The Tasting Panel magazine

October 2011

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SAN FRAN INSIDER When Worlds Collide DEBORAH PARKER WONG'S UNIVERSE ROCKETS BETWEEN ART, FOOD, WINE AND SOCIAL MEDIA Sommelier Patrice Gillard of Le Pré Aux Clercs, Deborah Parker Wong and Senator-Mayor of Dijon Francois Rebsamen. Burgundy Touches Down in SF Terroir can forge a powerful connec- tion, as evidenced by the exhibition of medieval tomb sculptures from the Court of Burgundy titled "The Mourners," art which accompanied the elegant Burgundies and Michelin-lauded cuisine at the Must'art: Best of Burgundy dinner hosted by the Senator-Mayor of Dijon, François Rebsamen. Dijonnaise art, cuisine and wine converged when chefs Stephane Derbord, William Frachot, Yves Rebsamen, Jean-Pierre and Alexis Billoux and sommelier Patrice Gillard of Le Pré Aux Clercs came together for an evening that immersed guests in iconic French culture. "I wanted to bring the best," said Gillard of the '07 Domaine de la Vougeraie Le Clos Blanc de Vougeot, '09 Anne Gros Combe d'Orveau and the '07 Domaine Dujac Combottes he selected for the occasion. Among guests gathered for the occasion were Jean- Charles Boisset and wife Gina Gallo, the irrepressible Leslie Sbrocco and Ferry Plaza Wine Merchants' Peter Granoff and Debbie Zachareas. The following day San Francisco con- tinued to celebrate Burgundy, with visits from Michelin starred chefs Jean-Pierre and Alexis Billoux of Le Pré aux Clercs, and the Fairmont's own J. W. Foster, who thrilled shoppers at the Ferry Plaza CUESA Farmers Market with a unique market-to-table cooking demonstration. Liam Mayclem, Leslie Sbrocco, Jean-Charles Boisset and Debbie Zachareas. Blasting Off with Wine On Line The power of social media is propel- ling the world of wine forward at an astounding pace. No longer constrained by time zones or proximity, wine tastings like #CabernetDay, organized by som- melier Rick Bakas of Bakas Media, are now global, interactive events that reach an audience of millions. In this case, 4.5 million eager enophiles participated worldwide. 28 / the tasting panel / october 201 1 For the second annual #CabernetDay, held on September 1, Bakas coordinated tastings in 20 "headquarter" cities around the world. At the Napa Valley Marriott, which served as #CabernetDay command central, Toutsuite streamed live video of guided tasting and education sessions presented on Cabernet Sauvignon 125 12 Deborah Parker Wong (left), Rick Bakas, Andrea Immer Robinson MS, Chuck Hayward and Michael Wangbickler. to online viewers around the globe. Headlining the roster was Andrea Immer Robinson MS, presenting library releases, Bakas on wines of Washington, JJ Buckley's Chuck Hayward on Australia, Michael Wangbickler with a Bordeaux overview and yours truly speaking about Cabernet Franc from Chinon and Bourgueil in the Loire Valley. Although #CabernetDay is an indis- putable success, now the real test is exploring how social media will support producers. "We're gaining a better understanding of how to measure the effectiveness of these kinds of events with regard to wine sales, wine club sign ups and the addition of new, social media followers," says Bakas, "but we do know who is participating." Of the 4.5 million wine lovers reached that day, partici- pants were evenly split between men and women with the majority between the ages of 25 and 45.

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