When wine tasting and social media meet, it’s called TasteLive. The Swirl Girls call it a sweet match.

The four of us have been a part of multiple TasteLive tastings www.TasteLive.com for about a year now. Here’s how it works: The organizers of this “real-time, event-based social network…for presenting products with taste” ask for participants to pair with certain wineries. If we accept, then we’re sent a number of wines the day before, or the day of, the live Twitter tasting.

Oak barrels stacked in the caves at the Benziger winery. (Lynn Kalber/The Palm Beach Post)

The wineries are on Twitter during the tastings, too, and answer questions about wine composition, wine price, bottling or anything else we ask them. It’s a good chance for interaction with winemakers; their stories are fascinating and the wines are usually pretty terrific.

So it was a couple of weeks ago, when we lined up with Sonoma’s Benziger wines at a TasteLive event. There was a real-time video interview with Mike Benziger, along with the real-time Tweeting. We had six different wines to taste, including two vertical tastings (same wine, different year). There were eight tastings going on all over the country.

I visited the biodynamic Benziger winery in 2009, on a trip to Sonoma and Napa. The winery is in a gorgeous hillside setting, with oak barrels stacked in caves, and offers a nice tram tour and tasting in the pretty white compound of buildings. I was impressed with the whole tour and definitely the tastings – Benziger turns out some fantastic wine.
Read the full story

We came. We swirled. We ate. We talked wine and we swirled more wine and we ate some more. (And then some more and some more.) And between seven-courses and three hours, we made 25 new friends and saw 5 old friends. It was yet another successful, wonderful Swirl Up at The Bistro Thursday night. Please check out our photo gallery online here!

Great food, great wine, and an unbeatable value. This is what’s on the menu Wednesday evenings at Paradiso Ristorante in downtown Lake Worth. The gourmet Italian restaurant’s weekly wine tastings feature six wines with delicious bites of paired hors d’oerves, plus a few extra surprises for an amazing $30 price (tax and tip excluded).

My husband and I stopped in on a recent Wednesday evening and found a lively crowd at the bar and extending into the adjacent dining area. We grabbed the last table and within minutes were served our first flight of white wines. Sommeliers Robinson Hogan and Brett Hart circled the room to discuss the wines with each table. Read the full story

As usual, our Swirl Up included lovely wine, great food, and lots of fun! Last night’s event at Russell’s Blue Water Grill brought together a big group of wine lovers from around Palm Beach County.

Partners Chef Charles Coe and Russell Beverstein helped us host a wonderful event. Coe went all out in the kitchen, preparing our group some delicious bites from his menu. Paired with his tasty creations were seven wines that ranged from an off-dry Argentine torrontes to a big, bold blend of syrah, petite sirah and grenache. My personal favorite of the evening was the 2007 David Bruce Pinot Noir from Russian River Valley, a heavenly pairing with Coe’s Muscovy duck rolls with Asian slaw and a Chinese BBQ drizzle!

Thanks to all of our wonderful guests for making the night so enjoyable. We look forward to seeing you at the next Swirl Up in July!

Click here to see photos from this event

Cheers! ~ The Swirl Girls

Just when you thought the summer months were getting a little slow — without the usual whirlwind of food and wine festivals — the Swirl Girls are excited to present our next Swirl-Up on Tuesday, June 21 at Russell’s Blue Water Grill, in Palm Beach Gardens, from 7 to 9 p.m.

The interior at Russell's Blue Water Grill in Palm Beach Gardens. (Libby Volgyes/The Palm Beach Post)

Hosted at one of my favorite restaurants, we bring you the culinary creations of Chef Charles Coe and six amazing wines, hand-selected by the Swirl Girls. The night will start with a little amuse-bouche as the guests get settled. Then, the fun starts.

We’ll start the night with a 2009 La Chiara Gavi, a light-bodied, dry, Old World Italian wine that’s crisp, with aromas of orange and tangerine to put us in the swirling mood. Next is the 2008 Bodega Tamari Torrontes Riserva, an Argentinian wine that smells delightfully of flowers. This has tropical fruits on a clean, soft palate. These two wines are paired with a calamari salad with carrot miso dressing.
Read the full story

Customers receive a taste of Bottega Vinaia Pinot Grigio from Italy. (Jennifer Podis/The Palm Beach Post)

As I scribble notes, I’ve created my own rating system with smiley faces or frown faces so I can quickly identify those I want to rush back for before the packing up begins.

Of the 12 wines I tasted, four earned the “Earthy” smiley face:
Read the full story

Wine lovers have a slew of options at SunFest, including the Robert Mondavi tent, which was a hit in 2010. (Photo courtesy SunFest)

It’s about the music, of course, but there’s so much more. Even for the wine aficionado and wine-curious. So, if the floating oasis bars at SunFest are a little too much action for you, then stroll over to the Wine Garden in Trinity Park, near the south end of the site.

In a shady, serene setting with tables and chairs, you’ll be able to sample nine different wines. While Woodbridge by Robert Mondavi is the official wine of SunFest, you’ll also be able to taste Ruffino Lumina pinot grigio, Rex Goliath pinot noir, Ravenswood merlot, plus others that will include sauvignon blanc, malbec and a sangria zinfandel. You’ll also have the opportunity to learn more about the wines from Southern Wine & Spirits representatives, who will be on hand for questions and one-on-one interaction.

More: Enter to win SunFest tickets | Money saving tips at SunFest | Meet the 2011 acts

The Wine Garden will be open Friday 5 – 9 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday 1 – 9 p.m., and the wines are sold as flights (or samples) of three for $5.
Read the full story

If you heard from friends who went to last year’s Legacy Place Food and Wine Experience, you probably thought, “That sounds great, wish I’d been there!” Here’s your chance.

The huge success of the first two events has happily led to a third, and you’ll be able to join all of us on April 21 to try some of the Swirl Girls’ favorite wines. Another plus is that you’ll be helping the American Lung Association, which is benefiting from this yummy evening.

Come and try dishes from Café Chardonnay, Ironwood Grille, Kona Grill, McCormick & Schmick’s, Capital Grille, Tijuana Flats, Saito’s Japanese Steakhouse, Cod & Capers, Figs by Todd English, and more. The wine is being supplied by Total Wine (someplace you may have seen us mention, oh, about a gazillion times), so you’re guaranteed a good sipping experience.

The doors open at 6:30 p.m. for VIP ticketholders, and at 7 p.m. for everyone else. Tickets are $50 for regular admission, $75 for VIP (VIP admission includes valet parking). There will be music, wine, food and a spring night under the stars. Sounds like a perfect formula to us! We hope to see you there. For more info, call (561) 659-7644.

What are we pouring? We thought you’d never ask.

2009 Clos St Michel Chateauneuf-du-pape blanc: We originally tried this wine when the Winettes had a Rhone tasting, and it was Sweet’s favorite wine of the night. Hailing from southern France, this has a lovely aroma of tropical fruits, citrus and vanilla. It is a full-bodied, sophisticated wine that will have you eschewing chardonnays for at least a week.
Read the full story

MARCH 31

RIBERA DEL DUERO WINE TASTING: 6:30 p.m. Verdea Restaurant & Wine Bar, Palm Beach Gardens. Join Dine Magazine for a tutored Ribera del Duero tasting with Jenny Benzie (formerly the sommelier from Café Boulud). Guests will taste 10 wines from the Ribera region of Northern Spain. These wines will be complemented with sumptuous hors d’oeuvres from Chef James King. $20. (561) 691-3130.

APRIL 1

16TH ANNUAL WINE & CULINARY CELEBRATION: 6 p.m., Museum of Discovery and Science, Fort Lauderdale. This yearly event features a progressive sequence of amazing wine and sumptuous food. Event features more than 30 of South Florida’s top restaurants alongside over 200 wine samples from wineries around the world. $85 for general admission, $150 for VIP admission. (954) 467-6637.

Read the full story

I can’t say enough good things about last night’s Swirl Up at Casa Mia in Jupiter. We hosted 33 wine-loving guests on Casa Mia’s beautiful patio, our largest group yet!

As always, it was an evening of great wine, great company and lots of fun! Casa Mia truly outdid themselves with fabulous food pairings for each wine. From the crispy crust pizzas — which are out of this world — to the house speciality pappardelle al cinghiale (house-made fettuccine with braised wild boar ragout), the food had our Swirl Up guests raving! Bravo Casa Mia!


Take a look at our photos from the event and we hope to see you soon at the next Swirl Up!


~ Swirl Girl Dry (J Gwen Berry)