Celebrity Chef Ball

Berman Auto Group is proud to be one of the lead sponsors for this years Celebrity Chef Ball benefiting Meals on Wheel Chicago

PURCHASE YOUR TICKETS ONLINE AT www.mealsonwheelschicago.org!

The 23rd Annual Celebrity Chef Ball will again be held on the 9th Floor of Macy’s on State Street, providing a unique experience for our guests. The Chef’s Tasting Party, a dine-around reception-style experience, provides guests with a high energy, informal tasting experience. The VIP Chef’s Table will be available on a limited basis for guests wishing to enjoy a more intimate dinner experience prior to the main tasting.

In our two-tier format, the event will feature 60-70 top chefs and 12 mixologists from throughout Chicago and around the country. Past participants have included chefs from Blackbird, Graham Elliot, Takashi, Primehouse, Vie, Girl & the Goat, Coco Pazzo, Heaven on Seven, and Piccolo Sogno.

All guests will have the opportunity to mingle together to enjoy dessert stations, a silent auction, and lively casino gaming. Dance the night away as Rock Candy performs your favorite hits and our Chef DJ spins the hottest tunes. Celebrity Chef Ball continually attracts Chicago’s most socially astute consumers.

Thank You Team PAWS for a Great Event

Team PAWS members scrubbed and washed to raise $405.68 in three hours for PAWS at Mid City Subaru!  It was such a great event at the all new Mid City Subaru and a big thank you to Team PAWS crew for your hard work!

Berman’s Donates a Buffet of Cars

Berman Auto Group is proud to be one of the lead sponsors for this year’s Celebrity Chef Ball benefiting Meals on Wheels Chicago. In addition to being a lead sponsor, we have created our version of an extended test drive. Every month, the lucky bidder can chose from a select group of cars.They can drive an Infiniti, Subaru or Nissan for one week out of the month for 12 months. Imagine a convertible in the summer, a sport utilities in the winter, and a luxurious sedan for that special occasion!

Meals on Wheels Chicago provides funding to programs that support home-bound senior citizens and people with disabilities, allowing them to continue to live independently in their own homes, with dignity and self-respect.  For more information on this event visit thier web sitewww.mealsonwheelschicago.org

Sheb’s Italian Secrets (Volume 1)

This is the first in a series of wine articles I am writing for Berman’s Auto Group. Next Month: Killer Cabs at Bargain Prices.
Some of the greatest wines in the world are made from the Nebbiolo grape which grows in northeast Italy, in a region called Piedmont. Nebbiolo’s most profound expressions can be found in bottles labeled Barolo and Barbaresco, but unfortunately these bottlings can also have a profoundly emptying effect on your wallet. They also can be very austere and rather terse in their youth, so not only do you need to spend a bunch of cash to acquire them, you will also have to exhibit years of patience in order to get to a place where they are able to open their true, magnificent souls to you, until they are ready to tell all their glorious secrets.

Enter The Langhe Nebbiolo.  The Langhe is a larger region that surrounds both of the smaller villages of Barolo and Barbaresco. There are many quality producers in both regions that also produce a Langhe Nebbiolo. A Langhe Nebbiolo rarely costs more than $25/ bottle.

So what are the differences? Nebbiolo from the Langhe sees less oak aging. Italian wine law requires wines that are labeled Barolo or Barbaresco to spend several years in oak. The Langhe will offer fresher, more lively flavors, and no monster tannins that come from that extended stay in oak. It’s a simpler, fruitier (dry still though, quite dry) wine, but a wonderful wine, redolent of dried cherries, fresh mushrooms, tea rose and a bit of leather.

Quality Producers making good Langhe Nebbiolo? Paolo Scavino, Produttori dell Barbaresco, Elio Grasso, La Spinetta & Malvira. A quick decant and these wines are ready to go;  Make yourself a beautiful risotto, fold in some sauteed mushrooms and you have a a very classic regional dinner, a perfect little autumn supper in Chicagoland!

Produttori dell Barbaresco Nebbiolo Langhe $19.99
Paolo Scavino Langhe Nebbiolo $23.99
La Spinetta Langhe Nebbiolo $31.99

All three available at Binny’s
http://www.binnys.com/

Shebnem Ince

Shebnem Ince is the Wine Director for Henri and The Gage restaurants in Chicago. She grew up in Chicago, and started in the wine industry at age 15, as a gift-wrapper and stock girl in her father’s wine shop. In 2011, Food and & Wine Magazine named her one of the top sommeliers in the country. She is certified by the Court of Master Sommeliers and plans to sit for  the Advanced Level Exam in 2012.

Air Conditioning in a Bottle

Summertime. And the living is hot. Air Conditioning in a Bottle Sauvignon Blanc always has the effect of a liquid air conditioner on me. One cool glass and I can feel my core temperature drop and imagine a fresh breeze on my skin….. I think Kim Crawford at Kim Crawford is one of the best values around. This classic New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc shouts “citrus!” with abundant grapefruit and lime notes, accented with grassy nuances. And to make things better, we have found it for only $14.99 a bottle!

Click here and order one today!