A different way to sparkle on Valentine’s Day
It’s Valentine’s Day, and you want to create an amazing dinner for the one you love, but your food and wine skills need a little help. You want it to be special and not just a DoorDash or Grubhub delivery. You want Continue reading “Make it a cava”
Warm up with the flavors of Portugal
Planning on doing a little cross-country skiing — that is, once we really have a little snow? Or how about a little pond skating once it gets cold enough to freeze the water? Staying indoors? Why not curl up with a good book? Continue reading “Port — a winter favorite”
With dry red wines from Austria
Winter started at 4:48 p.m. EST on Wednesday, Dec. 21. The winter solstice is the shortest day of the year but also ushers in (at least) two months of cold days, only to be outdone by colder nights! With its roots in paganism, the Continue reading “Holiday hot wine punch”
Give the gift of bubbles or reds
At this “most wonderful time of the year,” there will be plenty of dinners, parties and gatherings of all sorts, and you want to bring something special to the host, your favorite family member or good friends, but you may not know what Continue reading “Wine for the host”
How to pair red wines with the Thanksgiving feast
Thanksgiving is a wonderful holiday, a gathering of friends and family to share a large meal after the morning road race and football game. We give thanks for the fellowship, but we also look forward to the sumptuous meal, only to Continue reading “Reds with your bird”
What to drink with each course of a hearty Italian meal
The crisp days of autumn call for a reunion of family and friends. Italians are well-practiced at family reunions over hours-long dinners, with multiple courses, accompanied by the appropriate wines, punctuated by short rests between the plates.
The gathering Continue reading “Wine pairing, Italian style”
A robust red for a robust dinner
Over the weekend, we were invited to dinner at a friends’ house. I asked what we could bring, and the response was: the wine! I then asked what was being served. Beef osso buco, made with locally grown organic beef, was the response. Continue reading “What to pair with osso buco”
The pink drink with seasonal flexibility
The autumnal equinox, denoting the first day of autumn, fell on Thursday, Sept. 22, at 9:04 p.m. Yes, school is back in session. Yes, the nights are getting cooler, but the days remain warm and the skies are a crystal-clear blue. OK, it is Continue reading “Rosés for fall”
This ubiquitous grape can be a product of its upbringing
Chardonnay may have reached its peak in the 1980s as a “wine of choice,” where a number of labels were sold as bladder boxes, housed in the household refrigerator, ready to be savored after a long day of trials and Continue reading “The many faces of chardonnay”
Zinfandel can accompany your meal from the grill
Barbecue, the quintessential way to entertain, to dine, to enjoy family and friends, can extend well into September and October. The fare is important, second only to your choice of company. In this season of sunny days and cool nights, it is Continue reading “For food cooked over fire”
