Picturing California on the Plate and in the Glass #WinePW

Wine Pairing Weekend Does the California Thing California is the theme for our March session with the Wine Pairing Weekend bloggers. We’re all pairing foods from a California cookbook with a suggestion of Gaby Dalkin’s “What’s Gaby Cooking”, alongside California wines. In Minnesota, it’s not exactly California weather yet, so we’re taking the opportunity to … Continue reading

Italian Women in Wine – Cantina Marilina #ItalianFWT

Italian Food, Wine & Travel Bloggers Celebrate Italian Wine Women Our session this month is celebrating the many wineries with women in leadership positions, either in the vineyard, the winery or the business office (or all three in some cases). Scroll down further in this post for 14 more great ideas for women-led Italian wineries! … Continue reading

Bon Appetit Healthyish Chicken Meatballs with Berne Inspiration Provençal Rosé

Rosé in the Winter Are you a rosé all year person? We love drinking rosé all summer long here in Minnesota, but we typically finish the rosé by Labor Day. As the weather turns colder, we break out the big red wines that have been biding their time since the spring. Still, we enjoy an … Continue reading

Road Trip:Portugal! With Ryan Opaz and Catavino Wine Tours

Tackling Northern Portugal With a Little Help When you travel to a new wine region, do you like to go on your own or do you use a guide? In Europe, we often choose a guide for our first trip as a minimum. Language barriers, crazy drivers, and local knowledge all add up to a … Continue reading

Aligoté Emerging from the Shadows #Winophiles

French #Winophiles Highlight God Forsaken, Forgotten, Under-the-Radar Grapes This month, our French Winophiles are looking under the rug and in the closet for those forgotten, ignored, or neglected French grapes. Take a look at our findings by scrolling down in this post for a whole list of links to some great finds. If the subject … Continue reading

Warm Up by the Fireplace with Raclette and Vins de Savoie #winepw

Imaginary Trip to the French Alps Oh to spend some time skiing/snowboarding in the French Alps, drinking Vin de Savoie every evening! Full disclosure: we have not been skiing/snowboarding in the French Alps.  We are Park City Utah ski/snowboard rats. However, the sentiment is the same.  When you come in from a day outdoors, you … Continue reading

The Italian Wine Cooperative Surprise #ItalianFWT

Italian Food, Wine & Travel Group Discovers Italian Wine Cooperatives This month, our group of Italy fans is exploring the wine cooperatives of Italy.  Virtually every course, text, or article on cooperatives stresses how they produce just average wines. The growers are paid by the ton for their grapes, so there is no incentive to … Continue reading

Gewürztraminer and Cooking the Cover of Bon Appétit

Cooking the Cover Do you have a favorite cooking magazine? I’ve had subscriptions to several over the years, and I’ve landed on Bon Appétit as my long term favorite. The recipes find that magic balance between something new and different while still being accessible. I can generally find the ingredients and the list is not … Continue reading

French Wine 101: Taste for Yourself #Winophiles

French #Winophiles Offer Advice for Newcomers to French Wine Our French #Winophiles group is kicking off 2020 with a round of advice for newcomers to French wine. Take a look further down in this post to links to a whole list of ideas. Are you a newcomer? You’re sure to find an approach which appeals … Continue reading

Rack of Lamb in the Snow with GD Vajra Barolo

Winter Grilling in Minnesota (or anywhere, really) So many people put the grill away for the winter, but why? Well, there is the dark, and the snow and the cold….. In Minnesota, though, we’d hardly use our grills for more than 3 months and who can tolerate that? I’m fortunate to own a ceramic grill, … Continue reading