Bon Vivant: (n) a person having cultivated, refined, and sociable tastes especially with respect to food and drink.

All posts in Event Planning

Oct 10

We’re Expanding!

Posted in: Bon Vivant, Event Planning, New Services, Virginia Wine, Wine Concierge, Wineries and Vineyards
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I’m excited to announce an expansion of services Bon Vivant will be offering to DC area clients!  We’re in close proximity to a number of Virginia wineries and vineyards, and I look forward to offering wine country concierge services.

With so many options to choose from, I’ve spent quite a bit of time recently touring Virginia wine country- sussing out the good, the bad and the ugly for myself!

One of the things that’s become increasingly apparent is that not all Virginia wine (and wineries) are created equal!  There are a number of quality vineyards that offer guests varying experiences.

The good news is, there is a vineyard out there to meet almost anything you’re looking for in an excursion- whether it’s scenery, world class wines, large group tours, behind the scenes experiences, exclusive wine pairing dinners in elegant settings, bachelorette excursions, as well as intimate and serene getaways (see my recent post on Linden Vineyards!).

With so many options to choose from, I aim to offer my clients highly tailored wine concierge services, custom designed for each client to show you some of the very best of what Virgina Wine Country has to offer- no matter what it is you’re looking for in your excursion!

Checking out the Cab Franc at Breaux Vineyards during Harvest! 2013 is looking like a promising vintage!

Checking out the Cab Franc at Breaux Vineyards during Harvest! 2013 is looking like a promising vintage!

 

 

What do you look for when visiting vineyards?

 

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Aug 20

How to Chill Wine in a Hurry

Posted in: Event Planning, Events, Helpful Hints
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Because sometimes 2 hours in the fridge is just too long!

IMG_4035We’ve all made the mistake of putting a bottle in the freezer to chill only to forget about it, but did you know there’s actually a quicker way to chill a bottle down?

Since water is a better temperature conductor than air, it’s actually quickest to cool down a room temperature bottle in an ice bath.  I usually use about 1/3 ice to 2/3 water for my ice baths.  

The addition of salt (which lowers the freezing point of water) speeds up the process even more!  To really maximize the chilling effect, twist the bottle of wine around in the ice bath every so often. 

This trick will take your bottle from room temperature to drinking temperature – about 45 to 50 °F- in about 15 minutes!

Have you ever let a bottle sit for too long in the freezer? 

I know I have before using this method…although there are worse things in this world than champagne slushies!

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