Taste of Bev Hills: The Sommelier Challenge
From Denise Fondo’s superb Middle Crescent Kitchen blog:
I was scheduled to cover a number of demonstrations and events during the day, but managed to miss most of them. Too much food to taste! I did attend Boys Versus Girls Sommelier Blind Tasting hosted by Bonnie Graves. Randy Fuller will be writing about the this event on Now and Zin. Not to give anything away but Graves threw in a Two Buck Chuck as a trick wine and it was fun to watch sommeliers fooled into thinking it might sell for $12 a glass in a restaurant. Loved the surprise when it came out of the bag to be revealed as Trader Joe’s cheap and popular wine.
And from Randy Fuller’s great Now & Zin blog: The Sommelier Challenge
The highlight event for me was the Boys vs Girls Sommelier Blind Tasting challenge. Eight noted sommeliers – four men and four women – competed in a wine competition that was spirited and aimed more at whimsy than winning.
The Taste of Beverly Hills Event Sommelier Bonnie Graves presided over the competition with a light touch. It was an entertaining event which included panelists David Rosoff from Osteria Mozza, Dana Farner from CUT, Christopher Lavin from XIV, Caroline Styne of AOC and Lucques, Jonathan Mitchell of the Palm, Rebecca Chapa from the Culinary Institute of America, Mark Mendoza of Sona and Comme Ça, and Diane DeLuca from the Estates Group.
The competition was a battle of the sexes. The male sommeliers jumped out to an early lead with the correct identification of the first wine as Prosecco. The gentlemen scored again by getting the Macon Chardonnay right. The ladies nailed the Sauvignon Blanc, but could not correctly identify it as a New Zealand wine. Wine number four was the ringer – Charles Shaw Merlot – which sent both sides scurrying to name it – to no avail. The game changer for the women was getting the Rioja Tempranillo Reserva correct down to the last detail.
Bonnie Graves Overview
Bonnie Graves is building a multi-platform brand around wine, travel and lifestyle. Similar to food/lifestyle personalities like Martha Stewart, Wolfgang Puck and Rachael Ray, Graves aims to share her unique wine expertise via both traditional media outlets and digital channels in a way that is informative, inclusive and fun.
Her goal is to demystify wine for the average consumer while simultaneously celebrating its unique role as a cross-cultural passport. Bonnie has extensive “insider” industry experience as a sommelier at legendary restaurants such as Jean-Georges, Union Square Café and Spago Beverly Hills, and has a wealth of contacts in the international wine and restaurant communities.
As a Harvard graduate fluent in several languages and a former actress/model, Bonnie possesses a rare combination of practical smarts and on-camera comfort. Recent television appearances include a FINE LIVING show in Santa Barbara’s wine country, KTLA’s “The Morning Show” and a feature episode on Champagne for WEALTH TV. Graves has also been featured in USA Today, Forbes, MSNBC, the Los Angeles Times, Food and Wine, Bon Appétit, Daily Variety, Patterson’s Beverage Journal and California Wine and Food. Read more >>
