Wine and Dine on VinVillageRadio

Taste Portugal’s most important and historic export, Porto wines, and the new sumptuous wines of the Douro. This is the first collaboration between the prestigious Instituto dos Vinhos do Douro e do Porto (IVDP) and Boston University 's Elizabeth Bishop Wine Resource Center. The Elizabeth Bishop Wine Resource Center is a facility at Boston University established for the study and promotion of wine and other spirits, in order to educate people about wine as a beverage (which, when consumed in moderation, can be part of an enjoyable and healthy lifestyle). The Center's purpose is to foster education programs at Boston University that explore all aspects of wine, including viticulture; enology; wine history, economics, distribution and marketing; the pairing of wine with food; and the psychological, physiological, and cultural phenomena of wine consumption.
http://www.bu.edu/foodandwine/

Paulo Osório, Vice President, Instituto dos Vinhos do Douro e do Porto, talks to us from Oporto about IVDP, the ultimate guarantee of the authenticity of Porto Wine. IVDP is responsible for certifying and supervising the Porto and Douro Denomination of Origin by controlling the quality and quantity of wines that are permitted to bear this designation of origin. It promotes the wines of the region to diverse audiences around the globe including the upcoming first collaboration with Boston University 's Elizabeth Bishop Wine Resource Center on September 24th. From 3 - 5 pm the tasting is free to registered members of the trade and media; from 5:30 - 7:30 pm to the public. Tickets can be ordered online or by calling 617-353-9852.
http://www.ivdp.pt/index.asp?idioma=1&

The Napa Valley Vintners (NVV) non-profit trade association recently took yet another step in encouraging Napa County residents and visitors to act locally--now more than ever, to keep the local economy sparked by crafting a billboard on the St Helena Highway that reads "Eat, Shop, Drink: Local." "We are encouraging our residents to support their local shops and restaurants and their home wine region's wines as well," said NVV Executive Director Linda Reiff. She continued, "For nearly a decade our members have offered a 'locals only' discount at their wineries, known as Napa Neighbor, where tasting fees are waived, discounts are offered and more." The NVV recently took an informal county-wide poll of restaurants' wine lists and found a troubling show of support by some of the restaurant community for Napa Valley wines. Some popular locales offer as few as 15 percent of their selections from the appellation. Rex Stults, Industry Relations Director for NVV joins us for a frank discussion.
http://www.napavintners.com

Crushpad has never been able to make sparkling wine before because it requires some very specialized equipment. They recently teamed up with Rack & Riddle, which is known for their sparkling wine production capabilities. Now you can make your very own bubbly. For those of you that haven't signed up this year because you didn't want to do a whole barrel or you just wanted to add a 1/4 or 1/2 barrel more, this year Crushpad is doing two new things. (1) YOU can be making your own sparkling wine - both a blanc de blancs and a blanc de noirs and YOU can make sparkling wine in as little as 1/4 barrel increments, starting at $28/bottle. (2) They are offering wine making in half barrels lots (110+ liters), equivalent to around 12 cases, unlikely the typical 220+ liter barrel. Think in terms of signature future weddings, family reunions, holiday gifts, personal satisfaction!
http://www.crushnet.com/node/15167?i=1