A Bottle Combination Lock…Really?!…It Might Be Time To Get New Friends…

From Coolest Gadgets.com comes this Combination Bottle Lock.  Google Shopping states… If your family and friends are anything like ours, hiding your booze just isn’t enough. You’ve gotta put a bottle lock on it, or your Jack and Coke just may end up a Coke on the rocks once company has cleared out. Keep your…

Super Sunday Super Pairing – Spicy Chicken and Seafood Jambalaya and?…

I’d been struggling with my S.B. Sunday eats.  Since Super Sunday is an unofficial American holiday – we have license to eat whatever we want guilt-free a la Christmas and Thanksgiving.  But my food conscience was nagging me.  What to do? In a last-minute game time decision I decided to make Jambalaya.  Yeah..that’s the ticket…all…

Wine Words Demystified: Old World

You know the deal, the more some folks learn about a topic, the more shortcuts/slang/acronyms/initials/technical jargon can be tossed around.  I’m here to help you understand those sometimes mysterious words and phrases, thus – Wine Words Demystified! This week’s word is Old World… According to Karen MacNeil‘s The Wine Bible:  Old World refers to those countries where wine first flourished, namely…

How To Sensibly Pair Food and Wine

It’s my pleasure to share this post of mine recently published by 12most. 12 Most Practical Guidelines for Wine and Food Pairing Pairing wine and food has been around a long time. For individuals who’ve grown up in homes where wine is a daily part of life, wine and food pairing can come pretty naturally because…

2012 ZAP Zinfandel Festival Recap!

Thanks mostly to the 1 Wine Dude 2012 Zinfandel Festival Giveaway, I had the pleasure of attending my first Zinfandel Festival, an unabashed three-day Zinfandel spree, put on by the Zinfandel Advocates & Producers (“ZAP”).  I say mostly because, I won (guess I can’t say I NEVER win anything anymore) tickets for two to two of…

T.G.I.F. Champagne and the like…2005 Iron Horse Vineyard Russian Cuvée

This week it’s another  sparkler is from Iron Horse Vineyards in the Russian River Valley of Sonoma.  It’s one of four Sonoma sparkling wine houses (the others being J, Korbel and Gloria Ferrer) in Sonoma County. They are a family owned winery founded by Audrey and Barry Sterling.  Iron Horse produces a variety of vintage sparkling wines along with still wines (Pinot…

Value Alert – 90pt Stunner from Italy for $13!

I love it when I find a great value such as this wine – the 2007 Leone de Castris Salice Salentino Riserva, especially when it’s from a wine region and made from a grape varietal new to me.  I’m still very much in the “promiscuous” phase of my wine lover evolution, so I like to…