Did you know that there is an International Sauvignon Blanc Day? It is celebrated annually in the Wine Country in New Zealand with wine tastings, dinners, visits to the wineries and cellars. It’s a great event for all wine lovers to enjoy the diversity of tastes that can be driven from one grape variety. We decided to follow New Zealanders’ tradition, and organized a Sauvignon Blanc Day of our own giving the students an opportunity to try several wines made of this world-famous grape. Sauvignon blanc originates from the Bordeaux region of France but nowadays is planted in many of the world's wine regions, producing a crisp, dry, and refreshing white varietal wine. Nowadays it’s widely cultivated in France, Chile, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, the states of Washington and California in the US.  Depending on the climate, the flavour can range from aggressively grassy to sweetly tropical. In cooler climates, the gr...

It’s summertime, the best season for the light and refreshing rosé wine that is becoming widely appreciated among wine lovers for its subtle flavours and, of course, for its soft pink colour. This is the perfect wine for bringing to a picnic in the park or for a backyard barbeque. With our beautiful tradition of weekly wine tastings, last Friday our students got a chance to try several types of rosé from France, Italy and Canada and to learn more about the way rosé is made and how its taste and colour may differ depending on various factors. Winemakers create a rosé wine by juicing red grapes and then allowing the juice to soak with the skins for a very short period, usually only two to three days. As soon as the juice begins to take on the beautiful pink colour the winemaker desires, the skins are removed and the juice is allowed to ferment, creating delicious rosé. Rosé wines can be made from a wide range of grapes and can vary from highly dry to sweet, from still to sparklin...

Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel is one of the newest hotels in Vancouver, it is a beautiful property with many different areas to explore and learn from. Today our students got a guided tour where we explored their Coffee Shop, Wine Bar, Gift Shop, Flower Shop, Sushi Bar, Lobby Lounge, Oru restaurant and their Banquet facilities. Some of our students had the opportunity to work at this beautiful hotel.

Our students are joining Marquis Wine Cellars today for their 10 th  Annual Champagne and Sparkling Wine Tasting between 1 and 4pm.   We are tasting a fantastic selection of Champagnes and sparkling wines, learn about different regions, different styles and the grapes used in sparkling wines. This tasting will also support a fundraiser for the Big Sisters of BC Lower Mainland.

Today we had a chance to visit Bishop's restaurant in Kitsilano. Bishop's has been serving diners since 1985, John Bishop has been a big influencer in the food community in Vancouver, from the use of local produce to various participations in local fundraisers. Our students also had a chance to learn why Bishop's has won many services awards. In service "The details make the the difference".

On Wednesday, May 27 at 2:00pm At the Four Seasons Hotel The Import Vintners and Spirits Associations (IVSA) is a local association of beverage distributors from BC and Alberta. Throughout the year IVSA arranges wine and various beverage tastings. These tastings are quite exclusive and are held at the Four Seasons Hotel by invitation only. IVSA has arranged for their next tasting to take place on Wednesday, May 27 2015. The event will be led by Daniel, please speak with him if you have questions or if you are interested in attending.

Come Join Us! What : Fine French wine and cheese tasting When : December 12th, 2014 Where : IHMC Who : All students invited Time : 3:45pm to 5:00pm

Cynthia Opsal, brand manager of the Fladgate Partnership visiting Port Wine Basics WHAT IS PORTO? You know that Europeans take their Porto seriously when the EU drafts legislation to define what it is. For the record, port is a fortified wine, produced in the Demarcated Region of the Douro, Portugal. Officially, real port wine comes only from Portugal, very much the same way that true Champagne comes from the Champagne region of France. All other bubbly would be considered sparkling wine. The alcohol in port wine is produced under very specific conditions that result from natural and human factors. While aging in wood, port wine's fruity aroma develops through oxidation to create a bouquet that is reminiscent of dried fruit, toasting, wood, and spices. The aging process also adds to its smoothness while making the bouquet more complex. Much older wines have a greenish tint. Traditional production methods include stopping the fermentation process by ...

Examples of some of the best Food & Beverage Events by one of the most famous winery in the world Background of Château Haut-Brion Click the following links for the videos: 9-star Dinner at Château Haut-Brion 8 Historic Dinners with 8 Internationally renowned 3-star Chefs, in 8 Exceptional Venues, in 8 Great Cities, organized throughout the world to celebrate Domaine Clarence Dillon’s 75th anniversary on the acquisition of Château Haut-Brion: Moscow Dinner Los Angeles Dinner Tokyo Dinner Hong Kong Dinner Shanghai Dinner New York Dinner London Dinner Paris Dinner Additional reading about Château Haut-Brion . Source: Château Haut-Brion

IVSA New Product Salon On Tuesday, March 17, 2015 at 1:30pm At the Four Seasons Hotel The Import Vintners and Spirits Associations (IVSA) is a local association of beverage distributors from BC and Alberta. Throughout the year IVSA arranges wine and various beverage tastings. These tastings are quite exclusive and are held at the Four Seasons Hotel by invitation only. IVSA has arranged for their next tasting to take place on Tuesday, March 17, 2015. The event will be led by Daniel, please speak with him if you have questions or if you are interested in attending.

Introduction to the most influential wine critics in the world Tuesday to Friday 2:30pm to 5:30pm this week • After the course, you will be able to independently find out the ratings, historical and fair market prices, region, industry accepted tasting notes, as well maturity of any bottle of wine. • As a result, you will master the techniques in finding the best bottles on any wine list. • The first week will involve lecture and the second week, research. • Students successfully completing the course will receive a certificate from Imperial Hotel Management College. • Starting in 2008, this course will be mandatory and will compliment the Food & Beverage workshop. • Graduated students are also encouraged to complete and receive certification for this course.

Five Barclays Bankers Lose Jobs Over Very Expensive Meal LONDON (AP)--One summer evening in 2002, six bankers celebrated a business deal with dinner at a London restaurant. Several hours and three bottles of Chateau Petrus later, they had run up a bill of more than GBP44,000 (US$92,000) - according to Guinness World Records, the most expensive meal per capita ever. It is unlikely that they are still celebrating. Five of the diners - employees of Barclays Capital, the investment banking division of Barclays PLC (BCS) - have reportedly lost their jobs, and the sixth is keeping a low profile. The Petrus restaurant (owned by one of the most famous chefs in the world, Gordon Ramsay ) released details of the bill to the media after the extravagant meal last July. But on Tuesday night, staff at the lush, low-key dining room in London's St. James's district said politely but firmly that they were not allowed to speak to the media about this issue. According to the restaura...

DiverXO is a disturbingly fascinating short film comissioned by Madrid's three Michelin-starred DiverXO in order to announce the aperture of their new restaurant.

IVSA New Product Salon On Monday, November 3 at 1:30p.m. At the Four Seasons Hotel The Import Vintners and Spirits Associations (IVSA) is a local association of beverage distributors from BC and Alberta. Throughout the year IVSA arranges wine and various beverage tastings. These tastings are quite exclusive and are held at the Four Seasons Hotel by invitation only. IVSA has arranged for their next tasting to take place on Monday November 3 2014. The event will be led by Daniel, please speak with him if you have questions or if you are interested in attending.

Rule No. 1: You should always hold the wine glass by the stem. “You should always hold the glass by the stem, no matter what the shape or size of the glass or the type of wine,” says Michael Greenlee, the sommelier and wine director of Gotham Bar and Grill, in New York City. “The most common mistake I see in restaurants and at dinner parties is people holding a wineglass by the bowl .” When you do this with a Champagne flute or a wineglass, your body heat warms the drink inside. Of course, white wine and Champagne both taste best when they’re chilled. And if “if you’re trying to look at the color and the clarity of the wine, it’s hard to see them when your hand is wrapped around the glass and you have fingerprints on the bowl,” says Greenlee. So pinch the stem between your index finger and your thumb. If holding the glass by the stem feels unwieldy, check the portion: A wineglass should be only a quarter to a third full .

the most common ones listed below Half-Bottle 375 milliliters or one half of the standard bottle size. Also known as a "split" or a "tenth". Bottle 750 milliliters of wine, this is the standard size. Magnum 1.5 lters or two times the standard bottle size Double Magnum 3.0 liters or twice the size of a magnum, equivalent of 4 bottles. Jeroboam There are two sizes of Jeroboams: Sparkling wine Jeroboam equals 4 regular bottles, or 3.0 liters. Red wine Jeroboam equals 6 regular bottles, or 4.5 liters. Some 5.0 liter Jeroboams exist. Imperial 6.0 liters or 8 regular bottles. Methuselah Same size as an Imperial but is usually used for sparkling wines and is Burgundy-shaped. Salmanazar 9.0 liters. 12 regular bottles or one case. Balthazar 12.0 liters. 16 bottles. Usually used for sparkling wines. Nebuchadnezzar 15.0 liters. 20 regular bottles. Usually used for sparkling wines. Click here for the complete listing . Below are the relative ...

This event has been postponed; we will announce the time and date once it is rescheduled. Tuesday, September 9th at 4:30pm at IHMC Wine tasting conducted by Mr. Werner Schonberger, Vice-President Select Wines and Spirits. Werner will once again propose a selection of 6 very different white wines and regale us with his inimitable stories. Graduates are welcome to join the wine tasting. Please email to IHMC to sign up!

A Top Sommelier Reveals 6 Things Not To Do When Ordering Wine There are four basic components of the traditional wine tasting ritual people perform when they order a bottle at a restaurant: sniff the cork, swirl the glass, sniff the wine, and hold the glass up to the light to inspect its contents. "People go through the ritual, but they don't always know why they're doing it," said Union Square Hospitality Group's John Ragan, who is the wine director for Danny Meyer's restaurant empire. "That's not a comfortable exercise." To help people feel less silly when ordering and tasting wine, Ragan is leading a 10-week, restaurant-grade course starting in March curated by USHG and the Institute of Culinary Education . Every Tuesday, guests will get the training servers and sommeliers receive: They'll learn to navigate a wine list and discuss wine, have a chance to Skype with growers, importers and critics around the world, and most import...

understanding the best wines This 60 minutes documentary explores the wine culture in the wine capital of the world, Bordeaux. The film was entirely shot in Bordeaux, France, and contains many interviews with wine makers and winery owners. It was made in 2006 and it gives a good introduction to the excellent 2005 Bordeaux vintage. When the film was made, the 2005 wines were not bottled yet, but one can already sense the excitement and anticipation. Additional resources: Wine Spectator Magazine's video, Bordeaux's Keys to Greatness . Source: PlumTV

the proper amount for each glass Approximately 25 oz in a standard 750ml bottle, if 3 oz per glass, 8 glasses. Observe each glass is only poured less than half full. Source: chow.com