Port to warm a winter evening
A Glass of Port by the Fire For those of us who choose to live in the northern, snowy regions of the earth, the idea of a nice rich, deep sweet finish to an evening sounds great. To my friends in Florida, central and southern California, I say, you must occasionally have a rainy, cool … Continue reading
Aged Riesling is the Real Deal
Guilty of Riesling Shunning Sommeliers famously love German Riesling. Mouthwatering acidity, refreshing, ageworthy, and the grape loves to reflect where it was grown. Regular wine drinkers, at least in the US, are not so fond. We write it off as sweet, and what’s up with that stinky petrol nose? Aged Riesling is the Real Deal … Continue reading
Let’s Make Occitanie and Cassoulet Household Words #Winophiles
What and Where is Occitanie? January 2018 brings our French Winophiles group to explore wines and food of Occitanie, but what is Occitanie? On January 1, 2016 the French Parliament voted to reduce the number of administrative regions in France from 22 down to 13. Presumably, this was to reduce bureaucracy, which may seem like … Continue reading
When Life Gives You Lemons, Make Sauternes #Winophiles
Sauternes (and Bordeaux) in the 21st Century Like it or not, fine wineries have become investments and not just the wines themselves. Bordeaux presents the best example of this change; over the last 30 years, top Bordeaux wineries have been increasingly purchased by large corporations. Property values rise and French inheritance laws make it difficult … Continue reading
Exploring Chianti Rùfina with Marchesi Gondi #ItalianFWT
“Waiter, the Black Chicken is Missing from my Bottle of Chianti!” I’m guilty. While I know the Chianti region has multiple sub-regions named for the nearby towns, I always just pick up the Chianti Classico (the symbol is actually a black rooster on the neck of the bottle), assuming it will automatically be of higher … Continue reading
French Wine and Cheese for the Holidays
French Wine and Cheese for the Holidays As the holidays approach, we all find ourselves with lots of opportunities to host family and friends. In the colder weather we can break out the richer cheeses and more robust wines for that all important gathering time before the meal, or just for the afternoon visit! In … Continue reading
Port Wine Paired with Pilfered Halloween Candy!
A New Halloween Tradition: Steal This Candy It’s a new thing: adults purchase a nice bottle of Port to enjoy with Halloween candy stolen from their children’s haul. No kidding, they’ll never miss a Butterfinger or two! And, one of the major advantages of Port: you can enjoy it over a few weeks with small … Continue reading
Smoked Lamb Shanks & Grgich Hills Estate Merlot #MerlotMe
#MerlotMe Continues October Sundays are perfect for low and slow smoking at the grill, and with Julie out of town, lamb was the order of the day. Savory and smoky, lamb shanks seemed like a good fit for a nice Merlot. Our #MerlotMe celebration continues! Grgich Hills Estate Grgich Hills Estate is an important Napa … Continue reading
Foradori Wines and a Duck Press in Minneapolis
Foradori Wines Visit Minneapolis I’m a big fan of Foradori wines, artisan made wines featuring native grapes from the Trentino-Alto Adige Region of Northeast Italy. The best known personality at Foradori is Elisabetta Foradori, although today it is a full family operation with her adult children Theo, Myrtha and Emilio. This week, I had the … Continue reading
While the Cat’s Away the Mouse will Play #MerlotMe
Cat’s Away, Mouse Will Play It’s not what you think! Julie is away for the week on a women’s business school reunion trip to Chile. Does this mean shenanigans back at home? No, but it does mean a week of enjoying forbidden foods: lamb, rabbit, eggplant, more lamb, go! Julie took off on Thursday afternoon; … Continue reading
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