Go to a place that’s a little bit Italian, and a whole lot German, where Gewurztraminer originated, and shines alongside Pinot Nero and indigenous Lagrein and Schiava, and where dinner starts with Speck, moves onto pasta or knoedels and ends with apple strudel.  I’m talking about the breathtakingly beautiful wine region of Northern Italy: Alto Adige, as described in my recent article for Sommelier Journal.

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Derek Brown is the Mixologist of the Month in the current issue of Wine Enthusiast. Check out what’s happening at The Passenger/Columbia Room, and mix up his rum- and Cynar-based cocktail The Getaway:

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Just found out today that I PASSED the three WSET (Wine and Spirit Education Trust) Diploma exams that I took back in June (Units 4, 5 and 6–sparkling, spirits and fortified wines.) I’m VERY excited, as I was not thrilled with the prospect of retaking 1 (or more) of the exams…

This gets me one step closer to becoming Diploma certified–I passed the Unit 2 exam on viticulture and viniculture last fall. Next up is Unit 1, which includes a 3,000 word paper on the “premiumization of white spirits” and an exam, followed by Unit 3–the longest, most involved section: still wines of the world. Hopefully next June I will be able to say that I am WSET certified.

For those of you in the DC area, the Washington Wine Academy is the accredited organization for the WSET. If you live in another area, check out the WSET’s website to find an educator near you.

Time to go chill that bubbly…

DC will soon be getting a location of Cuba Libre

I’ve been to the Philly location of Cuba Libre several times. I love the Old Havana vibe, and years ago it was the first place I ever had a Mojito–and a pretty damn good one at that. (The bar is amazingly prolific, and can make a staggering number of the minty libation per evening. I’ve interviewed their bartenders for pieces for Nightclub and Bar and Wine Enthusiast, and gleaned some great tips and advice for whipping up my own tall cool ones.)

Next month, DC is getting our own Cuban invasion, as the preview opening of the District location is scheduled for September 17. It will open with a new menu specifically developed for Washington by Chef-Partner Guillermo Pernot. Executive Chef Jason Kaufman will oversee the day-to-day operations of the kitchen and Washingtonians can look forward to a delicious menu showcasing the flavors of various Latin regions with a menu that features piqueos, small tasting plates ideal for experiencing a multitude of delicious flavor combinations.

Guests of the inspired “Nuevo Cubano” restaurant can also look forward to a 50% discount on their meal until September 23^rd (excluding September 22nd as the restaurant will be closed for a private event). Then from September 24^th-Sepetember 30^th, guests can still enjoy a 25% discount before the full price menu begins on October 1^st. This special savings only applies to the cuisine (beverages will be offered at full price) during this preview period and is available at dinner service, which is served daily from 4 p.m. until 11 p.m. Cuba Libre will also open for lunch in October.

Cuba Libre’s menu showcases the flavors of various Latin regions and combines beef, poultry, pork and seafood with exotic fruits and vegetables, herbs and seasonings.  Pernot’s dishes recognize the diversity of the Cuban people, reaching beyond the dominant Spanish influence to represent the native Tainos, as well as the African, Asian and Haitian-Creole peoples that have inhabited Cuba for centuries. Pernot incorporates seasonal changes into the brunch, lunch and dinner menus, with entrée prices ranging $19-32.

The menu will showcase a variety of tempting ceviches from Chef Pernot’s James Beard Award-winning cookbook, ¡Ceviche! Seafood, Salads and Cocktails with a Latino Twist. Featuring sustainable fish like salmon, scallops and crabmeat, the ceviches will be available separately or in flights ($25 for five).

Cuba Libre Restaurant & Rum Bar is located at 801 A 9^th Street (corner of H Street), NW in Washington, D.C. Cuba Libre Restaurant & Rum Bar will serve lunch weekdays, brunch on Saturdays and Sundays and dinner nightly. For more information please call (202) 408-1600 or visit www.CubaLibreRestaurant.com.

Judging the Atlantic Seaboard Wine Competition

This past weekend, I had the opportunity to serve as one of twenty judges for the Atlantic Seaboard Wine Competition held at the Regency Country Club at Dominion Valley. It was actually only my second chance to be a wine judge (I also judged the Old Ebbitt Grill’s delicious yearly “Wines for Oyster” competition a few years ago that precedes their wildly popular Oyster Riot. Crisp whites and all the oysters you can taste? Sign me up!)

While I found it a bit daunting to taste that many wines over two days this past weekend (I lost count, but it was upwards of 130, I think…), it was also a great learning experience, especially for my next WSET Diploma unit. I was also grateful for the opportunity to taste a few varietals I had not before, including Noiret. We did teeth-staining reds on Saturday (accompanied by some non-acidic green olives, crackers and roast beef), and sparkling and white wines on Sunday.

Best of Show contenders

We judged both varietals and categories, and topped off the competition on Sunday afternoon by judging the 15 category winners to find the Best of Show wine. This is kind of like comparing apples to oranges, as you are comparing winners including sparkling, Viognier, Riesling, Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc and Bordeaux Blends, trying to find the best made wine of the bunch. But my colleagues and I, including Oya’s Andrew Stover, Food Service Monthly’s Michael Birchenall and The Washington Post’s Dave McIntyre were up to the challenge.

The overall Best of Show winner turned out to be the 2007 Rosemont Meritage from a small winery in southern Virginia. I did list them in my “top 5″ favorite category winners. I also really enjoyed the 2008 Gewurztraminer by Dr. Konstantin Frank, 2009 Dry Riesling by Glenora Wine Cellars, 2008 Pinot Noir by Oak Summit Vineyard, and the 2004 Brut by Chateau Frank .Congratulations to all the Category, Gold, Silver and Bronze medal winners. Here are the category winners–I was pleased to see that Virginia wines were well represented.

Most of the wines I tasted this weekend...

Bordeaux-Style Red Blends

2007 Meritage by Rosemont of Virginia, VA

Cabernet Franc

2007 Cabernet Franc by Ospreys Dominion Vineyards, Ltd., NY

Cabernet Sauvignon

2007 Rockawalkin by Aspen Dale Winery at the Barn, VA

Chambourcin

2007 Chambourcin by Alba Vineyard, NJ

Chardonnay

2007 Chardonnay by Bordeleau Winery, MD

Gewurztraminer

2008 Gewurztraminer by Dr. Konstantin Frank, NY

Merlot

2007 Merlot by Heritage Vineyards, NJ

Norton

2008 Norton Reserve by Cooper Vineyards, VA

Other Red Vinifera Blends

2009 Red Star by Veritas Winery, VA

Other Red Vinifera Varietals

2008 Petit Verdot by Veritas Winery, VA

Other White Hybrid/NA Varietal

2008 Vignoles by Presque Isle Wine Cellars, PA

Other White Vinifera Varietals

2009 Petit Manseng by Pearmund Cellars, VA

On Saturday, July 24^th from 3-5 PM at Columbia Firehouse (109 South St. Asaph Street in Alexandria, 703-683-1776), yin and yang beverages beer and wine will meet each other in a final showdown to determine whose pairing reigns supreme. Priced at $45 per person, guests at the Beer-Wine Throwdown will try six small plates, each with complementary wine and beer pairings, and will determine which pairing they prefer.

Neighborhood Restaurant Group Wine Director Juliana Santos and Beer Director Greg Engert will pick the pairings for the battle and will be on hand to explain and sway the vote.   Juliana adds Spanish flair to a Tomato and watermelon salad with a crisp Treixadura, Godella and Albarino blend from Bodegas O’Ventosela Vina Leirina from Ribeiro, while Greg pairs the salad with Oerbier from Brouwerij De Dolle, a Belgium dark ale with a touch of acidity.   If the escalating levels of trash talk are any indication, both remain confident in their drink of choice to bring home the crown. “When they start making beer that deserves to be cellared for five years, tell Greg to call me,” says Juliana.   “Beer kills because, unlike wine, it doesn’t need to be aged to be palatable. The only thing beer needs or deserves is to be drank and enjoyed, ” counters Greg.

Oooo..loving the smackdown already! May the best beverage win!

Bombay Sapphire, The United States Bartender Guild, and GQ Magazine have just announced the finalist of Washington DC’s “Inspired Bartender Search” as part of an ongoing activity to find the US’ most creative mixologist.

Mixologist Milo Rodriguez traveled through DC last week to taste the local bartenders most exciting, creative libations, using Bombay Sapphire.

Congrats to winner Duane Sylvestre of Bourbon Steak at The Four Seasons (2800 Pennsylvania Ave NW) and his winning recipe the West End Fizz. Duane will head to Las Vegas at the end of August to mix and mingle with the other 39 finalists for a chance to be the 2010 Inspired Bartender.

West End Fizz
Courtesy of Duane Sylvestre, Bourbon Steak, Washington, DC
1 1/2 oz. Bombay Sapphire gin
3/4 oz. grapefruit juice
3/4 oz. lemon juice
1/2 oz. ginger syrup (simple syrup infused with freshly grated ginger)
2 leaves Opal basil
1 egg white
2 1/2 oz. club soda

Combine grapefruit and lemon juice with syrup and basil and muddle.  Add egg white and Bombay Sapphire. Add ice, shake and double strain onto chilled highball glass without ice, and add club soda.

The Midnight Averna Smash cocktail is perfect for summer.

I’m a huge fan of bitter Italian digestivis–Campari, Aperol, Fernet Branca, you name it. if it’s got a bitter finish I’m all. over. it.

If you share my enthusiasm for these liqueurs, or even if you don’t but want to challenge your palate and branch out with a cocktail that’s not overwhelmingly bitter, try the Midnight Smash, with Sicily’s oldest licensed spirit, Averna Amaro.

Averna, Italy’s favorite Amaro, was once considered an after-dinner digestivo (to help settle stomachs after those filling Italian meals…) and is popping up on back bars and in cocktail menus across the country. Distilled from a delicate blend of flowers, herbs, dried fruits, spices and licorice, this secret Benedictine recipe renders a complex spirit with a smooth yet firm taste to the palate and a full-bodied, bitter sweet finish. It’s tamed by the muddle blackberries and fresh Meyer lemon juice, and ginger beer adds a pleasant effervescent kick.

Midnight Smash

6 blackberries
Juice of 1 Meyer lemon, hand-squeezed
1 oz. Averna
1 oz. orange-flavored vodka
2 oz. ginger beer

Muddle blackberries in a shaker, add the juice of 1 meyer lemon, Averna, and orange-flavored vodka and shake vigorously over ice. Strain over ice in a highball glass and add ginger beer. Garnish with an orange wheel.

A section of cocktails we sampled at Beefeater. The Bramble is front and center, with the blackberry garnish.

I’m in England this week, learning all about gin from the Master Distillers at Beefeater and Plymouth, and experiencing the London cocktail scene (it’s a rough life, but someone has to do it…)

Beefeater Master Distiller Desmond Payne explains the various botanicals that go into his gins.

Today we visited the Beefeater Distillery, the last of the major London Dry gins to actually be produced in London. Master Distiller Desmond Payne took us on the tour of the distillery, where we learned about the origins and flavor profiles of the various botanicals that go into Beefeater. He also led us through a comparative nosing/tasting of some other gins on the market, before we were let loose in the Beefeater bar to sample a variety of classic and contemporary gin cocktails, including a Sangaree, Collins, White Lady and a smoky, brooding variation on the Martinez made with Lapsang Souchong-infused Beefeater 24. Delish.

One of my favorite drinks was the refreshing citrus- and blackberry-based Bramble:

Bramble
2 oz. Beefeater gin
1 oz. fresh lemon juice
1 barspoon of simple syrup (they used a thicker gomme syrup, though you could do a 2:1 sugar to water simple syrup)
1/2 oz. Creme de Mure (blackberry liqueur)
Lemon slice and blackberry, for garnish.

Add gin, lemon juice and sugar to rocks glass. Stir, add crushed ice, and top with Creme de Mure. Garnish with a lemon slice and a blackberry.

Tomorrow we’re taking a picturesque journey down to Plymouth for more gin-spiration.