Jane A. Nickles is the wine instructor at the Texas Culinary Academy in Austin, Texas and the owner of "WineSpeak 101", a wine education and consulting firm. She has been called "the hardest working sommelier in Texas" and is a "Certified Specialist in Wine" recognized by the Society of Wine Educators.
"Miss Jane", as her students call her, is the author of "WineSpeak 101", wine columnist for Eat and Drink Austin Magazine, and the wine writer for the website "The Texas Wine and Food Gourmet". In July of 2006, Jane was invited to introduce her book and unique teaching methods at the 30th National Conference of The Society of Wine Educators in Eugene, Oregon. Her signature seminar, "WineSpeak 101," has been named a "Best Bet" by the Austin-American Statesman and has been presented over 100 times!
In April of 2007, Miss Jane received a grant from the Wine and Food Foundation of Texas to support further research and writing about her favorite subject...pairing wine and food. Thanks to the generous support of The Foundation, her new seminar, "When Wine Met Food" is now making the rounds of wine enthusiasts across the U.S.
In December of 2007 Jane was honored by being named the Career Education Corporation "Educator of the Year", from a field of over 90 colleges and 6,000 faculty members. She calls this award her "proudest moment."
In addition to writing and teaching, Miss Jane is the wine director for the annual Umlauf Garden Party and faculty advisor for the TCA student wine club "The Grapeheads". In her free time, she spreads the word about good wine and good living at Wine Festivals, Restaurants, and Wine Clubs all over the country.
Are you mystified by Merlot??? Confused by Cabernet??? If so, have no fear!!! Join Miss Jane under the seminar tent for a quick "eady, Set, Sip" lesson in the basics of wine tasting. We'll start with the basic steps of sight, swirl, sniff, sip, and savor. Then we'll really get going and learn the "art of nosing", what we mean by "great legs", and how to appreciate a "lingering finish". Plus, Miss Jane promises to reveal some of her "30 Second Wine Expert" secrets. See you there!
3:00 – 4:00 - Red, White, and 'Cue!
Starring: Scott Roberts (owner/chef, Salt Lick Restaurant) and Miss Jane
You have to admit, Texas Barbecue has a lot going for it…the richest of meats, made even juicier and more complex through contact with a hot grill and rising smoke; plus the added flavor of whatever rub, marinade or sauce the griller fancies. So the question of the day is….what wine should we choose to stand up to all that flavor, those spices, that smoke? It’s a lot for a wine to handle, but have no fear…there are plenty of wines that can rise to the challenge! Join us under the seminar tent and learn the secrets of pairing wine with barbeque.
Miss Jane will join the owner and chef from the renowned Salt Lick Restaurant, Scott Roberts. Thirty years ago, Thurman Roberts, Sr. and his wife Hisako T. Roberts started the Salt Lick Restaurant on the ranch where he was born. The stones of the building were quarried from that same ranch. Everything was done by them with their own hands; building and cooking with care and love, a pride in quality, and a job done right. Scott continues this tradition with pride. Come see what makes these flavors so unique.
4:30 – 5:30 - Guest Chef Demonstration
Starring: Chef Graham Mitchell of Texas Culinary Academy
Chef Graham Mitchell will be preparing hioson braised short ribs with fresh horseradish mashed potatoes. Miss Jane will conclude the demonstration with a perfect Texas wine pairing.
Graham grew up in a small farm town in Mississippi with his grandparents, who taught him a love for cooking at an early age. After attending the University of Mississippi for three years, Graham pursued culinary education at the Johnson and Wales University in Charleston, South Carolina graduating Summa Cum Laude in 1996. While in culinary school, Chef Graham worked in the test kitchen of Master Chef and James Beard Award Winner, Chef Louis Osteen author of Louis' Charleston Cuisine.He then moved on to Scottsdale, Arizona where he was Chef de Partie at the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess. In 2000, Graham became Sous Chef at Medizona in Scottsdale which was named one of the top 22 new restaurants in the country by John Mariani in Esquire magazine. Chef Graham went to work for Food and Wine Top Chef, James McDevitt at Restaurant Hapa working up to Executive Chef. As Executive Chef, he opened Mc Devitt's venture, Soma in Scottsdale and then went with him to open Restaurant Budo in Napa, California as Executive Sous Chef. Chef Graham Mitchell came to The Texas Culinary Academy in 2005, has taught culinary technique classes, and has managed the student run capstone course Ventana restaurant.
Sunday - May 24th
1:30 – 2:30 - Mighty Fine...Texas White Wine
Starring: Miss Jane
Here's your chance to become an expert in white wines! In this class, we'll take an up-close look...I mean taste...of some of the white wines that Texas does best.
Can you tell the difference between Chenin Blanc, Viognier, and Sauvignon Blanc? Join us under the seminar tent for some "Mighty fine Texas White Wine" and learn all about the aromas, and flavors, and textures that you can expect from each wine…then go impress your friends!
3:00 – 4:00 - Wine and Chocolate...What's Not to Love?
Starring: Nicole Patel of Delysia Chocolatier
Wine and Chocolate…two of my very best friends….and like many best friends, sometimes they bring out the best in each other and sometimes…well, you know. In this class, we will learn the secrets of wine and chocolate. We’ll sample some luscious chocolate treats, and pair it all up with some delicious wine. Before we all reach a chocolate coma, we’ll learn what makes them interact in such an intense way, and what makes for a great wine-and-chocolate match!
Delysia Chocolatier is a premium chocolate truffle company based in Austin. It is a chocolate company with a new philosophy, every occasion and every day should be exceptional. It is not just about the chocolate. It is about the experience of indulging. It is about losing yourself in the moment, bringing friends and families together, and creating memories. Nicole Patel is the proprietor of Delysia Chocolatier. Her lifelong love of baking and cooking impassioned her to turn a hobby into a business.
Friends would often ask for truffles. As she continually experimented and created more flavors that everyone loved, she knew she was on to something. Nicole lives in Austin, Texas with her husband and two year old son.
4:30 – 5:30 - Guest Chef Demonstration
Starring: George Scot Loranc of Central Market
George Scot Loranc began professionally cooking at the age of 18 here in Austin. He was working at Chez Fred in the early 90’s, when both of the cooks walked out on a Saturday night. After identifying a problem to management, he was thrown into the kitchen. He quickly found a new passion in life, which was food and cooking. He chose to further his education by attending the Culinary Institute of America, in Hyde Park, New York.
While in school he began catering for high-end families in NYC. Shortly after he graduated he launched his boutique catering company called Epicurious George. He ran his company very successfully for three years cooking for some of New York’s elite. He also did freelance catering with Abigail Kirsch Culinary Productions in New York, one of the largest up-scale catering companies on the East Coast.
After the birth of his first son, he chose to move back to Austin where he spent some time with McCormick and Schmick’s as a Sous Chef. He then moved to Central Market as the Seafood Manager for four years. After teaching seafood classes during his tenure as the seafood manager, he decided to move to the cooking school full-time. He is a Chef Instructor and Personal Chef, for the North Lamar cooking school. He also works as a private chef and caterer here in Austin.
Monday - May 25th
1:30 - 2:30 - A Glass of Texas Red
Starring: Miss Jane
Cabernet, Merlot, Shiraz...you love them all but what do you really know about them?
Join Miss Jane under the seminar tent for an in-depth class in red wine tasting. This is your chance to learn how to tell a Cabernet from a Merlot from a Shiraz by learning all about the tastes, flavors, and aromas to expect from each grape. Who knows, you just might become an instant expert in Texas Red!
3:00 – 4:00 - Guest Chef Demonstration
Starring: Executive Chef from Hill Country Pasta House
Since 1991, Hill Country Pasta House has been serving traditional Italian fare with a Southwestern kick in a friendly, neighborly atmosphere. They are famous for their foccaccia bread baked fresh each day and the wood-fired brick oven pizzas, along with the newly established beer and wine bar.
For the demonstration, the Chef will be preparing a sausage and penne pasta with a red wine reduction sauce which will be perfectly paired with Miss Jane's choice of wine.
4:00 – 5:00 - Guest Chef Demonstration
Starring: Chef Jordan Russell
Jordan Russell is a native of Northern California. After returning from a three-year tour of many sought after culinary hotspots in the Western United States, Russell has come to Austin to enjoy of the year round growing season and to take advantage of the endless supply of farm-fresh produce. He uses ingredients that are sourced locally, produced sustainably and prepared almost perfectly...a designation that Russell is happy to call his own.
"My love for cooking the ingredients we find is an extension of the love that the farmers have in producing them," he explains. "That is what food should be."
Russell's love for food began at the age of 6, sitting on the counter watching his mother, Patti, as she would prepare dinners for the family. Always anxious to help and take part in the cooking duties, Jordan's love for cooking ultimately led him to the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco. Upon graduation, Jordan moved to Honolulu to fulfill a childhood dream. It was in Hawaii where he found a love for using local ingredients and fresh seafood.
Following Hawaii, Jordan went on to work in the kitchens of Jsix in the Gas Lamp District of San Diego, as well as Paula LeDuc Fine Catering in Emeryville. At the age of 22, Jordan started a business as a private chef. His clients grew to appreciate his unique style of cooking and artistry.
Three years later, in search of the next chapter of his career, Jordan moved to Austin in the beginning of 2009. With no shortage of local farms and a year-round growing season, Jordan feels right at home. When he isn't cooking, Russell can be found living an active lifestyle. He enjoys biking and jogging through the greenbelt, hiking and playing golf, his other lifelong passion.
Jane A. Nickles is the wine instructor at the Texas Culinary Academy in Austin, Texas and the owner of "WineSpeak 101", a wine education and consulting firm. She has been called "the hardest working sommelier in Texas" and is a "Certified Specialist in Wine" recognized by the Society of Wine Educators.
Are you mystified by Merlot??? Confused by Cabernet??? If so, have no fear!!! Join Miss Jane under the seminar tent for a quick "eady, Set, Sip" lesson in the basics of wine tasting. We'll start with the basic steps of sight, swirl, sniff, sip, and savor. Then we'll really get going and learn the "art of nosing", what we mean by "great legs", and how to appreciate a "lingering finish". Plus, Miss Jane promises to reveal some of her "30 Second Wine Expert" secrets. See you there!
You have to admit, Texas Barbecue has a lot going for it…the richest of meats, made even juicier and more complex through contact with a hot grill and rising smoke; plus the added flavor of whatever rub, marinade or sauce the griller fancies. So the question of the day is….what wine should we choose to stand up to all that flavor, those spices, that smoke? It’s a lot for a wine to handle, but have no fear…there are plenty of wines that can rise to the challenge! Join us under the seminar tent and learn the secrets of pairing wine with barbeque.
Chef Graham Mitchell will be preparing hioson braised short ribs with fresh horseradish mashed potatoes. Miss Jane will conclude the demonstration with a perfect Texas wine pairing.
Here's your chance to become an expert in white wines! In this class, we'll take an up-close look...I mean taste...of some of the white wines that Texas does best.
Wine and Chocolate…two of my very best friends….and like many best friends, sometimes they bring out the best in each other and sometimes…well, you know. In this class, we will learn the secrets of wine and chocolate. We’ll sample some luscious chocolate treats, and pair it all up with some delicious wine. Before we all reach a chocolate coma, we’ll learn what makes them interact in such an intense way, and what makes for a great wine-and-chocolate match!
George Scot Loranc began professionally cooking at the age of 18 here in Austin. He was working at Chez Fred in the early 90’s, when both of the cooks walked out on a Saturday night. After identifying a problem to management, he was thrown into the kitchen. He quickly found a new passion in life, which was food and cooking. He chose to further his education by attending the Culinary Institute of America, in Hyde Park, New York.
Cabernet, Merlot, Shiraz...you love them all but what do you really know about them?
Since 1991, Hill Country Pasta House has been serving traditional Italian fare with a Southwestern kick in a friendly, neighborly atmosphere. They are famous for their foccaccia bread baked fresh each day and the wood-fired brick oven pizzas, along with the newly established beer and wine bar.
Jordan Russell is a native of Northern California. After returning from a three-year tour of many sought after culinary hotspots in the Western United States, Russell has come to Austin to enjoy of the year round growing season and to take advantage of the endless supply of farm-fresh produce. He uses ingredients that are sourced locally, produced sustainably and prepared almost perfectly...a designation that Russell is happy to call his own.
