Home > Articles > News > Wine and Food, Meet Sun and Sand

Robert and Margrit Mondavi.

  See also:
South Beach photo gallery

Wine and Food, Meet Sun and Sand

Sixth annual South Beach Wine & Food Festival pairs tasting and fun

Thomas Matthews
Posted: Wednesday, March 21, 2007

Wine is personal. That showed clearly in Miami Beach in February, when brothers Robert and Peter Mondavi reunited to pour two Napa Valley Cabernets they made together, 1965 Charles Krug and 2004 Ancora Una Volta. Impressive as both wines were, it was their emotional impact that brought a capacity crowd to its feet in a prolonged standing ovation for the proud old men.

The 1965--supple, elegant, and still vibrant--was the last vintage the brothers made before their famous fight, which led to Robert founding his eponymous winery in 1966. The 2004, whose name means “one more time,” was rich, ripe and plush, a 40-case bottling to symbolize their families’ reconciliation.

The two Cabernets were presented by their children, Tim and Marcia (on Robert’s side), with Marc and Peter Jr. (on Peter’s). It was the first time the Ancora Una Volta had been publicly tasted, and probably the last time for the 1965. One hundred-fifty people were lucky enough to attend the hour-long, seven-wine tasting, and share a taste of history.

 
Martha Stewart, Eric Ripert and Maguy Le Coze.  
 
The Mondavi tasting was part of the sixth annual South Beach Wine & Food Festival, which has become one of the biggest and most exciting wine events in the country. This year, the four-day event (Feb. 22–25) drew 20,000 people and raised $1.2 million for Florida International University’s School of Hospitality and Tourism Management, according to Lee Brian Schrager, director of media and special events for Southern Wine & Spirits, a principal sponsor of the festival.

Serious wine lovers could sign up for 14 intimate tastings, sponsored by Wine Spectator. Besides the Mondavi presentation, highlights included a vertical tasting of Château Haut-Brion, led by owner Prince Robert de Luxembourg and technical director Jean-Philippe Delmas; three vintages each of Château Cheval-Blanc and Château d’Yquem, led by Pierre Lurton, who directs both estates; verticals of Château Margaux, Far Niente Cabernet Sauvignon and Louis Roederer Cristal; and tastings led by Tuscany’s Piero Antinori and Napa Valley’s Chuck Wagner.

“Best of the Best” brought together 50 top wineries and 28 top chefs for a wine-and-food tasting at the American Airlines Arena, home of the Miami Heat, on Friday night. Also sponsored by Wine Spectator, it drew more than 1,200 guests, who could taste the Antinori family’s 1997 Solaia (Wine Spectator’s Wine of the Year in 2000), or pair a 2004 Corton-Charlemagne from Louis Latour with sushi prepared by superstar chef Nobu Matsuhisa.

Elsewhere that same night, crowds gathered under a tent on South Beach for the Moët & Chandon Bubble Q, which matched Champagne with down-home barbecue. And, the first annual Food Network Awards were presented at the Jackie Gleason Theater; it was difficult to tell whether the standing-room-only crowd was more excited to see chef Emeril Lagasse or actress Catherine Zeta Jones, both among the presenters.

The centerpiece of the festival was the Grand Tasting Village, which stretched along the beach for about three city blocks, and drew thousands of people each day to sample hundreds of wines, spirits and dishes from local restaurants in an atmosphere that somehow combined a country fair and a trendy nightclub. A live charity auction took place in the middle of the party and 38 lots raised $217,700; the top lot, a trip to South Africa's wine country, went for $16,500.

On a mournful note, however, last year’s auctioneer was missing. Jimmy Mancbach, a California wine specialist for Southern Wine & Spirits, who was one of the festival’s creators, died in January at 56. Mel Dick, president of the wine division of Southern, announced the establishment of the Jimmy Mancbach Scholarship Foundation, which will fund internships at California wineries for young wine professionals.

On Saturday night, 600 people paid $500 per ticket to attend a tribute dinner for chef Eric Ripert and owner Maguy Le Coze of Le Bernardin restaurant in New York. Chefs, winemakers and celebrities such as Martha Stewart mingled in the ballroom at the Loews Miami Beach Hotel. It was the capstone to a weekend that proved that sun and sand make attractive partners to food and wine. The 2008 event will take place Feb. 21–24.

Back to top

Currently on Wine Spectator Online:


   
   
   
   
     

Advertisement