet still have that appropriate touch of femininity. You might think that I'm describing lovely lingerie. But, No! I'm talking about cognac. That's right!  Cognac can be YOUR dreamy passport to love and pleasure this Valentine's Day!

On a recent trip to Cognac, I was tasked with spitting out X.O. and Paradis...From all the best makers... Some that you've no doubt heard of and some that you'll only hear about and get to taste if you venture into the quaint and cordial hinterland of France that is Cognac.

Click Here for Slideshow Hennessy, Courvoisier, Remy Martin and Paul Giraud

I'm not a spirits drinker and anything tougher than champagne usually makes me gag. So I was a hard sell in terms of being persuaded to see the merits of enjoying a sip of cognac or two. For me the idea of the cognac cocktail - a dose of cognac mixed with champagne and some Chambord or cognac with green tea and a few shakes of a couple other things - were the ways I was ready to take my medicine.

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Click Here for Slideshow Hennessy, Courvoisier, Remy Martin and Paul Giraud (in that order)

Cognac For ♥ Valentine’s Day

One of the qualities that got me to hang in there, though, is that cognac is the only spirit, or eau de vie, that is distilled from grapes. Gazing out at the wintry landscape of hibernating vines somehow reassured me that this spirit was different. I was tasting a form of wine, after all. Also, unsurprisingly, cognac was originally a happy accident. A couple of barrels of wine gone bad on their shipment to England a few centuries ago...a dose of French innovation and farmer ingenuity and Voila', cognac!

Click Here for Slideshow Hennessy, Courvoisier, Remy Martin and Paul Giraud 

After tasting (and spitting!) my way through approximately 75 blends and brands of cognac, I discovered that there were a handful that I could sip and savor. And it wasn't only the XO's that pleased my palate. There were a couple of VSOP's that made the cut. Though, I admit, once you've tasted Paradis, you'll swear you've heard the angels sing!

Cognac - It's not named X.O. for nothin'!

♥Chérie Du Vin

*For customized Cognac Travel Itineraries contact:  Local Food And Wine

Click Here for Slideshow Hennessy, Courvoisier, Remy Martin and Paul Giraud 

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Champagne And a Bodyguard - Holiday Wish List!

Coming in at a sexy just 30 Euros is Champagne Piper Heidsieck's new limited edition bottle wrapped in its own crocodile skin bodyguard. Think a lipstick red croc Kelly bag for your champagne. Makes a chic gift and the red latex imprint will pair nicely with your holiday heels or even your (naughty) red Santa Suit! Champagne is a blend of several vintages, with a dominance of Pinot Noir. Available at select Travel Retail outlets such as CDG Paris Airport store Aelia.

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Wine And Climate Change In The International Herald Tribune

Dear Readers and Wine Lovers: Please have a look at my recent article which originally appeared in the International Herald Tribune. It is also online at NYTimes.com with full LINK HERE.

by Paige Donner

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The Wine Yacht

“We wanted to put our own unique spin on traditional food and wine pairing concepts” says Chef Natasha Harris. “Clients who book the yacht will be able to show their guests Vancouver from a new perspective, while learning about interesting wine and food combinations using local ingredients. It’s a great opportunity to showcase our city and what we are privileged to have here.”

 

Created by Sunset Bay’s ISG accredited Executive Chef Natasha Harris, The Wine Yacht’s interactive group tasting sessions are designed to provide clients with an informative and unique custom tasting event while on board the “Sunset Bay II” private yacht. Each tasting station features premium wine varietals from BC and around the world, paired with small plates inspired by the corresponding wine’s region.

Available for groups up to 275, The Wine Yacht’s tasting packages range in style and variety, and offer something for everyone from wine tasting novices to experienced wine connoisseurs. 

Featuring local products like Nicola Valley Beef and Venison, Maple Hills Free Range Chicken, Ocean Wise® sustainable seafood and fresh organic produce, The Wine Yacht’s flavorful combinations are sure to be a hit.

The Wine Yacht sets out to combine the popular art of food and wine pairing with the exclusivity of a luxury private group charter experience.

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Insider Guide to the 8th Annual San Diego Bay Wine & Food Festival

Sponsored Post

SAM THE COOKING GUY WANTS YOU TO CHECK OUT HIS INSIDER GUIDE TO THE FESTIVAL! San Diego's beloved Sam the Cooking Guy has created a list of tips to help you master the 8th Annual San Diego Bay Wine & Food Festival! As a seasoned Festival veteran for the last 7 years, Sam knows a thing or two about the event and wants to give you a sneak peak into the action-packed culinary week that only a foodie could appreciate. Discover insider tips, top picks and must-sees at this year's Grand Tasting.  CLICK HERE to view Sam's full Insider Guide to the Festival.      Click PLAY to watch Sam the Cooking Guy mention the 2011 San Diego Bay Wine & Food Festival      Share:   Experience the Epicurean Classic:   Buy Tickets Cooking Classes Tasting Seminars Celebrity Luncheon Reserve Tasting Grand Event   EVENT SPOTLIGHT: INDUSTRY INSIDER'S PARTY Hosted by: Searsucker and Chef Brian Malarkey Thursday, November 17, 2011 10:00 p.m. - Close Searsucker See and be seen at the Industry Insider's Party, where the who's who of the culinary world rub elbows and bask in the company of epicurean excellence. Enjoy specialty cocktails from Zacapa Rum and tray passed tasty bites created by Executive Chef of Searsucker, Brian Malarkey. Tickets are only available to participating Celebrity Chefs, Winemakers and Purveyors. A limited number of passes are available to the luckiest foodies who are first to purchase tickets. Don't miss out! CLICK HERE to buy tickets. Industry Insider's Party Sponsors:

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A Parisian Night of Cheese

By Paige Donner

[All photos by Paige Donner c. 2011]

Parisians are known to do things their own particular way. And when it comes to presenting their cheeses, they make no exception. 

An art exhibit that opened on October 6th at LaMilkFactory in Paris's boho chic 11th arrondissement is none other than a full art exhibit presenting imaginative ways to serve cheeses.

A staple of any French meal, cheese, does, of course, enjoy full status as a "course" all to itself in the line up of a meal. At Design Sur Un Plateau, Curator Cecile Cau, originator of the blog So Food So Good, and her co-hort, food design book author Stephane Bureaux, teamed up to imagine, envision and then carry out a food art design exhibit of "cheese platters" amongst a collaboration of 6 separate designers, all well-known in the field of gastronomy and/or design.

Stephane Bureaux, Food Art Design Author And Cheese Platter Designer

Germain Bourre, Consultant to Veuve Clicquot And Cheese Platter Designer

Even if cheese platters aren't your notion of haute gastronomique design art, I recommend going and checking out Design Sur Un Plateau, showing at Milk Factory (www.lamilkfactory.com) through January 14th, if for no other reason than the showroom is across the street from Paris's best stocked Argentinian wine bar El Galpon (Trapiche, Schroeder; Malbecs, Torrentes...) and just next door to Paris's well-loved Argentinian restaurant Unico, where meat-lovers can get a great steak at a really good price. In fact, the whole neighborhood is full of terrific little restaurants and is known to the locals as a "coin de gastronomie" where you can find authentically good meals at prices affordable to us working stiffs.

5, rue Paul Bert, Paris 75011

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Natalie MacLean's Unquenchable!

From The Nat Decants Newsletter: 

I'm so excited about the amazing cross-country tour Random House/Doubleday has planned for the launch of my second bookUnquenchable! 

There are events planned across the country ... all of them include wine tasting and some amusing stories from the book: Vancouver, Okanagan, Whistler, Calgary, Winnipeg, Toronto, Niagara, Ottawa, Montreal, Halifax, St. John's

Tickets went on sale yesterday and are going very quickly. I hope you'll join me at one of these events ... there are others planned across the country as well.

Unquenchable has now been #1 wine book on Amazon for three weeks thanks to your pre-orders.

Today's wine picks feature terrific pinot noir and riesling for turkey dinner, as well as a wide selection of buttery-great chardonnays and one of the funniest wine labels I've seen that's also a tasty red wine.

To help you get ready for Thanksgiving next weekend, I've also posted my top five tips on choosing gobbling good wines!