Wine, Food & Travel News From Vino-Sphere: July 7, 2018

Chinese Crawfish A Hit With Russian Soccer Fans

Songge Crawfish, a Shenzhen-based food and beverage brand has collaborated with dozens of local catering companies in Russia to add a touch of Chinese flavor to fans' palates during the World Cup soccer season.

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The popular Chinese brand sent several of their top chefs to work alongside catering companies to prepare the world-famous Chinese dish for fans. Customers were invited to pair one of the Songge Crawfish signature dishes with their favorite beer or Russian Vodka while cheering on their team.

Processing and preparing the crawfish for hundreds of hungry fans is no easy feat. Songge Crawfish dispatched a special team of quality control experts to Russia to inspect local crawfish farms, where they sourced batches of crawfish in advance to ensure they were fresh and of a high standard.

Antica Terra Adds Champagne And Caviar To Willamette Valley Tasting Room Experience

Antica Terra, named by Food & Wine as a winery to watch, has added an innovative experience to its tasting room. Collective Tastings at Antica Terra now all begin with Royal White Sturgeon Osetra and Champagne followed by house-made hen liver and foie gras terrine, a selection of farmhouse cheeses curated by Steve Jones of Portland’s Cheese Bar, jams by Ayer’s Creek Farm and Alma chocolates.

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All tastings at Antica Terra offer a journey through the senses including a selection of rare and inspiring wines from all over the world thoughtfully compiled and sourced by Winemaker Maggie Harrison. A total of nine wines are poured at each. The Collective Tastings are approximately 90 minutes and $75 per guest. The winery is located at 979 SW Alder Street in Dundee.

Restaurant And Hotel Openings Slated In Miami Beach

Miami Beach, already rapidly growing as an international destination, is set to celebrate several anticipated hotel and restaurant openings this season including:

The Re-Imagination of the Cadillac Hotel & Beach Club – Say hello to vacation with a welcome popsicle from the hotel's signature shaved ice cart on arrival and take in the 70-year old hotel's art deco charm.  The 357-room hotel, set to open this month, will provide unique services and amenities including a signature Cadillac Concierge program, on-site photo booth and a poolside family movie night every Friday.

A Rooftop Glass Bottom Pool at Celino South Beach – Influence from the 1940's meets Latin flair at this new, 132 guest-room hotel, creatively comprised of three historic buildings on Ocean Drive.  Opening later this summer, guests will enjoy custom complimentary bicycles to explore, 24-hour room service, an in-room spa menu and culinary concepts rooted in coastal Mediterranean and Spanish Tapas styles.

Culinary creations and cocktails at iLov305 at the Bel-Air Hotel – American comfort food meets modern Latin cuisine and a 100-drink cocktail menu at Mr. 305's 9,000 square-foot, two-level space, complete with VIP rooms and DJ booth. Guests can head to a first-floor, Havana Club-inspired daiquiri bar or grab a welcome, hand-rolled cigar once this sure-to-be-hot spot opens later this summer season.

Fresh Seafood and Gin at Seawell Fish n' Oyster and Minnow Bar at the Kimpton Angler Hotel South Beach – Seafood and cocktail lovers can go for traditional raw bar items and thoughtfully-prepared dishes paired with herb-infused drinks, the brainchild of Chef Julian Garriga and veteran Bartender, Chris Resnick. The destination Minnow Bar will feature a "clear spirits bar," focusing on varietals of gins, piscos, white rums and cachaças.

Travaglino Wine Estate Celebrates 150th Harvest With New Sparkling Wine

Italian winery Tenuta Travaglino is releasing a new label to honor the winery’s 150th anniversary. The sparkling Riserva del Fondatore 150° is made from 95% Pinot Noir and 5% Chardonnay that are grown in the winery’s most historic vineyards. The fifth-generation family winery is the oldest in Oltrepò Pavese, located in the northwest Italian region of Lombardy. Lombardy is acclaimed for its sparkling wine. Since 1868, the winery has been growing and cultivating their own vineyards.

Cruise Destinations Ranked by Month

A new report from InsureMyTrip ranks the most popular cruise destinations for travelers, month by month. The Caribbean is the top choice throughout the year with the Bahamas, Alaska, Mexico, Italy, and Canada also making the list. Results are based on all travel insurance purchases sold for cruise vacations on InsureMyTrip.com between January 2015 and June 2018.
The rankings show:

• The Caribbean islands (like Grand Cayman, Dominican Republic, and Aruba) remain the top destination for cruisers anytime during the year.
• Domestic cruises gain popularity during October, November, and December.
• Travel insurance customers prefer to cruise to the Bahamas during the late fall and winter.
• April and May are the preferred months to sail through Alaska.
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Summer Heat Got You Down? Try Québec City’s “Cool” New Innovation

The Québec City tourism agency, in collaboration with Ateliers du Carnaval de Québec, has come up with a unique way to let visitors experience winter right in the middle of summer and encourage them to come back and visit in winter. Micro Climat(e) offers a one-of-a-kind break from summer from July 3 to September 3, 2018.

A 26-by-9-foot container, refrigerated to 39 to 46 degrees F and decked out in all the trappings of the snow season, offers tourists a feel for the exotic appeal of Québec winters, with ice sculptures, a mini ice hotel, a ski lift, Québec décor, and videos on popular seasonal activities. 

Québec City Tourism hit on the idea two years ago to let summer visitors in on the magic of Québec City winters. The objective is to increase tourist traffic during that season.

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