Great Bay:--- Ever wondered why the waiter pours the equivalent of a mouthful of wine in a glass and offers it to you for approval before serving it? Do you know the ritual of wine-tasting and why connoisseurs sniff the wine glass before drinking from it?"There's more to wine than meets the eye," says Director of Tourism, Regina Labega. "That is why wine will be flowing throughout the five-day Flaavors of St. Maarten Food and Wine Festival which starts on November 10."
In fact, the curtain raiser for the Flaavors Festival is a grand champagne tasting at Porto Cupecoy, which will feature Iron Chef contestant Marc Forgione who will be preparing some hors d'oeuvres best suited to go with champagne. Admission to this event is US$150 per person.
On Saturday, November 13, 2010, there will be a conducted wine tasting at noon by the Napa Valley Vintners Association at the Westin Dawn Beach Resort. The participating wineries include Flying Horse Winery, Luna Vineyards, Jones Family Vineyards, Peju Vineyards, The Hess Collection and Grgich Hills Winery. Others are the Miner Family Vineyards and the Oakville Ranch Vineyards.
Participating panelists at this special event are Dan Bailey of the Jones Family Vineyards, Paula Kornel of Oakville Ranch Vineyards and Michael Davis of Hart, Davis, Hart, in Chicago.
"With such experts around, the wine tasting promises to be more than a delight to the palate," noted LaBega. "Questions like what wine goes well with T-bone steak, and which wine will make a red snapper or grouper go down well will surely be among those answered by these experts."