This year we wanted to reach out to the cheese connoisseur community and invite them to cast their votes for their own favorite cheese. Vote and follow along as Italy, France, England and America send in theri four top competitors to finally see who really is the ultimate “BIG CHEESE”

To make the game a bit more interesting, we’re offering a twelve month subscription to our Cheese of the Month club to one lucky fromage fan! Simply cast your vote on who you think will win the Savory 16 for a chance to win this year supply of cheese!

Click here to Vote Now!

The 9th annual Washington D.C. International Wine & Food Festival is the largest indoor wine event in the Mid-Atlantic.  Over 200 international wineries participated along with food vendors, and manufacturers of related lifestyle products and services. The Washington D.C. International Wine & Food Festival attracts the “who’s who” of companies in the wine and food industries. igourmet.com is proud to be a sponsor of the Washington D.C. International Wine & Food Festival.

Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day and the coming of Spring by entering celebrations.com’s It IS Easy Being Green photo contest! The winner will receive an Irish Classic Gift Basket and a $100 gift card from igourmet. Five runners-up will win an Irish Cheese Basket.

Submit your favorite Green image! It could be a photo of you wearing something Green, holding a Green item, dancing on a Green, eating something Green – use your creativity and imagination and show us that indeed, It IS Easy Being Green.

 In the United States, it’s customary to wear green on St. Patrick’s Day. But in Ireland the color was long considered to be unlucky, says Bridget Haggerty, author of The Traditional Irish Wedding and the Irish Culture and Customs Web site.

As Haggerty explains, Irish folklore holds that green is the favorite color of the Good People (the proper name for faeries). They are likely to steal people, especially children, who wear too much of the color.

Parade Facts

Today New York’s St. Patrick’s Day parade is the longest running civilian parade in the world. This year nearly three million spectators are expected to watch the spectacle and some 150,000 participants plan to march.

The 108th annual Boston St. Patrick’s Day Parade will honor the “Men and Women of the Armed Forces”. South Boston is Boston’s most Irish neighborhood, and has a glorious tradition of helping others while keeping Irish heritage alive. The parade is led by John Hurley, a Navy veteran and South Boston native.

Chicago is famous for dyeing the Chicago River green on St. Patrick’s Day. The tradition began in 1962, when a pipe fitters union—with the permission of the mayor—poured a hundred pounds (45 kilograms) of green vegetable dye into the river. (On the job, the workers often use colored dyes to track illegal sewage dumping.) Today only 40 pounds (18 kilograms) of dye are used, enough to turn the river green for several hours.

igourmet.com is located only 12 miles from downtown Scranton. The St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Scranton, PA has been going on annually since 1862 by the St. Patrick’s Day Parade Association of Lackawanna County and the parade has gotten attention nationally as being one of the better St. Patrick’s Day parades. The parade route begins on Wyoming Ave. and loops up to Penn Ave. and then Lackawanna Ave. before going back down over Jefferson Ave. to get to Washington Ave. Scranton hosts the fourth largest St. Patricks Day parade in the United States. Tens of thousands of parade goers attend the parade each year.

igourmet.com is a proud sponsor of Bonneville starring Jessica Lange, Joan Allen and Kathy Bates.

ABOUT THE FILM

Jessica Lange, Joan Allen and Kathy Bates hit the road in BONNEVILLE, a story about three friends who ”come of age” for a second time on a trip across the great American West.  Faced with the decision of a lifetime, Arvilla Holden (Lange) loads up her 1966 Bonneville convertible and, with her friends (Allen, Bates) in tow, sets out from Pocatello, Idaho en route to Santa Barbara.

As they detour to spots like Bryce Canyon and Las Vegas, it doesn’t take long for the women to realize Arvilla has something unexpected in store.  But what none of them realize is that what began as a simple trip will end up becoming a chance to rediscover themselves, their friendship, the importance of promises - and of letting go.  Also starring Tom Skerritt and Christine Baranski, BONNEVILLE unites three of the most acclaimed actresses of our time in a story that celebrates fun, adventure and living life to the fullest.

Get ready to hit the road in style with lots of tasty treats in this lovely package inspired by the new film starring Jessica Lange, Kathy Bates, and Joan Allen! Just as Lange and her friends hit the road on an adventure of a lifetime, you and your friends will relish our gourmet picnic-style snacks which come in a beautiful insulated tote, perfect for taking on the road! Finally, get inspired with an exclusive DVD “Sneak Peek” as you hear from the stars of Bonneville about their fantastic journey!

Photos from the Boston Wine Expo.

igourmet.com attended for the 8th consecutive year this past weekend. We were joined by 450 wineries and thousands of wine enthusiasts. Attendees sampled over 1800 wines, enjoyed cooking presentations by 15 celebrity chefs and expanded their knowledge of wine at 25 continuous seminars. The Boston Wine Expo is America’s Largest Consumer Wine Expo.

Here are some of the events we will be attending this year. Mark your calendar!

 —2008 Event Calendar—

1/28/08  Yang Ming - Bryn Mawr, PA

2/9-10/08  Boston Wine Expo - Boston, MA

2/9/08  Make A Wish Foundation - Wilkes Barre, PA

2/16/08  Atlanta Fine Wine - Atlanta, GA

3/1-2/08  DC Wine Expo - Washington, DC

4/4-5/08 NYC Pinot Days - New York , NY

5/14-18/08 Nantucket Wine Festival - Nantucket, MA

6/11/08 Jackson Hole Wine Auction - Jackson Hole, WY

6/13-14-15/08  Aspen Food & Wine Classic - Aspen, CO

6/21-22/08 Splitrcok Wine Festival - Lake Harmony, PA

6/27-28/08 San Francisco Pinot Days - San Francisco, CA

7/18/08  Zoobilee - Philadelphia, PA

7/7-8-9/08 Tanglewood- Lenox, MA

9/6-7/08 Saratoga Springs Wine & Food Festival Saratoga Springs, NY

9/9/08  Hudson Valley Wine & Food Festival - Rhinebeck, NY

9/27-28/08 Hunter Mountain Micro Brew & Wine Festival - Hunter Mountain, NY

9/27-28/08 Hudson Valley Garlic Fest - Saugerties, NY

10/25-26-27/08 Miami Wine Expo - Miami, FL

11/11-12/08 Chicago Pinot Days - Chicago, IL

What to serve on game day.

igourmet.com is a proud sponsor of Bonneville starring Jessica Lange, Joan Allen and Kathy Bates.

ABOUT THE FILM

Jessica Lange, Joan Allen and Kathy Bates hit the road in BONNEVILLE, a story about three friends who ”come of age” for a second time on a trip across the great American West.  Faced with the decision of a lifetime, Arvilla Holden (Lange) loads up her 1966 Bonneville convertible and, with her friends (Allen, Bates) in tow, sets out from Pocatello, Idaho en route to Santa Barbara.

As they detour to spots like Bryce Canyon and Las Vegas, it doesn’t take long for the women to realize Arvilla has something unexpected in store.  But what none of them realize is that what began as a simple trip will end up becoming a chance to rediscover themselves, their friendship, the importance of promises - and of letting go.  Also starring Tom Skerritt and Christine Baranski, BONNEVILLE unites three of the most acclaimed actresses of our time in a story that celebrates fun, adventure and living life to the fullest.

igourmet.com has just returned from the Party for the Senses at Disney World. The Food & Wine Festival runs from September 28th untill November 11th.

Photo:travelblog.viator.com

From Alpinezone News

HUNTER, New York — Hunter Mountain’s annual Microbrew & Wine Festival will kick off on September 22 & 23, featuring microbrews and wines of the Hudson Valley, New York State and beyond. The festival starts each day at noon and ends at 5pm, taking place in the base lodge at Hunter Mountain Resort. Breweries scheduled to attend include Butternuts, Brooklyn Brewery, Redhook Ale, Ithaca, Albany Pump Station, Lake Placid, Saranac, Keegan, Gilded Otter and more. Wineries include Poplar Ridge, Americana, Cascade Mountain, Red Barn, Ashley Lynn, Warwick Valley, Long Island Meadery, Baldwin Vineyards, Thousand Island Winery and many others.Tasters will be able to vote for the best beer, best brewery and best winery, which will be announced towards the end of the festival on Sunday. The Christine Spero Group will be performing from 1-4pm on Saturday.igourmet will be there! Both sampling and selling these fine cheeses:Cranberry Chevre

White Stilton with Mango

Beemster Classic

Keen’s Cheddar

Dorothea

Idiazabal

Smoked Cheddar with BBQ and Chili

Regina Blue

Majorero