Fairmont Hotels got Joseph Linder at The Fairmont Olympic Hotel, Seattle -- one of 103 Master Sommeliers in North America, and one of only 176 in the world, to answer questions on Wines.
It was well received and it seems more people want to ask questions. I see this becoming a regular trend.
you can see the Q&A here
Here are some suggestions if you are about to attempt this or are thinking about it:
Some sample conversations:It was well received and it seems more people want to ask questions. I see this becoming a regular trend.
you can see the Q&A here
Here are some suggestions if you are about to attempt this or are thinking about it:
- Use facebook or something like that. I have attended some jazzy Q&As online using some super tech sites where you have to log in etc - it is very cumbersome. Using FB makes the initial hurdle of getting them to come out of the way.
- Pick a niche - this was about wines. You want the crowd to know what they will get from it. choose a city, or how to plan a holiday or a cuisine!
- Do an Oprah - I did not see any giveways, but I think it would be a great idea to offer something for everyone who showed up.
- Add some gravitas. They got Joseph to do some neat videos and posted them on youtube. See it here
Greg Bodenlos I love this, but I have another question! Last year I took an Introduction to Wines course, by the end of which my professor - after going over many of the "traditional" food and wine pairings - suggested that, at the end of the day, food and wine you like can always be enjoyed well together. What is your take on this, and how do you personally go about deciding what wines best accompany certain foods?
The Fairmont Olympic Hotel
Joseph here: @Greg, this is a really commonly asked question. My simple response is "Drink the wine you love, with the food you love". Then again, please keep in mind that you might not be enjoying the wine or food to the fullest because th...e acidity and sweetness of either portion can be cancelled out by the other. For example, you have a dish of sole or a white cod and you really want to drink a solid Cab or heavy red; the meal with the wine, might taste just fine, however, the intensity of the red wine is sure to overpower the subtle flavors of the fish. Vice versa, the sole might have a lemon caper sauce and the acidity of the lemon juice will very well make the Cab taste more metallic then it otherwise would have. The three things to keep in mind about your wine selection when it pertains to food is: acidity, sweetness and intensity of flavors. If those levels sync w/your meal, then the pairing will work beautifully. Hope that helps!