French Grilled Cheese and Drappier Rose de Saignée Champagne #Winophiles

This month the French #Winophiles, a group of wine and food writers with a passion for French food, wine and travel, are diving into French Wine and Cheese! Given my regular participation in the French #Winophiles group events, it’s not a stretch to imagine I have a bunch of French wine at my fingertips. I do…

A Taste of Cooper Mountain Vineyards at the Table #WinePW

…if wine growers are willing to invest time and resources in biodynamic,organic,or sustainable viticulture, then wines elaborated from those grapes are more interesting to me,  and I want to support those efforts. May is Oregon Wine Month,  and the Wine Pairing Weekend group of wine and food writers are exploring  Biodynamic Wines of Willamette Valley. …

Beautiful Biodynamic Bubbles: Quartz Reef Méthode Traditionelle Brut #WinePW

I was impressed with this enticing, delicious and impeccably balanced sparkling wine from New Zealand! This month, the Wine Pairing Weekend group of wine and food writers are exploring “Biodynamic Wines of the World”.  Gwen of Wine Predator  is our host.  You can read her invitation here. What Is Biodynamic Winemaking? The official definition of biodynamic farming according…

Sardinian Vermentino di Gallura Paired With Shrimp and Asparugus Risotto #ItalianFWT

I expect both the wine and the risotto to make encore appearances at our table!  This  month the Italian Food, Wine and Travel (#ItalianFWT)  group of wine and food bloggers are exploring  the Island Wines of Italy. As I contemplated the topic, the top of mind islands for me were Sicily and Sardegna (Sardinia), but…

A Cross Cultural #Food And #Wine Pairing with Amado Sur #WinePW

The wine definitely over-delivers for the price and… paired nicely with my Kofte sandwich of charbroiled minced lamb, and beef! This month our Wine Pairing Weekend (#WinePW) group of food and wine writers are taking a virtual trip to Argentina! I have a soft spot in my heart for Argentinian wines.  That’s because when we first…

A Surf and Turf Feast with Donnachiara Wines #ItalianFWT

“These were two outstanding wines that were the perfect accompaniment for our Surf and Turf Feast” The theme for this month’s Italian Food, Wine and Travel (#ItalianFWT) group of food and wine writers is Italian Wines For Cold Winter Nights. When considering pairing food and wine, do you pick the food first, or the wine?…

A Taste of French Inspired Holiday Food and Wine #Winophiles

This  month the French Winophiles (#Winophiles),in conjunction with our sponsor Vignobles & Signatures group of French wineries, are exploring French style seasonal food and wine. I’m especially excited to dive into this month’s theme because my wife and I have, on many an occasion, discussed how fun it would be to be in France during the…

A Distinctive Duo Of Italian Sparkling Wines #ItalianFWT

The theme this month’s Italian Food, Wine and Travel (#ItalianFWT) group of food and wine writers is Italian Sparkling Wines.  Check out my invitation post for a quick overview of Italian Sparkling wines, but I think the main thing you should know about Italian sparkling wines is that they are as diverse as Italian cuisine. To underscore…

Elevating Weeknight Fare with Crémant d’Alsace #Winophiles

With the holiday celebrations and gift giving right around the corner,  this month the French #Winophiles are diving into Crémant.  Our host this month is Kat Wisnosky of Bacchus Travel & Tours. What, exactly is Crémant? “Crémant” is the French term for traditional-method  sparkling wines made outside of the Champagne region. This means that the second fermentation,…

Penne Boscaiola Paired with 2015 Duckhorn Vineyards Napa Valley Merlot #WinePW #MerlotMe

This Penne Boscaiolo recipe tastes like a weekend meal, but could be put together on a weeknight.  I paired  it with Merlot with excellent results! Disclosure: Wine provided as a complimentary sample by Duckhorn Vineyards. No other payments were involved and all opinions expressed in my blog posts are my own. Do you know that October is Merlot Month?  You’ll…