When I think of sparkling wine from Spain, I think Cava. But Cava, while it has a reputation for offering great value, is offers no serious competition to the world’s best sparkling wines. It’s no secret that the “Cava” brand has been undermined by mediocre sparkling wines produced far from the traditional region in…
A Taste of Loire; Saumur-Champigny #Winophiles
The French Winophiles is doing a deep-dive into the Loire Valley region. The Loire Valley is divided in to five distinct regions – Pay Nantais (which we explored last month), Anjou, Saumur, Touraine, and Centre- Loire. This month we’re exploring the Anjou and Saumur region. I chose a wine from the Saumur-Champigny sub-region of Saumur. …
A Tavel Paired with Spring BBQ #WinePW
We’re pairing fresh, seasonal spring foods with wines from the diverse and fascinating Southern Rhône region of France. Wine Pairing Weekend is a monthly collaborative event for wine/food bloggers started by David Crowley of Cooking Chat. It’s a great way to find food and wine pairings that work (or learn from the ones that don’t); along with…
Wine Country Wanderlust: A Photo Essay
Spring is a great time to visit wine country. There is a rebirth underway in the vineyards. The weather is more agreeable (well at least it is in California, where I’m based;-) It’s less crowded in tasting rooms. And rore hours of daylight mean tasting rooms are open longer. Vineyards are carpeted with brilliant yellow,…
Wines At Our Table; Week of April 2, 2016
Over the course of a week, my wife and I drink a bunch o’wine – almost always with food. Since I’ve always been fascinated by wine at the table with food, I thought it would be fun to recap not only the wines we’ve been drinking, but also how they pair (or don’t pair) with the foods at our table. It features…
A Trousseau Trifecta!
Trousseau. It’s an obscure grape variety one doesn’t hear much about. Last week I had the pleasure of enjoying three harmonious, outstanding, and moreish wines crafted from the two varieties of Trousseau; Trousseau Noir and Trousseau Gris. I was introduced to Trousseau when I attended a Seven % Solution Tasting in 2014. According to the organizers…
Wines At Our Table; Week of March 20, 2016
Over the course of a week, my wife and I drink a bunch o’wine – almost always with food. Since I’ve always been fascinated by wine at the table with food, I thought it would be fun to recap not only the wines we’ve been drinking, but also how they pair (or don’t pair) with the foods at our table. It features…
Pays Nantais And Taste of Contemporary Muscadet #Winophiles
“Long dismissed as an innocuous companion to oysters, Muscadet is stepping out as a white wine serious enough to nip at the heels of white Burgundy“ – Jon Bonné This month the French #Winophiles continues its virtual tour of Frances with a visit to Pay Nantais. When I first saw Pay Nantais was our region, I…
Wines At Our Table; Week of March 13 2016
Over the course of a week, my wife and I drink a bunch o’wine – almost always with food. Since I’ve always been fascinated by wine at the table with food, I thought it would be fun to recap not only the wines we’ve been drinking, but also how they pair (or don’t pair) with the foods at our table. It features…
An Italian-Themed #OTBN #WinePW
Of all the wine “holidays” (Cabernet Day, Chardonnay Day, etc), Open That Bottle Night (“OTBN”) is my favorite. That’s because it’s a great opportunity for fellowship around food and wine, and making memories with the special people in our lives. OTBN was created by former Wall Street Journal wine columnists Dorothy Gaiter and John Brecher. It’s the one night…