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By The Glass By Richard Field |
Wine center offers
200 sipping choicesIt's so close you can almost taste it. The 12th annual Taste of Honolulu happens this weekend, Friday to Sunday. This widely anticipated event is a fabulous venue for enjoying food, wine and entertainment -- all in the heart of downtown at the Honolulu Civic Center Grounds.
For budding wine lovers and connoisseurs alike, the R. Field Wine Centre offers an informal setting for sampling nearly 200 wines from around the world, of different styles and grape varieties.
American cabernet sauvignons, German rieslings, French chardonnays and more will stand side by side in this celebration of wine. Faced with such abundance, it may be hard to make choices. But knowledgeable wine professionals -- including winery representatives, distributors and, of course, "The Three Amigos" (R. Field Wine Co.'s Tim Learmont, Kevin Toyama and Marvin Chang) -- will be on hand to guide your tasting journey.
The center will also offer a more exclusive area devoted to award-winning wines, those that have garnered acclaim in national wine publications or competitions. Stirred into the mix will be wines selected by the R. Field staff that merit inclusion.
Wine classes will be held on each day of the event: "Que Syrah, Shiraz" examines syrah in France, California and Australia; "A Taste of Riesling" shows the nobility of riesling and its natural affinity with Pacific Rim cuisine. Many more classes will be offered.
And don't forget, food and wine go hand in hand. Grab a plate from Bali by the Sea or any of the 25 participating restaurants to enjoy with your glass of wine. You'll be able to sample everything from local-kine grinds to haute cuisine. So which wine goes well with ahi poke? You be the judge.
Admission to the Wine Centre is $25 per person, $35 per couple, and includes the classes. To enter the area designated for award-winning wines costs another $5.
This is a great way to enjoy and learn while supporting a worthy cause. Proceeds from Taste of Honolulu fund Easter Seals Hawaii Programs that support children and adults with disabilities and special needs.
I'll see you all there!
Richard Field owns R. Field Food and Wine Co. This column is a weekly lesson in wine pairing written by a rotating panel of wine professionals.
This column is a weekly lesson in wine
pairing written by a rotating panel of wine professionals.
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