07/06/2015 - The Importance of Wine and other Beverages

Slow Living highlights the importance of beverages in society today, with new classes and summits at the Culinary Institute of America and private label wines by Karen Crouse of Mt Veeder Magic Vineyards.



 Culinary Institute of America, Greystone, St Helena

BILL BRIWA, C.E.C., C.H.E., is a chef-instructor at The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone. Chef Briwa graduated top of his class at the CIA in 1980 and was the recipient of the Keating Award having been voted most likely to succeed by his peers. He has worked in a variety of culinary positions in Northern California, including the French Laundry, the Sugar House Bakery, and Domaine Chandon. He has held the position of executive chef at the CIA's Wine Spectator Greystone Restaurant, the Hess Collection Winery, and his own bistro, Palmers Cafe. As the culinary chair of the Napa Valley Wine Auction in 2003 he helped raise more than $8 million for local charities and has been an active supporter of the local farmers’ market, having served on the board of directors for three years. Bill has traveled to study and teach cooking in Greece, Sicily, Tunisia, Turkey, Mexico, China, and across the United States. His writing on food and wine has appeared in Sunset magazine, the trade journal Flavor and the Menu, and Fine Cooking. (Napa, CA).

Traci Dutton is a sommelier, a wine judge, and the manager of public wine and beverage studies at the CIA at Greystone. She joined the CIA in 1998 as beverage manager and sommelier for the college’s Wine Spectator Greystone Restaurant. Over the course of more than 30 years in the wine world, Ms. Dutton has worked in high-end establishments such as Montrachet, The Striped Bass, and 231 Ellsworth, and has served luminaries as varied as Oprah Winfrey, Kevin Bacon, and Chef Paul Bocuse. She has studied and tasted great wines at vineyards around the world, from Portugal and Austria to Argentina and the United States. Her writing on wines and beverages has appeared in Kitchen & Cook, the St. Helena Star, iSanté.com, and many other publications. In 2011, she was named one of the top wine country sommeliers by Tasting Panel magazine.

 

Accelerated Wine and Beverage Certificate Program

 

 

 

 A Program and Career Choice worth toasting:

Beverages play a role in everyday life, combining culture, tradition, and history. They also drive a major percentage of an establishment’s profits. So to become a future leader in the foodservice and hospitality industry, a deep understanding of fine wines, beers, artisan spirits, coffees, and teas is vital to your success. Enrich your senses—and your career opportunities—by adding an Accelerated Wine and Beverage certificate (AWBP) to your resume. You’ll not only get a comprehensive overview of wines, spirits, and food parings; you’ll enhance your existing hospitality, culinary arts, or related degree with the expertise employers look for when hiring foodservice professionals. With the powerful combination of your college degree and CIA AWBP credential on your résumé, you’ll be prepared to pursue a wide variety of career in the beverage industry.

 

 

Crafting Beer and Food

 

The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) at Greystone proudly presents Crafting Beer and Food, a summit for brewers, beer sommeliers, chefs, and all beer professionals. This fall, the CIA will launch the second round of its cutting edge beverage summit series, following the April 2015 CIA Sommelier Summit. Crafting Beer and Food is designed to expand the current dialogue surrounding the delicious and robust relationship between brewer and chef.

As the craft beer movement grows stronger across the country and the world, customers are expecting more from restaurants, chefs, and brewers. What makes a pairing work? How do you make beer recommendations that appeal to your customer base and complement your menu? How do you increase your staff’s beer knowledge, so it is on par with their wine expertise? What does the future hold for craft beer and food? How do you manage your business to ensure continued success with the ever-changing landscape of the craft beer movement?

The summit will focus on modern, innovative ways to create menus that reflect the quality ingredients and passion behind the world’s best craft brews—through hands-on interactive sessions, exploratory lectures, and presentations from beer and food experts. CIA chefs and beverage instructors will work alongside master brewers, as they delve into these subjects utilizing our state-of-the art facilities and culinary and beverage expertise.

There will be many opportunities for attendees, presenters, and sponsors to socialize and network, starting with a beer and food reception on the CIA’s Herb Terrace, where craft beer will be expertly paired with beer-friendly dishes. The following evening, there will be an interactive live-fire dinner, where the concepts discussed throughout the summit will come to life in a delicious exhibition of flavor. From toasty and smoked to fruity and floral, dishes and beers will be paired to create complex, bold combinations. On the final day in the CIA’s historic Barrel Room, barrel aged beer will be paired with foods that develop their character over time, such as cured meats, cheeses, breads, and fermented foods.

Crafting Beer and Food will provide a forum for brewers, beer sommeliers, chefs, and all beer professionals to roll up their sleeves and dig into the conversation surrounding quality food paired with quality beer.

 

 

Karen Crouse, Owner

Mount Veeder Magic Vineyards/Crouse Vineyards

 

Mount Veeder Magic Vineyards in the legendary Napa Valley will custom craft a boutique Cab for you.  The experience begins with grapes that are impossible to get as a consumer. After aging and refining in French Oak, the finished product is 288 bottles of ultra premium, limited production Cab with your custom label.

Mount Veeder Magic Vineyards has one of the most rare offerings in all of Napa Valley. Your dream of becoming a Napa Vintner can come true without having to spend millions.  With only 25 barrels available each vintage, there is simply no other way for a connoisseur to get closer to wine making.  This small selection of grapes will never see the lights of a retail shop, but as the owner of your barrel’s worth, you will have the opportunity to design the front and back labels for your 24 cases of ultra-premium Mount Veeder Cab.

Mount Veeder Magic Vineyards is located in the pristine mountains of The Mount Veeder Appellation.  The naturally low yield and highly concentrated fruit is hand-farmed, handpicked, and handcrafted. Each bottle is hand labeled. This is a once-in-a- lifetime experience that is on every wine lover’s bucket list.

At the helm of this unique experience, is Karen Crouse, Owner and one of the few female businesswomen on Mount Veeder.  Karen personalizes the experience for each of her elite clients.  Her passion for what she does and the obvious love of her vines is contagious. With a sophisticated Fortune 100 Corporation background, her Southern hospitality, and her wild yet feminine boots, she will melt your heart and make you feel like her only client.  When you visit, she will share a barrel tasting of her current vintage(s).  If you are up for a rugged adventure, she will take you through the rolling hills of her magical vineyard, showing you what great care and attention to detail she puts into getting the grapes from her vines to your bottles. 

Karen Crouse, Owner says, “This is one of the most personal experiences my clients will have in their lives. My favorite step in the process is working with them to create their labels.  I enjoy being a part of designing a label that imparts something significant in their world.”