Jeff Houck

The Tampa Tribune’s food writer since 2005, Jeff Houck covers the way people live through their food. He also hosts the Table Conversations food podcast and believes that everything crunchy is good.

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Sipping and Eating At Bern’s Winefest [Things Which Do Not Suck]

Posted Apr 20, 2009 by Jeff Houck

Updated Apr 20, 2009 at 05:07 PM

Among the many holes in my culinary resume, attending Bern’s Winefest is now considered officially filled.

It’s about time. The thing’s been going on for a dozen years.

I finally went to the four-day event’s grand tasting on Saturday at SideBern’s, sipping and eating, sipping and eating, occasionally breaking the monotony of sipping and eating by attending a seminar that required more sipping after eating. My liver and gullet are now sufficiently flexible enough to handle more professional size portions.

More than 800 attended the $125-a-ticket sipping of vintages from the United States, Germany, Austria, South America, Italy, France, Spain and Portugal. [It’s at this point you are allowed to pause and wonder, “Um, who can afford these days to attend such things?”]  The event was also a showcase for chefs from SideBerns and Bern’s Steak House to flex their culinary muscles.funds for culinary scholarships.

Think eel ravioli, smoked pork belly and bison tartare (above). The patio serving stations featuring Moet & Chandon champagnes, and exotic caviars were besieged with patrons looking for samples.

My favorite part was listening to Alessia Antinori walk her seminar audience through the Antinori Winery’s offerings.

The family’s Tuscany-based winery dates back to 1385, but the wines Antinori showcased were no older than 2004 vintages. My personal favorite: 2005 The Tenuta Tignarello, which combines 85 percent Sangiovese, 10 percent Cabernet Sauvignon and 5 percent Cabernet Franc.

Here’s a video of Alessia’s father, Piero, talking about the wine with James Suckling of Wine Spectator.

Another great seminar: the backgrounder on biodiverse viticulture by Kathy Benziger Threlkeld of Benziger Family Winery.

Before her neice, Erinn, took us quickly through the family’s offerings, Threlkeld explained how the family farms with nature in mind at their 85-acre Sonoma estate. Never have I enjoyed so much talk about insects, manure and compost with my wine chat.

Here are some highlights from Threlkeld’s presentation:

For more photos from the event, click here.