Eat, drink, take quiz, tomorrow will be nerdy
Posted on Sunday, October 5, 2008
FAYETTEVILLE — E. & J. Gallo Winery’s Joe Farnan could have used some help with crowd control during a Sept. 25 wine tasting for a group of ordinarily subdued technology buffs at Soul Restaurant & Lounge. The rowdy Sept. 24 affair was held, as it is every year, the night before the annual meeting of the board of advisers for the Sam M. Walton College of Business’ Information Technology Research Institute at the University of Arkansas.
During a dinner of grilled petite rib-eye with veal demi glace served with gorgonzolamashed potatoes and fried okra, Farnan entertained guests with facts about wine and the changing wine industry. He promised there’d be a quiz at the end of the night, with wine for the winners.
He began asking questions and guests started blurting out answers about the time the wait staff came out with the chocolate injection, the meal’s dessert.
Farnan, national director of trade development for Gallo, said the wine business is up about 8 percent this year — not quite the double-digit advance it enjoyed last year, but still strong enough to put wine out front as the adult beverage of choice over beer. He explored the debate over what makes a good champagne (the smaller the bubbles, the better, he said ), and he advised local wine lovers to embrace the concept of the screw cap for bottles and the 3-liter box of wine.
“It’s all about convenience and taking away the stigma,” he said. “It makes wine an opportunity to enjoy every day and not just a special occasion.”
Duties as sommelier fell to Farnan after Gallo vice president and chief information officer Kent Kushar had to cancel plans to speak at the last minute. Kushar is on the ITRI board.
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