Steak & Vosne-Romanée

Working our way north, we have exited the Côte de Beaune and have entered the Côte de Nuits.  While the  Côte de Beaune produces both white (Chardonnay) and red (Pinot Noir) wines, the Côte de Nuits produces almost exclusively red wines. The top Grand Cru wines can cost >$500 per bottle, a little out of our price range!  … Continue reading

Meatless Monday: Shiitake Tacos & Two Shepherds Pastoral Blanc

We’re taking a quick break from our virtual Burgundy tour for Meatless Monday. Today we’re trying Shiitake Tacos from the Herbivoracious cookbook by Michael Natkin.  We tried pairing the tacos with a Two Shepherds Pastoral Blanc white blend from one of our recent discoveries in Sonoma.  We loved the tacos, and we loved the wine, … Continue reading

Savory Shrimp Stir Fry and Burgundy – Yep!

“Bending” the Recipe to Fit the Wine When we’re on a virtual tour, some of our meals are carefully matched to the wine.  Other times, we’ll pick something for dinner and try to “bend” the recipe a bit to make it more friendly to the wine we’ll be drinking. Today, Julie had a taste for … Continue reading

A Cautious “Yes” for Burgundy and Mussels

Today on our tour, we’re at the northern end of the Coté de Beaune, in the town of Chorey Lès Beaune.  On hearing of our virtual Burgundy tour, a friend suggested we try pairing the wine with clams or mussels.  What an interesting suggestion!  We have always chosen a white wine with shellfish.  I have … Continue reading

Our Daily Bread

I can’t say enough good things about Jeff Hertzberg & Zoe Francois’ bread books.  We have so much fun baking fresh bread, pizza crust, ciabatta and focaccia whenever we like. I have Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day, and Artisan Pizza and Flatbread in 5 Minutes a Day.  They even have a whole grain … Continue reading

Who Would Pick Nebbiolo for a Chicken Dinner?

I never really understood the whole “chicken is a blank canvas” thing until today.  Sure, chicken pairs with different wines depending on whether it’s been baked vs. grilled.  I have made a variety of sauces to serve over chicken and they make the bridge to a lighter red like a Pinot Noir.  But Nebbiolo?  Powerful, … Continue reading

Nebbiolo Discovery with Short Ribs & Pasta

We’re trying so many new things today: Nebbiolo, Short Ribs, Homemade Pasta.  Let’s get right to it! This winter we’re spending time getting to know wines based on the Nebbiolo grape.  With rare exceptions, Nebbiolo thrives in the Piemonte region of Italy.  There are a few vineyards near Paso Robles in California that possess what … Continue reading

Which Wine with Roast Chicken?

With a houseful of guests over the holidays, I thought a nice roast chicken dinner would be easy, pretty, and a healthy choice in advance of all the rich foods ahead.  I picked out two very nice wines to serve with the chicken, I was curious to see if one would prove to be a … Continue reading