• Mommessin
• Joseph Drouhin
• Bouchard, a Beaujolia-Villages Nouveau from Georges Duboeuf
• and NuVo – while not a Beujolias, it’s a unique sparkling liqeueur.

The events will take place from 6:00 – 8:00 pm, and some wine-friendly meats and cheeses will be served alongside the wines. Please see the schedule below.

Friday, November 21st

• North Miami located at 12555 Biscayne Blvd (305) 892-9463
• Pembroke Pines located at 151 Hiatus Road (954) 496-9463

Saturday, November 22nd

• Vero Beach- 6350 20th Street 772-564-9863
• Miami Lakes- 15507 NW 67th Avenue 305-362-7510

If your schedule is already booked up for this weekend, be sure to mark your calendar for the grand opening of the Miami Lakes location on Saturday, December 6th. For only $15, guests will receive a sampling of over 50 fine wines, a free Reidel glass and a selection of gourmet food items to pair with your wine.

Photo Credit: yashima @ flickr

Post from: The South Florida Traveler

• Football, football and did I say football? There’s never a bad day for football, especially on Thanksgiving Day. Tennessee takes on Detroit at 12:30 (will they win that first game of the year against the league’s only undefeated team this year?), Seattle goes to Dallas at 4:15 and Arizona takes on the Eagles at 8:15 pm.
• Movie Marathon anyone? There’s 4 movies being released the day before Thanksgiving and you could be one of the first to check them out. “Four Christmases” starring Reese Witherspoon and Vince Vaughn is released on the 26th. This happily unmarried couple have planned an extravagant getaway for the holidays, but due to weather they find their vacation plans ruined and end up going to four family functions that day instead. Their feelings are spread in all directions as one can’t wait until they escape, while the other is starting to think about “other” things. Also, scheduled to be released are Australia starring Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman, Milk starring Sean Penn and Emily Hirsch highlighting the life of Harvey Milk, the first openly gay man elected to public office, and Transporter 3 starring Jason Stathaym.

• Are you looking to find a tasty Thanksgiving turkey dinner, without having to do all of the leg work? Make your reservation today. Opentable.com has a pretty extensive line-up of restaurants throughout South Florida ranging from traditional menus to innovative inspirations. Whether you want a prix fixed menu or are more of that a la carte type of meal, you will find what you are looking for in Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade counties.
• Has it been awhile since you’ve used that grill? Invite some friends over, put a turkey on the grill and have everyone bring a side dish. For wine, epicurious put out an interesting article on the top 5 turkey friendly wines, along with some delicious recipes. Don’t forget to take some pictures to send up to your northern friends as they are fighting the cold.
• Make a shopping list for Black Friday, go to bed early, and get ready to fight the crowds at 5 am.
• Make a list of everything you are thankful for. Take part in the true reason behind this holiday.

Photo Credit: xybermatthew @ flickr

Post from: The South Florida Traveler

Now, here’s another reason to make your way to this South Florida landmark: On Thursday, August 7th they will be hosting a Gourmet BBQ supporting the scholarship program at The American Institute for Wine and Food.Baleen has created a zinful BBQ sauce from Ravenswood Zinfandel Big River and their special summer menu will be paired with the top wines from Ravenswood. Just reading the recipe for the Summer Corn “Chowder” which features seared Sea scallops with a sweet truffle corn broth and lobster hash makes my mouth water..then there is the Apple Pie Salad and that is just one of the four finger-licking courses. The feast starts at 7:00 pm.

Tickets are available at aiwf.org and are $80 for members, $90 for non-members.Baleen is located at Grove Isle Hotel & Spa, 305-858-8300 

Here is the menu: 

•  Reception: Hogue Cellars Genesis Riesling
• 1st course: “Pork n Beans” – smoked confit pork belly with a black bean relish served with Ravenswood Chardonnay
• 2nd course: Apple Pie salad – cinnamon grilled apple topped with micro greens and citrus vinaigrette served with Ravenswood Zinfandel
• 3rd course: Summer Corn “Chowder” – Seared Sea scallops with a sweet truffle corn broth and lobster hash served with Ravenswood Zinfandel Dickerson
• 4th course: Ravenswood Zinfandel BBQ Short Rib – braised bone in short rib on top of a warm potato salad and a Ravenswood Zinfandel BBQ glaze served with Ravenswood Zinfandel Big River 
• Dessert: Ooey Gooey Butter Cake – summer raspberries and a cafe con leche coulis 

Photo Courtesy of Grove Isle Hotel & Spa 

Post from: The South Florida Traveler

You are looking for a relaxed night out with friends. You don’t want anything too crazy, but would rather mingle amongst friends with a glass of Sauvignon Blanc in hand and are looking for that perfect wine bar to set the tone. Here is a list of some of your options:

• Wine 69 is located just steps away from Michy’s and offers over 250 wines by the glass. Their motto is “wine for sharing, food for pairing” and it sets a perfect tone for meeting up with close friends.  Along with offering wine by the glass or by the bottle, Wine 69 offers 5 different tasting flights and a small food menu. Wine 69 is located at 6909 Biscayne Blvd in Miami (305) 759-0122.
• Vino Miami is located at 1601 Washington Avenue  in South Beach. 786-207-8466 Combining a retail store with a tasting bar, Vino attracts the 30 and older crowd in a chic setting. They offer small production and boutique wines and champagnes by the bottle and by the glass. Their menu of gourmet hors d’oeuvres complements the wine selection. They are closed on Sundays (in the summer) and Mondays (year-round), though are available on Mondays for events and private parties.
• The Grape is a wine bar and retail seller. They offer over 120 wines to taste by the bottle or glass. They also offer Grapes by the Bunch tasting flights.  On Wednesdays, Grape Crush takes place and they offer special red and white wine flights paired with complimentary appetizers. They have 2 locations in South Florida. The first is located in The Village Merrick Park at 360 San Lorenzo Avenue in Coral Gables (305) 444-9463. The second is located at Downtown at the Gardens, 11701 Lake Victoria Gardens Avenue in Palm Beach Gardens (561) 694-7799.
• Too Bizarre is both a restaurant and wine bar filled with plush couches and art work from local artists that is actually for sale. There is an extensive menu offering everything from tapas and sushi to a grilled NY Strip. They are located at 287 Indiantown Rd in Jupiter  (561) 745-6262.
• The Grape Merchant is located at The Shoppes at Pembroke Gardens. It is a combination of a wine boutique and bar. On Fridays, they offer glasses of wine for just $5. Stay there, or make your way to any one of the new restaurants located at The Shoppes. The Grape Merchant is located at 416 145th Terrace in Pembroke Pines. (954) 602-0000

Photo Credit: Smaku @ flickr

Post from: The South Florida Traveler

A few weeks ago I read a blog post about this new website featuring happy hours in the miami area and I’ve been watching it, and its definitely worth a post. For a time when everyone is trying to pinch their pennies, this site reminds you that you don’t need to just stay inside, but rather just be in tune with what’s going on around the area. The site called My Open Bar has versions in New York City, Miami, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Honolulu. You can search by specials according to the day or deals that are going on everyday. Here’s a round up of some to check out:

•  Wine Down Wednesdays, Level 25 at Conrad Miami - complimentary glass of wine if you roll a 2 or a 5. If you don’t get a 2 or a 5, you still get a glass of wine for just $5.
• Complimentary well drinks on Thursdays between 11:00 pm – midnight (and no cover) at B.E.D.
• Soca Sunday at The Biltmore - 1/2 off Ten Cane Rum Mojitos, Flamenco music, no cover
• 1/2 price wine night at Novecento 6:00 pm til close

For more deals, visit miami.myopenbar.com or sign up for their email list to receive weekly updates.

Photo Credit [Cayusa @ flickr] 

Post from: The South Florida Traveler

Tonight I attended a wine tasting at Beach House Bistro. Beach House is a casual restaurant with a tropical flair located right off of County Road in Palm Beach. It is absolutely adorable featuring an island inspired menu and a laid back atmosphere. The restaurant is just starting to make a name for itself as its only been open since December, but it is one that you need to keep on your radar. Tonight, Donnis Topel from Topel Winery was there for a wine tasting, and the restaurant was packed – quite unusual for the summer months in South Florida. A selection of wines from Topel were served including their brand new (it doesn’t even have a label made for it yet) Sauvignon Blanc. Guests were served spicy tuna rolls, crostini with olive tapenade, finger sandwiches, and a selection of fruits and cheeses created by Chef John Mecoli. This restaurant is a welcome addition to Palm Beach.

Post from: The South Florida Traveler