GAYOT's Blog

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Lufthansa Private Jet, German airline Deutsche Lufthansa AG’s private jet service, is offering direct flights to more than 1,000 destinations within North America, Europe, the Russian Federation and North Africa.

Onboard Lufthansa Private Jets, which can be booked on short notice, passengers can enjoy catering and entertainment suited to their personal preferences. On the ground, Lufthansa Private Jet passengers will be chauffeured to and from the airport via limousine service and will have access to First Class lounges at all departure and arrival airports.

Continue reading “Lufthansa Private Jet Service – Travel News” »

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Price: $28

Rating: 14/20

Region: Napa Valley, California

Varietal: 100 percent Chardonnay

Alcohol: 14.2 percent

Tasting Notes: A complex, food-friendly wine, the Sequoia Grove 2011 Napa Valley Chardonnay features fresh lemongrass, golden apple and baked bread aromas. Crisp and clean in the mouth, it reveals mineral and almond notes with hints of nutmeg on the finish.

Food Pairings: Herb salad, white fish, brie cheese

Other Chardonnays we have tasted

Check out GAYOT’s Napa Valley Travel Guide

Continue reading “Sequoia Grove 2011 Napa Valley Chardonnay – Wine of the Week Review” »

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by Sophie Gayot
Those who know me know that I don’t really get intimidated. But last night when the time came to speak on camera with maestro Plácido Domingo, I was. The ”King of Opera” had just finished conducting the world premiere of opera Dulce Rosa at The Broad Stage in Santa Monica.

Continue reading “Chatting with Maestro Plácido Domingo” »

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by Michelle Kwan

 

The region of Burgundy (English for “Bourgogne”), situated in the heart of France, contains five wine-producing areas: Chablis, Côte de Nuits, Côte de Beaune, Côte Chalonnaise and Mâconnais. Primarily comprised of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, the wines grown here are noted for their quality, diversity and adaptability to virtually every type of fare. To prove this, the Bourgogne Wine Board (BIVB) selected some top New York City restaurants to serve as testing grounds for the compatibility between Burgundy wines and various international cuisines.

Continue reading “Burgundy Takes Manhattan” »

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Virgin Galactic is making history while pioneering commercial space travel. On April 29, 2013, the SpaceShipTwo, a rocket-powered space vehicle, took off from Mojave, California, at 7:02 a.m. Pilot Mark Stucky and co-pilot Mike Alsbury ignited the rocket motor at an altitude of 47,000 feet, reaching a maximum altitude of 55,000 feet and a supersonic speed of Mach 1.2. SpaceShipTwo landed smoothly at approximately 8 a.m. after a successful flight. Following a series of similar tests, Virgin Galactic and partners expect to test full space flight within the year.

Continue reading “Successful Test of Virgin Galactic’s Future Commercial Spacecraft – Travel News” »

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The New Persian Kitchen

By Louisa Shafia

(Ten Speed Press, 2013)

In The New Persian Kitchen, Louisa Shafia draws on her Iranian heritage to create modern dishes that blend Old World Persian cuisine with contemporary farm-to-table cooking. The book’s 75 recipes combine time-honored Iranian ingredients like pomegranates and pistachios with non-traditional foods such as amaranth and quinoa.

Continue reading “The New Persian Kitchen — Book Review” »

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Following the Wine Trail from Genesis to the Modern Age

By Randall Heskett & Joel Butler

(Palgrave Macmillan, 2012)

What wines would Jesus drink? Would he choose a classic French Champagne, a cult Napa Cab or perhaps a kosher wine from Israel? The authors of Divine Vintage speculate that if Jesus were alive today he would drink wines flavored with resin, spiced with honey or mixed with seawater — ancient styles with which he would already be familiar. Mas des Tourelles in France, for example, makes such wines today under the guidance of archaeologists.

Despite the title, Divine Vintage is less a book about religion than about eastern Mediterranean wine. Randall Heskett, a biblical scholar, and Joel Butler, a Master of Wine, each bring their own expertise to bear on the region’s ancient winemaking history as well as its contemporary wine industry. The first half of Divine Vintage is primarily concerned with references to wine in the Bible, which are put into a wider historical context and illustrated by archaeological finds, such as earthenware wine jugs and stone winepresses.

Continue reading “Divine Vintage – Book Review” »

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Price: $28

Rating: 14/20

Region: Southern Dalmatia, Croatia

Varietal: 100 percent Plavac Mali

Alcohol: 14.5 percent

Tasting Notes: Like its cousin Zinfandel, the Plavac Mali varietal makes bold red wines characterized by black fruit flavors and high alcohol content. The Dingač Vinarija 2008 Postup is a bright, intense wine showing firm tannins and complex mineral notes.

Food Pairings: Olives, anchovies, meaty stews

Other red wines we have tasted

Check out GAYOT’s Europe Travel Guide

Continue reading “Dingač Vinarija 2008 Postup – Wine of the Week Review” »

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By Anneli Rufus

 

 

Happy hour just got happier at Poggio. The Sausalito trattoria has launched its new Negroni Hour — serving six different types of Negroni for just $5 each at its bar every Monday through Friday from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

“Poggio’s Negroni Hour was inspired by owner Larry Mindel’s many trips to Italy and his favorite bar, Harry’s Bar, which makes a mean Negroni,” explains the restaurant’s managing director Amy Svendberg.

Harry’s Bar is in Florence. Legend has it that the Negroni was invented at yet another Florence bar, Caffe Casoni, in 1919, when a local nobleman — Count Camillo Negroni — asked the bartender to fancy up the count’s usual Americano by replacing its seltzer water with gin. And the rest is gin-, vermouth-, and Campari-flavored history, give or take a few variations.

 

Continue reading “Poggio’s Negroni Hour Offers Bittersweet Pleasures” »

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Price: $21

Rating: 14.5/20

Region: Mendoza, Argentina

Varietals: 98 percent Malbec & 2 percent Cabernet Sauvignon

Production: 2,300 cases

Alcohol: 13.9 percent

Tasting Notes: The Ñandú 2010 Malbec features intense flavors of blueberry and blackberry with a touch of sweetness reminiscent of an Amarone. In the mouth, it shows a bright acidity, supple tannins and an expressive finish.

Food Pairings: Steak, empanadas, sausage ravioli

Other Malbecs we have tasted

Check out GAYOT’s Argentina Travel Guide

Continue reading “Ñandú 2010 Malbec – Wine of the Week Review” »

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