My First Wine Tasting event in Vienna

I went for a blind wine tasting event yesterday at a local cafe (Kotor Café) to help the owner decide what wine he will be featuring in his store later on.

The organizer brought in three grape varieties that are completely new to me, they are all native grapes to Bosnia and Herzegovina: Blatina, Vranac and Zilavka.

We did tasting on eight bottles of wine. The first two are Žilavka, a white grape variety that is originated from that region (new word for me today too: Autochthonous! ). It has a nice citrus taste, zesty. Some would even describe it has a warm lemon drop taste. We tasted two bottles of the same grape, one bottle is from 2012(Kameno from Čitluk) , and the other one is 2013(Vukojie). It is surprising to me that within a year how these two bottles taste vary from each other. The Kameno has too much acidity for my taste, and it creates more of a shocking impression upon first taste. Thus, I prefer the later.

At the venue, we were really fortunate to have a wine journalist and some other more experienced Sommeliers to share their view with us. I feel I really learned a lot from them, and was happy to know some of my comments and food pair suggestions were concurred by them or were similar to their choices.

Among all, I think Blatina from Čitluk (2012) was my favorite. This wine first greets you with its nice floral/herbal fragrance. Then it soothes you with its rounded, plum and berry-like taste. It was aged in the Slovenian Oak barrel for ten months to create that nice almost Port-like taste in the mouth.

I was lucky enough to bring home with me these two bottles of wine from Čitluk winery!

Fun tasting of the native grape varieties from Bosnia and Herzegovina! #Blatina and #Vranac are my two new favorite from #Čitluk #winery! Get your hands on them soon! #BiH #unique2thatregion #autochthonous

To read more about these wine, please visit:

• Blatina 
• Čitluk winery

Summer time, Viennese Style

When in Rome do as the Romans do, but when in Vienna this summer, think about trying out some summer tips from some Webster students.

Not only does Vienna have a rich history, famous musicians, and great architecture to offer, summer time here is filled with many exciting outdoor concerts and activities that cater everyone. Best of all, nearly all of them are free.

Enjoy a summer splash by the Danube, relax at open-air bars and restaurants along the canal, chill at a big beer garden inside Prater, or enjoy a glass of local wine at a Heuriger in the suburbs.
Entertainment is plentiful, with outdoor film festivals – yes, there are more than one – and concerts that offer a variety to satisfy all tastes.

International Relations sophomore, Alexandra Fomenko recommends starting off by checking the vienna-event web page, to find the latest happenings. But for insider tips on the best places to whet a whistle, most Webster students who have been here over the summer say they like to stick close to the Danube canal, known here by its German name, the Donau.

It’s all about being outdoors

“Always to the Donau!” senior Media major, Gretchen Gatzke, recommended in a survey. “You can swim, bring friends, (play) cards, a picnic and beer, and get a lot of sun.”

That sentiment is echoed by most. Along the canal, or the nearby Danube Island, people can barbeque, rollerblade, water ski, go wave-boarding or just chill out with friends.

This year Donaukanaltreiben, a three-day festival for music, art and culture that runs along the canal from Spittelau in the north to Franzensbrücke at nearly the end of the city starts June 7. This year’s musical lineup includes Sofa Surfers Soundsystem featuring Saedi, the Vienna-Berlin quartet Luise Pop, the alternative rock band Mauracher as well as the newcomer Indie Pop band The Boys You Know.

U-Bahn-Station 'Alte Donau' and the bridge ©Österreich Werbung / Diejun

The Alte Donau is the dead-end of an old part of the river that acts more like the city’s lake. It’s easy to reach (only a block or two away from the Webster campus) or via the U1 Alte Donau station. The water is warm enough to swim in, but Molly Ochs, an IR senior, also likes to rent boats – sail boats, electric boats or even pedalos.

“This is a great way to enjoy a sunny day.” Ochs said, “It’s always cool on the water and is a great opportunity to swim and get out of the city while still being in the city.”

An electric boat rental starts at € 16 per hour, some companies even offer party boots that can accommodate 12 people, but choose a good captain because you will be dodging swimmers, rowing sculls and other paddlers on the water during busy days. 

You might want to steer a course away from the crowded beach, nude beach, and under water plants that will stop your motor. 

Or, you can try you your hand at the new Stand up Paddling (€ 14/ per hour).

Videos of Stand up paddling 

Another good open space to relax is MQ (Museumsquartier) with its young atmosphere and the low prices. There are also great restaurants and bars in the nearby area.

Drew Fuhrman, an American MBA graduate student, said he usually goes MQ to study, because it has a lot of nice cafes and free wifi.

“Just (a) really nice atmosphere. Lots of students would just hang out there as well,” he said. “It’s a place to go, like, a nice afternoon.”

New this summer at MQ is Aquadrome, a miniature boat racing game. People are encouraged to bring their own remote-controlled boats to compete, but you can also rent a boat for €5 for ten minutes. The competition takes places every Saturday, Sunday and holiday and runs until August 31.

Keeping cool even at night:

                                                                                         Bars and Restaurants

A view at Summer Stage ©echo-citythai

IR and Media major Aleksandra Andjelkovic, who is spending her fifth summer in Vienna this year, said one of her favorite places to go is Summer Stage, located in the 9th district on the Donau canal, close to the Station Roßauer Lände U4 stop.

Summer Stage is a great place for people to hang out, watch football games and enjoy the free concerts as well as the scenery along the canal. People can find a variety of culinary adventures ranging from Indian, Mexican, or Caribbean food, and you can even have your meal prepared by former Buckingham Palace chef Robert Morton and his team. Finding an empty table to sit isn’t easy over weekends.

Schützenhaus© Österreichische Post

Downstream, on the other side of the canal, is Schützenhaus, a beautiful blue and white Art Nouveau building designed by the architect Otto Wagner at the beginning of 1900 century. Recently converted into a restaurant, it now offers small quiet shady gardens, which allows the guests to enjoy the Danube and fine Viennese cuisine at the same time.

Not too far from the Schützenhaus, on the other side of the subway exit,
Tel Aviv Beach lounge bar is a decidedly younger, more relaxed venue. For a sunny, laid back afternoon, submerge yourself in a white deck chair under the shade of an umbrella, while sipping homemade ice tea with fresh mint. Extend the exotic feel by ordering authentic Israeli cuisine.Tel Aviv Beach is also part of Neni family restaurants, which allows the guests to enjoy the exotic authentic Israeli cuisine that is created by the famous Austrian chef, Haya Molcho. (This link would lead you to a local newspaper story about her.Warning: It is in German, suggest to read it with Google Chrome's aid.)

A view of Tel Aviv Beach at day©Claudio Farkasch

During the day, it’s a wonderful spot, it has sand, and so it gives you a real feeling of a real beach in the middle of the city,” Andjelkovic said. Before night proceeds, Tel Aviv Beach turns into the place to enjoy the pastel-colored sunset.

At night, it frequently invites DJs to perform. You can find out upcoming events by following their Facebook page. In addition, Tel Aviv beach will also host some after-parties from Flex, Vienna’s most popular club, which, by the way, is just on other side of the canal.

If you are up for some Austrian food, MBA graduate Fuhrman recommended Schweizerhaus in the Prater – Vienna’s famous amusement park – for its beer garden and atmosphere. Another Webster student, Ochs, recommends its famous Viennese deep fried pork knuckle, Stelzen, and brew Budweiser beer (the Czech kind) which is unique in Vienna.  As with just about every good restaurant, you should probably reserve first to ensure you can get a table.

Weingut Entrance©Mayer am Pfarrplatz

Another  IR/Media major, Austrian Lisa Walzel suggested people should go to a Heuriger in the evening to try out the local wine and authentic food.

Heurigers are traditional local taverns that usually serve up the newly made wine from last year’s harvest and a selection of cold food or warm buffet.

Although there are heurigers in town, to get the real feel, visit the heurigers located on idyllic side streets in the Vienna districts of Grinzing, Heiligenstadt and Nussdorf.  All are reachable by trams. For more information, you can visit here.

A midsummer night’s dream

Nighttime outdoor events, nearly all of them free, keep the Viennese busy throughout the entire summer.

Sommerkino am Rathausplatz, from June 30 to September 2, screens movies where you don’t need any knowledge of German to enjoy. Last year’s celluloid ranged from a Rolling Stones concert film to Mozart’s “Magic flute.” While watching from a giant screen, you can munch on the cuisine from all over the world from the huge food court connected to it. Come early, though: Seating is first come first served.

For those who prefer a quiet night, Kino unter Sternen (Cinema under the Stars) at Karlsplatz, maybe a better choice, recent Business and Media graduate, Mina Nacheva suggested.

“It's in downtown Vienna, but it doesn't feel like it,” Mina wrote in a survey. In addition, it usually has a great selection of movies that includes classics and independent films from all over the world. Sometimes they include talks by film directors. This year, Kino unter Sternen is inviting audiences to submit their votes of the film they wish to watch. You can participate here.

The Sommerkozert at Schönbrunn, Thursday, May 30 at 9:00 p.m., is another summer highlight. The Vienna Philharmonic has performed a free open-air concert on the grounds of Schönbrunn Palace annually since 2004. This year’s theme is devoted to the 200th birthday of Giuseppe Verdi and Richard Wagner.

“It’s beeeaauutiful, so romantic,” said Andjelkovic, who had been there previous years. If one can go with their partner, “that’s a place to go, definitely.”

Try to be there at least an hour early to secure a good spot.  Beware of the crowd. If you plan to go there with a group of friends, try to meet up first before going in Schönbrunn Palace. With the vast audience – thousands attend -- it can be tricky to search for your friends among the crowd.

Sitting on the hill provides a nice view from the top, but you are less likely to hear it very well. Bring a picnic blanket to sit on; after all, you are in for a two-hour long concert.

Sommernachtskonzert Vienna 2010, "Star Wars"                       Usually at the end of concert encores, the "unofficial anthem of
                                                                                                   Vienna", Johann Strauss' waltz “Wiener Blut” (Vienna Blood) will be played.

Extended: Watch the time-lapse of how the stage Sommernachtskonzert Vienna 2012 was build

Last but not least...

If it is raining…feel like taking a break from the summer heat and other outdoor activities? Check out ‘Dialogue in the Dark, located at the historic vaults of the Schottenstift. Tours are led by blind or visually impaired guides in pitch-dark rooms, allowing visitors to experience what it feel like to rely on other non-visual senses. You can also stay for dinner. Reservations are recommended.

What are your favorite places to go in Vienna during summertime?

Impressions of Vienna. Time-lapse shot of famous and historic places in Vienna. By Georg Riha

Share with us in the response section or post your ideas and photos of a fun way to spend your summer in Vienna! 

Recent findings..

Here are couple new things that I came across recently.

miru kim: the pig that therefore I am

'the pig that therefore I am' by miru kim
(above) 'NY 1'
image © miru kim
The series pictures of Korean-American photographer's, Miru Kim, investigation on the fine relationship between the human and the beast.
Here is the link to her work.

tofu salad
I came across this clip while I was looking for ways to make agedashi tofu. (a recipe here: agedashi-tofu ) It looked very easy to make and also it's not lot on the calories too. Should be fun to try it out!


名人私房理財3大心法
文／盧昱瑩 2010年6月 Cheers 雜誌
http://www.cheers.com.tw/doc/print.jspx?id=40288abc28b8d0970128fbf754ec31fa
以下是我節錄覺得對我有用的重點。

"記帳讓她可以觀察，哪些錢是自己花了之後，覺得其實沒有意義：「我不會建議大家少喝一杯咖啡就能存下多少錢，因為你省下了咖啡，可能跑去買耳環。」重點是什麼樣的花費，能讓自己得到最大的滿足。

找出會讓自己後悔的花費，以及讓自己幸福感最大的消費，省下前者、用在後者，才是記帳的意義，「這樣一來，克制欲望就不是件痛苦的事了。」相反的，將克制欲望的錢用在讓自己有幸福感的事物上，才會得到真正的快樂。"

"「收入中至少7成是用在消費，當消費沒有控制好，你永遠不可能有儲蓄；沒有儲蓄，談不上任何理財。」資深媒體人陳 鳳馨開宗明義的說，理財最重要的功課是聰明消費，第2才是投資。"

週末週記。

我親愛的網誌: 我知道我又忽略了你幾天。沒辦法，有麥先生在家的週末，我們一般都是離電腦很遠的。(除了在網路上下載影片和看電影！:-p)
這個週末適逢復活節，平常辛苦工作的麥先生可以多休星期五與星期一，這讓平常抱怨我可以多在被窩中偷懶的麥先生心中平衡一點。剛好小姐我的生日又是在這個週末之前，所以整個週末都讓我有在慶祝生日的不真實感。

我們辛勤的煮了不少食物，在家用力的用著我們的肚子來慶祝快樂的兔子(肚子?)節。麥先生還借我生日之名，實行自己肖想Ukulele已久之實，送我一把美麗且音色渾圓樸實的Cordoba Soprano作為我的生日禮物。 (還有附加一瓶Port跟不少甜食，真的很讓我懷疑他是幫自己買禮物還是在饌養母豬@@")　

不過我們還是有記得去戶外運動，兼顧身心健康。所以隔天下午我們跟三兩好友，沿著這邊的地鐵線(U6)，一路騎到了Donau Insel，再過了橋，到靠近麥先生工作對岸的希臘餐廳吃晚飯。

(上圖見證三個臭皮匠勝過一個諸葛亮。Three heads are better than one.)

周日，親愛的麥先生還心機的特意比我早起，在家中設下巧克力蛋陷阱，等待肚子(阿不兔子)我陷入。他還抱怨我怎麼太早起來了，害他差點就來不急藏好彩蛋。阿阿我只能說他太可愛(chiu)。

We had a wonderful Easter weekend at home. We cooked. ate. drank. and aimed at stuffing ourselves so much as that we look exactly like the Easter bunny! (and it was almost a success!) But we also decided to balance our life a bit with hours long of biking along the canal and Dounau. Life couldn't be better. Good life, good food, good friend. Hope things are well on your end, my friend.

------------
才藝奔放的高中同學，在臉書上分享了這個有趣的網站。

Many of my friends from highschool are very artistic. One of them just shared this font website on fb, which I think it's hilarious! You can create your own text on it! (Click on the picture will lead you to its website.)

Something about liqueurs...

I found this randomly online, but it's good to know more about liqueurs I guess.
The last one "southerner comfort" seems like a good one to try out next time! ;)

Original source:http://www.chineseypage.com/rest/topic/Liqueurs.htm

香甜酒（Liqueurs）是西方民間流傳好幾百年的一種「藥酒」，類似中國的五加皮、蛇酒。古老的香甜酒大多是用水果、草本香料等釀製而成，當作保養身 體或是飯前餐後飲用的酒款。這些草根味濃厚的酒款其中口感帶有濃甜和果香的，慢慢演化成雞尾酒吧重要的檯柱，幾乎90%的雞尾酒都和這些香甜酒脫不了關 係。除了玩伏特加、琴酒、威士忌對汽水、可樂這套老把戲，想在家裡客串一下bartender，香甜酒是你邁入雞尾酒世界的另一門檻，幾種香甜酒像是 Kahlua 咖啡酒、Baileys愛爾蘭奶油酒、Grand Marnier柑橘酒、Southern Comfort桃子酒等相乘出一大堆花樣，讓你的bartender身份大大不同。

Kahlua咖啡酒

拜廣告大量曝光所賜，Kahlua咖啡酒的知名度居高不下，這款香甜酒使用的墨西哥咖啡豆，在烘焙過程中與甘蔗一起烘烤，濃郁芳香的咖啡味當中還有清新的香草味，為許多款經典調酒催生，像是名氣極大的「Black Russian」，即是用Kahlua和伏特加調成。

Kahlua香甜酒本身口感偏向濃稠，因此需要對上比例較高的其它液體來調製，像是原廠主打的暢銷調酒，就是和藍姆酒和可樂送作夥。台灣代理商最近發表的夏日酒譜使用許多十分新鮮的材料，諸如酸梅汁、抹茶、鳳梨汁等都出現在Kahlua的合夥人名單上。

不同品牌的咖啡香甜酒使用的咖啡豆種類和釀製方法都不相同，口感也不大一樣，像取用牙買加藍山咖啡豆的Tia Maria口感沒有Kahlua那麼甜，氣味更加甘醇芳香，只是不容易買到。

使用乾果種子做為原料的香甜酒除了Kahlua之外，義大利Amaretto杏仁酒和Godiva巧克力酒也十分有名。

Baileys愛爾蘭奶油酒

就像Cavado蘋果酒之於法國，Amaretto杏仁酒之於義大利，Bailey可以說是愛爾蘭的酒精代表，也是奶油香甜酒類型的重量級名牌，Bailey的香甜柔順是由愛爾蘭威士忌和奶油香甜酒混合調出。

愛爾蘭威士忌獨特的煙燻芳香和奶油的香濃融合在一起，與經典的雞尾酒「Irish Caffee」的口感有異曲同工之妙，像Bailey這種類型的香甜酒經常被淋在冰淇淋上，冰涼的感覺和香醇順口的酒精在口中混合成消暑的奇妙經驗。


Grand Marnier柑橘酒

柑橘甜酒可以說是水果香甜酒中最具深度與廣度的要角，也是雞尾酒中的魔術師，像是Grand Marnier廣告訴求：「It changes everything」，Grand Marnier、Cointreau是柑橘甜酒的兩大龍頭品牌，所有的酒吧一定看得到它們的蹤跡。

柑橘甜酒是由橘子皮發酵蒸餾而來，使用加勒比海地區出產的柑橘，在尚未成熟前採下來，因為此時橘子皮中的香味正處於巔峰時期。從剝橘子皮到曬乾都有一套嚴格的程序，除了加勒比海地區的橘子之外，西班牙、巴西出產較甜的橘子被當作Blend的材料。

橘子皮兼具甜與苦兩種味覺的極端，是優質柑橘甜酒釀酒師在製作過程中面臨的挑戰，如何尋求味覺的平衡點關乎酒的成敗。但是柑橘甜酒最大的市場在 Bartender手中的調酒壺中，極少人會純飲，這對於有心製作上好柑橘甜酒的酒廠是個噩耗，不過這似乎是香甜酒不得不接受的定位。

柑橘甜酒的酒精濃度高達40%，在大多數調酒中都是扮演畫龍點睛的角色，一點份量就足夠表現它的影響力。經典調酒如Margarita、Side Car、White Lady、Between the Sheets、B52、Mai Tai、Angel Kiss等都少不了柑橘甜酒。除了Grand Marnier之外，酒吧經常用來增添顏色的藍色、綠色柑橘酒倒是不用急著買。

Southern Comfort桃子酒

以威士忌做基酒添加香料釀製的香甜酒，最有名的當屬美國的Southern Comfort，這款洋溢著濃厚美國南方草原與鄉村氣息的桃子香甜酒，不像許多香甜酒同輩那麼濃膩，Southern Comfort保留相當高比例的波本威士忌口味，適度的桃子芳香氣味，只要加冰塊純飲就非常有味道。

來自紐奧良這座充滿美國草根歷史城市，Southern Comfort被賦予特殊的傳奇故事色彩，與紐奧良出名的藍調、爵士音樂有種莫名的契合感。

羹湯雜記

不加思考的空間,做飯瞬時多工的混亂.讓我在熱飯時,不假思索的就拿了起盤子,倒上了米飯,送進了洞房(?) 喔 是微波爐.

但等到一陣混亂過後 坐定下來
準備要把飯菜盛上桌時
才心裡低咕一聲:
"yeah, f*ck yeah, I'm a Chinese!, why am I using plates instead?"

於是又轉身向廚櫃 拿出在去年去找Eno時在NY中國城買的日式小漆碗, 把飯鼕鼕鼕的倒過去,滿意於自以為這樣就跟日本朋友Miwa一樣不會吃太多.

韓式水豆腐漁湯還好, 因為魚肉偷懶,(好啦 是我偷懶,可憐的魚肉),沒先過薑去腥,稍嗆了點. 基本湯包量再加兩至三碗的水, 又多加了許多我喜歡的蔬菜. (對不起我最近都沒有好好煮飯跟吃飯)
所以有機會可以好好煮一次飯很興奮!!

第一次嘗試的天婦羅炒芹菜很成功! (室友回來一直吃說很唰嘴!) 這道菜是今天最讓我想到老爸的菜. 不敢說是很台灣味的菜,但至少很有我把拔味! ;) (其實這道菜要失敗真的很難,除非你把東西全部都炒焦了,那我就沒話說了:o (大蒜爆香 調味是必要滴!)

最後是我把我的Green Curry三元素 - 雞肉, 蘆筍, 和香菇放在一塊炒. 加入調好的Green curry paste外,又加了水, yogourt和芝麻油~ (我知道最後兩個聽起來有點詭異放在一塊,更別說還有green curry從中調味, 可是其實yogurt加進去的效果不差, 至少緩和了綠咖哩的辛辣:o
最後在起鍋之前,再加一點魚露就okay嚕~ ;)