New Orleans Wine & Food Experience

It is that time of year again. Memorial Day Weekend May 23 - 27, 2007

Last May was our first time to attend the New Orleans Wine & Food Experience & we had a blast. We knew we would be back down for the event this year, where 15,000 glasses of wine will be poured from 1,000 different wines from 200 different wine makers. That is a lot of juice......oh, and the food. You can't even mention the NOWFE without salivating. There will be 100 local Crescent City eateries stepping up to show off their best stuff.

The five day event kicks off Wednesday night, May 23rd with the Vintner's Dinner, where chefs from premiere New Orleans' restaurants partner up with featured winmakers & create tasting menus pairing each course to a wine picked by the winery's winemaker.

The festivities continue on Thursday afternoon with a new event to the NOWFE, the The 1st Annual “Vinola”. Muriel’s Jackson Square, will host 30 winemakers pouring their most revered and highly rated wines. This tasting is a rare opportunity for 150 wine enthusiasts to mingle with notable winemakers, while sampling up to 120 elite wines from around the world.

Later on that night the Royal Street Stroll kicks off on Royal Street where you can meander & view rare antiques, fine art, live jazz and historic architecture with outstanding wines being poured in your glass.

Friday & continuing into Saturday are many food & wine seminars that cover topics from Rosé to local Louisiana Gulf caught shrimp to the wines of Sonoma County. Last year we thouroughly enjoyed the duck seminar at Galatoire's.

Friday & Saturday night after getting your fill of food & wine knowledge at the seminars The Grand Tastings kick off with a wide array of wines from around the world & food being offered by the cities best restaurants. It is best to hit these tastings with a plan because there is so much to choose from.

Sunday if you still have room for more food & libations there is the Bubbles & Brunch a traditional New Orleans Champagne brunch featuring Perrier Jouet Champagne.

We will be there blogging from the event & are so excited. If you want to check out our coverage from last year check it out here.

For more info on the NOWFE visit their website at www.nowfe.com.

New Orleans Wine & Food Experience: Re-cap

Laissez Les Bon Temps Roulez. That's the unofficial slogan of New Orleans.

Let the good times roll.

Laissez Les Bon Temps Roulez. That is also how I would sum up the New Orleans Wine & Food Experience. It was a culinary whirlwind of food from the cities best restaurants & legendary eateries. Names like Commander's Palace, Galatoire's & Brennan's come to mind & they brought the big guns. The plethora of wine was more than impressive. Meeting the wine makers & winery owners gave it a personal touch that let us enjoy the wine on a whole new level.

The food & wine on Friday was an eye opener as to what was ahead for the whole weekend. As soon as we walked through the door of the ballroom, our senses were bombarded by smells of spicy crab cakes & bubbling bisques. There was a perpetual motion of foodies & wine lovers meandering from booth to booth tasting the treats that were being poured or served. Sounds of people chatting was overcome by the roaming jazz band, playing Dixieland classics. The vibe of the city permeated the generic walls of the two Hilton's ballrooms. If you could see good times rolling, this was it.

It seemed the good times were rolling more so, on Saturday. The food on Saturday was stellar again, with chefs offering different specialties, as well as the previous nights favorites. So much wine was offered I only revisited one table from Friday, The Peachy Canyon booth with owner Doug Beckett pouring. He had some great offerings especially his Jester blend.

Saturday was full of opportunities to eat, taste & learn. The Duck, Duck, Duck Gooch seminar (I swear, that is what is was called) was eye opening to the many ways to prepare duck. It was also interesting to hear hoe duck has come from being a gourmet only food, served in only five star restaurants, to something that is almost as common as chicken. Don't bother with the 'Taste like chicken' similie...because it doesn't.

Besides taking home great memories of wonderful people, fantastic food & stellar wine, there was the chance to soak up as much knowledge about food & wine as humanly possible.

If you are wondering how the city is doing post Katrina, as I know most people are. It is still visibly scarred outside of downtown & even still, it is noticeable to a degree. The real destruction is outside the downtown area, French Quarter & the Warehouse District. There is still plenty to see & do in the city, so if you are thinking about visiting....you should. Will the Crescent City bounce back....Yes. I feel confident it will. This years attendance record for the NOWFE beat last years numbers. Anyone who knows New Orleans knows it won't be long.

There was so much to see, so much to taste & eat, so much to do. I think next year we will take the entire week off, so we can enjoy the whole five day event.

For the 2006 Fleur De Lis Award winners please click here.

NOWFE Part 4: Seminar on Duck-Galatoire's Restaurant

Well, we slept through the farmer's market seminar. Truly poor planning to end a grand tasting at 8.00pm Friday and have a farmer's market seminar at 7.45 am Saturday morning. Haha. Poor planning on my part really. Anyway we heard it was packed so it may have worked out for the best (but I'll always have a secret yearning for what might have been).

I digress.

After misreading the schedule and missing out on the Rioja seminar too (I know, I know, get it together, right?) we decided the duck seminar could not be missed. We made our way over the Galatoire's early, hoping that the event wasn't sold out. Its common courtesy for press to give up their seats to people who purchased passes to the event, and I really really wanted a seat.

It filled up quick, but there was just enough room for everyone who arrived on time. The focus was duck duck duck. I have never eaten so much duck in my life. There was a short talk about the wine. Two Pinot Noirs and a Pinot Gris from MacMurray Ranch Winery. We sat to the side and it was hard to catch everything that was being said, so I'll leave the review off the wines up to Collin.

The seminar was set up in a panel type discussion. Chefs from four New Orleans area restaurants prepared and spoke about the duck dishes they have on their menu.
The guest chefs were-
David Gooch, Galatoire's Restaraunt
Greg Sonnier, Gabrielle Restaurant
Philip Chan, Asian Cajun Bistro
Bob Iacovone, Restaurant Cuvee

Here's where it gets confusing. We were sitting off to the side where we couldn't see or hear too well (I said it was packed, right?) and we got mixed up on which chef prepared which dish. Unfortunately, there wasn't a detailed menu of the dishes served. Instead of crediting chef's with dishes incorrectly, I'm just going to give a run down of the duck.


Duck Gumbo served with Potato Salad-
Dark duck stock with duck meat and rice. Really really rich flavor. Excellent way to wet your appetite for the duck tasting to come. Surprising light for such a rich flavor.
The potato salad was fresh, full of red peppers, hard boiled egg and duck cracklin'. It went great with the gumbo.


Slow Roasted Duck in Puff pastry and Seared Foie Gras with Fruit Chutney-
So this was my first time for foie gras. I was super excited when I found out we would get to try it. It was not what I expected. It had a very delicate flavor. Not quite as 'organny' as I expected. The texture was less distinct than I thought it would be. Very smooth with a slightly crisp exterior. I would like to try it again, prepared differently. I think I would have been upset if I had dropped serious coin to taste it.

Beijing/Peking Duck, Duck Egg roll and Orange Duck-
This was my favorite duck by far. All three were delicious. The Orange duck was moist and flavorful. The egg roll was nice, the duck flavor out shined all the other ingredients. The peking/beijing was good too, very straightforward, very traditional. Duck was, once again, the center of attention in all of the dishes. While the flavor could have been easily overpowered by other elements, it wasn't. My only complaint was the dipping sauces. Duck sauce and hoison were served with the dishes. The flavors went well (of course, they are the traditional sauces to accompany these dishes) but my complaint is that they both tasted like sauce you get with your takeout chinese. I was hoping for something a little more gourmet (must be the food snob in me coming out).

In all the duck dinner was fabulous. The food was great but the whole dining and panel discussion experience was even better. I wish we had made it to more seminars.

I apologize to the chefs of each of these dishes for misrepresentation of any sort. It was difficult to hear, and the wine was good. I will gladly make changes to any dish that I butchered.

New Orleans Wine & Food Experience: Part 3 Saturday's Wine

Friday, we were a bit overwhelmed & just sort of bounced around the two ballrooms full of wine makers, importers, distributors & the chefs with the food...oh the food. Anywhere there was a white beacon, wielding sharp metal, there was also a queue of hungry epicureans waiting for a tasty morsel or two. Every time I turned around La would be stuffing a bite of something into my purple stained mouth.

Saturday we had a game plan. We studied the list of winemakers & crossed off what we tasted on Friday, so we could spend more time trying new wines. La was sticking to all whites & roses. I had so many reds that I missed the previous day, that I only tasted a few whites.

Day 2 Tasting Notes:

2004 KitFox Foxy Red Table Wine: I think most casual wine drinkers in this country have the wrong idea about table wine. Just the phrase invokes a big jug of non-vintage "Red Burgundy" from California...or...a bottle of Chianti wrapped in a basket. Usually cheap, acidic, swill. I have been guilty of this way of thinking, back when I was just the occasional wine drinker. This is not the case at all as proved by KitFox Foxy. Cab Sauvignon/Syrah blend full of blackberries, raspberries & blueberries. A touch of oak brings it all together with a touch of smooth tannins. Great velvety mouthfeel. A top Value at $12.

2004 Ménage à Trois Red Table Wine: (read above statement about table wine) Blend of Zinfandel, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Thick mixed berries. Jammy & fruit forward. Very round & voluptuous in the mouth. Great extended finish. Another great $12 value.

2004 Copola Zinfandel: Sweet, choco-bliss, subtle power, mixed berries & frim tannins. Nice long finish.

2004 MacMurray Ranch Pinot Noir Russian River Valley: deep back cherries on the nose & palate. Very earthy with some cola. Long spicy finish.

2004 MacMurray Ranch Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast: Very floral nose, loaded with cherries. In the mouth it was silky with lots of cherry, blackberry & spice. Well balanced acidity & the tiniest scosh of tannins. Long spice filled finish.

2004 MacMurray Ranch Pinot Gris: Crisp, zesty, with lots of lemon & pear. Very nice.

2004 A to Z Pinot Noir: Blend from many vineyards throughout Oregon. Spicy, baked cherries, loaded with brown spice.

2004 Adelsheim Elizabeth's Reserve*: Intense, velveteen, rich fruit, with a touch of cedar. The finish sings.

2004 Elk Cove Mount Richmond Pinot Noir*: Bold, take charge pinot. Full of black cherry, raspberry, cola & brown spice. The lingering finish had a touch of clove.

2004 Redemption Zin: My zin pick of the weekend. From Dry Creek Valley. Medium-full bodied, full of blueberries, blackberries, raspberries & pepper.

2004 Mark West Pinot Noir: Made of grapes sourced from Corsica, France. Full Pinot made in the typical Central Coast style. Lots of cherry & raspberry balanced by lots of spice, cola & well integrated oak. Tart acidity & assertive tannins.

2001 Les Forots Côtes du Rhône: Loaded with old word charm. A touch of barnyard on the nose. Deep dark fruit, smokey, earth on the palate lead to a nice long finish.


*Part of the Oregon wine feature.


We tasted MUCH more, but these were the wines that compelled me to take notes. Forgive the cilche, but, there was so much to taste & so little time. We didn't really taste anything that turned us off except for a few over oaked chardonays & we stayed away from the Alize table no matter how enticing the neon blue concoction looked (I am being sarcastic, in case you didn't notice).

One of the great thing about the Grand Tastings was the sheer amount of wine, of course, but all the food being offered. You could literally walk around & grab whatever food looked good (all of it!) & then find whatever wine you thought would pair well with it & stop at many of the tables to enjoy.

If you are interested in who took home the hardware (Fleur De Lis Awards) check it out HERE.

New Orleans Wine & Food Experience: Part 2 Friday's Wine

The Grand Tasting

What a weekend!
First let me start by saying we only attended two days of this five day event, so we barely sratched the surface, but stayed busy all weekend. There were over 600 wines, from all over the world being poured at the Grand Tastings on Friday & Saturday. Throw in all the food that was offered & you have the making for a weekend that would make Bacchus proud.

We tasted so much wine, I am only going to share my notes on the wines that really spoke to me....& what did they say...."Drink Me!"

Day 1 Wine Tasting notes:

2004 Souvrain Zinfandel Dry Creek Valley: One of my favorites.
Very nice, lots of mixed berries, good backbone, very balanced, an elegant Zin.

2004 Peachy Canyon Jester: Another favorite. Blend of Syrah, Cab Sauv, Cab Franc and Petite Sirah. Luscious mix of red & black fruit. excellent wine & a bargain at $20.

2004 Rodney Strong Reserve Pinot Noir: Very nice, thick cherry,
cola, earth & spices. Very full Pinot.

2004 Jacob's Creek Reserve Shiraz: Think bacon-wrapped-blackberry. Smooth & rich. Superb.

2004 Prosper Maufoux Gevrey-Chambertin: Napolean's favorite wine. Light, delicate, enigmatic, very floral. Fantastic with a duck crepe.

2003 Toad Hollow Rod's Reserve: Rich, full Pinot loaded with baked cherries, baking spice, a touch of cedar & earth. Velvety smooth.

Other wines worth mentioning were, 2002 Toad Hollow Rod's Merlot Reserve, 2004 Renwood Barberra & 2004 Renwood Lodi Zinfandel.

New Orleans Wine and Food Experience Part 1: Friday Night's Food Sampling

Alright Folks,

We made it back from the NOWFE alive and very, very happy. We had some great food and even better wine. My task is to give you the low down on the chow and let me tell you, it was fantastic. The food at the grand tastings was amazing and we attended a seminar that was all about the duck, delicious duck, but more on that later.

1. Seafood Pasta- The Hilton
I was starving and there was no line at this booth so I decided to give it a go. The flavor was good but the paste was mushy. Seafood=crawfish.

2. Grape Tomatoes with Buffalo Mozzarella, Balsamic, Basil and Field Greens- Reginelli's
I am a salad addict and very conservative with my praise of most restaurant salads, but this one was de-lish. Nothing special or overly imaginative BUT, the greens were crisp and sweet, the mozzarella was meaty and flavorful, and the vinaigrette was not too overpowering or to weak. Only complaint, crunchy tomatoes. Its really hard to get good cherry or grape tomatoes right now. I would have gone with a roma, sliced.

3. Shrimp Bisque- I can't remember the restaurant for the life of me.
Probably better that I don't remember the restaurant this was from because it was very weak. Chicken broth was an overpowering flavor in the bisque, and a real turn off.

4. Mini Muffaletta- Di Martino's
It was super cute, and really good. Di Martino's is famous for their muffs. The meat was really good quallity. Nice flavor and texture. I didn't pull all the meat out in the first bite (I hate that). I felt that olive relish overpowered a lot of the meat flavor but I imagine its a hard balance to find when your muffaletta is the size of a golf ball.

5. Lemoncello Avocado Bisque with Lump Crab, Grapefruit Relish and Siracha and Lemon Creme Sauce- New Orleans Grill at Windsor Court
Absolute heaven. Great avocado and lemoncello flavor went fantastically with the delicate fresh lump crab. The grapefruit relish was so flavorful (I plan on experimenting immediately). The dish was served cool and very refreshing after tasting many many red wines that evening. This was my favorite dish of the weekend.

6. Soft-shell Crab Bisque with Black Truffle Butter- Commander's Palace
The food gods were smiling on us this day. Beautiful creamy yellow color with specks of black truffle. Velvety on the tongue. Brilliant flavor, left us wanting more. This was Collin's pick for the weekend.

7. Duck Crepe with Cucumber Cilantro Vinaigrette- Once again, I do not know who created this dish.
I am sure I butchered the ingredients in this dish. It was one of the last things I tried Friday night. The crepe was served with micro-greens. The duck flavor was really nice. The rest of the items in this dish (vinaigrette, greens, and crepe) were so light that the duck flavor was the center of attention. A close contender for Friday night fave.

8. Vidalia Onion and Jalapeno Hummus with Smoked Pita- Fire
Delicious dish. Chips could definitely stand alone and the dip had intense sweet onion flavor. TERRIBLE choice to eat while attempting to taste and critique wine, however. My palate was wrecked for quite sometime after tasting this dip.

9. Tiny Lemon Pie- No clue......
Really nice tiny slice of lemon pie with whipped creme and a blueberry on top. The graham crust was perfect.

10. Honey Goat Cheese- Forgotten Coast Foods
This place had some great great cheeses. The honey goat was the perfect finish. A fragrant sweet goat cheese with a light bite and creamy finish. I have to get my hands on some of this cheese. If any of our Memphis readers have seen this cheese or something comparable around these parts, let me know.

Do You Know What It Means To Miss New Orleans?

I sit here listening to Louis Armstrong, thinking "Yes, I do know what it means to miss New Orleans." With the famous lackadaisical, Dixieland rhythm accompanying, Satchmo's scruffy, one of a kind voice coming through my stereo spearkers, my soul stirs with excitement.

Now our time has come to revisit the lovely crescent shaped city sitting at the terminus of the Mighty Mississip'. New Orleans holds a special place in our hearts. It is a dense cultural island in the middle of a sea homogeny. We have spent more time there, than we can count. It is our backyard. La & I have spent many weekend getaways there from the time we first started dating back in 1999. We are overdue for a visit.


Do you know what it means to miss New Orleans?
And miss it each night and day?
I know Im not wrong... this feelings gettin stronger
The longer, I stay away
Miss them moss covered vines...the tall sugar pines
Where mockin birds used to sing
And I'd like to see that lazy mississippi...hurryin into spring.


I got my first taste of New Orleans as a kid on vacation with my parents. I remember the intrigue of the aromas of the Cajun & Creole cooking that permeates the air, the first crawfish head that I sucked & the spicy brew it spilled in my mouth, my first street car ride on the St. Charles line (don't call them trolleys...because they are street cars), & the Zydeco & Jazz that fills your ears where ever you are. From that point on, the city, it's food, culture & music have been a cure for the rut life sometimes tosses us into or a place to celebrate lifes little joys & New Orleans is definitely one of the best places in the World to let your hairdown.


The moonlight on the bayou.......a creole tune.... that fills the air
I dream... about magnolias in bloom......and Im wishin I was there

Do you know what it means to miss new orleans?
When thats where you left your heart
And theres one thing more...i miss the one I care for
More than I miss New Orleans



This time, our trip the Crescent City is going to be really special. We are attending the 15th Annual New Orleans Wine and Food Experience this weekend. The NOWFE is one of THE premiere wine & food events in the country. We are only going to be able to make the events on Saturday & Sunday, but the event kicks off Wednesday the 24th. While we wish we could make it to the whole Experience, being able to go to the Grand Tastings & get to try over 600 wines (is that humanly possible in a weekend?) & eat food from some of the cities best restaurants, will definitely be worth it. Not to mention the number of cooking demonstrations & seminars we will have the opportunity to attend. To celebrate Food, Wine & Culture in one of the world's most reknown Food & Wine destinations is going to be fantastic, but being away for so long, it is almost going to be a homecoming of sorts.

We will be blogging from the event all weekend, so stay tuned.