Mixing Beverage, Foods and Gadgets for Varied Tastes

Patrick Farrell, one of the country’s only 26 Masters of Wine and creator of the BevWizard magnetic wine and spirits smoother (www.bevwizard.com), finds summertime the best time to experiment with new wines from all over the world and showcase fun cocktails with friends at home. His mixing of tastes and textures that compliment lighter seasonal summer fare, don’t follow traditional rules and help when guests have varied taste preferences.

Great tastes come from mixing flavors that together are better than apart. Food and beverage pairing can be daunting to some, but needn’t be an intimidating. “The true joy of entertaining is the combination of friends and flavors that compliment one another,” says Farrell, “The same is true about food, wine and spirits.”

Because warm summer temperatures usually dictate a lighter fare to be paired with lighter beverages, some white wines can taste “grassy” or overly “oaky.” Oaky wines may make for good cocktails; though tend to get in the way of many foods. The hearty red wines that worked with winter fare seem heavier and more tannic during summer. The same goes for the scotch, cognac or Jack Daniels, but they all seem harsher during the dog days of summer. These are problems that the BevWizard Wine or Spirits Smoother and a good food pairing can cure; some examples include:

New Zealand Sauvignon BlancA crisp, chilled New Zealand sauvignon blanc can be a delight on hot days. The grassy, citrus flavors pair well with blanched asparagus, goat cheese or seafood. Farrell, who likes the aggressive, herbaceous flavors of these sauvignon blancs acknowledges that some don’t share that passion. He’s found that he can usually please all guests by using the Bevwizard Wine Smoother to cut the herbaceous edge for those with less wild taste preferences.

Oaky ChardonnaySome love it, others less so. Bitter tannins get in the way for many guests Surprisingly, these heavier white wines can go well with a burger off the grill. Using the BevWizard Wine Smoother will tone down the oak a little while taming the bitter tannins, making for a better poolside drink. To charm your oaky chardonnay loving friends, Farrell suggests grilling some fish over an oak fire. The toasty oak flavors from the grill harmonize with similar flavors in the chardonnay.

Chilean RedsChilean cabernet, merlot and carmenere offer very good value though can have some weedy flavors and hard tannins that can get in the way of summertime dining. The Bevwizard Wine Smoother will cut down the weedy notes, enhance the fruit and smooth out the tannins, making these budget friendly wines more summer friendly. Try them with a burger, a hot dog or ribs.

Zinfandel and SyrahThese wines can be pretty “big”, big in color, big in alcohol, big in flavor and big in tannins, getting in the way of lighter summertime fare. Farrell gives a couple of suggestions. One is temperature: serve at cooler temperatures during the summer, which will make higher alcohol wines seem lighter. Also, use the BevWizard Wine Smoother to round the edges off the young tannic zinfandel or syrah that you find at the table. Both these varieties have plenty of berry flavors that go wonderfully with barbecue.

Pink Wines:“These are fantastic summer wines” Farrell explains. They go well with most summer foods and can be good values. “Some wine aficionados have a problem with pink wine, though I don’t, especially some of the wonderful, dry rose wines coming out of Provence and Languedoc,” says Farrell. From fish to salads to burgers to barbecue, pink wines are summertime captured in the glass using the Bevwizard Wine Smoother.

Brown Whiskies: Some delight in sipping scotch, cognac or Jack Daniels by the fireplace after skiing, though many found the harsh tannins just too strong. “When the temperature drops at night, the BevWizard Spirits Smoother markedly smoothes out the cognac, or Scotch, or Jack so that all may enjoy,” says Farrell. “Using the Bevwizard Spirits Smoother with mixers is a way to make them more summer friendly; even when mixed with coke, or soda, or water your Jack will be much smoother when you pour it through the Spirits Smoother.”

About BevWizard: Founded in 2004 by two seasoned executives Mac Lindsey and Tom Thompson and world-renowned wine expert, master of wine Patrick Farrell, Inventive Technologies, Inc. brings smoothness to many young wines and wood matured spirits using the BevWizard’s patented aerating, magnetic technology that softens bitter tannins and mellows astringent wines and spirits. Many wines are made with cellaring in mind. The problem is that approximately 90% of purchased wines are consumed within 72 hours of purchase. Most brown whiskies have harsh tannins that scare away a majority of drinkers. The BevWizard pourers smooth out these tannins, especially for those drinkers who shy away from bitterness. Just as a host or hostess will offer coffee black or customized using cream and sugar, the BevWizard Wine Smoother and Spirits Smoother gives the thoughtful host a way of providing customized drinks for all their guests.