Do as the French: Serve the Cheese After the Meal #Winophiles

French Wine & Cheese with the #Winophiles This month, our French #Winophiles group is returning to one of our favorite topics: French wine and cheese. Join us as we explore a bunch of ways to enjoy two of our favorite French products Wine & Cheese, Yes. But When? Wine and Cheese is a well known … Continue reading

Gemaak en Gebottle by Oorsprong: We’re not in Kansas Anymore! #WinePW

Gemaak en Gebottle by Oorsprong Gemaak en Gebottle by Oorsprong is Afrikaans for “Made and Bottled at Origin”. Have you had wine from South Africa? Your taste buds and your wallet will be pleasantly surprised! South Africa has been producing wine for over 350 years, however their physical isolation as well as that related to … Continue reading

Demons, Exorcists and Sagrantino Wine at Cantina Scacciadiavoli

Disclosure: I attended Anteprima Sagrantino in February as a member of the press. All opinions are my own. The Legend of Scacciadiavoli The Scacciadiavoli winery was founded in 1884 by Prince Ugo Boncompagni Ludovisi, one of the earliest wineries in the Montefalco area. The winery was advanced for its’ time, employing such techniques as natural … Continue reading

Lambrusco Shines with Red Fizz and Fun #ItalianFWT

Lambrusco for Italian Food Wine and Travel This month, our Italian Food, Wine and Travel group is celebrating the fizzy, fun wine of Emilia-Romagna: Lambrusco. Take a look farther down in this post for a whole bunch of great takes on Lambrusco from my Italian wine loving buddies! Lambrusco’s Challenges Wine lovers in the US … Continue reading

Butter Roasted Fish with Gérard Bertrand’s Cigalus Blanc #Winophiles

Winophiles Return to Languedoc-Roussillon This month our French Winophiles group will be returning (virtually of course) to Southwest France, the Languedoc-Roussillon region to be exact. Some of our group received samples from one of the leading wineries in the region: Gérard Bertrand, so you’ll see a special focus on his wines. The Languedoc-Roussillon region is … Continue reading

Biodynamic Willamette Valley with Brick House and Harissa Chicken #WinePW

Wine Pairing Weekend Group Dives into Biodynamic Willamette Valley This month, our Wine Pairing Weekend group is celebrating Oregon Wine Month by diving into Biodynamic Wineries from the Willamette Valley. Jade Helm, a member of our group, organized samples from a number of wineries so we could explore the variety of biodynamic wines from all … Continue reading

On the Hunt for the Pecorino Grape #ItalianFWT

Is Pecorino the Next Big Thing? Phoenix rising from the ashes, Cinderella, rags to riches. They all describe the recent arc of the Pecorino Grape in central Italy. Pecorino is an old grape, believed to be indigenous to the Sibillini mountains in the Marche region of Italy. The grape ripens early, and legend says it … Continue reading

April Snowstorms Bring May Rosé

Snow Kicks Off Rosé Season in Minnesota It happens every year! Late in the winter, I’ll receive a few offers to sample the coming seasons’ rosé wines. I always like to try a few new examples, so I say “sure!” The rosés arrive.  Then we get one (hopefully last) big snowstorm! So, without further adieu, … Continue reading

What’s New in Lodi!

What’s New in Lodi? Everyone knows: Lodi = Zinfandel. Not exactly true! Yes, Lodi grows a lot of Zinfandel, but there are other grapes grown in the region as well. During a visit at the 2016 Wine Bloggers Conference, I found that Lodi is much more than just one grape. Recently, I had the opportunity … Continue reading

All the Best Food Pairings with Clos Beru Chablis #winophiles

French Winophiles Dream of Chablis April brings our French #Winophiles group to a virtual visit to Chablis, in the Bourgogne wine region. Skip farther down in this post to see all the great Chablis finds of my fellow writers! Chablis is physically separate from the Côte d’Or, being farther north and west. In fact, if … Continue reading