Many of New Jersey’s most renowned and respected, local gourmets, connoisseurs, eateries, aficionados and gourmands gathered today at the marvelous and magnificent “Monmouth Museum and Cultural Center” located in Lincroft new Jersey.

The special gathering was called together for the county’s 11th annual “Gourmet Food and Wine Tasting” extravaganza, dedicated to raising much needed money for the local chapter of the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Monmouth County (BBBSMC)

The “Premier Sponsor” for this event was the wonderful people over at “The Provident Bank” and the various wines were supplied by “Spirits Unlimited”.

The event was an exhilarating combination of “food and wine tasting” and what was billed as “a juried exhibition at the museum. Fourteen area restaurants featured their very finest fares and guests were able to sample a wide variety of delectably delicious dishes and curious culinary creations.

Tickets went for just $75.00 per person and sponsorships ranged from $250 to $3000 and all proceeds are directed to the support of the BBBSMC’s mentoring programs and outreach services to the children of Monmouth County.

Participating restaurants included: The Bistro, Red Bank / Casa Solar, Belmar / Cheese on Main, Ocean Grove / Drew’s Bayshore Bistro, Keyport / Gaetano’s, Red Bank / Julia’s, Atlantic Highlands / Matisse, Belmar / Patticakes, Red Bank / Piccola Italia, Ocean / Red Restaurant & Lounge, Red Bank / Starbucks http://www.starbucks.com / Suzi’s Sweet Shoppe, Middletown / Via 45, Red Bank / Zoe, Little Silver.

Some of the other featured sponsors included: Ansell, Zaro, Grimm, & Aaron /Birdsall Services Group/
The Children’s Hospital at Monmouth Medical Center / Saint Barnabas Health Care System / Hope for Children Foundation / Investors Savings Bank / John Little Family Dentistry / McGuigan Tombs & Company / Ocean First Foundation.

How wonderful that something as truly enjoyable as a day of celebration of great wine and Gourmet Food can be turned into something that serves so many different needy people, in so many different helpful ways.

It’s a wonder thing, it’s a wonderful life.

Cheers!

Signing off at Pigging out!
Rocco “Boss Hog” Loosbrock

These days, it seems that absolutely everybody who is “anybody,” is now out there, excitedly and enthusiastically sharing the “good news” that so many of us gourmands have known for decades, that premium quality, Red Wine is not only delicious to drink, but it is actually extremely good for your health.

Study after study, report after report, from “Science Daily” to “The New York Times”, from “News Day” to “The Today Show” and from such notably substantial, renowned and respected medical monoliths as “The Mayo Clinic” to Yale – New Haven Hospital all are chiming in and joining the chorus that we gourmets have been singing for literal centuries.

In fact, it was the world’s most famous “wise man,” Plato himself, who was quoted as saying “Nothing more excellent or valuable than wine was ever granted by the Gods to man” while Jesus, one of, if not “THE” world’s most respected, revered and followed teachers of all-time turned water into wine and beseeched his followers to regularly partake of the fruit of the wine.

So what exactly have all of these “world renowned” Medical Research Institutions and Media Giants been teaching us all about red wine? Basically precisely what so many of us have known all along. That when enjoyed in moderation, not more than 2 glasses per sitting, while others teach only 2 glasses per day, it can serve as a powerful protector against everything from various forms of cancer to heart disease and from Alzheimer’s and coronary disease, to lowering our cholesterol level, stress and blood pressure.

For many centuries, people profusely pondered the perplexing paradox of the traditional “French Diet,” which is notoriously high in fats and “empty calorie” carbohydrates from pasta to bread, yet as a culture, the French have a far lower rate of heart attack, stroke and other forms of coronary disease than the rest of the world who eats “supposedly” better.

The difference being a society that freely raises its families on premium quality, small production red wines, from childhood through adulthood.

So what exactly does this “top shelf” red wine do for the human body. As it turns out, it’s all about the near miraculous healing powers of antioxidants. A powerful antioxidant that is called “Resveratrol,” as well as several other antioxidants are abundantly, naturally and organically found in red wine, due to the fact that the skin and even some varietals seeds are left in the wine during the fermentation process.

These antioxidants are extremely beneficial in preventing harmful elements in the body from attacking healthy cells in the body, thereby helping to heart disease while reducing lung tissue inflammation in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Resveratrol is also a remarkably powerful and plentiful source of “phytoestrogen” which naturally has remarkably similar properties to estrogen, the female sex hormone. Due to this similarity, “phytoestrogens” are able to help bind to estrogen receptors acting like the estrogen that is naturally produced in the body.

This serves to naturally help protect women from the adverse circumstances of low estrogen levels, by serving to minimize the effects of menopause, while simultaneously working to prevent breast cancer, osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease.

Red wine also naturally contains substantial amounts of another healthy antioxidant which is a “flavanoid” known as “Catechin.” Research indicates that, along with the antioxidant “resveratrol,” the flavinoid “Catechin” plays an extremely important role in reducing the risk of heart disease. Meanwhile, “Saponins,” also found in red wine also protect against heart disease while “Guercetin” is a known as an effective inhibitor of lung cancer.

So to add it all up, red wine, when enjoyed in moderation, helps keep us free from a vast number of life threatening maladies, everything from heart attacks and strokes, to high blood pressure and cholesterol. Then, to that add its powerful effects in preventing, suppressing and healing the effects of numerous forms of cancer, from colon, breast and prostate cancer to melanoma and leukemia.

Wow, I think I’m going to open up a nice bottle of one of my favorite fragrant and flavorful Cabernets, or perhaps a lush a fruity Pinot Noir or maybe even a mesmerizing and alluringly aromatic Chardonnay, Hmmmm, they all sound so good, dare I risk moderation and happily imbibe a glass of each.

One never really knows, does one?

Cheers my friend!

Signing off at Pigging out!
Rocco “Boss Hog” Loosbrock

Apparently, both the alcohol content itself, as well as the naturally occurring “phyto-chemicals” or organic plant compounds, found in wine, have been clinically proven to reduce the risk of various forms of heart disease and cancer, as well as effectively slow the progression of numerous neurological and degenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Disease.

However, too much of a good thing can potentially turn a delicious, life enhancing and sustaining celestial elixir into something a little more like danger, so over-drinking the fruit of the vine can prove to be detrimental to both your health and safety.

As with anything wonderful in life, “All Things Within Measure Should Be The Motto Of The Day, as alcohol abuse is a complex, slippery slope that can sneak up on those who use their “vino” to escape problems and mask feelings.

Basically, as a general rule of thumb, two glasses per day seems to be the optimum number to aim for, without having to pull out the calculator and mathematically take into account factors like body weight, how much you’ve eaten before drinking, your metabolism, etc.

Also keep in mind that we are talking about the traditional sized 5 to 6 oz. wine glasses when we speak of a drink, not 12 to 16 oz. glass.

For years, medical researchers have documented that moderate amounts of alcohol can be very helpful in raising your HDL (Good Cholesterol) while naturally thinning your blood, thereby, helping to lower your blood pressure.

Meanwhile, naturally occurring, organic “phytochemicals” that are found in wine, such as flavanoids and resveratrol, act as powerful antioxidants and prevent molecules known as “free radicals” from causing dangerous cellular damage in the body.

Resveratrol has also been shown to prevent blood clotting and plaque formation in arteries by altering one’s lipid profiles and plasma viscosity. Resveratrol also produces extremely potent anti-thrombotic agents that can potentially improve cardiovascular health and lower the risk for coronary heart disease and in some studies, successfully helped to reduce tumor incidence and hindering the body’s development of cancer.

Because the skins are left on the grapes during the fermentation process, red wines will naturally contain more Resveratrol than white wines. Also, when comparing “red to red” and “white to white,” those wines produced in cooler climates will naturally have more resveratrol than wines from warmer climates. Therefore, those red wines hailing from cool climates will quite logically have the most resveratrol.

Signing off at Pigging out!
Rocco “Boss Hog” Loosbrock

With the exponentially increasing popularity of Television Cooking and Chef shows that are simply taking the nation, if not planet by storm, the popularity of Gourmet Cooking, and therefore, the increased sales of gourmet foods and gifts, from the long time beloved and “in vogue” monthly fine wine clubs to the recently sought out and well received gourmet food clubs now online for your ease and convenience.

What started out originally and primarily as the proud and protected bastion of the Food Network was eventually recognized as a veritable “gold mine” and eventually spread to other networks / channels such as Bravo and TLC and now, as the trend begins to crest even higher than anyone could have ever expected, has not only gone totally “loco,” but totally “local” as more and more television channels “not affiliated with the networks” are profiting profusely from the mass appeal, crowd pleasing, trend setting wave of culinary celebration that I like to refer to as “GOUR-MANIA!”

So exactly what has the gigantic onslaught of hugely successful shows cooking shows like Top Chef and Iron Chef America as well as the consistently viewed and absolutely adored “Television Chef Celebrities” like Graham Kerr, Rachael Ray, Paul Prudhomme, Paula Deen, Wolfgang Puck, Nigella Lawson, ,Alton Brown, Giada De Laurentiis, Emeril Lagasse, Cat Cora, Bobby Flay, Padma Lakshmi, Anthony Bourdain and Julia Childs done for the popularity and prestige of gourmet meals … ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING!

Personally I honored to have this opportunity to humbly offer them all a tremendous, heart felt standing ovation, sincerest “Thank You” and deepest wishes for another million years or more, of sweet, sizzling success!

Signing off at Pigging out!
Rocco “Boss Hog” Loosbrock

The Oscar’s is a night that can make a winner out of anyone. This Sunday is like the Superbowl for movies and moviegoers alike.  The beauty of an event like the Oscars is that any kind of party to get together can be suitable. To celebrate the 82^nd Oscar’s ceremony, I’ve decided to give my friends an opportunity to wear that old cocktail dress that’s hiding in the back of their closets.

Taking my cue from the celebration of the ceremony just miles from my own house, I may not get a red carpet but dinner and wines are definitely a must. With this year’s award ceremony recognizing the work of Meryl Streep with a Best Actress Nomination for her role as Julia Child in Julie & Julia what better choice for dinner than something from her cookbook itself.

More importantly than the French cuisine though would be to find a perfect French wine to compliment the food itself. Keeping true to the spirit of the awards being in California as well as our French dinner, a bottle of wine or two from the vineyard Lyeth might be perfect. Lyeth, a Coastal Vineyard’s favorite, is a vineyard located in California that’s traditions; processes and inspiration all come from France. My well-dressed guests are going to be treated to a dinner fit for the stars.

Now it’s time for the award show to start. To make the viewing of the actual awards a bit more entertaining for my guests I have two things planned. A betting pool, costing the price of a ticket to the very first Oscar’s of five dollars to participate. The guest that guesses the most winners correctly would win the money.

While the guest or guests to guess the correct winners for the top categories: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Screen Play would win their very own Oscar. I plan this prize Oscar to be a bottle of wine. Maybe a bottle from Rotta, yet another featured vineyard in the Coastal Vineyard Wine Clubs , one of the oldest vineyards in California being founded only nineteen years before the first Oscar ceremony in 1927.

I might place one of the Rotta wines within an Oscar themed gift bag, taking a page from last year’s Oscar bags that actually did include a bottle of wine for celebrities. Or I could create Oscar statues out of bottles of Chardonnay , already a golden light color and perfect in shape and color for the craft. Coastal Vineyards features a great wine club for Chardonnay’s of just California wines that would be perfect for keeping in our California Movie theme.

Fancy Dresses, dinner, prizes and plenty of wine throughout the night the 82^nd Oscars are going to be fun even for those of us on the outside of the Kodak Theatre. The winner of the night … anyone enjoying the show with me.

Lesley Lopez

Signing Off and Pigging Out,

Rocco “Boss Hog” Loosbrock

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Happy Valentine’s Day everybody! Today truly is a very happy day for wineries and special production vintners all around the world, who have come to truly and totally LOVE Valentine’s Day.

This appreciation of the “Holiday Of Love” comes from the fact that this is one of the very few days of the year when people are more likely to be drinking wine and usually drinking a much better quality of wine than that which can quickly an simply be “picked- up” at the corner “Gas Station Mini-Mart” or the gigantic, generic corporate “Mega-Mart” warehouse emporium.

That means this is one of those especially rare times of the year when people have a chance to actually experience a truly great glass or three of premium quality wine, as they fall in love and “into line” with the traditions and spirit of “Valentine’s Day” and all that it has come to stand for.

So how can these adventuresome folks who usually drink beer, Jack and 7, rum and coke or are normally teetotalers, best be served (pun intended) on this special day?

How about a simple guide to the 5 Best Wines, guaranteed to take Romance well beyond Valentine’s Day!

The best way to effectively and successfully use this guide; is for you to do a little bit of honest soul searching to most honestly determine precisely where you and your LOVE are on the wide spectrum of wine appreciation.

To help simplify the process, let’s simply break the entire range down into four very easy to recognize categories: Novice, Sophisticate In Training, Intermediate Aficionado and Consummate Connoisseur.

Novice: The novice or relative novice to the “wonderful world of wine” is most definitely in for a real treat by introducing themselves to either an enchanting Chardonnay if a nice   White Wine is preferred; or an alluring Zinfandel if the traditional Red Wine is the choice and personal preference of the special couple.

Of course, since Valentine’s Day is a Holiday resplendently decorated in both red and white, you really can’t go wrong with either one of these excellent wines.

Chardonnay is by far the most popular white wine on the planet. It enticingly exudes and  expressing itself in an amazingly wide range of aromatic flavors and essences,  from its lush, rich and  buttery oak overtones, to the vibrantly fresh and fruity flavors of apples, pears, citrus and melons, leaving a luscious and long lasting positive impression upon the palate.

So many people deeply LOVE Chardonnay, that it has come to be known as the official wine of deep love, and that sounds like a great place to start … and to finish.

Zinfandel is by far the most charming and versatile red wine on the planet Earth, with an exquisite flavor and exceedingly alluring aroma, that with finesse and grace can easily pose equally as comfortably and believably as blush or rose frequently favored by most wine novices.

Come experience this enticing air of complexity and mystique, drawing you into a vast multitude of mouthwatering essences displayed by this uniquely multifaceted wine.

Sophisticate In Training: For those people who regularly enjoy imbibing a nice glass of wine now and again, the Cabernet is the perfect choice of a Romantic evening of passion.

Cabernet This sophisticatedly fruit flavored wine has just enough seductive sweetness to make it both luscious and adoring, without being overtly sweet. You’ll thoroughly enjoy the intoxicating, subtle hints of everything from the most flavorful expression of black currant, blackberry, black cherry, cassis, and raspberry, with the musk-like allure and essence of tobacco, cedar, oak and even dried herbs and spices.

People these days so often over-use the erotic expression “an orgy of decadent flavors,” however, in this case, the assertion is quite well founded and completely true!

Intermediate Aficionado: The Intermediate Aficionado who has been loyally drinking wine for an extended period of time now has earned the right and privilege to move up the sultry sensuality of Syrah. Even the very name of this wine is both exotically charged and erotically alluring.

Syrah is a full bodied, dominantly lush and luscious, deeply scarlet colored wine, rich, dark and heady, commonly emanating the aroma of floral and fruity fares from black currants apple, cherry and blackberries to raspberry, citrus, blueberry and plums. What is even more spectacular is the mesmerizing finish, often lingering with a hint of chocolate, vanilla, oak, coffee, all-spice, cinnamon, anise and even a slight touch of pepper.

This is perhaps the most delightfully decadent red wine on Earth with a lush texture and impressive after-taste that, very much like an amazingly wonderful lover, continues to call you back again and again … and each time, it only gets better and better!

Consummate Connoisseur: For the Consummate Connoisseur, may I introduce you to the magically mystical Merlot, where the mythical wonders and glory of “Mer-lin” and “Came-lot” com together in a perfectly balanced blend, equaling this eminently enticing elixir known to human-kind only as “Mer-Lot!”

Merlot is a distinctly delectable, medium-bodied red wine with an amazingly wide range of explosively juicy fruit flavors ranging from cherries, currants and blueberries to black cherries, plums, and blackberries, often exuding an alluring essence of vanilla, oak, spice, coconut, musk, caramel, truffle, tobacco, mint or even slight sprinkling of black pepper.

The tannin levels in merlot are intentionally kept low, leading to a much smoother, less dry and acidic aftertaste than many people have commonly come to associate with and expect from a premium quality red wine.

This wine is so smooth and luscious, rich and decadent, that it will transform both your consciousness and your sense, literally blowing your proverbial socks off … along with other items of clothing that may be deemed in the way or unnecessary for a party of two!

Cheers!