For its annual event in 2016, Madrid Fusion, one of the world’s largest gatherings of superstar chefs and gourmet food marketers, adopted as its main theme the “language of the post avant-garde.” But much of the interest turned to the principles and ideas behind Asian cuisine. Hour after hour in late January, Spain’s visionary restaurateurs held forth on sustainable gardening, sous vide techniques of slow-poaching food, and turning their kitchens into communities of equals stressing creativity, spirituality and recycling waste.     In terms of haute cuisine, this is beginning to look like the year of Asia in Europe. While the global culinary world is currently dominated by trends toward foraging in local forests and honoring local suppliers, there are growing signs that the East’s influence on Western cuisine is growing alongside its economic clout. Read More…

Burgundy wines may become even more difficult to find because of vine disease and smaller harvests from ageing vineyards, according to a new report by the region’s wine council. The future is challenging for Burgundy, according to a report by the Burgundy wine council, BIVB. While demand for Burgundy is strong, and prices for top wines remain high, overall harvest size is set to shrink – and not just due to the perennial threat of hail storms.

AS we transition from winter chills to spring warmth, our fair city still has a number of frigid nights perfect for savoring winter-friendly red wines. What makes a red wine winter friendly? An abundance of concentrated palate pleasing black and red fruit flavors is a good start, but the best winter reds also offer plenty of smooth tannins that pair beautifully with weighty winter dishes like stews and roasts.

New Zealand winemakers are about to plant the country’s first Glera vines that will go on to produce Prosecco in three years’ time. The Prosecco variety, otherwise known as Glera (to differentiate the grape from the protected Prosecco source in Italy’s Veneto), will be planted this spring in Gisborne, New Zealand, following the release of Prosecco vines from quarantine earlier this month.