Our Piemonte Wine Dinner

Barbaresco, Barolo and Much More Just back from a wine touring week in the Piemonte (Piedmont) region of Italy, Julie and I were eager to share a glimpse of that area with our wine dinner group.  We prepared a Piemonte menu we hoped would be both authentic and tasty.  How did we do? The White … Continue reading

Oops!

Make Sure You Have Plenty of OOPS! OK, you spill an expensive bottle of wine, you break glasses.  Those “oops” moments are no fun at all.  The OOPS moments I’m talking about are failures, but they show you are still trying new things, experimenting, learning. FoodBeerClick Chili (original post here) I wanted to modify a … Continue reading

Quick Visit & Lunch in Tain L’Hermitage

If you’re a Northern Rhone fan, a visit to Tain L’Hermitage is well worth your time.  Seeing the land for yourself will show you things you will never learn from a book or an article.  After our morning visit at Jean-Louis Chave, we had a little time to explore before we caught the train back … Continue reading

Minnesota Visits Domaine Jean-Louis Chave – St. Joseph & Cellars

On a visit with Erin Cannon Chave, we crossed the Rhone from Tain L’Hermitage to Mauves, in the St. Joseph appellation. The difficulty of farming on the hillside (cliffside?) of St. Joseph is clear as as soon as you see the steep slopes and terraces.  Cultivated for centuries, many of these hillsides were abandoned after … Continue reading

Minnesota Visits Domaine Jean-Louis Chave – Hermitage

A question came up at our Chave tasting in Minnesota: “If we’re in France, can we visit?”  Erin answered that they aren’t really set up for visitors, but if we would be in France to send her an email.  If she would be available, she would be happy to have us visit.  Lucky us, we … Continue reading

Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Visit to Minnesota

When I attended the Domaine Jean-Louis Chave visit & tasting at Sunfish Cellars in August, I had no idea it would lead to something more. The lucky folks who attended enjoyed an evening with Erin Cannon Chave. Erin is married to Jean-Louis, the current head of this historic family of winegrowers from the Northern Rhone … Continue reading

Possession: Entry Denied

Paris.  A dark and stormy afternoon threatened to put a damper on our plans for the day:  Notre Dame cathedral, Ste. Chapelle, then a walk to one of the museums nearby. As we exited the Metro, drizzle became a steady rain.  Glad for a respite from the rain, we enjoyed Notre Dame.  To think it … Continue reading

beautiful macarons

Paris: Eiffel Tower Food Tour

Take Away Message: Go to Paris.  Stay in the 7th Arrondissement. Take the Eiffel Tower Food Tour early in your trip and eat well for the rest of your stay.  Thank us later. Julie and I were planning a long awaited trip to Europe this summer.  Julie had not been to Paris since 1977 (!) … Continue reading

CSA Box + August Garden Panic = Meatless Monday

Meatless Monday is your friend when your garden is producing volumes of tomatoes and your CSA box is full.  Can you pair a meatless meal with an intense, tannic red wine?  Yes! Beet Green “Pesto” First: my sincerest apologies to all speakers of the French and Italian languages. My nickname for this “pesto” is Beet … Continue reading

Summer is Slipping Away, Start Your Weekend Right!

Check out free shipping wine deals on premium wines. If you’re located in a Northern Climate, you know that summer is fast disappearing.  In Minnesota, we are already seeing the first red leaves on the sumac bushes.  While we still have some nice weather, make sure you start your weekend properly.  We started ours with … Continue reading