Wine, Travel And Food News From Vino-Sphere: September 7, 2018

Rare Glimpse of Tennessee Williams Paintings Featured In Miami Beach Tennessee Williams: Playwright and Painter, an exhibit at the Jewish Museum of Florida-FIU in Miami Beach, is on view now through October 7. Long known as “Mr. Key West,” David Wolkowsky, the famed scion of Florida’s pioneer Jewish family that helped to settle Key West in the 1800s, has loaned his paintings by close friend Tennessee Williams to the Jewish Museum of Florida-FIU for their premiere in Miami Beach. This is one of the few times they have been exhibited outside of Key West. The exhibition is an intimate showing of nine exquisitely rare paintings by one of America’s greatest playwrights, created by Williams in Key West during the 1970s. One of his closest friends was David Wolkowsky, the Key West developer who owned a private island called Ballast Key (nine miles from Key West), and the Pier House Resort. Both idyllic locations were the scene of many glamorous gatherings hosted by David and Tennessee, including parties for Hollywood luminaries, heads of state, and society’s crème-de-la-crème. Bordeaux Win Against Counterfeiters In China Provides Boost To Winemakers, Exporters China is notorious for the adulteration of wine and the relabeling of inferior wines to more expensive brands, making it a safe haven for counterfeit products. However, a recent landmark case in favor of the Conseil Interprofessionnel du Vin de Bordeaux (CIVB or Bordeaux Wine Council), which represents more than 7,000 Bordeaux-based wine producers, against wine counterfeiters selling fake editions of some of the region’s most prized chateaux, will provide a boost for winemakers and exporters to the country, says data and analytics company GlobalData.  In the recent past, China has emerged as the biggest and most profitable single market for French wine, accounting for over 40% of Bordeaux’s annual wine exports by volume in 2016, according to the wine council. By comparison, the entire EU accounted for 35% of Bordeaux exports. Counterfeit luxury goods are big business in the country, with China and Hong Kong estimated to be the source of 86% of the world’s counterfeit goods. The US Chamber of Commerce estimates this significant percentage to be worth approximately $397 billion. Sebastian Zuccardi Named Nominee for Wine Innovator of the Year Award

Each year, the editors of Wine Enthusiast Magazine honor the individuals and companies that have made outstanding achievements in the wine and beverage world. Sebastian Zuccardi, third generation owner of Zuccardi Valle de Uco winery, has been named as a nominee for the 2018 Wine Star Award for “Innovator of the Year.” For over 20 years, Zuccardi has been a supplier partner of Winesellers, Ltd., a globally – recognized importer and marketer of fine wines based in Niles, IL. In 2005, Sebastian Zuccardi led the development of the new stage of the wines of the Zuccardi expansion into the Uco Valley. Since 2008, the winery has an area of Research and Development dedicated to the study of the terroir and the different variables that affect wine production. In March of 2016, he opened the Zuccardi winery Uco Valley, with the premise of producing wines with identity, through the continuous exploration of the different terroirs of the Uco Valley, Mendoza.

Finnish Lapland Offers Coolest Jobs Of The Season


It’s now possible to spend next winter enjoying the magic of a winter wonderland and earn money at the same time.

Dozens of companies in Northern Finland are looking for candidates to work in exciting jobs beyond imagination.
Tourism in Finnish Lapland is expanding more rapidly than ever. And this is good news for adventurers from all over the world. Dozens of companies are hiring people to work in exciting jobs such as photography guide, Santa's elf, Aurora Borealis watch, husky carer and in more conventional tourism related posts.

One of the most exotic vacancies Lapland has to offer for the coming season, is an elf. And not just any kind of an elf, but the elf of Santa himself. As anyone who's aware of Santa's work load knows, one or two elves will not be enough. Dozens of elves will be needed to help Santa get through the holiday season.

Reindeer also need carers and guides, as do the hundreds of huskies working in the winter wonderland. Hotels need receptionists, kitchens need chefs and buses need drivers.

In order to make companies and potential employers meet, EURES, the European Job Mobility Portal, has set up a digital platform where one can browse through interesting job opportunities and register as a job seeker.

Italian Wine Scholar Program Enrolls 1,000^th Student

The Italian Wine Scholar study and certification program, modeled after the industry-acclaimed French Wine Scholar program (launched in 2009), celebrates the enrollment of its 1,000th student since the program's launch in 2016.

"Students are composed of wine professionals and enthusiasts, all committed students of wine, who have already completed more general wine study programs and wish to gain deeper understanding of the wines of Italy," states IWS Education Director Maurizio Broggi, "These students come from over 25 countries including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Korea, Japan, Australia, France… and Italy!"

2018 Harvest Outlook Good in Italy’s Langhe Region

The Colla family is well renown in the Langhe with vineyards in Bricco del Drago in San Rocco Seno d’Elvio, a hamlet of Alba; in Monforte in the Bussia cru; in Barbaresco in the Roncaglie cru; and in the recent acquisition of Cascina Bompè in Madonna di Como, on Alba’s edge.

When asked about the progress of the 2018 vintage and to speculate on the ongoing harvest (Poderi Colla began harvesting Pinot Nero August 27), Tino Colla said, The month of May and the first half of June were among the rainiest periods of the last two centuries, in fact, it seems to have fallen this much last in 1810. As a consequence of the rain, we had no choice but to carry out a larger series of manual treatments to ensure plant health. In fact, many of our vineyards are on such steep slopes that the use of machinery is impossible, so controlling grass and undergrowth in such wet soil is very difficult. By mid-June however, the climate had returned to normal and we were able to make up for lost time and vegetative growth.” For the time being Tino is staying reticent on the overall quality of the 2018 vintage, cautiously saying that “Currently, the vintage promises good things: an abundant yield is expected…”

Sterling Vineyards Official Wine Host for Emmy Awards

For the third consecutive year, iconic Napa Valley winery Sterling Vineyards returns to television's most anticipated night as the official wine sponsor of the 70^th Emmy® Awards Season. Governors Ball guests will be treated to a selection of classic Sterling Vineyards Napa Valley wines, in addition to the unveiling of two soon-to-be-released wines: the new, luxury tier 2015 Sterling Vineyards Platinum Cabernet Sauvignon and ultra-limited flagship 2015 Sterling Vineyards Iridium Cabernet Sauvignon. Adding an extra touch of sophistication to the star-studded evening, Sterling Vineyards will also gift a special limited-edition, personalized bottle of the Iridium Cabernet Sauvignon to each Emmy award winner. 2015 is just the second vintage of the winery's premier luxury Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, named appropriately for one of the rarest elements on earth.

Carowinds to Unveil Copperhead Strike Coaster

Carowinds will introduce Copperhead Strike, the Carolinas' first double launch coaster, for the 2019 season. Copperhead Strike simulates the harrowing chase of getaway cars racing through rolling farmland, sending riders on two launches through a relentless winding ride over half a mile of steel.

In this innovative ride, the coaster dynamics are carefully crafted to offer a thrilling and intense low-to-the-ground experience. With three 16-passenger trains fashioned after 1930s coupes, Copperhead Strike sends riders cruising into a Jojo roll right out of the station. They then go into a lightning fast launch to a 360° loop, the second of five inversions, moving into a series of near-miss twists, turns and flips. Without slowing down, the ride launches a second time to accelerate into a memorable hang time loop, leaving passengers breathless and wondering which way is up.

The new coaster is the central element of Blue Ridge Junction, a new immersive, richly themed area inspired by the majestic beauty and easy-going culture of the Blue Ridge Mountain region.

Colorado Granted License For Space Port

The Federal Aviation Administration has granted a site operator license to Colorado Air and Space Port, the 11^th such license granted in the United States. Colorado Air and Space Port will serve as America's hub for commercial space transportation, research, and development.

"Facilities like Colorado Air and Space Port will be developed around the country and the world," said Mary Hodge, chair of the Adams County Board of Commissioners. "We'll be building a hub that connects Colorado to commercial and research opportunities across the globe."

Colorado Air and Space Port will accommodate vehicles making horizontal takeoffs and landings. The vehicles will take off like traditional airplanes using jet fuel and fly to a special-use airspace where rocket boosters launch the craft into suborbital flight. To land, the craft drops out of suborbital flight and lands like a traditional airplane.

The spaceport will also provide a boost to the state's economy by keeping the nearly 200,000 jobs connected to the aerospace industry in Colorado as well as creating new employment opportunities.