wine news

Bon Vivant at Basha's

2010-03-24T23:00:00.000+02:00

Bon Vivant at Basha’s

Wednesday, March 24 4p-6p

1920 West Chandler Blvd

Join KMLE and the Boys and Girls Club of the East Valley as we get ready for the 25th Annual Bon Vivant. We’ll be at Bashas on the NE corner of Chandler Blvd & Dobson from 4-6pm. Stick around and don’t miss our raffel. We’ll be giving away a pair of tickets to Bon Vivant! For more information on Bon Vivant click here.

[Via http://kmle108.radio.com]

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Snake Wine

2010-03-23T06:29:00.000+02:00

Snake Wine

Originally uploaded by e_gilman

This is a singular Asian concoction. It’s pretty much what it sounds like: rice wine, with a snake in it. Or maybe two snakes, depending on what you’re drinking. Usually a cobra, or a cobra and a green snake, maybe with some ginseng tossed in. I don’t know what folk medicine beliefs underlie this particular mix, but it’s become rather ubiquitous as a tourist draw in Vietnam and Cambodia. I was able to pick up a bottle from some American importers (I use the term loosely; I don’t think the manufacturers of this stuff actually have international distribution deals, and there isn’t even a label on the bottle) to give it a try. The result of putting a dead cobra in a bottle of rice wine is a dark, burning rice wine with an air of snake carcass (which air is almost pretty much the entire nose of said beverage). It wasn’t the worst thing I’ve ever drank, but having tried it once, I wouldn’t be in a hurry to drink it again.

[Via http://libationsihaveknown.wordpress.com]

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The Anatomy of a Wine Pairing, Part Two

2010-03-21T12:56:00.000+02:00

Here is the challenge. You are having a dinner, and people will be choosing one of three entrées. How do you decide what wine to serve to make everyone happy?

This is the follow up question to last week’s post The Anatomy of a Wine Pairing, where I performed the same exercise for the appetizer course. And this isn’t just an intellectual exercise. This will be the dinner and wine pairing for a special meal I’m having next week at the SCCC cooking school’s Casola Dining Room.

Here is the menu:

Sauté de Veau Marengo

Veal stewed with pearl onions, tomato, and mushroom. Garnished with heart-shaped croutons.

Saumon á la Florentine

Poached salmon cutlets with Mornay sauce. Accompanied by sautéed spinach and cocotte potatoes.

Poulet Saute au Fines Herbes

Chicken Breast sautéed and finished in a sauce flavored with tarragon, chives, chervil, and parsley. Accompanied by pommes de terre marquis and sautéed haricots verts and carrots tossed in a fines herbes veloute.

It is no easy task. The foods cover a range of textures and flavors. From the rich meaty veal stew to the delicate poached salmon to an herbaceous chicken breast there is not necessarily a lot of common ground.

This is what I see as I look at the food. The wine will need to be able to cut through the richness of the stew, be delicate enough to not overpower the poached salmon, and have some kind of herbal component in order to play nicely with the chicken. Additionally, I think some earthiness would complement the mushrooms in the veal and the potatoes in the other dishes.

Two things will cut through rich foods, acid and tannin. Tannins will primarily be found in the bigger red wines, which would completely overwhelm the more delicate dishes, so in this case we are looking for a wine with lively acidity but without much tannin.

The old standby of red with beef and white with chicken and fish doesn’t really do us much good here.

A lighter red, like pinot noir, is an obvious choice. It provides the acidity we need, and can have the herbal complexity to work with the chicken without overwhelming the fish. But since French pinot noir, which is primarily grown in Burgundy, can be one of the world’s best wines, it is difficult to find a good one at a reasonable price.

But a white wine is certainly a possibility too. The only tricky task for a white wine is pairing up with the veal stew. And I think the acidity of a white Bordeaux, which is made from a blend of sauvignon blanc and semillon, could be up for the task.

What it really comes down to is what my local wine retailer has in stock that will fit the bill.

My preference would be to search for a wine that is broadly connected to the cuisine, so French food would call for a French wine. But if push comes to shove I will demur on country of origin to find a wine whose flavors complement and contrast with the foods being served.

This is where the experts come into play, whether they be your local wine merchant or the restaurant’s sommelier. Experts work best when you can tell them what you are looking for so they can give you a bottle that matches those criteria.

“A wine that goes with veal stew” is a helpful place to begin. But “A light, herbaceous French wine with lively acidity (but low tannin) and some earth that is around twenty dollars” gives the professional a bit more to work with.

Because the truth is that no matter how educated you become about wines, there is no way of knowing what the wine in any specific bottle tastes like without opening the bottle. In theory at least, sommeliers and good wine merchants should know the flavor profiles of everything they sell, and be able to send you home with a winner.

But first you need to be able to speak their language.

[Via http://fussylittleblog.com]

MetsBlog.com – News: Mets Release Josh Fogg

Word is Spreading!

2010-03-21T00:54:00.000+02:00

Just for fun, let’s share a little:

http://downtownwinstonsalem.blogspot.com/2010/03/updates-barnhills-installs-new-sigange.html

We love the downtown Winston-Salem blog for keeping our name out there while we work on getting open. Thank you!

This article is cool too because they are also supporting Gusto who is in the fabulous building on the corner from us. If you look at the picture, you can see the corner of our blue awning behind the Gusto store.

http://www.winstonsalemskyscrapers.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=15155

We’re mentioned in there along with the fact that our building has vinyl siding on it. We have no idea what it looked like before the siding but we have no control over that. That’s a decision for the building owner to make, not the tenant! It doesn’t detract from the charm of the inside of the building and I hope they will come visit us anyway!

http://npaper-wehaa.com/yes-weekly/2010/03/09/#?article=789502 This was a little blurb that showed up in Yes Weekly.

[Via http://onlyatbarnhills.wordpress.com]

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Wharfsidecafe Is One Of A Kind

2010-03-20T06:58:00.000+02:00

(Press Release) – March 20, 2010- There are many other cafes and restaurants in the area but what makes Wharfsdiecafe different from the other places is due to the beautiful location, great quality food and also the much loved beverages of this place. It is present on the port of Eden which provides a real wonderful view and outlook to this place. People totally adore the appearance and outlook of this place and as they enter inside wharfsidecafe they fall in love with this exquisitely designed and decorated place at once. It is the best place for having a great time with your friends. You can enjoy your conversations and long talks along with enjoying the freshly prepared coffee or other beverages. The whole environment would be filled with the aroma of these hot beverages and you would start to enjoy this atmosphere even more.

Wharfsidecafe promises to bring the best to you when it comes to meals of any kind. You can have the best menus for the breakfast and lunch and that too at quite affordable prices. If you compare the price of these items with their quality and taste, you would feel that you are having a luxurious and most sumptuous meal of the world at very low price. The feeling you can have in this place in superb as the whole environment is made quite romantic and friendly. When you wish to have the best time even if you are alone, you can always rely on wharfsidecafe to provide you with the quality services and scrumptious menus. It is such a restaurant that is one of a kind. It is because of the combination of the outside and inside appearance of this place. One thing for which you can be really sure is the ultimate fun and joy that you would have once you step into this place. Your mind would be relaxed and would forget about the tensions and worries of life. It would be totally lost into the beauty of this elegant and marvelous place.

Contact info:

Wharfside cafe

Shop2/253 Imaly Street.Eden,

NSW,2551, Australia

Phone-+61 264961855

Website: http://www.wharfsidecafe.com.au/

Email: bgljn02@gmail.com

[Via http://wharfsidecafe.wordpress.com]

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Water 2 Wine

2010-03-20T00:39:00.000+02:00

Make your own wine without owning a vineyard? And in Denver? Apparently you can! And put your own custom label on it. Last night the ladies of Mile High Mamas were treated to a private party and tour of Water 2 Wine in Centennial, where we sipped some delicious vino, visited and were treated like royalty by the staff and owners. We learned how juice is shipped from 14 different countries and 100 vineyards around the world and then fermented right on the premises into 85 different wines. My fave was the chocolate raspberry port which smelled like a box of chocolates and tasted like one too. Yum-o!

Not only were we treated to a first-class wine tasting, but our kiddos were entertained next door at the same time! Pump It Up graciously entertained our kids and even walked them over to us at the end of the evening thoroughly worn out and ready to jump into their jammies.

The Colorado Red Cross even joined us for the evening and gave a wonderful presentation on the importance of Infant/Child CPR. Use the code “blogger” at checkout and receive 15% any class. A good opportunity if you need to be certified or renew.

Adding to the fun, Colorado’s own Steve Spangler Science had hidden tubs of Leprechan green snow around the room for us to find in a combination St. Patrick’s Day Easter egg hunt.

At the end of the night, Water 2 Wine treated us all to a bottle of wine custom-labeled just for us. Custom labeling, tastings and private parties are all part of the fun offered at this unique establishment. Already planning our next date-night!

Just when I thought the night couldn’t get any more great, yours truly won a drawing for four tickets to Sesame Street Live! Woot! Here we come, Elmo!

[Via http://mamabirdsblog.com]

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Consumption question

2010-03-18T18:51:00.000+02:00

How many cigars do you smoke in a week? How many drinks do you consume in a day?

I ask this question for curiousity’s sake as well as to see where I fit in the moderation spectrum. You see, I recently upped the number of cigars I’ve had in a week from 4 to about 6 and maintained my drink count at 4 drinks a day. Usually two glasses of wine, two scotches.

I asked a few of the smokers I hang out with about their smoking habits and found that most seem to hover around 3-4 cigars a day. If I smoked that much I’d never get anything done!

My cigars and pipe are a relaxing thing for me that keeps me out of the office. Cigars require me to leave the house and be outside at least long enough to head to BART to go to Grants or Tobacco Road. Or at the very least I can sit ont he lake and light up.

Regarding drinks, I just never thought about why I can’t have four drinks in a day. The wine and last scotch of the night is centered around a hearty meal and the early drink I have with lunch.

I drink plenty of water, tea and juice. I eat fairly well and beileve in a good diet all around –which should include fine scotch and cigars!

What say you?

[Via http://whitewolfindulgence.wordpress.com]

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Big 3 Wine Bar: Exclusively Sonoma Wines

2010-03-18T00:02:00.000+02:00

Last weekend I visited the newly opened Big 3 Wine Bar at Sonoma Mission Inn. I read in the local press that Big 3 is focused exclusively on Sonoma wines, which sparked my interest. And I am always looking for more opportunities to taste – and pair – wines before purchasing. Big 3 sounded like a great fit for me. It turned out to be more than I expected.

Renee Bourassa, the Sommelier host of Big 3 Wine Bar, warmly greeted me. The menu features 5 themed flights of 3 wines each. Each pour is an ample 2 ounces. Three glasses are set on a heavy paper coaster specifying each wine, including the wineries’ own descriptions. There is also a small menu of wine pairing appetizers at the tasting bar. Or you can adjourn to the casual dining Big 3 Diner side of the house after tasting. We started with the $10 White Flight. It begins with a 2007 Sauvignon Blanc from nearby Deerfield Ranch Winery, progresses to Atmosphere Wines’ Sonoma Valley 2008 Marsanne-Roussanne, and finishes with 2007 Carneros “XII” Chardonnay from Highway 12 Winery.

White Flight

The Deerfield Sauvignon Blanc was rich yet crisp, with a white grapefruit taste and edgy-ness I enjoyed. Atmosphere’s single-vineyard Rhone-style white shows spice, oak, and characteristic intense minerality. The Highway 12 Chardonnay was tropical on my palette with a pleasant soft viscosity in the mouth. It was the stories Renee told about the wines that intrigued me. Atmosphere is a small Sonoma winemaker with no tasting room – an example of one of the wines you can taste exclusively at Big 3. Atmosphere’s bottle features an etched design, which — according to Renee — glows in the dark!

Big Strategy

As we continued our discussion I learned that Renee is a Certified Master Sommelier with the Sonoma Mission Inn, and worked previously with Michael Mina. A native of Sonoma, Renee returned here after traveling and working abroad and in San Francisco. The strategy for Big 3 Wine Bar is powerful in its simplicity:

100% focus on Sonoma wines, including labels which may have limited or complete unavailability for tasting anywhere else.
Renee meets with each winemaker to understand their intention for the wine and the winemaking style employed.
Each wine is selected based on how it rounds out the Big 3 shelf, resulting in a diversity of winemaking styles for each varietal.
Big 3 provides easy access to new wine experiences by offering well-priced flights and glasses, and bottles at retail pricing.

Talk and Taste with Renee

My discussion with Renee ranged from winemaking styles of France, varietals of Italy, to local practices and my own taste preferences. Next I tasted 2006 Kunde Primitivo from the PT02 Sonoma Valley vineyard and a 2006 Mayo Family Barbera also made with Kunde grapes. Both wines were purplish and seductive. The Primitivo offered a fruity aroma and flavor with an authentically rough finish; clearly employing a winemaking style like the Italian wines we talked about. Until now, the Kunde Primitivo has been available only at the winery. The Mayo Barbera was highly drinkable and built to age – another example of a classic Italian style.

Finally, reviewing the White Flight led to a Chardonnay discussion. How interesting local Chardonnays have become as winemaking moves away from the heavily oaked and buttered style of the previous decade! During this time I came to avoid Chardonnay entirely. Renee poured me a preview taste of 2008 Kopriva Chardonnay. This is a handcrafted wine made with 100% Carneros Cassidy Ranch grapes and fermented entirely in stainless steel with no oak and no ML. Nearly clear white in color, this wine presents a unique expression of crisp and subtly fruity cool Carneros Chardonnay varietal character. I was ready to change my Chardonnay avoidance habit and buy it, but I’ll need to return this week when Big 3 will stock it as a featured wine of the week. (I’m also planning to taste their “Unusual Suspects” Red Flight on my next visit.)

More than I Expected

Big 3 Wine Bar makes Sonoma wines highly accessible to wine novices and aficionados, locals and travelers alike — by offering a diverse selection at value-based pricing. Some labels – like Atmosphere, Kamen, and Kopriva – are not available anywhere else for tasting on a daily basis. I believe that to address today’s market conditions, wine sales and marketing practices must assertively reach out to consumers. Direct experiences of tasting and food pairing in a purchase environment are optimal conditions. Big 3 is leveraging their guest traffic, highly visible location, and Sante Restaurant recognition to the benefit of the local growers and producers — offering unique Sonoma wine experiences to more people every day.

Note:

Big 3 Wine Bar is open 11am-8pm daily (later than the 6:30pm published time), at the corner of Highway 12 and Boyes Boulevard. According to Renee, Big 3 is not an SVVGA tasting bar, but many of the winemakers carried are members of the Sonoma Valley Vintners and Growers Alliance.

[Via http://kparkerk.wordpress.com]

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Vegan shopping list

2010-03-16T18:12:00.000+02:00

I’m getting the hankering to go on one of my vegan diet stints, if only to reprogram my brain to become more aware of what I’m eating. It’s a habit that always elicits the “What do you eat?” question, so here’s my answer. I could exist on quinoa, asparagus, and cereal alone and be totally satisfied. But on a broader scale, I tend to eat a lot of the following:

edamame, soy milk, tofu, ground black pepper, cauliflower (I love the purple ones), nuts (walnuts are my favorite), spinach, quinoa (has as much protein as chicken), oranges, zucchini, sea salt (sparingly used), tomatoes (heirloom and roma are my favorite kinds), basil (all-time favorite herb), asparagus (all-time favorite vegtable), wine (I LOVE the fruity organic Green Fin white table wine), tortilla chips, garlic, broccoli, whole wheat and brown rice pasta, red potatoes, avocado, lemon, Earth Balance buttery spread, Asian pears, green/black/white/peppermint tea, brown rice, black beans, veggie burgers, strawberries, almond milk, soy “yogurt” (some brands are really gross, but O Soy is okay), grapefruit, applesauce (great egg replacement for baking), peanut butter (made from peanuts and nothing else), blueberries, vegan bread, almond butter (made from almonds and nothing else), cereal (Kashi makes the world’s most perfect breakfast), rice milk, agave syrup/nectar (great sugar replacement for baking)

I also really want to get this cook book from Babycakes, which specializes in vegan, kosher, gluten-free, sugar-free sweets.

I found a couple recipes here.

-Lo

[Via http://thegirlsinboots.com]

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You Can't Drink All Day

2010-03-16T00:44:00.000+02:00

Old Irish Blessing: You can’t drink all day, if you don’t start in the morning.

Certified Irish Whiskey Taster

This weekend we drank all day, both days at Thomson Vineyards. On Saturday we searched for the reason why green beer flows endlessly around St. Patrick’s Day, but green wine has yet to be invented or marketed. And on Sunday, rather than barrel taste with the masses, we held our own elite blind barrel tasting in Orinda. Here’s a brief time line of what went down and when (including tasting notes)!

Saturday

8 a.m. - Book it down California Street to catch the appropriately themed 44 O’Shaughnessy bus. Greeted by MUNI driver who waves me and my pass by as he bumps beats of KMEL Jams in the drivers seat wearing gold aviators. Yeah, these drivers are over indulged and over paid.

9 a.m. - Arrive in the Mission at 24th Street BART station. Out of my element. Danny boy dangling from my COACH purse as I emerge from underground into the Saturday Farmers market, reminiscent of little Tijuana, complete with empanada and tamale carts, police cars, and no sight of Guerrero Street. Where am I?! Settle into my obnoxiously green and very Irish attire grab my purse and jet up the hill arriving at the affectionately named “Hobbit Hole” just as the first round of coffees are being served.

Tasting Notes: Original Buena Vista Irish Coffee

Aromatic. Big. Creamy.

Recipe follows:

1 1/2 oz Jameson Irish whiskey

2 white C&H sugar cubes

6 oz hot coffee

Dollop of heavy cream

Danny Boy & Donkey

10 a.m. - Several rounds with Mexi-rish Donkey Pinata reveals mini bottles of Jameson Irish Whiskey and Baileys Irish Cream!

Tasting Notes: Jameson Irish Whiskey

Waxy orange skins. Linseed oil. Leather.

11 a.m. - Stash several Baileys Irish Cream mini bottles in purse for walk to BART.

Tasting Notes: Baileys Irish Cream

Classic. Creamy. Lingers on the back palette. Perhaps a bit too long.

11:30 a.m. - While boarding rowdy BART train to downtown Civic Center Plaza, discover I have been left in charge of Guinness rations. Sweet!

Tasting Notes: Guinness

Bitter, burnt, dark-roasted flavors. Reminiscent of coffee. Would pair nicely with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream.

12 p.m. - Guinness, more Guinness, SFPD at Temple Bar outdoor block party, Irish reveler offers to buy me a Smithwick’s .

Tasting Notes: Smithwick’s

Full and smokey on the nose, and has good body but lacks both breadth and depth. Flavor is pleasantly bitter. Who am I kidding, it tasted like beer at this point. Nothing else!

Sunday

7:30 a.m. - Depart from Napa with The Farmer for his close up and 15 minutes of fame. Tell him “work attire okay” for this interview with the California Agricultural Communications Commission at UC Davis. He counters, “coveralls?” Denied. Discuss “Faces of Farming” campaign with him, i.e. media training on the go. Sidenote: winemakers, farmers media training is a good investment. Recommend redirecting small amount of funds going to social media mavens back towards good old fashioned PR.

8:15 – 10:30 a.m. - Drinking Timeout – Interview with AdFarm for California Farmers piece. “To Know Me, is to Like Me” promotional campaign giving consumers insight beyond a carton of eggs, packaged tri-tip and the overly glamorized wine industry.

Thomson Vineyards message, “Beyond the slick wine label, underneath the over the top retail price, just next to the ambitious winemaker is 12 months of farming. Farmers battle weather, pests, equipment malfunctions, early morning hours, long days, and hard labor for 12 months to grow the fruit before it can even begin to be considered what we will eventually know it as – California Wine.”

10:30 a.m. - Starbucks 1/2 pump black cherry mocha. Extra shot.

Tasting Notes: Sugar.Chocolate. Zero coffee flavor aroma or profiles. Sugar. What black cherry!? Sugar.

11 a.m. – 4 p.m. - Thomson Vineyards 2009 Chardonnay Blind Barrel Tasting Notes:

All the elements of an elite tasting

A Nice nose. Needs oak. High Malo. Apple. Most complex blend of flavor notes in the nose of all samples. However this winemaker achieved this – it’s very nice.

B Sugar. Alcoholic fermentation possibly not completed. Nearing noble status.

C Distinctive Chardonnay. Light. Classic. Crisp. Mineral.

D Yeast on the nose. Light. Classic. Substantial, yet pleasant finish.

E Mineral. Light. Classic. Smooth butter.

F Neutral. Light. Classic.

G High SO2. Sharp nose. Light color.

Certified California Wine Taster

H Pleasant nose. Butter. Balanced acid/fruit/minerality.

I Burnt popcorn butter. Balanced, but distracting on the front.

J Classic. Mineral finish. Would pay $30-$40/bottle.

4 – 5:30 p.m. – Vertical Pinot Noir tasting commences (2006-2009) Miraculously I get every vintage right, upon bottle reveal. Apparently pre-gaming on Saturday has allowed me to focus better at the Big Game on Sunday. Merlot LiquidLuv Napa winemaker vs. Undisclosed winemaker championship round occurs. No competition. The fruit is king. Short wrap up on Thomson Vineyards Chardonnay fruit characteristics: Mineral and acid. All other flavor profiles contributed by winemaker, barrel, yeast, etc. Pricing run-down. Check, check. Sales strategy approved by Rockstar Local Celebrity – The Farmer.

7 p.m. - San Francisco H2O Tasting Notes: Cool. Refreshing. Hint of lemon. Hydrating.

[Via http://thomsonvineyards.wordpress.com]

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Sunday, March 14th: St. Paddy's Day, Daylight Disorientation, err, Savings Time & Planning Ahead for Passover & Easter. So Many Major Eating Holidays, So Little Room In My Fridge!

2010-03-14T05:41:00.000+02:00

You will need lots of these Red Norland potatoes from Olsen Farms this week to cook with your corned beef on St. Patrick’s Day, that 1,600-year-old holiday that celebrates St. Patrick running the snakes (read “Pagans”) out of Ireland (as if), leaving behind Catholicism, which ultimately led to all that much more brutal oppression of the Irish by the English hundreds of years later when the Pope wouldn’t let England’s king get a divorce, and the king kicked the Church out of the British Empire. Of course, my Irish ancestors who helped colonize New York in the late 1600s after being thrown out of the old country by the Brits ended up giving up their Catholicism anyway, since it was no more legal to be Catholic in the 13 colonies than it was in England or Ireland. Thus, St. Patrick’s Day has become for my family, and for most other folks, really, a celebration of our Irish heritages and all things Irish. And that is fine, I suppose, as long as we never forget that the holiday has as its foundation genocide. (And now you know why we Irish drink so much on St. Patrick’s Day.)

But I digress. (No kidding, you are thinking.) Good, firm red potatoes like the Red Norland, or these Desiree potatoes, also from Olsen, are a must for cooking with your corned beef, both for tradition’s sake, and because you need a potato that will hold up to a long cooking time in salty water with the beef without crumbling to starchy dust. These to kinds of spuds fit the bill, and lucky for you, Olsen has them on sale today — 5 pound bags for $6! Yukon Golds, too, which you will need for latkes for Passover and boiled or mashed potatoes for Easter. Olsen Farms also has plenty of briskets for Passover and Easter, and they have sirloin tips on sales this week for $9/pound.

You’ll need cabbage for your corned beef, too. For that, check out Nash’s Organic Produce (above). Green cabbage is most traditional, but I like using Savoy cabbage because it is less dense and full of lots of crinkly pockets that allow it to cook more quickly in the hot, salty, spicy beef broth, where it soaks up all that brothy deliciousness.

It is also traditional to throw some lovely winter roots into the pot with the beef. They cook nice and slowly, and they, too, soak up all the spices from the broth. Carrots are commonly used, but I like tossing in rutabagas, like these from Alm Hill Gardens. Their denseness holds up well to the long cooking time, whereas things like turnips and parsnips turn to mush, and rutabagas balance well with the flavor of the rest of the meal. Besides, rutabagas are about as Irish as potatoes. The Vikings left them behind in Ireland forever ago — longer ago than potatoes. In fact, in Ireland, they simply call rutabagas “turnips”.

What is St. Patrick’s Day without butter? Lots of butter to slather all over those boiled potatoes and rutabagas. Butter is sacred stuff in Ireland. In Irish lore, there is an entire type of fairies that are dedicated to butter. And if you make fresh soda bread or brown bread (which you can make with flour from Nash’s, by the way), you will need even more butter. Get that butter from Golden Glen Creamery. And if you are making a famous chocolate wafer cake, too, you will need heavy cream for whipping, which Golden Glen also has, as well as lots of other milky goodness to aid your Irish Coffees and homemade Irish Creams.

And what is St. Patrick’s Day without that aforementioned drinking, right? Well, it is also tradition at my St. Paddy’s Day table to raise a glass of Rockridge Orchard’s finest and toast Wade & Judy Bennett for making it for us. So pick up a bottle or three of hard cider or wine and party like its the Stone Age, just like the Irish have been since the Stone Age!

Here is something many folks think we Irish are full of when they hear us waxing poetic about just about anything. It is “Very, Very Potent Chicken Poo Compost” from Prana Farms. It is some serious fertilizer, folks. If only I could package some of the bovine feces that comes out of my mouth. I’d be a gagillionaire!

Hey, there is other stuff to be had at your Ballard Farmers Market this week, and hopefully that will include some more of these lovely morel mushrooms from Foraged & Found Edibles. Unfortunately, while our warm winter led to these bad boys being at the market last Sunday, the cold week we just had might have set them back a few weeks more, so check with them early if you have any hope of getting any.

Port Madison returned to your Ballard Farmers Market with their lovely goat cheese last week, so if you were in serious chevre withdrawal, you are in luck. Their girls have begun producing milk again for cheese making.

Stoney Plains continues to roll out more and more early spring greens. Check out these dandelion greens. Cleanse that liver with a dandelion green salad tonight! (It’ll get it ready for all the damage you are going to do to it on Wednesday.)

Another sure sign of spring are these French Breakfast radishes from Full Circle Farm. Add them to the salads you will be eating in abundance on either side of St. Patrick’s Day, or just eat them straight, with a little truffle salt. Oh, yeah. That’s what I’m talkin’ about.

And if you just don’t feel like doing any cooking yourself, why not pick up one of these tasty frozen prepared meals from Cibo Pronto, based right here in Ballard. I enjoyed some of their Split Pea & Bacon soup this past week that was out of this world.

And remember, your Ballard Farmers Market is chock full of all sorts of goodness for your kitchen, from meat, seafood, poultry, cheese, to all sorts of fruits and veggies, baked goods, sauces, confections, fresh-cut flowers and fresh milled flours, plants for the garden, wild mushrooms, and on and on. For a fuller accounting of what you’ll find at the Market today, go to “What’s Fresh Now!” in the upper right-hand corner.

[Via http://ballardfarmersmarket.wordpress.com]

Browse Newspapers in Google News Archive

Here I Go

2010-03-14T00:24:00.000+02:00

So, this is my blog where I will be very honest about myself. I have gone on too long like this and I don’t even know how to get help or change this messed up life I exist in these days. Maybe If I talk about it, I will find the path I need.

I am afraid to weight myself. I think I may be at 290 pounds. I can’t believe it…but at the same measure, I have no desire to change this. It’s like I live in two places..the inner me that rules the roost and the outside me that everyone sees. We battle often. I hear inner, but I ignore it, I hear Ty, but I ignore him…it fails to penetrate my skull. I think I am trying to kill myselp slowly and painfully with food. I can’t stop binging and eating, it’s driving me crazy. I have consumed so much sugar I can’t believe I haven’t slipped into a diabetic coma. The sad part is I truely wish I did have something wrong with me so I would have a reason to lose weight.

Today’s Food: egg mcmuffin, sausage mcmuffin, chips and dip, yogurt, 4 wagon wheels, broccoli and cheese soup, small french bread loaded with butter. The day is not done. I expect the wagon wheel count to go up and there will be more chip and dip consumption.

I am drinking a fine bottle of Australian red wine. Oh how I love my Aussie wines. I drink too much on weekends. I need to stop this destructive behaviour because it depresses the crap out of me when the week starts. Just talking about it depresses me. I think I need an other glass of wine and I going to roll a joint.

I wish I were joking…

[Via http://defectgirl.wordpress.com]

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First Night at Gervasi!

2010-03-13T18:48:00.000+02:00

Yesterday launched what will be my new schedule, at least a few days out of the week: I worked at SoMar in the morning and early afternoon, and then headed to Gervasi Vineyard for a later shift. This will not be typical, as I am staying loyal to SoMar on Friday and Saturday nights, but I figured I might as well take this opportunity to work a large, private party (200 people!) at Gervasi before they officially open so I can get some practice. It was an insane evening, but overall, was lots of fun! I ended up being there until about 1am, but this is also atypical, fortunately. I do hope that once Gervasi opens and we welcome a winery crowd, rather than just large parties, then I can take the opportunity to discuss the history of the property and the winemaking process, which is my true passion. Although it is OK being a bartender, I signed on to this because I want to work at a winery, not a bar. Gervasi has been extremely well-received, and you should check out their website and Facebook fan page for pictures of their gorgeous property. I also promise I will take my own photos soon! The food is amazing, and I strongly suggest making reservations soon so that you can be one of the first people to experience it. And actually, their wines aren’t bad, since for the first few years, they are sourcing most of their grapes from California and Oregon. After that, it will be a mix of those grapes and their own, which will feature the hardier, cool-climate grapes, such as Frontenac Gris (yes, you have likely never heard of it!). For now, we can enjoy the Sangiovese, Pinot, and Cabernet. Most importantly, the owners are passionate and amazing people, and I know that Gervasi will be a huge success!

[Via http://woowinegirl.wordpress.com]

Durian » Blog Archive » News about Chaos & Evolutions

adventures in wine

2010-03-13T00:35:00.000+02:00

jamelle and i just went to a local wine shop’s free wine-tasting. we learned a few things

1. they pour not just wine, but beer as well

2. the wine is not only fantastic, but so cheap that i felt like i was stealing

3. the wine shop is staffed with cute cashiers. hello. i will be returning.

so now we have wine, and bread, and cheese, and old movies. and y’all, if that is not a recipe for a fantastic friday night, i do not know what is.

the baking goddess

[Via http://bakinggoddess.wordpress.com]

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Vancouver Restaurants Own The Gold For Dining Out

2010-03-11T06:26:00.000+02:00

Barely after catching its collective breath from the Olympics, Take One, Olympics Take Two, the Paralympics, are upon the city of Vancouver and its residents. Lucky for all the people traveling here to participate or observe, the world’s food and restaurant critics seem to have agreed on one thing…that Vancouver is second to none when it comes to dining out in Olympic cities. High, low, North, south, Local, ethnic, Fast or slow, Vancouver has the food that you crave right now.

We won’t, however, even attempt to say it better than NY Times food critic, Sam Sifton, did at the beginning of the games. We just urge you to click on over>>>

“The most ravenous visitors to this marvelous, temperate city will begin their culinary touring almost from the moment they land at Vancouver International Airport on Sea Island in suburban Richmond, where a vast Asian enclave is growing.” The complete article can be found at http://nytimes.com/2010/02/03/dining/03note.html?ref=dining.

Market at Shangri-La Hotel, Vancouver

For a New York take on Vancouver Restaurants, be sure to click HERE. It will take you to a sort of cheat-sheet of excellent Vancouver Restaurants. Such as Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s Market at the Shangri-La Hotel…

Vancouver Food And Wine * Okanagan Food And Wine Local Food And Wine

[Via http://vancouverfoodandwine.wordpress.com]

[Hands-on] Sony announces slew of new 3D HDTV's with stunning ...

My mom turns 90

2010-03-11T00:46:00.000+02:00

I’m getting ready to join my family in Florida to celebrate my mom’s 90th birthday. This should be a joyous occasion, but I’m feeling a little weak-kneed. It probably has something to do with the fact that I will need to get up in the middle of the night to make my 6am flight. I’ve not flown since the Christmas undie-bomber incident, so god only knows how long it will take to get through security.

No direct flights means that I have to change planes in Salt Lake City. I always get a little nervous in Mormon country, but it’s better than flying with Continental and changing planes at George Herbert Walker Bush airport in Houston.

For this milestone event, we will be not just my stepfather, mom, brother and sister-in-law, but will be joined by my stepfather’s two daughters and their husband and friend, respectively. I’ve not seen these women in 40 years.

So how will this shake out? Meals and naps are very important. We will eat too much and drink way too much red wine. My stepfather won’t speak, at least to my brother. My sister-in-law will get angry, my brother drunk and my mom can’t hear so she will miss all of the excitement. This is my family, and I love them.

[Via http://peischelcommunications.wordpress.com]

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Red, red wine ... great in intervals

2010-03-09T06:17:00.000+02:00

Lucas & I went to Mamma Mia the other week in the city – it was fab! We hit the red carpet and had a lovely night out. Not long before that, we attended the Stoneleigh Pop-Up Bar on Swanston St. It was absolutely lovely with everything from fabulous wine and people through to great entertainment. The Sundance Kids performed and kept both the VIPs and the public plebs entertained. Check out this post about the night featured on Style Melbourne & check the social pages in the Herald Sun.

{PICTURES COMING}

[Via http://stepback.wordpress.com]

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UGs Hit The Town Together and Go Green!

2010-03-09T00:30:00.000+02:00

Like a marriage, the UG relationship has to every once in a while be rekindled. Our schedules have been insane and we have only recently seen each other for events. The two of us have not sat down for a meal in a very long time. Fortunately, things are changing as tomorrow Josie will return to the UG Global Headquarters on a regular basis but this last Friday we had a romantic dinner together with a few more couples. In this last year we have had a fantastic relationship with Fleming’s Steakhouse it started with a contest we won via Twitter and then a burger mania night. We were invited by the restaurant’s PR company, Ink Foundry, to go to their special Go Green Dinner. The concept of the dinner was “Irish hospitality with a magnificent menu in the spirit of the Emerald Isle and a treasure trove of “green” earth-friendly wines.”

MENU PASSED HORS D’OEUVRES

Irish cheeses featuring Sage Derby &

Cahill’s Farm Cheddar and fresh fruit

LOOSEN BROS., Riesling Mosel Dr. L Germany, 2008

Organic & Sustainable APPETIZER

Citrus-cured Celtic Salmon on potato boxty

with chive sour cream

PARDUCCI, Sustainable White Mendocino County, 2008

Organic, Biodynamic & Sustainable ENTRÉE

Irish-style Filet Mignon served on a deconstructed sauce

with bacon, carrots, new potatoes and thyme

CHELSEA GOLDSCHMIDT, Merlot Dry Creek Valley, 2006 Organic & Sustainable DESSERT

Guinness Stout Chocolate Cake with chantilly cream

Coffee and Tea

We arrived in two cars and I had my CFO with me, I mentioned that this was going to be my first dinner just with Josie in a while and I asked her to text Josie something sweet while I was driving. When I got there we were escorted to the outdoor area of the restaurant in LA Live and were treated to cheese, Irish Soda Bread, and the most delicious Riesling.

We were laughing, tweeting, eating, and having a lovely time. Suddenly several other couples joined us outside and I realized that this was going to be a joint dinner. Perhaps it wasn’t the intimate night we were hoping for but these joint dinners are SO much fun. After cheese and wine we were escorted in to the backroom and we were seated with two other couples.

The potato boxty was delicious and for once I was jealous of Josie’s seafood allergy as she got Fleming’s delicious beef carpaccio appetizer.

We began talking to the couples at our table and they were all friends as the married couple met at the party of the engaged couple. They were the kindest people and we loved that they were Angelenos who love the Eastside/Downtown and beer. We all got lost talking tacos, Highland and Echo Park, bars, floors, and puppies. Josie and I were talking later at how much we love these dinners. They seem awkward at first and you sit with strangers but over the course of the night you have new friends. We cheered to their upcoming wedding and they cheered to our upcoming reunion in our office and our business venture.

I don’t know if my life has been sheltered but I never noticed Lent until this year. All of our interns are Catholic and I am learning so much about the sacrifice that they make, including no meat on Fridays. Our table mates that were married were the ones excited about the dinner since they were at Fleming’s for Valentine’s day. They knew the menu for the night but it wasn’t until their gorgeous medium rare Filet Mignons arrived that they realized they couldn’t eat it because it was Friday. I felt bad eating my steak in front of them but they were good sports and they got it to go declaring it would be their breakfast in the morning. I like steak a lot, but I am just not a steak ordering kind of gal. It is always a nice treat because it’s not normally something I would make or order for myself.

I also like my desserts like I like my men, fruity. However, the chocolate Guinness cake was delicious. Josie, who for years has been using cool whip and claiming it is chantilly cream, made sure the waiters brought us some of the real deal when it wasn’t on the plate. It was at this moment when I remembered how much I missed Josie and was grateful for her being the chantilly cream on the cake.

Flemings is everything and more of what a good steakhouse should be. The food was delicious and so was the wine with a zero carbon footprint. I loved the Riesling and Josie loved the Merlot. Josie and I are both not that crazy about “green” or “organic” but when you can say that it just tastes better, we can’t argue. It was a great night of meeting new friends and reconnecting with your best friend. If you want to have this same delicious dinner head to the Woodland Hills Fleming’s this Tuesday for this same “Green” dinner, I can’t guarantee a reservation but I can guarantee great food and conversation.

Here are some more upcoming Fleming’s events:

Filet and Lobster for Two, $99 – Our New Memorable Meal

Exclusively for Friends of Fleming’s: Savor a 3-course dinner for two, featuring Filet Mignon and Australian Lobster Tail for each guest, plus appetizer, side dish and dessert. $99 for two, and also available at $49.50 for one guest. This Memorable Meal is exclusively available for Friends of Fleming’s and is not offered on our regular menu. Available through March 31st.

View menu and reserve

Easter Brunch with the Family, Sunday, April 4th

We’re opening early at 11:30 am on Easter Sunday to welcome you and your family for an exceptional meal in celebration of the holiday. It’s the perfect time to enjoy all your classic brunch favorites, including Filet Benedict, Stuffed French Toast and Smoked Ham Chop. $29.95 per guest, including appetizer and dessert. View menu

$39.95 Winter Prix Fixe Menu – Final Weeks!

Savor the bold and satisfying flavors of a 3-course dinner with three exceptional entrées to choose from: Braised Boneless Short Rib of Beef, Seared Scallops Peperonata or Roasted Half Duckling. This exclusive Fleming’s Prix Fixe menu ends March 29. View menu and reserve

Authentic Irish Cocktails for St. Patrick’s Day

One night only — March 17th — we’ll be serving up a pair of cocktails that are truly worthy of an Irish toast. Our Bushmills Irish Coffee and Jameson Whiskey Sour are the latest cocktail creations by our Director of Wine, Marian Jansen op de Haar. We’ll be serving them up on St. Patrick’s Day for just $6 each. And if you take a fancy to them, you can make them at home any night with Marian’s Irish cocktail recipes.

[Via http://uncouthgourmands.com]

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Cafe Bink Hosts Dogfish Head vs. Joel Gott

2010-03-07T18:44:00.000+02:00

When I reviewed Cafe Bink for PHOENIX Magazine, I concluded that Binkley’s Restaurant’s younger sibling was a class act — a lovable, casual American French Bistro, aptly run by Chef Brandon Gauthier and Amy Binkley. You might know Amy’s husband, Chef Kevin Binkley.

The haute Binkley’s gets lots of attention (deservedly so, Kevin is up for a James Beard Award again this year, and will be cooking at the Beard House on May 3, the night of the awards ceremony) but Cafe Bink is the kind of restaurant you visit more than just on special occasions.

Not to be outdone, Cafe Bink recently hosted its own “special occasion,” a Dogfish Head Brewery vs. Joel Gott Winery dinner, pitting one of the country’s most innovative breweries with a well known (especially for Zinfandel) winery from Napa Valley.

An informal polling of attendees before the dinner revealed that victory predictions were firmly in the Gott camp.

How could beer compete with wine when paired with sophisticated cuisine?

Each of five courses was paired with both a Dogfish beer, introduced by Arizona Sales Manager Louis Dolgoff, and a Joel Gott Wine, introduced by none other than Joel Gott himself.

1st course: (actually a reception with passed hors d’oeuvres) included polish sausage atop brioche toast with mustard seed creme fraiche and Belguin endive stuffed with curried shrimp salad.

Dogfish Head 60 minute IPA vs. Joel Gott Sauvignon Blanc.

Round 1: Dogfish Head

2nd Course: Caramelized Pear stuffed with foie gras mousse, and served with apple buter smear, baby arugula, crystallized ginger strips and roasted hazelnuts.

Dogfish Head Pangaea vs. Joel Gott Chardonnay

Round 2: Joel Gott

(For the record, I voted for the ginger spiced Pangaea. The Chardonnay, made in the crisp, Chablis-style (vs. a buttery, oak style), didn’t enhance the flavors of this dish for me.)

3rd Course: Poached Salmon with coriander cous cous, charred scallions, sugar snap peas, and beurre rouge (a luscious, red wine butter reduction.)

Dogfish Head Red & White (11% alcohol, by the way) vs. Joel Gott Cabernet Sauvignon

Round 3: Joel Gott

(Something tells me that Gott had a leg up on this one, perhaps the red wine sauce was made with the Gott wine?)

4th Course: Braised short ribs with baby turnips, baby carrots, roasted fingerling potatoes and pearl onions.

Dogfish Head Raison D’Etre vs. Joel Gott California Zinfandel

Round 4: Joel Gott

(If you’ll notice, the baby vegetables, passed around in bowls, never made it to my plate. After one bite of the fall-apart ribs coated in a rich veal demi-glace, I decided vegetables would only detract from the fork tender ribs. But that’s just me. My dining companions said the vegetables were lovely.)

5th Course: Mexican Chocolate Torte with whipped cream, cinnamon sugar, blackberries and chocolate sauce.

Dogfish Head Chicory Stout vs. Joel Gott “Dillian Ranch” Zinfandel

Round 5: Dogfish Head

(I wasn’t surprised. When pairing wine with dessert, it should be at least as sweet as the dessert. The Chicory Stout beer was dark enough to match the depth of the chocolate, and since it, too, has chocolate notes, it paired perfectly.)

The take away from this fun, interactive beer vs. wine dinner is that beer is not just a bottle of hops, barley and fizz.

Dogfish Head Brewery beers are crafted with fine ingredients that pair just as well with food as wine, and in some cases, even better than wine.

It’s a given that wine pairs with food, and for the 65 people who attended the Cafe Bink dinner, it’s safe to say that they now think beer is a natural partner for exquisite cuisine, too.

What do you think of pairing beer with more than just burgers and brats?

Cafe Bink

36889 N. Tom Darlington, Carefree, AZ

480-488-9796

You’ll find Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA and Raison D’Etre on tap and Joel Gott Dillian Ranch Zinfandel on Cafe Bink’s everyday menu.

[Via http://penandfork.wordpress.com]

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The Joint Winemaker Blog

2010-03-07T12:37:00.000+02:00

While some of my American friends will surely quip that this is a blog about the fine art of pairing wine with marijuana, I assure you that they are wrong. Although, somebody is probably going to make a lot of money on that idea one day. If nothing else, a good coffee table book. I’ve suggested it to a lot of my friends who like wine and pot, but they have all shown an unsurprising lack of followthrough.

Enough of that. This is a joint blog in that it is an association of winemakers who want to blog but don’t have the time to constantly write and upkeep a website. Nothing’s worse than an expired blog. Gets you all hopeful that you’ve found another winemaking blogger only to let you crashing down when you realize it was last updated seven months ago.

So we’re going to gather up some of our friends and our favorite winemakers. And we’re going to aggregate those blogs into one place. And we’re going to see how that goes.

I hope you like it. I hope you at least pretend to like it. Because the truth is I have terrible self-esteem and I need to think people like the blog or it will wither and die. So come by, water the blog with your comments, shower us with your praise, link to us from your blog.

And if you’re a winemaker who wants to participate in this, email ryan@ovineyards.com

[Via http://vineteam.wordpress.com]

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The Wines

2010-03-07T05:12:00.000+02:00

Today, a young man from Grassy Creek Vineyard out of Elkin, NC came by and we had a wine tasting to see which of their wines we want to carry in the store. I’m a complete wine novice, my basic staple of wine consumption and history started at an age when I shouldn’t have been drinking anyway and consisted of Boone’s Farm Strawberry Hill.

I’ve grown up since then.

Kinda.

Anyway, I really don’t drink much, anymore. I had a bottle of wine that my boss gave me on New Years Eve, 2008. I had one glass of it that night and then I poured the rest of the bottle out when I moved in February 2010, so I guess you can say I’m not much of a drinker.

Today, I drank from 13 bottles of wine. No I wasn’t falling all over myself or anyone else. It started with Grassy Creek coming to the store so Thais could sample the wines. He brought six bottles and they were wonderful. They even have a wine that is sold in a glass milk bottle in reflection of the dairy farm that existed before it became Grassy Creek. The samples consisted of about an ounce of wine poured into a dixie cup. It’s very difficult to see the clarity and color of the wine and the weird part is you can’t smell the wine as well when you’re tasting them from a dixie cup. We’re going to carry all six of the grassy creek wines we sampled. I’ll keep you posted on when they will be the winery of the week.

Later in the evening, Thais and her husband and my husband and I went to Yadkin Valley to visit the Sanders Ridge Vineyard which we will also carry at Barnhill’s. This was my first trip to a vineyard and winery. The grape vines were all bare sticks poking from the ground and tied to guide wires but I could easily imagine them bright with large green leaves and heavy with grapes. The wine tasting room is in a beautiful log cabin which seems enormous on the outside but is cozy on the inside. A pathway leads to a dock and gazebo by a lake and it was lovely, even still held in the stark grasp of winter, the trees waiting much more patiently than I am for their leaves to emerge and beckon the warmth of spring.

Neil gave three of us a glass and poured the first of seven wines. My husband didn’t sample the wares because he drinks even less than I do and he isn’t a fan of wine. He was also our designated driver (see? I told you I grew up). The interesting thing about my husband, Tim, is that he smelled each of the wines I sampled and he could smell the parts that make up the blends. We may make a wine connoisseur out of him yet!

The wines were all very good. I think I prefer the white wines over the red wines, but I also think I may prefer different wines whether I am eating or just having a drink. Some wines are very earthy and some are sweet. They’re all a little different and I’m learning what those differences are. At Sanders, I also tasted my first Muscadine wine and it was a taste unlike any of the other wines I sampled. At this point, it may be my favorite so far because it’s just so different from anything else I’ve tried.

When we left, I even got to keep the pretty wine glass with Sanders Ridge written on it. My first wine glass. There are over 90 wineries in North Carolina and I plan to amass an impressive collection of wine glasses!

[Via http://onlyatbarnhills.wordpress.com]

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Easter is Vouvray!

2010-03-06T18:40:00.000+02:00

The 2009 Vouvray is ready! Vincent Raimbault, Vouvray opens his doors this Easter with his annual Portes Ouvertes. Not only some lovely wines to taste, but also the troglodyte bread oven with be working again, cooking fouaces, brioches and bread with vine prunings and roots. You can watch (and taste) the delicious Rillons and Rillettes de Touraine being made in the traditional way. There’s fouaces with rillettes, goats cheese and garlic butter to try too.

Vincent Raimbault is a long term favourite of ours, both for classic and sparkling Vouvray at sensible prices. The 2008 Vouvray Sec and Demi-Sec gained a Silver Medal Au Concours des Vins du Val de Loire à Angers this February.

With wine tasting in the cave, there are exhibitions from three artists: Julien Hebras, furniture renovation, marquetry and wood turning, Carine Lepretre, painter and decorator from l’Atelier du Galet Rouge, and Yvette Kulwikowski, a local artist.

[Via http://frenchholiday.wordpress.com]

Hot Air » Blog Archive » Good news: Pop stars now posing in ...

Broiled Tuna & Zucchini with Apricot-Cinnamon Glazed Carrots

2010-03-06T00:34:00.000+02:00

I started some water boiling in a skillet for the carrots, and sliced and salted the zucchini. Once the water was boiling, a threw in the baby carrots and put on the lid. I put a little oil in two cast iron skillets, put the tuna steak in one and the zucchini in the other. I broiled them while the carrots were pan steaming. When the carrots were done, I put them in a glass bowl, added a spoonful of apricot fruit spread and some Ceylon Cinnamon. I put the lid on the bowl and shook it to coat the carrots. I put some lemon juice on the tuna and plated it with the zucchini. I transferred the carrots to a regular bowl and served it all with a Mendocino Castle Rock “Pinot Noir”. Pinot Noir is in quotes because I have doubts about whether it is actually Pinot Noir. I’m quite the Pinot fan, and this doesn’t taste like any other Pinot I’ve ever had (it reminds me of a Merlot).

[Via http://someamateurfoodie.wordpress.com]

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Barrel Tasting at Press Club (Tasting)

2010-03-04T06:29:00.000+02:00

Thursday, March 11th Fritz Winery is bringing Sonoma County’s famed

Barrel Tasting Weekend to Press Club!

Join Fritz Winery President, Clay Fritz as he samples the Fritz 2009 Estate Reserve Zinfandel and 2008 Estate Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon direct from the barrel and to your glass. Samples are FREE with glass purchase of the current vintage. So…buy a glass of 2006 Estate Reserve Cab Sauv or 2007 Zinfandel and get a barrel sample of the 2008 Estate Reserve Cab Sauv or 2009 Zinfandel Free!Tasting will be available all evening-from 4pm to 9pm.

*This post belongs to this week’s edition of Wine by Cush Magazine blog and published early in World of Cush also.

[Via http://worldofcush.wordpress.com]

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Frontera - Easy To Drink Merlot

2010-03-04T00:53:00.000+02:00

Yup! I keep right on sipping the fruit of the vine!

And as a result, here’s my take on another Merlot – this one from Chile.

Vineyard:     Frontera (Concha Y Toro)

Wine:           Merlot

Vintage:       2009

Appellation: Rapel Valley – Chile

Price:          $7.99

Notes:         Primarily plum aromas turn to jammy blackberry flavors with hints of cherry and toasty spice. It’s a simple medium-bodied red that is straightforward and enjoyable. Modest tannins bring a touch of chlorophyll (at times I thought even eucalyptus) in the finish.

Important: I am not a professional sommelier or wine connoissuer. I have taste buds, however, and know what I like. Please do not consider my thoughts to be an endorsement or diminution of any particular wine. You should always judge for yourself as likes, dislikes, and taste are very subjective.

[Via http://joepeckblogarhythms.wordpress.com]

Moonbattery: Olympic News

Whatcha doin' Thursday Evening?

2010-03-02T06:49:00.000+02:00

After frequenting the same grocery store for over three years, I was almost brought to tears of happiness and disbelief one day after I heard someone say, “Hey Caro! How are you doing?” Now, this wasn’t just anyone. It was an EMPLOYEE!!!! An EMPLOYEE recognized me, used my first name and made me, for the first time ever since living in this town, feel like I actually existed while shopping for groceries. I have ranted with my best friend in the past about how sad it is that we go the same places and do the same things EVERYDAY, yet we rarely make connections with the people we see “in passing.” And my rants were well-founded because I was beaming for at least an hour after this friendly, personal exchange from someone who noticed me as a regular customer.

Now, sure. It did happen to be wine guy, but I don’t think that matters. I mean, I am a self-proclaimed wine snob(1) of sorts. Oh, and beer snob. And as such, I have spent some time in the wine aisle. But I had also spent some time hanging out at Bel Air on Thursday nights.

Ah, Thursdays. Remember when you were in college and Thursday night was THE night?? Who has parties on Fridays when they could on Thursdays? Yep! Well, Thursday nights are back, ladies and gentlemen! They are back and appropriate for us [insert age decade here]-haven’t-been-an-undergrad-in-quite-some-time-somethings. Or maybe the fact that I get excited about this just shows how lame I am on weeknights. (But you should SEE me on weekends!!!)

Well, the real reason that Ron the Wine Guy (holla!) knew my name is because 1) he’s got an AMAZING memory 2) he actually cares about getting to know his clients 3) he’s a really great guy, and 4) he sees us frequently for the Thursday Night wine tastings at the cafe in Bel Air. (I actually don’t run into him that much in the wine/beer aisle.)

Now, this applies to some of the local Sacramento Bel Air and Raley Markets, as detailed in this press release from earlier this year. Live elsewhere? I suggest that you check your local Bel Air or Raleys (or Nob Hill if you’re in the bay area) because many of these stores do these wine tasting events. Here’s how it works in the Sacramento area stores.

From 5:30-7:30pm on either Thursday or Friday (depending on your store), the store will do a winetasting with one of the distributors of a winery. Usually they’ll taste around 5 bottles total (sometimes more) from one or more wineries. Each flight costs $3. With this $3 you get the flight of wines being tasted, appetizers made freshly at the deli (they usually are quite unique and delicious), and a $3 coupon off your next “wine purchase”(2) of $10 or more. The coupon lasts for a month from the date of purchase, so if you might break down and buy a bottle of wine within the next month, that winetasting you had (and appetizers) was money well spent!! Additionally, if you like beer, they will sometimes do a beer tasting along with the wine tasting (see March 11). Now this is another $3 fee, but you get the same coupon and they’re usually tasting microbrews, which makes it WORTH IT!

I really enjoy going, and there is quite a scene there — truly, friendships have been made there and it’s interesting seeing the same people come back and eventually getting to know them through side comments/jokes and perhaps a conversation somewhere in there. Hey, I’m all about community, and I feel that it is not present most of the time so anything that resembles it makes me happy.

But, alas. It’s the Lenten season and hubby and I have tossed aside alkihol. So we won’t be able to make it to this month’s tastings, so go for us. Tell Ron we sent ya! At our local Bel Air (Bel Air – 3250 Arena Blvd. in Sacramento), Ron is tasing the following during the month of March:

March 4…………..Ghost Pines and Gascon Malbec Wines

March 11………….Chateau St. Michelle/Anatori Wines and Guinness Beer

March 18………….Matchbook Wines

March 25………….Acacia and A by Acacia Wines

The following is a list of stores in the Sacramento area that offer wine tastings on Thursdays or Fridays. Call them to see what’s on your menu:

Thursdays

Bel Air – 2760 East Bidwell in Folsom

Raley’s – 692 Freeman Lane in Grass Valley

Bel Air – 3250 Arena Blvd. in Sacramento (Natomas)

Fridays

Raley’s – 3935 Park Dr. in El Dorado Hills

Raley’s – 25025 Blue Ravine Rd. in Folsom

Raley’s – 6845 Douglas Blvd. in Granite Bay

Raley’s – 4000 Lake Tahoe Blvd. in South Lake Tahoe

Cheers!!

(1) [this is my attempt at a footnote] snob (n): one who engages in the criticism of something or others on the basis that he/she/it simply exists. But I’ll still drink bad wine occasionally, and I definitely won’t criticize wine unless it’s in the privacy of my car, home, around loved ones (usually only to the ones who didn’t bring the wine in question), or I’m put in a position when I feel it’s my duty to evaluate (i.e., winetasting). I’m no rampant snob. I keep it real.

(2) We’ve encountered different opinions about whether or not “wine purchase” meant total wine purchase, or the purchase of a $10+ bottle. Not that it matters. No one likes wine less than $10 anyway, right.

[Via http://goosingpennies.wordpress.com]

Fox News flunks geography -- again (pic) -- The Live Feed | THR

Wine & Ty

2010-03-02T00:29:00.000+02:00

Tonight I am pulling the cork on a grape I know absolutley nothing about: the Mencia grape. (Do not confuse the Mencia grape with the show “Mind of Mencia”. If it tastes anything like that show, it will prove to be immature with little complexity and must therefore be immediately disregarded. OH SNAP!)

Tonights wine: 2007 “Pétalos” Bierzo, made by the Descendientes de José Palacio. (from Bierzo, Spain)

After doing a little reading I have gathered that this particular grape is often confused with Cabernet Franc, the Petalos is aged in French oak for only four months, and this grape often peaks early…much like Sinead O’Connors career. FACE! Let’s get to it:

Label: Descendientes De Jose Palacios Bierzo Petalos 2007

Price: $16.98

Color: deep purple

Smells Like: blueberry pie, cassis

Tasting Notes: berries, vanilla, a hint of spice at the finish. glamorous but edgy. a GaGa wine that would pair well with a disco stick.

Best song to pair it with: Lady Gaga - Bad Romance

[Via http://designandty.wordpress.com]

Associated Press plans iPad app | iLounge News

juicyndelicious TV episode 13: oodles of noodles at Bella Pasta

2010-02-28T06:21:00.000+02:00

Hello everyone!

We’re back from a two-week Chinese New Year hiatus with oodles of goodness at Bella Pasta. The sister restaurant to Bella Pizza, this casual yet smart cantina is perfect for a night out with the girls’ or even that first date.

The best thing about Bella Pasta? Great homestyle pasta at really reasonable prices, makes it Jules’ latest favourite joint!

What’s your favourite pasta place?

- delicious

[Via http://juicyndelicious.wordpress.com]

Peru Food News | Canela and Comino

NOTL Days of Wine and Chocolate: Feb 27th

2010-02-28T00:23:00.000+02:00

We finally made our way to Niagara on the Lake to take part in the Days of Wine and Chocolate event. There were 22 wineries participating and the purchase of a touring passport ($30), it entitled you to a wine and chocolate pairing at each winery. We actually did pretty good for a day’s work and were able to visit ten! It was a fantastic day.

Although the weather started off somewhat snowy, that actually played in our favour since there was no traffic on our drive down to NOTL from Mississauga. A couple of friends (Kim/Jan) joined us as we made our way to the NOTL chamber of commerce to pick up our passports. And then the fun began!

1st stop: Peller Estates Winery

Wine: 2007 Andrew Peller Signature Series Chardonnay Sur Lie

Chocolate: Milk Chocolate Hazelnut

The pairing was good although none of us were big fans of Chardonnay. They used the coolest decanter I’ve ever seen – it had a hole inside it that fit over top a small bowl filled with ice to keep the wine cool:

We were also given a sample of the Ice Cuvee Classic which was a sparkling “breakfast” wine and that one was excellent – a mix of sparkling wine with a dose of ice wine – we bought a bottle. Can’t wait to have it with my eggs.

Stop #2: Reif Estate Winery

Wine: 2006 Merlot Reserve

Chocolate: Dark chocolate raisin

This was the tasting room for the wine and chocolate passport holders – the lights were dim and it was very inviting. The pairing was good. We’re merlot fans and this one was very nice. I think merlot goes perfectly with dark chocolate.

Stop #3: Inniskillin Wines

Wine: 2006 Cabernet Franc Icewine

Chocolate: Dark chocolate

This was probably one of my favourites. Although, when the bottle of wine is $99, what would you expect. Awesome icewine. They also had it in a smaller format for $54.95 and mini versions as well.

Stop #4: Ravine Vineyards

Wine: 2006 Merlot

Chocolate: Dark chocolate pecan

We stopped for lunch at the deli/bakery (on the right). I love this place – it’s so cozy and everything is homemade. I had the same as last time – the charcuterie platter with prosciutto, cheeses, chutney, pickled vegetables, bread and pepper jelly. Chris and Kim had the BBQ pulled pork and cole slaw sandwiches and Jan had the pear and blue cheese pizza. Everything was great. Then over to the tasting bar we went.

Now, we’ve been planning to come back to pick up some Merlot for weeks. The wine/chocolate tasting was the 2006. We also tasted the 2007 and that was the one we fell in love with on our first visit. So of course, Chris had to buy a case of 12! Crazy husband of mine…but I was secretly dreaming of evenings by the fire with a glass of Ravine 2007 Merlot in hand. Mary Ellen had a very good suggestion for a future pairing – a chocolate / hazelnut torte – and luckily I have the perfect recipe for this! Wonderful idea. I can’t say enough about Ravine – such nice people, great wine, great food, already can’t wait to go back! This is where we also heard about the upcoming “Wine and Herb” program that was coming in May.

** Note: you’ll notice as the day went on, I took less pics… wine overload? ***

Stop #5: Maleta Estate Winery

Wine: Grape Brain Rosé Reserve

Chocolate: Milk chocolate orange

This was very good for a rosée – not as sweet as we’re used to. The pairing with the orange flavour was really nice too. Our friends picked up a bottle.

Stop #6: Cattail Creek Estate Winery

Wine: 2008 Pinot Noir

Chocolate: Dark chocolate blueberry

Those blueberries were probably my favorite of the chocolates we sampled today. We also had a great talk with the gentleman that was assisting us about the upcoming “wine and herb” event. He explained how the wineries were assigned a type of chocolate, and for the wine and herb event, they’re assigned an herb. Then they get to create a dish around that herb and pair it with a wine so there’s much more creativity involved. He mentioned some of the past dishes they had served (my mouth was already watering) and mentioned that this year their herb is lemon basil – I’m really looking forward to it – we’re totally going.

Stop #7: Hillebrand Winery

Wine: 2007 Artist Series Limited Edition Cabernet Merlot

Chocolate: Dark chocolate pistachio

This pairing was very good. We were hesitant to buy anything that would compete with our fave merlot so we held back.

At this point in the day, we were looking for something different for our next stop and boy, did we find it!

Stop #8: Sunnybrook Farm Estate Winery

Wine: Strawberry Wine

Chocolate: Dark chocolate strawberry

Here, they make wine from berries other fruits. They have one grape wine, but the rest are all non-grape wines: pear, peach, currant, strawberry, etc. The pairing we tried was good. The wine smelled like strawberry jam and you expected it to taste very sweet but surprisingly, it wasn’t. We also tried the spiced apple wine which they served warm and that was Christmas in a glass – warm wine with apple pie spices. Holy moly. The bottle left with me.

Stop #9: Palatine Hills Estate Winery

Wine: 2008 Gewürztraminer

Chocolate: Dark chocolate ginger

This cold refreshing wine was perfect as we neared the end of our day. It really brought out the ginger in the chocolate. We purchased a bottle.

Last stop – #10: Konzelmann Estate Winery

Wine: 2006 Special Select Late Harvest Vidal

Chocolate: White chocolate cranberry

This was a fantastic pairing – I really enjoyed the wine (yes, we got a bottle of this too). The gentleman assisting us was great – he was informative and fun.

So that’s the recap! Here are our purchases:

The hardest part is to pace ourselves and decide which one to open first!! We had an awesome time and can’t wait for the “Wine & Herb” event scheduled for weekends in May. You’re all invited. Come hungry.

[Via http://valcitygal.wordpress.com]

Breakfast Topic: Your favorite news from the Twitter dev chat

McLaren Vale Wineries - Hugh Hamilton

2010-02-27T06:38:00.000+02:00

Hugh Hamilton Wines has a theme of Hugh being the black sheep of the family and this theme is branded right across the business. From the wine labels to the wine names to the merchandise and even the road signs entering the winery.

Hugh Hamilton Wines Cellar Door

The views from the cellar door are worth the visit alone. You can get about 300 degree views of the surrounding vineyard based countryside – just spectacular! For the location check out the Cellar Door Map.

The merchandise is high quality and are really promote the Black Sheep brand. The white t-shirt range is a particular favorite with a play on some of the wine names – I will leave it to your imagination what “The Madam” looks like!

They also have a wine club that allows you to obtain their rare wines, discounts and functions, on the basis of purchasing 2 dozen wines per year.

Black Sheep Club Benefits are:-

FREE membership & FREE freight for whole cases Priority access to our scarcest wines Our premium wines automatically delivered to your door, anywhere in Australia, twice a year Significant savings of up to $50-00 per case for each allocation including rare wines 15% saving on all Hugh Hamilton wines and merchandise all year round Gift service – we will send wine & merchandise on your behalf to family & friends with a personalised card Invitations to cellar door events and bonus offers Hugh’s vintage report & tasting notes with suggestions of when to drink and food accompaniments Replacement guarantee for any damaged wines Your choice of a red, white or mixed pack for your ongoing allocation Surprise gift or special offer in each allocation

You can check out the wine club and all the other aspects of this winery at their web site www.hamiltonwines.com.au.

Along with the branding the wines are also something that is different and shows individual character.

2009 “The Trickster” Verdelho ($A18.50)

This wine is interesting if for no other reason that is has only 11% alcohol. Either the grapes for this wine were picked earlier than is normal McLaren Vale practice or alcohol has been removed from the wine via reverse osmosis technology. Either way the product is a light and refreshing infusion of fruit salad and citrus on the nose and grassy citrus on the palate. There is not as much acid on the finish as I would expect. The light nature of the wine means it is an excellent hot afternoon with family & friends. It would also work with a fish entree – I had a smoked salmon dish tonight that would have gone well with this wine.

2009 “The Scallywag” Unwooded Chardonnay ($A18.50)

The grapes here are from 1975 planting of the “OF” clone. The subtle nose is a mixture of melons and guava. The melon theme continues on the palate with hints of tropical fruits. I normally think that Chardonnay should have some oak treatment to get the best from this variety however I could imagine drinking this with a Cesar Salad and enjoying the matching.

2008 “The Loose Cannon” Viognier ($A22.50)

An interesting expression of orange blossom and nashi on the nose followed by the nashi and lime finish on the palate.

2009 “The Floozie” Tempranillo Rose

The 24 hour skin contact has waved its magic wand to produce a musky and Turkish Delight (both on the nose and palate) with a lovely stone fruit but dry finish. How about a plate of Salt and Pepper Squid.

2008 “The Mongrel” Sangiovese Blend ($A22.50)

A blend of 85% Sangiovese, 10% Merlot and 5% Tempranillo. When I saw this wine on offer I straight away thought of the standard earthy and grainy taninic styles (such as from Coriole). I was wrong (again) – yes there was some earthyness on the nose but this was no where near being dominate. Instead I got hints of Rosemary and Cloves on the nose with a medium bodied cherries on the palate with smooth tannins. Any tomato based pasta dish would do justice to a bottle or two of this wine.

2008 “The Ratbag” Merlot ($A24.50)

I have not made is a secret that Merlot is not my drink of choice, as the style tends to be a softer and a short soft tannin finish. For my palate I tend towards the bigger red wine styles. That is a generalisation and I will admit generalisations can be dangerous to hang your hat on! Here is one of those times. When I tasted the wine my first thought was that I had the wrong wine poured into my glass as this wine had “body”! After checking the label I was convinced that, in fact, it was a Merlot I gave it another try. The nose was really nice spiced plums. Red plums continue on the palate combined with dark berries and a tobacco leaf finish. I would love to have this wine with some Italian Sausages with a pan fried melody of seasonal vegetables.

2008 “The Scoundrel” Tempranillo ($A24.50)

WOW!!!!!!! This is the most pleasantly different example of Tempranillo. The nose had white pepper with preserved strawberries. Strawberries continued on the palate with plums and a soft tannin finish. Such a difference compared to other Tempranillo wines I have tasted, and I am better for this experience. Some of this wine came home with me and I look forward to drinking it with either grilled pork chops or one of my home made pizzas – now the only decision is do I share the wine!

2007 “The Rascal” Shiraz ($A24.50)

Shiraz does so well in McLaren Vale and for 2007 being a drought year the wine is of high quality and worth checking out. It has ripe fresh plums with cardamon and black olives mixed in. The palate has vanilla (from the oak treatment) with plums, spice and fine tannins on the finish. Nothing here is over the top and the components are well balanced. Bring on a thick juicy Wychood Meats T-bone steak.

2007 “The Villain” Cabernet Sauvignon ($A24.50)

I cannot help but think about lamb while I was tasting this wine – with no pun intended. This has the expected nose of blackcurrents but there are hints of freshly picked thyme and other spices. The palate continues with the blackcurrents and black olives with the oak as a supportive role only as there is a soft tannic finish. How could you not think of lamb with this wine?

N/V “The Madam” Sparkling Tempranillo Sangiovese ($A22.50)

For the regular readers of the Lonely Grape would know that I am a sparkling red fan. Hug Hamilton used to make a sparkling Merlot that was not on my “to drink list”. Now this is some thing different – a sparkling Tempranillo Sangiovese blend. I just had to try this one.

Well this was worth the visit to the cellar door! The nose had an earthy, spiced dark plums (fresh plums not stewed). When you drink this you are immediately seduced by a full bodied wine (hints of plums, olives and a little chocolate) followed by soft silky tannins. There is some sweetness here but not excessive.

2009 “Goldilocks” Light Fruity White

This “light fruity wine” is made from Gewurtztraminer – an unfashionable variety. It has been picked early and is only 11% alcohol. Hugh says that this wine is to be enjoyed and who cares about the wine snobs that would dismiss this wine. There is a mixture of musk lollies with rose water and the palate drives straight into tropical melons and lemon zest clean finish. I was surprised that there was 31 g/L in the wine as it did not seem overly sweet – there must be a lot of acid here to offset. Try something spicy with this – maybe a Thai Noodle Salad.

N/V “The Ruffian” Liqueur Muscat ($A24.50)

Along with the usual alcohol nose tingle the nose was full of raisins, Christmas pudding and candied citrus peel. When tasted I directly thought of 2 words – luscious and lingering. The high viscosity of the wine coated the mouth with liquid raisins, peel and slightly burnt caramel – somebody please pass the blue cheese.

[Via http://lonelygrape.com.au]

How Rupert Murdoch's Unfocused Leadership Is Crippling News Corp

poorly lit lobster ravioli with goat cheese

2010-02-27T00:47:00.000+02:00

I must not have gotten enough of Kate’s goat cheese and pasta last night — we had another Italian feast for dinner tonight. And more wine.

I made a great spicy alfredo sauce and tossed it over some lobster ravioli and scallops sauteed in garlic and red pepper. It was bellissimo!

I swear it was really good, but the picture does make it look kind of barfy. =( I’ll have my good camera back tomorrow!

[Via http://cheaperthantherapy.me]

Wonk Room » Fox News Attacks 'This Guy' Van Jones With 'Sound ...

Carpe Vinum

2010-02-25T12:44:00.000+02:00

Welcome to Carpe Vinum!

By day I’m a junior doctor working in London, but wine has become more and more of an interest over the past couple of years. I’m currently working through the WSET exams, and enjoying tasting my way around the world. Current interests include wines from the Loire, grower champagnes and the process of wine production.

I’m often asked about wine, and enjoy sharing my discoveries with friends and family. This blog will cover wines I’ve enjoyed, as well as observations on the world of wine, which I come to as an enthusiastic outsider.

Carpe Vinum means ’seize the wine’ and this blog will be ‘about wine, but not exclusively’ – I will also be touching on wider interests.

[Via http://carpevinum.wordpress.com]

Auto-Tune The News Takes On Scott Brown, The Super Bowl, And ...

Fah-jeet-ahs

2010-02-25T00:36:00.000+02:00

I started off the evening with my own version of wine and cheese.

Cabernet sauvignon and Kashi Cheddar crackers. These crackers are like crack to me. Get it…CRACKers…Ok it was only funny in my head. Anyway, I really like them. They’re perfect for a little tide-me-over when dinner’s just a bit too far away.

Dinner

I started with the same veggies as last night’s pizza but with a completely different end result. I sautéed some red pepper, onions, and zucchini over fairly high heat to get them all charred and yummy, then seasoned them with chili powder, cumin, Worcestershire sauce, and red pepper flakes.

While the veggies were cooking away, I cracked open some refried beans. I mixed them with a little Worcestershire sauce and chili powder too.

Then it was make your own fah-jeet-ahs night! Whole wheat tortillas with refried beans, veggies, salsa, sour cream, and shredded sharp cheddar cheese.

With some extra veggies on the side because they’re so darn good.

I love fajitas! I especially love the sizzling sound they make when they bring them to you piping hot in a restaurant.

Then a little something to sweet to end the day (and to make up for my lack of baklava )

A Kashi oatmeal cookie.

Hope you had a wonderful Wednesday!

[Via http://sideofsneakers.com]

Yahoo knocked at Twitter's door | ABH News

Top100Cabs of Napa Valley

2010-02-23T06:45:00.000+02:00

On Feb. 13th I was BLESSED with 2 tickets to the public event for the Top100Cabs at Bayleaf in Napa. (Top100Cabs.com) MUST be grown in Napa, and MUST be of 2006 Vintage. We had the opportunity to taste all 100 cabs, and the wineries even brought in other varieties. Munir served food throughout the event, and rumor has it there were spit/dump buckets……No, there were, and yes, I used them. I feel guilty dumping out good wine, but reallly…..I wanted to make it home legally.

All in all, I think I tried 60 wines. Here are my absolute favorites from the afternoon. Keep in mind my limited wine descriptor vocabulary, and we’ll do just fine here. Heck, might not even be able to describe all of them, as the day is a complete blur.

Alpha Omega Winery – I just really liked it. Plain & simple. the reason, not the wine.

Ceja Vineyards – I have a soft spot in my heart for the Ceja’s they truly offer “love in a bottle”.

Janzen – Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard Cab.

(Janzen also brought Pazzo Sangiovese, and HOLY CRAP! it’s my new addiction!)

Hall Napa Diamond Mountain Cab – Chocolate chocolate and more chocolate. i was ready to rub it all over my body, but will stay PG for this posting….

Sequoia Grove – mmmm……they also make a favorite of mine, Rebellious Red, but alas, it’s sold out.

Levendi – Sweetwater Ranch – this had some vanilla going on. and chocolate.

Courteson Wines cab – good……….. but i really prefer the Brigitte Blend! And she BROUGHT IT!

Nord Estate – PageNord Vineyard Cab. – berries. Lots and lots of berries.

Rocca Family Vineyards – again, more chocolate. I’m starting to believe that wine is a “food” (and here’s what I said on Twitter as I was drinking the Rocca Cab…. “Snuck up on me. Holding me tight in its warm chocolate embrace. I’m gonna take a bath in it.” It’s that good)

Sol Rouge – To Kalon Vineyards. There were debates after the event as to where Sol Rouge is located. But the VINEYARDS had to be in Napa……

Cleavage Creek – what can I say? Not only is the wine divine, they have a cause. www.cleavagecreek.com check them out.

The wines that really stood out to my uneducated palate. As I’m looking at my notes from this event, I’m realizing that Perry Moore Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard Cab came in at #3, and the Dr. Crane Vineyeard Cab came in at #5. I do not remember trying it, but I did have some a week later. Angels sang. It literally changed my life. Another story.

More wine stories to tell, as soon as I sort them all out in my brain.

[Via http://redwinegirl70.wordpress.com]

Aliens Vs Predator becomes fast-selling game of 2010 | News

Whine

2010-02-23T00:54:00.000+02:00

The notorious second post. Remember all those great times we had back in post one? Ahh, those were the days!

So… the second post. I struggled to think of a topic to write on, and then I thought I might tell you a hilarious story about an ol’ mate called Albarino and his sneaky friend Savagnin. It’s a story filled with intrigue and mystery.

It all starts a decade or two ago. In the ever expanding and super competitive wine world, Australian producers, looking for the next big thing, stumbled upon a little ol’ grape variety from Spain, perhaps whilst visiting the 1992 Barcelona Summer Olympics.

So off they went, the Australian producers not the Barcelona Olympics, to the CSIRO to purchase some delicious Albarino cuttings to plant, nurture and grow. Oh, what fun they had; those cuttings matured and soon enough wine was produced. And what delicious wine it was!

And like most stories, things were going so well until France showed up.

France’s numero uno ampelographer (winesnob speak for “guy who looks at grape vines and tell you what they are”) was a bloke by the name of Jean-Michel Boursiquot and whilst on a trip to Australia, noticed these Albarino grapes and exclaimed between puffs of his Malborough cigarette, “Sacre Bleu! Deez are not Albarino crepes!”.

And he was right, Albarino is a type of fruit and not a thin pancake.

Nevertheless, these Olympic-loving winemakers got a little worried and to halt their fears, sent cuttings of these Albarino grapes to be tested.

And guess what?

They weren’t Albarino! They were something called Savagnin Blanc. No, not Sauvignon Blanc. Savagnin. And this got winemakers worried.

See, Albarino sounds more fashionable than Savagnin and more importantly, the winemakers also thought that us punters would be too stupid to distinguish between Sauvignon and Savagnin. True story.

(To be fair it probably had something more to do with the gazillions of dollars they’d spent advertising Albarino).

I’m not sure that this story had much of a point. The winemakers will probably sue the CSIRO. The CSIRO will probably sue Spain for giving them the wrong grapes. We’ll probably start seeing Savagnin written on winelists more often and you’ll be able to entertain your friends with the hilarious story of Albarino and Savagnin.

PS. My apologies to France. If it wasn’t for France, wine would be awful. But every story needs a bad guy, and in this one it was France. It’s merely artistic license. Please be assured that we think France is awesome.

A couple o’ educational notes about Albarino and Savagnin

Albarino: From Rias Baixas, in north west Spain and the Vinho Verde region in Portugal (where it’s known as Alvarinho). Usually unoaked, it makes a medium-bodied, crisp, appley-tasting, white wines with a delightful silky texture.

Savagnin: Grown primarily in the Jura region of France, it is an nonaromatic Traminer with a structure and texture similiar to Sauvy-B but with hits of pear and hints of nuts.

[Via http://gardenbrasserie.wordpress.com]

Michelle Obama & Huckabee Interview On Fox News (VIDEO)

Break Out the Wine!

2010-02-21T18:53:00.000+02:00

Though the season of Lent is a penitential season most often associated with fasting, we must remember that Sunday always remains a day of feasting. It was for this reason that the early church actually prohibited fasting on the Lord’s Day. They would observe voluntary days of fasting on Wednesdays and Fridays, but never on Sunday. And in the Western Church this carried over into the season of Lent as well. This is why if you count the number of days from Ash Wednesday to Easter Sunday, you’ll come up with forty-six days. The forty days of Lent don’t include Sundays. Each Sunday in Lent we’re given a foretaste of where our Lenten observance is headed, namely, Easter. So if you’ve taken up the practice of fasting during Lent, don’t practice it today. Today is the day of feasting and rejoicing in the presence of the Lord. So when you get home this afternoon break out the wine, the meat and cheese, the chocolate and the coffee, or whatever else you may have given up and feast before the Lord. Sunday is and must ever remain the day of feasting, no matter the reason or the season!

[Via http://craigsbeaton.wordpress.com]

New Phoenix, Monkey Island on WiiWare News | Wii | Eurogamer

The magic shrooms of St. Gilles

2010-02-21T12:54:00.000+02:00

The regularly changing niche menu at Café des Spores may be a little pricey, but mushroom-lovers should gladly foot the bill once in a while. We tasted Belgian shitake mushrooms stuffed with beef and lined with wispy flakes of a dried fish (~14 euros), which for me was easily the best dish of the night. I adore these rich types of black mushrooms, and all the salty and dark flavors here combined so well.

Then there was the semi-melted Saint-Marcellin cheese with morels and a crusty potato underside (~13 euros). This tasted good, too, but the cheese and sauce pretty much killed any taste of the mushrooms, so I was disappointed.

Lastly we tried a gnocchi, made with blended fish — la bottarga — and mixed with arugula/roquette, and forest mushrooms (~15 euros). This one had a very gentle flavor, so we should have eaten this first. Unfortunately it got kind of drowned out by all the cheese, butter, and soy sauce of the earlier dishes.

At least the wine collection can easily accommodate the shifting menu.

Portions are small, like the building, so don’t be surprised.

Café des Spores

Chaussée d’Alsemberg 103, St. Gilles

Food: B+

Price: C

Atmosphere: A

Languages: French, English

[Via http://bitemebrussels.wordpress.com]

Our New 'News Tab' Module | News

President's Day Weekend

2010-02-20T06:52:00.000+02:00

A college friend who had never been to the Bay Area came to visit over President’s Day weekend. I tried to show him as much of San Francisco as possible. We also visited Tahoe and Napa.

On Thursday we drove to Kirkwood to ski. I’ve only ever been to Heavenly before and I was excited to try a new mountain. Heavenly has unbeatable views but the terrain is rather dull. I’m sure there are great areas of the mountain, unfortunately I just don’t know where they are yet. Kirkwood’s terrain on the otherhand delivers right off the bat. Lots of interesting steeps including several cornices. We had a great day exploring the mountain on very soft snow.

On Friday we tasted wine (and beer) in Napa and Sonoma Valleys. We had a fantastic tour and tasting at Hendry Winery just outside of Napa. The winery is run by two engineers who have used their skills to redesign and improve several pieces/techniques of the wine making process. I really enjoyed seeing the winery and hearing first hand about how it goes from grapes to bottle. If you are ever in the area and interested at all in wine tasting or wine making I highly recommend this place. They certainly don’t have the best wines in the Napa Valley but I really enjoyed geeking out there. The winery was beautiful in the misty/drizzly weather.

We also visited the Napa County Brewing Company as it was San Francisco Beer Week and they were holding special tours and sampling. We were the only people who showed up for the tour at this tiny brewery so we got to see the brewing process, taste the grains and even sample from the fermenter with the brewmaster. He then walked us through a sampling of all their beers. I’m not a beer fan myself but I did enjoy seeing the brewing process up close. SF Beer Week also included beer ice cream at our favorite ice cream shop, Humphry Slocombe. They were making ice cream out of many different beers and would feature 6 different beer ice creams each night during Beer Week. We enjoyed it so much we went back a second time!

We spent the weekend seeing the sights in San Francisco – Union Square, Ferry Building, Chinatown, Cable Cars, Fishermen’s Wharf, Ghirardelli Square, Lombard Street, Coit Tower – all the usual tourist spots. Something I hadn’t done before that was enjoyed was visiting the Cable Car Museum. The Museum houses the motors that pull the cables for the three cable car lines in San Francisco as well as exhibits on the cable car system over the years starting in 1873 with the Clay Street Hill Railroad.

On Monday we visited the Marin Headlands overlooking the city and got some spectacular views with the fog rolling out of the bay.

[Via http://audreyln.wordpress.com]

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Stuff that makes life great

2010-02-20T00:56:00.000+02:00

Awesome things that have happened to me this week:

Lilit asking me to clean her litterbox. This from the cat who had been proclaimed to have horrible litter box issues, and she would never learn to go in the box regularly. She’s too old to learn any better, and should just be put down because she’ll never learn. And she asked me to clean it so she could use it, dancing on her little paws because she had to go so bad and could hardly wait. There are no words for how proud I am of how far she’s come.

Ben calling me on the road because he saw my car driving on the other side of 295 as he drove north and I drove south…

Spending our day off with a wine trip: tasting Vidal and Riesling straight from the vat two months before bottling at Basignani, having a great conversation with the wine maker at Woodhall.

[Via http://rhombusbomb.wordpress.com]

Some non-news - The Explosm Fora

"That Small Bar In The Corner"

2010-02-18T06:09:00.000+02:00

“There is that small corner in the bar from yesteryear A dusty old crate sits with empty bottles of wine and beer Hanging with silk bow so neatly tied a hand brush smiles Flowers past their best yet folks come and sit from miles Our life is just a daily menu placed upon the table top Enjoy your fetish tipple of fruit juice alcohol or pop We all have a corner of the past we keep in our mind Sometimes it’s hard to share and maybe that is unkind “ Mitch Hicks – U.K. All Rights Reserved

[Via http://lordhicks.wordpress.com]

Threading the "News Analysis" Needle : CJR

I Love Me Some Vin (part 2)

2010-02-18T00:49:00.000+02:00

Hey all! How is your week going? My Wednesday sure is flying by. I agree with some of the comments on the last post regarding drinking red wine room temperature. I also will agree with you about gouda cheese. It is also one my favs! As promised, I wanted to share the rest of what I learned at my French wines class at Valley Cheese and Wine.

Wine #4

2007 Domaine Les Grands Bois Cuvee Les Trois Soeurs-65% Grenache, 20% Syrah, and 15% Carginan

This wine is from Rhone Valley, France. This wine pairs well with a pate or lamb dishes. This wine “reveals delicious black currant and black cherry fruit along with hints of licorice, pepper, and spice box.” Now, I am not one who can pick up on a lot of flavors in wines, but I could pick up on the pepper flavor of this wine. This was another one of my favs! I think I am a red girl at heart.

Wine #5

2004 Chateau Pu-Servain Terrement-Semillon

This last wine we sampled was a dessert wine. I do love dessert wines but usually go for a Riesling. This wine is described as “displaying lots of upfront dried apricot fruit and raisin character mixed with bright orange peel and spice.”

We had a sample of blue cheese called Roquefort Carles, with the last wine (2004 Chateau Puy-Servain Terrement-Semillon). My mom ended up buying some to take home. I love blue cheese and this flavor really complemented the sweetness of the wine.

We also sampled a couple different olives. I know there are a few of you olive lovers to you so I mean no harm, but I just can’t get into them. The two olives we sampled here Lucques and Amellau Olives. I actually did prefer the Lucques olive over the Amellau.

He also discussed the difference between decanting and aerating wines. I usually just open the bottle and drink. I never realized how much these tips can affect the flavor of the wine.

Decanting-Use for an older wine that has sediment. You want to pour the wine out slowly without getting sediment . “Using a lit candle or lamp, hold the bottle of wine so that the area just below the neck of the wine bottle can be seen through the light while pouring. Ever so slowly begin pouring the aged wine into the decanter.” source

Aerating- Will provide the wine more surface area, allowing the wine to breathe. By doing so, this can improve the overall flavor of the wine. "The more tannins the wine has, the more time it will need to aerate. Red wines typically will benefit most from aeration.” source

One day, I hope to make it to a winery. I have always wanted to go. My parents have been to Napa Valley and I heard it is just amazing. I would definitely want to brush up more on my wine skills before going to a winery. Have you ever been to a winery? What is your favorite wine?

My sister is off today, so we might go out for dinner. Have you been watching the Olympics? I just love watching ice skating! Have a great day!

[Via http://swankyrd.wordpress.com]

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Project 365-Day 45

2010-02-16T06:30:00.000+02:00

I don’t like wine. I’m ready to admit it. I just don’t. I’ve tried, and I’ve pretended. And, yes, I know that there are so, so many different wines that I can’t possibly make such a blanket statement. But I am.

Newcastle Brown Ale? That’s yumminess to me. This was Bald Man’s contribution to Valentine’s dinner.

Photo taken: 2/15/2010

45/365

[Via http://unionstreetphotography.wordpress.com]

Google News Tests Trending Topics

Bubbly Event at Rulis

2010-02-16T00:42:00.000+02:00

Here is an invite to our Bubbly event at Rulis International Kitchen. It is this Saturday at 6:30 pm and it will be a blast.

Yes, we are doing two events on Saturday . Busy, busy, busy.

See you there!!!

[Via http://creativejuicesllc.wordpress.com]

Arrowheadlines: Chiefs News 2/13 - Arrowhead Pride

Big Red

2010-02-14T06:29:00.000+02:00

Today my Uncle Pat’s and my Dad’s high school buddy, George Taber, stopped by for lunch. In case you’re not familiar (to be honest I wasn’t until about 3 weeks ago), Mr. Taber wrote the 1976 Time magazine article titled “The Judgement of Paris” and in 2005 wrote a detailed book about the California vs. Paris blind taste test. The event was also the subject of the movie “Bottle Shock” released in 2008. Dad and George (I like to assume that we’re on a first name basis now) talked about old times, new times, and wine while I mostly listened and tried to learn something.

After lunch we persuaded George to join us at the Corley’s Monticello Vineyards for a tasting of their Big Reds. We tasted 7 wines and I fell head over heels for #6, the 2006 Corley “State Lane Vineyard” Cabernet Sauvignon. I loved it so much I bought a bottle…the most expensive bottle of wine I’ve ever purchased in my entire life. I mean, it’s not sell a kidney expensive, but $60 for a bottle of wine is “high-end” to me. To do it up right I think I’ll have to buy a decanter too. Look at me…in a mere 24 hours I’ve taken the jump from “two buck chuck” to wine needing a decanter. I think I’ll save this bottle for a special occasion…perhaps share it with my teammates after we complete the 39 mile Avon Walk for Breast Cancer in July?! Hmm…

[Via http://polkstreetandmore.wordpress.com]

Mark C. Miller: News the Media Missed This Week!

Valentine's Day - Pairing Wine with Chocolate

2010-02-14T00:24:00.000+02:00

When pairing wines with chocolate for Valentine’s Day match lighter, more elegant flavored chocolate with lighter-bodied wines; likewise, the stronger the chocolate, the more full-bodied wine.

White Chocolate

White chocolate tends to be mellow and buttery in flavor, making it ideal for Champagne, Sparkling Wine, Orange Muscat or Sherry.

Milk Chocolate

The classic milk chocolate pairing is Port; other considerations are lighter-bodied Pinot Noir or Merlot, as well as Riesling, Muscat, and of course Champagne or Sparkling Wine.

Dark Chocolate

Dark or bittersweet chocolate need a wine that offers a slightly robust flavor itself, with a hint of its own chocolate notes. Cabernet Sauvignon and intense, in-your-face Zinfandel perfect the dark chocolate match, resulting in an unparalleled tasting combination. Also Pinot Noir, Merlot, Champagne and Sparkling Wine can handle dark chocolate around the 55% cocoa mark. Tawny or Vintage Port also offers a well-balanced pairing approach to dark chocolate dessert or truffles.

My Pick for Valentine’s Day

Billecart-Salmon Brut Rosé, Champagne (Mareuil-sur-Ay, France) This non-vintage brut rosé is delicate and is impeccably balanced and guaranteed to have your taste buds singing.

Both Champagne and fine dark chocolate are two of life’s greatest pleasures. There is nothing quite like a popping the cork on a perfectly chilled bottle of bubbly and digging into a box of exquisite dark chocolate in front of a roaring fire with your Valentine while the snow falls outside.

Liz Palmer

Wine and Travel Writer

[Via http://lizpalmer.wordpress.com]

Layoffs hit multiple Activision studios | News

034/365

2010-02-13T06:28:00.000+02:00

034/365, originally uploaded by rottnapples.

holy chardonnay batman!

I couldn’t resist this shot! I saw this awesome display in the window of a wine shop in Lincoln Square. Seriously, how fun! The shops other window had a really cool Robby the Robot display (I’m a little disappointed that those shot did not turn..)

[Via http://creativeapples.wordpress.com]

Hot Air » Blog Archive » More “unexpected” economic news

Quinta de Covela

2010-02-13T00:55:00.000+02:00

Quinta de Covela Escolha

Portugal (Minho)

avesso, chardonnay, gewurztraminer

www.covela.pt

Embrace this wine. One might think of it as summer fare, and heaven knows in August with the sun pouring relentlessly onto the garden, stretched into this lawn chair, awash in heat, the wine would be outstanding. But an outstanding wine is outstanding any time of the year…especially when there is a driveway waiting to be shovelled.

Covela Escolha (branco) 2006

Again, colour sets the wine in motion. Straw-yellow, with a faint remnant of green. A nose then of apple and pear, with a fresh, crisp, welcoming clarity. A wine that refreshes before it ever touches the palate. Winsome in its mere look and touch. (Winsome? Really…?) It clearly has structure and a mineral presence, asserting itself nicely once the glass is tipped. A mellowed acidity, but retaining a definite edge. Light without being thin. Aromatic without overfilling the moment. $

Nuno Araújo is the custodian of this estate overlooking the Duoro river. It dates back to the 16th century, and the ruins of the original manor house and chapel are found there still. Quinta de Covela respects its past without clinging to it. It is helping to forge a new path for Portuguese wines, from its eye-catching labels to the character of what goes inside the bottles. While Portugal is renowned for its port and, in recent years, has been making a name for itself with a new generation of profound reds, it had never been especially known for its whites.

Nuno Araújo has made laudable steps in changing that. In the 1980s experiments began to determine what grape varieties worked best in what had been recognized for centuries as a unique terroir. Over a dozen varieties were planted. For whites the chosen grape turned out to be a local lad — avesso. For reds it was the quintessential Portuguese varietal — touriga nacional. Winemaking began in ernest.

The terraced vineyards make a stunning sight, curving as they do in an amphitheatre-like setting. Work in the vineyards is labour-intensive; harvesting is by hand.

Quinta de Covela is a rarity in Portugal, a fully biodynamic operation. Nuno Araújo credits it with the ability of the vineyards to perform well, even when weather conditions are less than ideal. Where he will take his 19 hectares in the years ahead is cause for exciting speculation.

Meanwhile, as the snow falls, I think of having my next bottle of Covela in that very lawn chair, oh, six months from now.

[Via http://onebrilliantbottle.wordpress.com]

Wonkette : Fox News Poll: Yes, We Are Insanely Racist Crazy People

Foods for feeling frisky.

2010-02-11T18:16:00.000+02:00

As a perpetual non-celebrator of Valentine’s Day (in fact, I’m listening to NPR Music’s Break-up Song show right now) it’s unusual that I might help others celebrate by posting a list of foods that are alleged aphrodisiacs. I’m doing it because I’m really not a sourpuss and I feel that if you’re deciding to commemorate the day of Saint Valentine, you should be eating the right stuff. Let’s have a look-see at what you can eat and drink to get things going (list via Newser).

Oysters — gross. Skip.

Garlic — yum. Do. Just mouthwash after dinner. Plus it’s got vitamins and other health benefits. (And when I Googled the benefits of garlic, a site about herpes treatments came up. Good to know.)

Chili peppers – only if you want to lose feeling in your taste buds. But they’re a metabolism booster, I hear.

Wine — given.

Some weird smell combos listed at the original post are enlightening, so I recommend you take a peek.

Mmmmmm... Nothing beats it. Thanks to Wikimedia Commons.

[Via http://adaywithoutsnacktime.wordpress.com]

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Dinner out with friends, Four Gates Cabernet Franc, Barkan Altitude 624 Cabernet Sauvignon, Binyamina Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve

2010-02-09T06:52:00.000+02:00

This past weekend saw us enjoying a dinner with our friends. Dinner started with a lovely homemade whole wheat challah. Kiddush was made on N.V. Four gates Cabernet Franc (2000 & 20001 vintages). The wine was a bit musty out of the bottle, but that blessedly blew off quickly, before Kiddush started. The challah was followed by a bowl of lovely vegetable barley soup. After a bit of singing, the soup was followed by a plethora of sides, along with some lovely roasted chicken. The sides consisted of Israeli Couscous salad, herb roasted fingerling potatoes, fresh green salad, roasted pineapple noodle kugel, along with roasted eggplant salad, and two tomato salads. The dinner was paired with two Israeli wines, one a bit over its peak, and one that is still young.

I would like to thank to our hosts, for their warm hospitality, atmosphere, guests, and wonderful dinner. The wine notes follow below:

N.V. Four Gates Cabernet Franc – Score: B+

The nose on this garnet colored wine has vanilla, cherry, raspberry, and a hint of floral notes. The mouth on this medium bodied wine is soft with cherry and raspberry. The mid palate is balanced with acid, dirt, integrated tannins, and oak. The finish is long with bright acidity, red fruit, and vanilla.

2005 Barkan Cabernet Sauvignon Altitude 624 – Score: B+

The nose on this dark garnet to black colored wine is filled with rich sweet oak, blackberry, cassis, and vanilla. The mouth on this medium to full bodied wine, is mouth filling and coating, but not complex, with trailing blackberry, oak, and a hint of raspberry. The mid palate is balanced with oak, fully integrated and softened tannins. The finish starts off short, but lengthens a bit with air, with black fruit, roasted herbs, and sweet oak. This wine is a bit over the hill. Drink up!!

2006 Binyamina Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve – Score: A-

The nose on this black colored wine is ripe and electric with fresh blackberry, cassis, plum, and spicy oak. The mouth on this full bodied wine was super concentrated and packed with layers of blackberry, cassis, and spicy oak. The mid palate is a bit tight and balanced, with acid, oak, and nice tannins. The finish is long and bright, with spicy oak, black fruit, and tobacco. This is a really nice wine that is ready now, and will come together even more as it ages.

[Via http://kosherwinemusings.com]

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THIS is why we have weekends...

2010-02-09T00:10:00.000+02:00

Warning: This is a LONG post. Get comfortable. Bring a sack lunch. Stay a while.

Good news, readers: my weekend kicked an absolutely unreasonable amount of ass. February 6 and 7 reminded me why we stop working once every five days and take a little break.

Plans for this weekend began months ago, when I realized that Justin Townes Earle was going to play the Mucky Duck in Houston on Friday night. I’ve seen JTE twice before, and as you may recall, I’m a bit of a fan. I firmly believe that this guy is one of the best singer-songwriters working today, and I can’t understand why everyone isn’t rushing out to buy every song he’s ever recorded. If you’re unfamiliar with his work, grab a couple of songs from the download box on the right side of your screen right now.

Midweek, when The Usual Suspects decided to make a weekend of this trip, I got on hotwire.com to look for a hotel room in Houston. If you’ve ever used hotwire, you know that the prices are GREAT, but you can’t see which hotel you’ve actually selected until after you pay. You get to choose the city, obviously (or a part of the city, in the case of a major metropolis like Houston), but where you actually stay is kind of a crapshoot. I selected the section of Houston surrounding the Mucky Duck, which includes areas as far as ten to twelve miles and several nasty freeway interchanges away. After I selected a price and paid, the website kindly informed me that we would be staying at a hotel .42 miles from the Mucky Duck. That’s right: our hotel was less than half a mile from the concert. I took this to be a very positive sign.

The problem with going to see JTE at the Mucky Duck is that the Mucky Duck doesn’t sell tickets online. They also don’t sell tickets via credit card. Since I don’t live in Houston, I had no way to buy tickets in advance. When I called the Mucky Duck on Friday afternoon, the employee who answered the phone informed me that the show was sold out. This could have been a damper on our trip, but Big T, WrongFoot, and I already had a hotel room and plans to see the show, so we set off with every intention of buying tickets off some shady-looking sidewalk scalper. Even if we didn’t get in, the worst case scenario was that we’d spend a night out on the town in Houston. It was a risk we were willing to take.

We arrived at the Mucky Duck early. Very early. We left town immediately after school on Friday, and cruised through traffic as if my truck were parting the Red Sea. I’ve never reached Houston so effortlessly. We even stopped at Waller County Line Barbecue and picked up a link of hot smoked boudin to munch on while we drove. Upon arriving at the Mucky Duck a couple hours early, I realized that there would be no scalpers. The place is tiny. When we stepped inside, a guy with a guest list asked for our names. Since we weren’t on the list, the lady who seemed to be in charge encouraged us to step out onto the patio and have a drink. She said she’d let us know if there was standing room available once the show started. We were slightly bummed, but tried to remain hopeful. Big T exited to the patio while WrongFoot and I headed for the restroom.

By the time we returned from the men’s room, Big T was standing between the guest list guy and the in-charge lady, handing over some cash. Apparently, just a moment after Big T stepped outside, the in-charge lady stepped out onto the patio and asked, “Where are my three guys?” It turned out that some of the people inside had reserved two tables, one for themselves and one for friends who were flying in from Nashville for the show. The friends’ plane was delayed, and they weren’t going to make it for JTE. After informing us that having a table meant ordering dinner and a “fancy bottle of wine,” the very friendly lady showed us to our seats. We not only got in, friends; we got a TABLE with a SPECTACULAR view of the stage. You never saw three guys with bigger grins on their faces.

Upon being presented with menus, I realized that the Mucky Duck takes the culinary aspects of their business very seriously. Being health-conscious eaters, we decided that three appetizers and three entrees would be an appropriate amount of food to order. Big T ordered baked brie, which was served with sliced apples, a raspberry sauce on top, and french bread upon which to arrange the whole menagerie. WrongFoot opted for a steak and mushroom cheese fondue, served with toasted pita bread for dipping. I settled upon Scotch eggs. I’d never heard of them before, much less eaten them, but I couldn’t resist the description. Scotch eggs are hard-boiled eggs, wrapped in a layer of sausage, then breaded and deep fried. They’re about the size of a baseball, and they’re served cut in half, accompanied by brown curry mustard for dipping. I can’t begin to describe how wonderful this dish tasted. It was like taking a big bite of happiness.

Scotch Eggs: We had partially eaten a couple of them before we realized they were a gift from God and deserved a picture...

After conquering the appetizers and a few glasses of beer, we enjoyed our entrees. BigT chose shepherd’s pie, while WrongFoot opted for fish tacos and I had a steak and mushroom pie. All three were good, but the appetizers seriously outshined the main dishes. On the bright side, we had plenty of curry brown mustard left, and we ate it on EVERYTHING. I kind of wanted to order about a quart to go.

Just as we were finishing dinner, the opening act took the stage. I never heard of Dawn Landes before, but I’m always hopeful about opening bands. You may recall that I first heard JTE when he opened for Old Crow Medicine Show. Dawn Landes is a gorgeous young woman who writes and plays a variety of songs I can best describe as Americana. Accompanied by a bass player who sometimes switches to electric guitar and a drummer who also plays a hands-free harmonica (beast mode!), Landes performs songs ranging from country to folk to a kind of experimental drum-driven world beat sound. She played a relatively short set, maybe a dozen songs, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. I picked up her latest album on vinyl from the merchandise table, and she was kind enough to sign it for me after the show.

Love? I'll bet she say that to all the boys.

After a brief intermission that involved a bottle of muscato d’asti, which is my one of my new wine obsessions, JTE took the stage, flanked by a bearded fiddler and a feisty-looking woman who carried her stand-up bass to the stage over her head. The first time I saw JTE, he was accompanied by one guy who alternated between bass, mandolin, and banjo. The second time, JTE flew solo. I was surprised to see him with two other people on stage. Apparently, he can perform with and kind of sidekicks or none at all.

I don’t know what to say about JTE’s performance except that he’s a genius. For the second time in four posts, I have to say “I’m not resorting to melodrama, here.” Justin Townes Earle is amazing. Very rarely do I see an artist in concert who sounds even better on stage than on CD, but that’s exactly the case with JTE. “Halfway To Jackson” alone was worth the price of admission. During the course of the set, the band treated us to several songs which will be included on an upcoming album (which I’m looking forward to in a big way), and Dawn Landes even joined JTE on stage to perform a duet of Dolly Parton’s “Do I Ever Cross Your Mind.” (Interesting side note: WrongFoot was mighty fond of Dawn Landes. During JTE’s set, knowing that she was about to be called up on stage for the duet, she came out into the audience area and hunkered down near the back to wait. Seeing her there, WrongFoot scooted back in the booth and offered her the seat next to him, which she gladly accepted for the remainder of the song before her duet.)

The Duet, although my cell phone camera doesn't really do it justice...

The merchandise table also had JTE’s newest album available on vinyl, so I grabbed it (along with a pretty badass t-shirt), and he signed it for me after the show. I left the Mucky Duck with two signed LPs, a spiffy new shirt, a fantastic meal in my belly, and an amazing listening experience added to my memories of the musical world. Yet, the night was young.

You can bet that this bad boy is going to end up framed.

The Aforementioned Shirt: front view and inside back, where the tag would usually be. Notice that it's a limited edition, 1 of 200. Ooh. Fancy.

From the Mucky Duck, we ventured to several nearby pubs. I don’t recall the exact order, but we definitely hit Under The Volcano, famous for its frozen screwdrivers and named after a fantastic novel by Malcolm Lowry, which is one of the finest novels of the last 100 years and which WAY more people should have read. I found the combination of the literary name and the very tasty frozen screwdrivers very pleasing, indeed. We also checked out the Kelvin Arms, “Houston’s Only Scottish Pub,” which is located in what used to be a bank. In fact, you can take your drink into the vault, where they have arranged lots of lounge-style furniture and pleasant ambient lighting. Finally, we hit the Marquis Part Deux, a place WrongFoot frequented during his college years. The building used to be a strip joint called the Marquis, and the new owners didn’t feel compelled to change the name too much when they bought it. This bar is a dive. The carpet is probably hosting seventeen strains of deadly or at least severely disgusting bacteria and mold. That said, the drinks are potent and cheap, and the chairs are REALLY comfortable. While we enjoyed a Long Island, some random guy told me that I look like stand-up comedian Jim Gaffigan. I’ve never been told that before, but I can see his point.

See the resemblance?

After a couple of drinks, a cheap pepperoni pizza, and a SERIOUS hand-washing, we departed the Marquis Part Deux for the Extended Stay America hotel, just a few blocks away. Our contained a queen-sized bed as well as a chair and ottoman. Because both Big T and I exceed 6 foot 2 (Big T isn’t just a clever name. Nor is Big Red Poet.), WrongFoot was nominated to sleep on the chair-ottoman combination. I didn’t envy him, but he seemed not to mind, and passed out as soon as he was horizontal.

Saturday was an unexpectedly beautiful day. For the past few weeks, we’ve had nothing but gray skies, drizzle, and general ickyness, but when we awoke on Saturday, we were greeted by sunshine, a light breeze, and a temperature that was perfect for walking around outside in a polo shirt, which was convenient since a polo shirt was exactly what I’d brought to wear. We headed over toward Rice Village, where we had lunch at Mi Luna, a tapas restaurant. If you’ve never had tapas, it’s amazing. Basically, tapas style dining involves ordering several small entrees instead of one big one. Generally, everyone at the table shares a little of every dish. Each little plate costs between 3 and 10 dollars, and the food is amazing. The dishes we ordered included smelt in olive oil, beef skewers, zucchini with gorgonzola, b’stilla (a puff pastry filled with chicken, egg, and pine nuts and topped with cinnamon), spicy shrimp with garlic, and scallops served over a tomato-based sauce. There may have been others, but my memory fails. This was my third trip to Mi Luna, and I have yet to order anything I haven’t enjoyed.

After tapas, we headed for the two-story used bookstore just down the block. We didn’t quite get there, though. We got distracted by a place called The Chocolate Bar, which makes all manner of wonderful home-made sweets. We perused cakes, cookies, chocolates, ice cream, chocolate covered fruit, fudge, and lord knows what else before deciding on our desserts. I had a three-scoop serving of ice cream, which I carried with me to the book store.

If Big T and WrongFoot had let me, I might have stayed at the book store all day. Since we had places to go, though, I tried to move quickly. I checked all the usual suspects (Cormac McCarthy, Jeffrey Lent, Leif Enger, and the like) for first editions, signed copies, etc, but I didn’t find anything very interesting. I was just about to call it quits when I remembered a novel that Pre and I saw at Barnes & Noble on a random late-night bookstore trip a few days before. (Remember the trip to Target, then to a bookstore, then to get a quesadilla? That’s the one. It all comes together.) Daniel Choan’s Await Your Reply has only been on the shelf since August of this year, and it’s still selling for regular price at Barnes & Noble and Hastings. I didn’t really expect to find a used copy, but I figured it couldn’t hurt to check. As it turns out, I found a copy. I then found another copy. They were both first printings of the first edition…and they were both signed. If I hadn’t been so full of tapas and ice cream, I might have jumped for joy. I quickly snatched up both of them and ran down to the cash register before anybody realized I was about to ROB THE PLACE BLIND. Seriously. I can’t believe I scored two signed first editions of what promises to be an amazing novel (Go read the description at the link…) for $12.50 each. The book is still $25 at the bookstore. Score.

I win.

After Rice Village, we headed toward Montrose. On the way, though, we got waylayed on a little section of street that had several interesting-looking antique shops and a couple of cafes. Upon exploring the antique shops, I perused a selection of furniture unlike any I’ve ever seen in my life. These people must go to every estate sale in Houston and buy all the gorgeous old furnishings that come out of those mansions that the deceased leave behind. Left to my own devices, I could easily have spent several thousand dollars on desks, book cases, etc. By far the most tempting piece of furniture I saw was a 1930s globe/bar. I’ve wanted one of these ever since I first saw one, and this antique was in absolutely fantastic condition. The decanters inside are French crystal, and all the wooden parts as well as the globe are original from the 1930. I swear if I wasn’t planning to go to Austria, I would have bought it. What’s $1600 compared to something like this?

Oh, to be rich. *sigh*

After dragging myself away from the globe (which still makes me kind of sad), we stepped into a place called Domy Books, which is seriously the strangest store I’ve ever been inside in my life. Remember, I lived in California for about five years, so that’s SAYING something. I looked around this bookstore for twenty minutes or so, and the only familiar titles I saw were concentrated on one small shelf of American subversives (Kerouac, Palanhiuk, etc) that was stashed in a back corner. Beyond that, the place was filled with the most bizarre array of books, leaflets, tracts, and magazines I have ever seen. Every underground, special-interest, risque, local, self-published, unknown, and generally just very weird kind of book was available for sale, but I couldn’t find a single thing that didn’t frighten or confuse me at least a little. Behind the store was a little courtyard, and it was full of people sitting at tables eating lunch. Oddly, though, there was no place in the courtyard to buy food. I have no idea where this crowd of freaks came from or why they saw fit to eat their lunches behind Domy Books while people in the store wondered what the hell was going on. By the time we left Big T looked like he’d been whacked in the side of the head with a rubber mallet. An hour later, he was still muttering “What the hell?”

After our surreal visit to Domy Books, we crossed the street to Agora, which turns out to be the most amazing coffeehouse/cafe/bar I’ve ever visited in my life. Perhaps it was the fantastic mood of the day overtaking my judgment, but I don’t think I’ve ever enjoyed my first visit to any establishment as much as I enjoyed Agora. It’s in an old house near the corner of Kirby and Westheimer, and as soon as I walked in I was ensconsed by the smell of coffee, lots of dark wood and leather furniture, and the low hum of friendly chatter. The bar offered a full coffeehouse selection of caffeinated beverages as well as beers and a great selection of wines. I opted for a glass of port (my other new wine obsession), and we headed for the deck upstairs, which overlooks the foot traffic through the whole neighborhood we had just explored. As we sat on that deck with the sun shining down, a hint of a breeze, and the beginnings of a buzz, all three of us simultaneously realized what a fantastic weekend we’d been experiencing. We drank a toast to good friends and good times. As I looked around the patio, I was pleasantly surprised to see several genuinely beautiful women enjoying their cups of coffee or glasses of wine. It was nice to be surrounded by a crowd of people my own age, rather than the 21-23 year old crowd usually found in our local bars.

By the time we left Houston proper, I had two signed LPs, two signed books, a belly full of amazing food, and a wicked new JTE t-shirt. Things were going well. Luckily, though, the weekend wasn’t over. We still had to stop at Choo Choo Sushi. Big T and WrongFoot found this place a while back when they were in Houston for a conference. Since they know I love sushi, they insisted I had to try it. I didn’t argue. Choo Choo Sushi is named after the method of service the restaurant employs. Basically, when you step inside, you’re seated at a long bar that weaves its way throughout the restaurant. Atop the bar is a moving conveyor belt (not unlike a train…get it?) upon which individual plates of sushi ride around the dining room. When you see one you want, you just grab it. The plates are color coded, and your bill is tabulated by simply counting up the plates in front of you when you’re finished. The cheapest plates were $1.50, and the most expensive were $4.00, which is a hell of a deal for sushi. The three of us sampled many different cuts of sushi, sharing them amongst ourselves as we had at Mi Luna. (Starting to see the pattern? We feed like pack animals.) The most interesting cut I tried was octopus sashimi. Honestly, I grabbed it mostly out of curiosity, but it turned out to be very, very tasty. It has a subtle flavor that’s meatier than I expected and a consistency more similar to pork than fish. I’d definitely get it again.

I've always suspected octopi of being delicious. My theory is now proven.

After our visit to Choo Choo Sushi, we headed back home. Our drive was uneventful, with WrongFoot dozing off and on in the back seat of my truck while Big T and I sang along with my mixed CDs. We had to make decent time, too, because I was scheduled to chaperon the high school’s Sadie Hawkins dance from 10:00 to midnight. I dropped off The Usual Suspects at their respective houses and hurried home to take a quick shower and get dressed for Sadie. (I’m not counting my half-hour at home as “the end of the trip.” I didn’t even sit down. Sadie Hawkins is still part of the road trip.) I checked in to the dance at 9:57 like it had been just another Saturday. The dance proceeded about as expected, with lots of horrifying hip-hop music I’ve never heard before, several administrative admonitions against “grinding,” the occasional slow song, one fistfight, and an epic remix of Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’.”

After the dance, a few of my fellow chaperons (Little T, B-Rob, E-Rob, EggRoll, and Safarrah, for those of you keeping score at home) and I headed over to the Texas Hall of Fame for a nightcap. This place is a genuine Texas honky-tonk, but there was no band on Saturday, so the crowd was small. We commandeered a small table and spent an hour or so just laughing and unwinding. Several people commented, “We don’t do this often enough,” referring to just getting together for a beer and some BS. I concur.

Since the Hall is less than a mile from my house, about five minutes passed between my last goodbye of the evening and my assuming a position of horizontal repose. Thank god. I don’t think I could have stayed awake for another moment.

Damn! I just realized that I forgot to mention our visit to Nan’s Games & Comics and our stop at Griff’s Irish Pub. At this point, I can’t recall when we visited each of those places, so I don’t know where to fit them into the above chronology. You’ll just have to trust that I was there and that it was awesome.

This entire trip was literally one of the best weekends of my life. I am reminded of the wonder of discovering new places, the joy of eating and drinking previously unknown foods and beverages, the glory of live music, and the comfort of having amazing buddies to share it with.

I’m sure we’ll attempt another epic voyage soon. You should join us.

[Via http://bigredpoet.wordpress.com]

MetsBlog.com – News: Fernando Martinez MVP of Carribbean Series

A Migraine and A Dinner

2010-02-07T06:19:00.000+02:00

That nap I mentioned last post? It may have lasted 4-5 hours. After about an hour and a half I woke up with a horrible headache and decided to sleep a little longer in the hopes it would go away. No dice. The next time I woke up, it was only worse- almost migraine level . John brought me some extra strength ibuprofen and water and finally, after another hour, I was back to myself.

And well, since I slept for the second half of the day there isn’t much to talk about- onto dinner. The lighting in the kitchen was terrible over the stove so no “during” pictures- but 3 views of my final dinner, woo hoo . Dinner making started with a small butternut squash, roasted with cinnamon and a little butter.

I popped that in a 400 degree oven and started chopping potatoes, which were tossed with olive oil, garlic powder, and rosemary.

John combined bison meat, one egg, and spices for bison burgers. We baked them in the oven- I’ve never made burgers in the oven before, but it was easy for winter cooking. We topped them with Irish cheddar and barbecue sauce. Lastly, I decided to sautee spinach in just a tad bit of olive oil and two cloves of garlic rather than eat it in a salad.

Finished product with a glass of red.

We bought this wine at Corks, a great wine store where all bottles are $15 or under, they are all rated 86 or higher, and they offer great description notes to take home. It was very good, not too dry and perfect with the burgers.

Goodnight!

[Via http://twolivesonelifestyle.com]

Apps & Games News section added, comments appreciated | iLounge News

Snow, dogs, and wine

2010-02-07T00:02:00.000+02:00

There are some things in life that make me ridiculously happy, among them: snow, dogs (particularly my dog), and a good glass of red wine. Today was full of a few of my favorite things.

I’m one of the rare breed of humans who genuinely likes snow. Loves it, actually. I wake up early in the morning and jump out of bed and open the blinds, desperately hoping I have a snow day. It’s pathetic.

As a dog owner, I’ve learned to appreciate snow in an entirely different way. My dog (a Shepherd-Retriever mix) loves the snow as much as I do, especially going for long walks in it. But the way she leaps through it makes you wish you were eight years old again and could enjoy it just as much as she is. Do you remember what that was like as a kid? Man, snow kicks ass.

But here’s the thing. As much as I love snow, and my dog loves snow, and I love walking in snow… I have zero interest in participating in massive crowds of adults throwing snowballs at each other.

After several long walks in the snow today, I enjoyed a bottle of red wine. Here’s a secret about me: I’m impatient. Even though I know the wine will be infinitely better if I let it sit and breath, I rarely have the patience to do so. So imagine my luck when I opened a bottle today and got distracted by something for the next hour and a half. Man, was that an awesome bottle of wine (if you’re curious: 2008 Five Rivers California Pinot Noir from www.wine.com).

At a typical DC dinner party in December, a wine snob quizzed me mercilessly about the wine I drink. What grape do you prefer? What wineries have you visited? Don’t you despise the local whites? Then, when I admitted I prefer pinot noirs, she clucked her tongue in disappointment and told me that choosing that red was like choosing to drink regular coffee instead of a latte (apparently that proves I’m a Neanderthal). Look, I have friends who are happy to spend hours pouring over wine reviews and learning about the acidity of soil compounds and the difference it made in that 2006 versus 2003 Chardonnay — it’s fun for them. But as I’ve already told you, I’m impatient. Teach me while we drink and I’ll be happy. I believe in life long learning, I swear! But please, don’t make me listen to you explain about tannins and the importance of holding the wine on your tongue before I can enjoy it. Please? Also, if you want people to continue to invite them to their dinner parties, chill out.

Smile. Sip. Enjoy. It’s wine!

[Via http://tryingtobesquaredaway.wordpress.com]

Hot Air » Blog Archive » Great news: Fiorina's campaign promising ...

Is Your Cellar Big Enough For All Your Wine Racks?

2010-02-06T12:55:00.000+02:00

A couple of years ago I was lucky enough to enjoy a bit of a boozy weekend in Dublin. My husband had been invited over by a supplier of the firm he works for. Everything was paid for and all we had to do was get ourselves to the airport for our flight to Dublin.

We were met at the airport by our host and he swiftly whisked us off to his house so we could unpack. My jaw nearly dropped when I first saw how large his house was – it was huge. He had everything you could ever imagine – a swimming pool, sauna, tennis court, gym and even a home cinema.

Waiting for us in his kitchen was some beautiful Australian wine, nicely chilled in a wine cooler and bottle opener all ready to go.

Our host was a real wine buff and has his own wine rack down in his cellar. He imports a lot of wine from Australia and was explaining that the cellar has to be kept at just the right temperature, which is quite difficult at times. He was saying that if the conditions aren’t right, then lots of problems can occur. One example he was telling us about was if the humidity is too high then this will make the corks dry out and this in turn allows air to get into the bottle and oxidise the wine, which would of course be disastrous.

After we had finished our drinks we were off for a night in the Temple Bar area. It was absolutely fantastic and the Irish are so hospitable and friendly. Nothing is too much trouble and they are really genuine people. Hubby was in his element knocking back his pints of Guinness. Mind you I think the next morning he wished he hadn’t drunk quite so much.

We had a brilliant weekend and it is certainly something I would love to do again. I think that if we go again it might be a good idea not to drink quite so much alcohol!

[Via http://hotsexygirlspics.com]

India News: SRK | Shahrukh Khan

Yeah, Im a Quiter

2010-02-06T00:37:00.000+02:00

So remember the “game on diet” I was talking about on Wednesday? Its kind of turning out to be the “game that’s not really for me.” I don’t think it’s a bad game, I think it can definitely help you form and practice a healthy living, but its kind of altering my already healthy lifestyle.

I exercise, eat well, I’m happy with my weight (aka my clothes fit, weight is just a number), so why am I trying to alter my already healthy lifestyle to follow someone else’s rules? Maybe it was my competitive nature coming out or maybe I thought (and it definitely is) nice to be involved in a game with my co-workers? Who knows, but I think I’m going to be blowing the whistle on this game soon.

One of the rules in the game is to eat 5 meals per day. You get penalized if you eat more or don’t fulfill all 5 meals. Like I said in my “About Me” section, I’m working on listening to my body and am trying to eat when I’m hungry and stop when I’m full. Force feeding myself to get in that last meal or starving because I only get 5 meals per day isn’t really helping me work towards that perfect balance. I’m sure it works for some people. I mean, the rules are pretty easy to follow and if you have a competitive edge it’s quite appealing (that’s what sold me on it) but if you’re already in a routine that works well for you, why change? I’m a bit ashamed about quitting so early on, but this is a great example of how not all fitness regimens, diets, and fads work for everyone. I need to do what’s right for me and my body!

Are you set in a comfortable routine? How do you feel about change?

Glad I got that off my chest… On to today’s eats!

I did stop for that tall skinny cinnamon dolce latte on my way to work. So good : )

Notice, no cardboard “koozie” on cup. Go green, if you don’t really need one, don’t take one!

Though the latte made me feel like a million bucks, that pain-free run I was bragging about earlier wasn’t so pain-free a few hours later. One I got to my desk and sat for a bit, I could feel is getting tight. I took and Advil and did some stretches to loosen up.

This one sitting in my desk chair with one leg (my bad hip) crossed over really, really hurts, but definitely helps. I still have to manually lift my leg, place it there, and use my desk to hold it down, but my flexibility is already 100 times better than it was a few months ago!

Whoa! Check out those Dankso boots! Love these guys, just got them for my bday. Thanks mom and Dad!

OK, for lunch today I went with a can of Progressive Minestrone soup, a pita with garlic hummus and salad greens, and a Ghirardelli dark chocolate white mint square.

…..Maybe there was some dipping going on

The soup turned out to be pretty filling and held be over till about 4:45 when I snacked on a TJ’s low fat string cheese and a serving of Triscuit crackers.

And a banana for some potassium : )

Yah for the weekend! This week has been pretty crazy at work so I’m looking forward to doing absolutely nothing tonight. I am currently enjoying a nice glass of red (in my super cool Crate & Barrel stemless wine glasses) and will be heading out for some Indian take out soon. Bring on the naan!

Tomorrow is up early again for the horses. I hope it’s not too cold out and maybe I can get a quick ride in then off to take my first spin class at Healthworks with the use of this weeks Groupon! I’ve heard so many great things about this gym; I’m really looking forward to it! I will report back with a full review! It is also conveniently located next to Shaw’s so I can replenish my Barney Butter stash!!

Do you try to plan out your weekends or just relax and let things flow?

How quickly does your jar of Barney Butter disappear????? Haha

Last of the 5 for 5!

I never really ate or enjoyed oatmeal until I starting readying healthy living blogs. Now it’s a staple in my diet.
I literally eat an apple a day.
I may be a quitter is games, but if I start reading a book, whether I like it or now, I have to finish it before I can pick up something new (It took me 6 months, no lie, to finish Eat, Pray, Love).
I’m super jealous of my sister Lauren who will be training for her second marathon this fall. Chicago!!
There are 4 things in life that I do (like to) talk about. Politics, religion, outer space, and Michael Jackson.

[Via http://erineatsandexercises.com]

CBS News Cuts Jobs - Speakeasy - WSJ

Latris, a restaurant on the marina, St Helens, Tasmania

2010-02-04T06:15:00.000+02:00

Ocean Trout

It has taken me a long time to get to Latris and it was at the invitation of friends that I finally made it for lunch. The restaurant’s position at the St Helens marina is perfect for boat watching in sunny weather and guess what, it was all grey skies and turgid sea on the day. We took a table at the window whilst the proprietor was finishing an endless task of cleaning the full length windows whilst balancing on a narrow ledge over the water, one slip and he was in for a spontaneous swim. We just had a quote for cleaning all the full length windows at our house inside and outside so obviously he was saving his couple of hundred dollars.

Classic flathead and chips

I decided I would write something about Latris as the last post I did on the nearby Margot restaurant received quite a few hits from people searching the net for much needed information on restaurants in the St Helens area. The search engines threw up my blog’s mention of Margot, possibly because hardly anyone comes to St Helens and writes about the restaurants.

My order of bouillabaisse came in a light and thin cream sauce. Garnished on the top with only one small slice from a French Baguette and there was a dab of rouille (rouille is rust in French). This saffron garlicky sauce is usually a real flavour booster but there just was not enough of it. The dish included some pippis, that I love, and perfectly cooked trout and white fish fillets but certainly not nearly enough variety. A vital missing ingredient was parsley, this much-lauded dish from the Mediterranean should not leave the kitchen’s ‘pass’ without this classic herb.

Bouillabaise

All the other dishes our table ordered, were deemed a success special mention for the trout dish. Don’t get me wrong, my main was enjoyable just missing a real depth of flavour. We chose the Derwent 08 Riesling – crisp, not overly fruity, it worked for our respective fried and creamy fish dishes.

They have an odd rule at lunchtime, Latris will not serve tap water, you have to buy water and since my other half does not drink alcohol, he was locked into ordering it. So a bottle of Ninth Island rainwater at $9.00 was suggested by the staff if we wanted water, an imperative really. We drink nothing but rainwater at Binalong Bay since we do not have ‘town water’ so for us the fancy bottle and label did not resonate, it hit the nerve in the hip pocket. Well I am speaking for our friends who were treating us. They were far too polite to make an issue of it as I am doing here.

Expensive rainwater

Creme Brulee

My dessert was on point, a crème brûlée with just the right texture and the almond bread wafers on the side were perfect for scooping out the leftovers. The only improvement I would make is in the presentation, a little side plate on a black paper napkin is the kind if presentation my elderly aunt would serve.

Latris interior

This is a restaurant I will return to – lets hope they don’t take offence about the next remark. As long as I can look at the view and not the mundane and somewhat cold interior. The design - what is wrong with it? I would throw out the commercial office plants and dress the tabletops with sheets of old-fashioned butchers paper, the kind you get with takeaway fish and chips. Any more ideas and they would have to pay me for it. Roz

[Via http://foodfindertasmania.wordpress.com]

Mac-in-news Morning Round-up: Touch my Bezel

Theatregoers in Shakespeare's day 'enjoyed peaches, figs and oysters'

2010-02-04T00:30:00.000+02:00

Topic:Fast Food-Tudor Style

A rich variety of seafood was on offer to peckish audience members, including crabs, cockles, mussels, periwinkles and whelks.

Sturgeon steaks were also popular with 16th century audiences enjoying plays by Shakespeare and Christopher Marlowe.

Fruit and nuts were devoured in large quantities, with walnuts, hazelnuts, raisins, plums and cherries for sale.

The findings come from an archaeological survey of the site of the Rose Theatre on what is now the South Bank in London.

Archaeologists Julian Bowsher and Pat Miller wrote up a report published by the Museum of London Archaeology.

By analysing the distribution of food remains over the site, they found that different parts of the audience indulged in different snacks.

The rich, seated in the galleries, could afford imported treats like dried figs and peaches.

In a design that would please today’s eco-conscious architects, hazelnut shells were ‘recycled’ as an absorbent flooring for the yard, where the poorer viewers watched.

The Rose Theatre had a relatively short life. It was built in 1587 by Philip Henslowe, who also owned a brothel, and John Cholmley, a grocer.

Between June 1592 and May 1594 it was shut due to an outbreak of bubonic plague. Then followed a golden period, when plays including Dr Faustus and Tamburlaine by Christopher Marlowe were performed. It shut in 1605 when its lease expired.

Original Article:

Telegraph.co.uk

January 2010

[Via http://ancientfoods.wordpress.com]

News Corp. Returns To Profit; Newspapers/Info Segment Rose Nearly ...

Knowing How To Wine

2010-02-02T06:48:00.000+02:00

Red and White

So i’m not one of these wine buffs that thinks he knows ever vintage from every year from every collection over the whole world. I’m an amateur. I have basic knowledge of red and white and that’s about the extent of it. But i’ve done research and any person that wants to get into Wine or wants to learn about it should do just that. Understand grapes, understand their purpose, their use, and the differences, understand that some grapes grow in some regions of the world while others only grow exclusively on some continents.

But do not be intimidated by names, brands, categories, or marketing

wine is wine

its meant to be drunk

enjoyed

and experienced

this is truly the only way to understand wine at its full meaning

you could do all the research in the world

and become one of the most important connoisseur of wine

but if you haven’t tasted a bottle

then you’d be a hack

and that’s the beauty of wine

with beer you know what your getting

its a constant

a safe point of comfort and consistency

but wine is always a mystery and almost a mystic art form, when it comes to se

lecting a proper bottle of wine, be it for a meal, for fun, or for a gift.

but i’ll be damned if, when you get it right, that feeling of success you get, isn’t one of the best feelings in the world.

But at the end of it all Wine is just wine

so stop whining about it

and just drink

responsibly

-H.A.

[Via http://hugoalexanderclothing.wordpress.com]

Stocks in the News: Toyota, Humana, Ryanair, Exxon Mobil ...

February is National Cherry Month!

2010-02-02T00:44:00.000+02:00

Cherry blossoms in the Nation's Capitol.

Here’s a place for you to post all the latest and greatest you have experienced relating to CHERRIES! Where have you eaten or purchased the best cherry pie, cherry preserves, cherry wine, and so on. With your help, we’ll pick the BEST CHERRY RECIPES, and share them here by the end of the month.

Fresh bing cherries.

Visit these sites for all kinds of cherry cherry info on February’s Fruit of the Month!

www.choosecherries.com

www.calcherry.com

www.nwcherries.com

www.cherryrepublic.com

[Via http://queenofcuisine.wordpress.com]

NBC News Dominant Despite Network Woes

Resveratrol

2010-01-31T06:30:00.000+02:00

What’s with the French paradox? They have more saturated fat in their diet but they’re leaner/healthier than Americans (in general). Could it be the wine that they imbibe regularly? I am not a regular wine drinker myself but one of the benefits of drinking wine (esp. Pinot Noir) is that it’s a great source of resveratrol. Studies show that resveratrol duplicates the effects of calorie restriction and activates a longevity enzyme without dieting. It’s an antioxidant, a detoxifier, speeds a cellular repair and supports a healthy heart.

[Via http://drjlopez.wordpress.com]

Paranoid Much? Robert Reich Imagines that Fox News Was Around in ...

Tour of Europe

2010-01-30T23:13:00.000+02:00

You guys requested Italy pictures and a re-cap, so here it is!

Even I am envious of my adventures after looking back at these pictures! But I must remind myself (and you guys!) that I did endure a long-distance relationship across the world for 2 years. While our adventures were far and few between, these pictures capture the time my husband (fiancé at the time) spent traveling and eating around Europe during 2007 and 2008.

During my engagement, I am blessed enough to have traveled to:

Italy (Milan, Rome, Venice, Pisa, and other small cities)

Switzerland (just for shopping!)

France (Paris and Nice)

Greece (Athens and the islands of Poros, Hydra, and Aegina)

Spain (Barcelona)

United Kingdom (London)

We lived in the first floor of this villa…

And ate our meals at this table…

…which were prepared in this kitchen…

The villa was in hiking distance of this waterfall…

And I walked this route to the gym each day…

And travel pictures in no particular order…

Athens, Greece

Greek Isles — had to take a picture with the bullbaby!

Pesto Calamari Tortellini (drooool!)

BIGGEST LEMON EVER!

Dinner on the Venice Canal

Paris, France — Eiffel Tower at Night

Gelato in Italy — I always got the “Viagra” flavor because I thought it was funny. I know, I’m soooo mature

Poros Island — a HUGE thumbs up to fresh seafood (even though I’m not a HUGE octopus fan!)

Switzerland outlet mall shopping — Gucci “Big Bird” jacket = 900 Euros (~1450 USD) – bargain! ..maybe to those who don’t shop at Target…

We used to go on runs together in Italy and hubby would always beat me. Sometimes, I came home to jugs of water and sweet notes in the entry way

[I let him beat me!]

Lago D’Orta, Italy

My love for mussels only grew into a PASSION!

Cruising to the Greek Isles on a perfect, sunny day!

I’m ashamed to admit that MY husband consumed pepperoni and FRENCH FRY pizza. Regardless of his pizza selections, Italian pizza is something everyone should savor at some point in life. Deeelicious!

Don’t judge…wine was cheaper than water! No lie!

Nice, France in November…gorgeous!

Paris, France – Notre Dame Cathedral

Pisa, Italy – My buff, buff hubby!

Venice, Italy – my favorite Italian city

I developed a love for photography though my skill is very minimal…

We also had our engagement pictures taken in Italy on top of Sacro Monte, a mountain in northern Italy. We lucked out in having such gorgeous, one-of-a-kind engagement pictures!

Ahhh….what a wonderful time it was! I can’t wait to get back over the pond someday!

Reminder: Don’t forget to enter the Larabar Giveaway! 5 chances to win, 3 winners! Don’t miss out! Go here!

Heather is having a fun Giveaway (which includes a Larabar!)! Go here to enter!

Q&A nutrition questions can be sent to PreventionRD@gmail.com!

Question: If you could travel just ONE place in the world RIGHT NOW, where would you choose to go?

[Via http://preventionrd.com]

AMERICAblog News: Rahm says we'll get to health care reform later

For food lovers around the world, it's a shock

2010-01-30T06:13:00.000+02:00

For food lovers around the world, it’s a shock: The Spaniard Ferran Adrià, has been celebrated for years as the best cook on the planet, takes a creative break.

He will close his restaurant “El Bulli” at the Costa Brava from 2012 on for two years and do not serve meals more. Cold, the kitchen will not be there yet, because to be the inventor of the airy foam food from the trap in the “Bulli” working on new creations. After the surprising announcement of the 47-year-olds on the Eating-convention “Madrid Fusión” was on Wednesday but the question in the room: Is this a retreat in installments, or rather the beginning of a new cooking revolution?

Adrià admitted candidly that he has thought about quitting. At first I wanted to make 2012 with particular conclusion. I work 15 hours a day to 333 days a year. And that would last 25 years. “He finally think of his family, added the three-star chef. “I too have the right to a normal life.” Then, however, was clear to him that it bears a great responsibility towards the world of gastronomy and his loyal team could not let them down. What is certain is that in the “Bulli” nothing will be as before. “We will serve dinner again in 2014, but in what form, is still not clear.” Perhaps there would be only a very few places in the restaurant.

Already come into the restaurant in the small bay of Roses Montjoi in the north of Barcelona just a few to benefit from foods such as hazelnut oil-soaked Champignonhüte, ragout of new almonds, tomato sorbet or frozen parmesan air with muesli. Receives two million requests, “El Bulli” annually, but only about 8,000 guests earn one of just 50 tables in the restaurant, which has already been elected four times by the British journal “Restaurant Magazine” the best gourmet temple in the world. The menu will cost around 250 euros – without wine.

The restaurant, whose cuisine is reminiscent of a chemistry laboratory, long open only six months a year. Of 15 June and 20 December is running the 2010 season. The rest of the time spent by “alchemist” Adrià order to invent new dishes. The restaurant was opened in 1962 by a German couple. Back then it was really not much more than a beach bar which was frequented by swimmers and divers. “El Bulli” is called so because the couple named his bulldog so. The team took it to Adrià 1984th

Whither the gastronomic journey of self-taught Adrià now is, is uncertain. The Catalan has hinted that he would like to spend some months in China. Some time ago he had declared that the next revolution would cook from Asia, probably from Japan. At that time he also announced, “the technical” excesses of which he himself helped shape Avantgardküche conclusion must be made. “I want to explore new frontiers,” he said. That he could lose in search of culinary inspiration perhaps his three Michelin stars, he care less: “I have received in my life, more awards than I could ever have dreamed.”

[Via http://wineconnection.wordpress.com]

Profits almost triple for Microsoft's game division | News

ROMANCE AT THE ROUGE

2010-01-30T00:48:00.000+02:00

To enter the Sedona Rouge Hotel and Spa is to enter a place of sophistication, where authentic style and design blend seamlessly with the romantic backdrop of Sedona… one of the most beautiful places in the world.

The hotel’s Mediterranean design features extraordinary spaces including a magnificent fountain courtyard with carved stone columns, lit from within, whose glow highlights the dancing waters of the entrancing entryway.

Intimate and beautiful sitting areas, placed thoughtfully throughout the grounds, attract two for a moment’s respite.

High above beckons another extraordinary space, The Observation Terrace, perfect for viewing Sedona’s famous red rock formations and, after sunset…the most romantic setting under a sky blanketed with twinkling stars.

The 77 guest rooms, including suites and spa guest rooms, boast dramatic colors, rich fabrics and sensual Andalusian motifs. Sumptuous linens caress you after a day’s exploration into Red Rock Country. Depending on room choice, amenities can include walk-in Centurion Rain Showers with dual shower heads, soaking tubs, gas fireplaces and red rock views. All guest rooms feature plush Turkish bath towels, lush robes, bath amenities and WiFi.

For Valentine’s Weekend REDS Restaurant will be featuring food, wine and dessert for two.

For Valentine’s Weekend the Spa at Sedona Rouge will be featuring the Pas De Deux (also for two).

Picture it – a flickering room with candles a massage and bathing ritual that begins with a sensual couples massage and ends with a candle-lit, bubble bath for two.

The spa features seven outstanding spa guest rooms, ten spacious treatment rooms, a Spa Gift Boutique and Tranquility Lounge. Set apart from the hotel, The Spa at Sedona Rouge is elegant, modern and inviting.

The spa offers an array of phenomenal wellness services such as Ayurvedic healing therapies and lifestyle programs, yoga and other specialties. World class massage, facials and signature body treatments are a part of the many services offered.

Therapists spend time with each spa guest to accommodate their needs prior to each treatment. Treatments are unique and customized to ensure the guest’s complete relaxation and rejuvenation. Most of the exclusive Spa guest room accommodations and the Spa Suite feature deep soaking hydro tubs in the living area and are perfect for Valentine’s Day Weekend!

Sedona, from the natural to the mystic, from the deep blue sky to the red, red ground.

Something is written in the red rocks. Something extraordinary has been written in Rouge and is waiting for you to experience at the Sedona Rouge Hotel & Spa.

[Via http://sedona2day.wordpress.com]

News Of The Day

Chef's Corner with Adam Votaw of Atwater on Gore Creek

2010-01-28T06:13:00.000+02:00

Meet Chef Adam Votaw of Atwater on Gore Creek at the luxurious Vail Cascade Resort and Spa! journeyPod goes behind-the-scenes in Chef’s Corner with some of the country’s most esteemed, critically-acclaimed, award-winning (and naturally, our favorite) culinary masterminds to get the real scoop! Read on to get the scoop on Chef Votaw…

[Via http://journeypod.wordpress.com]

AllHipHop.com Daily News - : AHH Stray News: Hip-Hop Karoaoke, 50 ...

Dos Cabezas in Cochise County

2010-01-28T00:36:00.000+02:00

Dos Cabezas Photo (c) Luanne Mattson

I was in Willcox in Cochise County for a meeting today and took this photo of the Dos Cabezas Mountains. “Dos Cabezas” means two heads in Spanish, which makes sense when you look at it. See the two heads?

The snow was left over from last week’s storm, and there was rain coming down in Willcox this morning. There will probably be more snow after this weather system passes through. That precipitation is good news for the farmers and wine growers in the region. Willcox is fertile ground where a lot of grapes are grown that eventually are made into Arizona wine. More on that on a later post.

Cheers!

[Via http://tourcochisecounty.wordpress.com]

Poll: Fox most trusted name in news - Andy Barr - POLITICO.com

2010-01-26T05:45:00.000+02:00

1999 Hauraki Peninsula Estate Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot Blend

Waiheke Island, New Zealand

You can find this magical bottle for a round $29.99 online, and I had the luck to see it at William Cross Wine Merchants one cold December night, and purchased this for $9.99. Long story short, this wine is a statement. It screams ” Yeah, I’m a Cab/Merlot/Malbec/Cab Franc Blend, and hell yeah, I stand on my own two feet!” I loved this bottle for who he is, he’s not from Bordeaux, but he represents one of the best interpretations you’ll find anywhere.

It’s pure luxe: gentle herbs, leather, cassis, dried plums. And the finish is smooth and silky with enough spice to keep you awake. New Zealand is a sleeper country when it comes to red wine. And after you try this bottle, you won’t blink about trying a Bordeaux Blend from a tiny island off a tiny, yet robust country.

[Via http://nancymoira.wordpress.com]

Journalists Restrict Their News Sources To Facebook And Twitter

Bottling of the Pech Merle Sauvignon Blanc!

2010-01-26T00:45:00.000+02:00

The waiting is over…. Our first label design is now perfectly attached to it’s perfectly shaped bottle, with it’s perfectly designed cork in place and sealed with the perfect color of capsule…. It was such an exciting day for both us, our Pech Merle clients, Bruce and Cheryl and our amazing wine maker John Pepe.

Now Ivy and I sit surrounded by the Zin and Cab Franc labels which we are hand numbering due to their limited release. They are amazing wines- I recommend you order now, before you miss your chance!

Visit www.pechmerlewinery.com!

[Via http://ribbitgroup.wordpress.com]

Poker News in Brief Jan. 18-24, 2010

Install WINE on Slackware 64 bit

2010-01-23T06:49:00.000+02:00

Yesterday I had a hard time installing WINE. Because the official release was 32 bit only and SlackBuilds.org only support a 32 bit building script, I ran wild and tried out a lot of ways to install the thing.

Solution: Follow these steps

Set up your slackware64 to be a multilib system by following this guide
Go to SlackBuilds.org and grab the script (also see the howto)
Change the arch to be x86_64 then run the script as normal. BE PATIENT THIS TAKES A LONG TIME!
Install the created package and you are done

What I didn’t know was, WINE was meant to be 32 bit only, just like GRUB, so I would have to install it as a 32 bit application. Fortunately, I have already set up a multilib system (i.e enabling my 64 bit slackware to run 32 bit applications. According to alien, I can go ahead and install WINE using the slackbuild script just fine, but it seemed to fail because the building script took forever. After letting the thing build for 15 minutes I Ctrl+C to cancel, trying different configurations and build again with different kinds of errors.

There is one thing I want to make clear: the settings was correct, and the building of WINE itself takes a long time. There is nothing wrong with that (I didn’t know, so I assumed it to be a failure, when it is not). What you have to do is, to let the script run for around 30 minutes (or even more), unless it stops itself because of an error.

[Via http://phunehehe.wordpress.com]

Shakesville: This is Very Bad News.

Caliterra Reserva Merlot 2008

2010-01-23T00:53:00.000+02:00

Tried another new Chilean red wine this week – Caliterra Reserva Merlot (2008). The description on the bottle says “full-bodied, smooth wine, bursting with rich plum and red cherry fruit, touches of gentle spice, softly firm tannins and a long finish.”

I picked this one because it is advertised as “environmentally friendly” and the company seems really big into sustainable viticulture, recently launching a series of organic wines and taking an award for Chile’s most innovative winery.

As for the taste? It was OK but not my favorite. A bit too acidic for my taste. It did pair well with pasta, but I don’t know too many merlots that don’t. Would like to check out others from this winery, but probably won’t repeat this one.

[Via http://snapthoughts.wordpress.com]

Video: Chevrolet's version of the news, circa 1935 — Autoblog

Large life, large wine bottles up for grabs at Sotheby's

2010-01-21T12:36:00.000+02:00

By Leslie Gevirtz

NEW YORK (Reuters Life!) – Prominent wine collector Lloyd Flatt was a man who lived life large and had a passion for large bottles of wine. About 1,500 bottles from his collection will be auctioned in March at Sotheby’s.

The collection, which includes a Jeroboam, or double magnum, of 1959 Lafite Rothschild that could fetch up to $30,000 and a case of 1989 Haut Brion Blanc estimated to sell for up to $15,000, could total more than $600,000 at the March 20 sale.

“Flatt was lean and tall, with a neatly trimmed beard,” said Benjamin Wallace in his description of the former aerospace engineer and one or America’s premier wine collectors, in his book “The Billionaire’s Vinegar”.

“His customary outfit of a tailored suit dapperly offset the triangular black patch he had worn over his right eye since a childhood accident,” he added.

Flatt died in January 2008 after amassing a collection of wine that became almost as famous in wine circles as he was. He began collecting in the 1960s, long before there were wine critics and the Wine Spectator magazine.

“Collectors had nothing to go by other than their own palettes,” Flatt once said.

His collection was so vast that he moved from one New Orleans home in the French Quarter to another nearby and turned the first into a giant wine cellar, complete with temperature controls and special lighting.

At one point, he reportedly had about 30,000 bottles of first-growth Bordeaux, top Burgundies and large bottles of Champagne — more than most of the finest French restaurants.

Following a divorce in 1990 he sold that collection, moved to Alexandria, Virginia and reassembled another of 3,000 bottles.

“There was the rebuilding of Europe, the rebuilding of Atlanta and then there was the rebuilding of Lloyd Flatt’s cellar,” his widow, Laure, said.

In addition to collecting, Flatt enjoyed drinking wine.

“He didn’t buy it to invest in it, he bought it to consume it,” Laure said of her husband, who left his family’s farm in Tennessee with $35 and a one-way bus ticket to work for General Motors. Although he never graduated from college, he became an aerospace consultant and a self-made millionaire.

Laure said Flatt taught himself about wine after his first trip to London “where they made fun of him and his bumpkin ways. He didn’t know anything about wine. He came back wanting to know everything.”

Eventually he did.

At a 1987 tasting of 60 different vintages of Chateau Ausone hosted by Flatt, then-New York Times wine reporter Frank Prial, described his host as “a special kind of wine enthusiast … able to look at his bottle of 1879 Chateau Ausone, acknowledge that it probably isn’t very good, realize he could sell it for literally thousands of dollars more than he paid and still say, ‘Let’s try it, pull the cork.”

Serena Sutcliffe, Sotheby’s wine director and a friend of Flatt’s, said: “He was not a wine and food snob.”

He often enjoyed Dom Perignon and Dominos pizza or a Lafite with a cheeseburger, according to his widow.

[Via http://sirbahamas.wordpress.com]

Michelle Malkin » In other news: Judicial Watch sues over smelly ...

Birthday Wines

2010-01-19T06:51:00.000+02:00

So it’s that time of year again, when everyone you know sends best wishes for you chalking up another year of life, and you start getting ready for a new one. It’s your Birthday! This is a time to reflect upon the life you’ve lived and to imagine the life you still have yet to live. In that same frame of mind, it’s also a time to reflect upon all that you have tried and still have yet to. This applies to travel, food, wine, experiences, etc. But now it’s time to celebrate, so pick out your favorite meal and your favorite bottle(s) and share them with the people you love the most! I put together a list of some of my personal favorite affordable wines, as well as one of my favorite meals and a special wine we shared out of my stash.

For some of my personal favorites, let’s start with:

Rivetti La Spinetta “Ca’ di Pian” Barbera d’Asti. This wine has been produced by Giorgio Rivetti since 2001 and has been my favorite Barbera ever since. His ‘03 vintage was outstanding, but any vintage will work from this excellently steady wine. You can expect a deep ruby color, alot of great fruit like cherry, blueberry, raspberry, and currant, along with full body, smooth tannins, and balanced acidity. Available around $24.
Tamarack Cellars Firehouse Red. I love a great blend and this one has it all: Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Sangiovese, Carmenere and Petit Verdot. This comes from one of my favorite wineries in Washington state, operating out of a restored WWII fire station. Fresh red fruit, plum, tobacco, pepper, and cocoa are some of the sensory highlights. Available around $18.
Bodega Colomé Estate Malbec. This wine is made from 90+ year old vines grown at the highest altitude (for grapes) in the world. A bit of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Tannat are thrown into the mix, and this deep, dark wine is full of flavors like fig, blackberry, plum, mocha and exotic spices. The long length leaves you wanting more. Available around $26.
Argyle Willamette Valley Pinot Noir. A small Oregon producer specializing in Pinot Noir and dabbling in award winning sparkling wines, Argyle makes a fine example of this varietal. Gushing with red cherry, cranberry, cinnamon and fresh floral notes, you can’t go wrong spending less than $23 on this wine.
Niepoort Redoma Tinto Douro. This is the first dry wine made from renowned port producers made from port typical varietals like Tinta Amarela, Tinta Roriz and Touriga Franca. Dark fruit and chocolate are surrounded by creamy layers, ripe tannins and fresh herbs. Hard to believe how far Portuguese red wines have come and this great example is available for around $30.
Villa Maria Cellar Selection Sauvignon Blanc. Coming from down below in New Zealand, this wine offers pink grapefruit, pineapple, lime, white pepper and fresh flowers. The acidity and minerality will blow you away. Perfect with goat cheese or oysters. Available around $20.
Bodegas Viña Magaña Merlot. This amazing Merlot comes straight out of northern Spain, and is nothing short of amazing. Dark fruit, minerality, exotic spice, fresh flowers and grippy tannins are just a few notes you can expect out of it. You can expect it to cellar well, if you can keep your hands off it that long! Available around $45.
Feudi di San Gregorio Fiano di Avellino. This little known wine is made 1 hour outside of Naples, and is packed with serious tropical flavor. Bananas, pineapple and mango mix with minerality and creaminess. I can’t believe you can get this for around $23.

I could go on and on, but I will leave you with those favorites and a bit from my Birthday dinner. I was happy to go at my favorite activity, cooking, to make us a great dinner. I took Italian sausage and roasted it over sliced bell peppers, onions and garlic which were tossed with balsalmic vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, sea salt and cracked pepper. I then sauteed mushrooms, garlic and spinach with olive oil and red wine, and combined it with tomato sauce. All this combined with al dente fettucine and grated parmesan made up one of my favorite dinners. Add a bottle of 1997 Tenuta dell’Ornellaia and I had all I needed. This SuperTuscan is made up of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot, and is considered one of the finest wines in Italy and the world. So much power, balance and length makes it hard to argue. It is the total package with loads of fruit, espresso, cocoa, licorice and cedar box. If it weren’t priced at over $150 every release, I would be all over this wine on a daily basis! Needless to say I had an awesome birthday and will be looking for more wines and experiences to fill my time ahead- cent’anni!

(image 1 courtesy of flickr)

[Via http://windycitywineguy.com]

The Cable News Patrol: My Long National Nightmare Is Over ...

homemade cocktail party

2010-01-19T00:39:00.000+02:00

b is for betty

homemade went into overdrive this weekend as we celebrated by husband’s birthday…it started with his favorite – pork chops, green beans and black-bottom pie with homemade ice cream…then, for a small cocktail party this weekend, i pulled out all the stops with a series of really yummy appetizers from (wait for it) barefoot contessa. i just can’t get enough…so, here they are…

parmesan and thyme crackers (from barefoot contessa “back to basics”)…these little crackers are rich and flaky and perfect with a nice bottle of wine…love them..

Ingredients

1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

4 oz. grated Parmesan cheese (about 1 cup)

1 tsp. minced thyme leaves

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1 1/4 cup flour

Directions

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter for 1 minute. With the mixer on low speed, add the Parmesan, thyme, salt, and pepper and combine. With the mixer still on low, add the flour and combine until the mixture is in large crumbles, about 1 minute. If the dough is too dry, add 1 tsp. water.

Dump the dough onto a floured board, press it into a ball, and roll into a 9 inch log. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 4 days. (arugula files note: My log was a little dry so instead of creating a roll, I made square cookies).

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cut the log into 3/8 inch rounds with a small, sharp knife and place them on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Bake for 22 minutes, until very lightly browned. Rotate the pan once during baking. Cool and serve at room temperature.

next we tried the savory palmiers…again, you just can’t go wrong and they’re so simple and elegant…the guests loved them…

savory palmiers from barefoot contessa “back to basics”

16 ounces puff pastry, defrosted

1/4 cup prepared pesto sauce

1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese, such as Montrachet

1/4 cup sun-dried tomato packed in oil, drained and finely chopped

1/4 cup toasted pine nuts

kosher salt, to taste

Directions

Lightly flour a board and carefully unfold one sheet of puff pastry. Roll the pastry lightly with a rolling pin until it is 9 1/2 x 11 1/2 inches. Spread the sheet of puff pastry with half the pesto, then sprinkle with half the goat cheese, half the sun-dried tomatoes, and half the pine nuts. Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt.

Working from the short ends, fold each end halfway to the center. Then fold each side again toward the center until the folded edges almost touch. Fold one side over the other and press lightly. Place on sheet pan lined with parchment paper.

Repeat with the second sheet of puff pastry, using the remaining ingredients. Cover both rolls with plastic wrap and chill for at least 45 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Cut the prepared rolls of puff pastry into 1/4 inch thick slices and place them faceup 2 inches apart on sheet pans lined with parchement paper.

Bake for 14 minutes, until golden brown.

Serve warm.

bruschetta with peppers and gorgonzola (you guessed it…barefoot contessa “back to basics”)

Good olive oil

1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced into thin strips

1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and sliced into thin strips

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1 tablespoon capers, drained

2 tablespoons julienned fresh basil leaves

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Baguette

3 ounces creamy Gorgonzola or other blue cheese, at room temperature

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a medium saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the peppers and cook until soft, about 12 to 15 minutes. Sprinkle with the sugar and continue cooking for 2 more minutes. Stir in the capers and basil, and season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Slice the baguette crosswise into 18 thin round slices. Brush the bread rounds lightly with olive oil on 1 side. Arrange them in rows, oil side up, on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and toast in the oven until lightly browned, about 7 to 10 minutes.

Top each toast round with a teaspoonful of the pepper mixture. Place 2 small pieces of Gorgonzola on top. Return the toast to the oven for 1 to 2 minutes and warm through. Serve immediately.

we topped it all off with some cape codders (vodka, cranberry juice and lots of lime juice) and some bottles of wine…so fun and so exciting to try these new recipes and add them to my collection…

[Via http://ktblue.wordpress.com]

Public still sceptical about climate change | Otago Daily Times ...

Macon Villages - Sweet Comfort after a Good Book

2010-01-17T18:49:00.000+02:00

If you haven’t read the Pulitzer Prize-winning Olive Kitteridge yet, I HIGHLY recommend it – I was crying at the end, and when I realized that it was in fact the end, I cried even more! Thankfully, I can take some comfort in my 2007 George Deboeuf Macon Villages – crisp and refreshing on this rainy, dreary day! I will briefly put off my moving obligations (who wants to lug boxes in the rain??), but I’m looking forward to a drink with my sister later on and then the Golden Globes!!

[Via http://woowinegirl.wordpress.com]

Latest Iran News (16 January): Ripples | Enduring America

The Renaissance Hotel's Opia Restaurant

2010-01-17T00:14:00.000+02:00

Opia's elegant main dining room

After undergoing extensive renovations The Renaissance Hotel last year announced the opening of Andre at Opia Restaurant. Andre is an intimate dining space that can accommodate up to 400 people for private events. The recently expanded Opia offers event planners substantial flexibility. Some amenities include 3 balconies, Small and large dining rooms, a chef’s table, full bar, as well as a smoking area (in keeping with the restaurant’s French flavor and elegance)

Event Planner’s Snapshot:

View Main Dining Room

View Corner Room

View Den

View Bar & Lounge

View Roof

Director Jimena Pereyra can plan parties for 6 to 400 guests.

For more info contact her at: jimena@opiarestaurant.com.

Eric Wasnick

Website Content Developer

Eric@greatplacesdirectory.com

[Via http://greatplacesdirectory.wordpress.com]

DICE explains BFBC2 server policy News | PC | Eurogamer

Great night out with new friends

2010-01-16T18:45:00.000+02:00

Sometimes I wonder how it became that I’m able to make the aquaintance of so many interesting and engaging people. I know a big part of it is my wife, who, as a Realtor, is involved in very personal transactions with folks who are often moving to our area, and for that, I’m really thankful. However, we’ve also been meeting folks via social media, and that’s a new and very cool dynamic.

Anyway, J and I scheduled a night out for us and 6 friends. D and R, who are our next door neighbors; M, who is a very compelling person, an entrepreneur and pilot, friend of D and R, and now us; L, who works for Jerry Edward’s Chefs Expressions, and her mate D, who works for the Everyman Theatre (I got the ‘e’ in the right place); and J, who is moving to the Baltimore area from CT in the next few months, we met her via Twitter.

We started with some wine, cheese, and conversation at our house in Canton. Everyone engaged, everyone seemed to really get along well. The off to Helen’s Garden for dinner per the choice of our out-of-town guest. We’ve been several times, but hadn’t been in a while. What an outstanding meal.

I couldn’t keep track of what everyone had, but I can give you some information on both wine and food that I did notice. First, we shared a pork belly flatbread appetizer special. It’s a good thing I ordered two. Just fantastic, with pork belly, feta, and olives on a toasty flatbread on a nest of greens. We also had a fig/prosciutto appetizer that everyone raved about (I didn’t try it).

For dinner, I had a rack of lamb special, served with green beans and mashed potatoes. Everything was perfect. Again, I couldn’t keep track of what everyone was eating, but there was much less talking once the entrees arrived, and lots of compliments and clean plates.

We drank wine with dinner, of course. First, a 2008 Elizabeth Spencer Sauvignon Blanc, which was really good, a versatile wine that worked well with seafood and poultry. We finished off two bottles of 2007 Chateau Thebot, which was good, but not outstanding; a pretty good value though for a Bordeaux.

After dinner, we walked across the street to Vaccaro’s, then back to our house for coffee and more lively conversation. Just a really fun night, highlighting the best of urban living, networking, and even social media.

[Via http://paulstagg.com]

NYT, others deal with impostor paid apps | iLounge News

Vancouver/Salt Tasting Room

2010-01-16T06:00:00.000+02:00

這次帶大家來到Vancouve的Gastown尋找晚上茶餘飯後的消閒節目。位于Blood Alley Square的Salt Tasting Room無疑是一個必去嘗試的美食文化體驗。大家千萬不要被它的名字所誤導，這家餐廳的宗旨絕非叫大家品嘗鹽的種類；它最出名的是豐厚的酒庫存量(dominantly wine, sherry and beer), 來自世界各地的芝士和鹽腌肉(cured meats)。

穿過幽靜的Blood Alley小巷是有那麽一點的叫人毛骨悚然。巷子裏除了開了這麽一家店以外，多數是其他餐廳的後門或走火通道。雖然沒有狼藉的垃圾，但是青綠色的燈光還是會令人想起詭異的畫面……只好加快腳步邁入餐廳 — 店内簡直是另外一個世界。

昏黃柔和的燈光，輕鬆的lounge音樂，深咖啡色的木頭的裝修，還有人們的談笑聲…..一洗剛開始緊綳的心情。

由於菜單選擇種類繁多，不太懂品酒，芝士和鹽腌肉的我實在不知道從何點起。還好店内的規矩

[Via http://amiracolo.wordpress.com]

Fox News Wins Haiti Ratings: CNN Second, MSNBC Third

Black Friday - Red for Us...

2010-01-14T06:22:00.000+02:00

Yep – this is a recap of a wine tasting day that happened almost two months ago – sad, right? The holidays were great but boy did I get behind on the blogging. I started a few posts but never got back to them, until now…

The day after Thanksgiving is probably best known for shopping, long lines and crowded parking lots. Dad and I skipped all of that and went to Woodinville instead.

Janiuk/Novelty Hill - Somehow I’ve managed not go visit this winery since they moved. That wouldn’t be a big deal if the move was recent but it’s been a good 4-5 years! No excuse. The other shocker is that I’ve been mispronouncing Janiuk! I would have bet that it was pronounced ”Yan-ik.” I would have lost the bet; it’s “Jan-ik.” The girl at the tasting bar was a good sport about it and was kind enough not to pick on me when I messed it up a few more times. The tastings were nice and there were several different flights available. Not surprisingly I chose the Cabernet flight. It was delicious! There was no tasting fee refund with purchase so we didn’t buy anything, but the wines were very nice and the tasting room itself is gorgeous.
Teft Cellars – Yet another great winery from the other side of the mountains! They had a great line up of wine and wonderful tasting room, complete with some tables and conversation areas. It had a bistro feel to it, not just a typical tasting bar. There was a nice line up of wines, my favorite of the day was the Villa Toscana – a nice Italian inspired blend. They also had several ports but I can’t comment on them because I just don’t drink port. I keep trying it every so often but I haven’t developed a taste for it yet. But if you like ports, I’d suggest trying theirs; everything else is great so the odds are good!
Efeste - This may be the first wine club I join next year. There is nothing they make that I don’t like. My only issue here is that I have a hard time narrowing down my choices when it comes time to purchase. Even the white wine (which I can usually pass up at most places) is fantastic. We were lucky enough to meet the winemaker, Brennon Leighton, this trip. He was still (understandably) on a high from the Wine Spectator ratings that had come out earlier in the month. The Ceidleigh Syrah was ranked #36 on the list of all wines (worldwide) released in 2009. That and the Final Final are always my favorites. This time I didn’t try to pick between them; I bought them both.
Canon de Sol - Dad and I saw this place right after we left Teft but they were literally hammering up their sign when we drove by so we decided to give them a little time before stopping by. When we did drop in we found out that this was their opening day! Canon de Sol and Irlandes share a tasting room and a winemaker, Victor Cruz. The Canon de Sol label is his and Irlandes is his partners. The Canon de Sol wines were priced in the mid 20’s and each one was great. They all had great fruit and moderate tannins, pretty much ready to drink now. I bought a couple of the blends and can’t wait to open them up and introduce my friends to a new winery.
Irlandes - These wines were priced higher and were done in more of a reserve style. The wines were bolder and had more tannins on the finish. They were delicious! The tasting room is nice and big and I expect this place will do well. It’s in a great location (the Hollywood School House area) and has wonderful wine as well as great people. I look forward to repeat visits.
DeLille Carriage House - Okay so nothing can really compare to DeLille-on-the-hill. The problem is, the main location is almost never open to the public. So The Carriage House was born. It’s a small tasting room showcasing DeLille wines. It was absolutely PACKED when we were there. Usually that’s a turn off for us but we stuck it out because it had been so long since we’d done any tasting at DeLille. I’m glad we stayed. The wines were better than we remembered and the people working there were fantastic at keeping up with such a crowded room. I’d like to go back again when the weather is nicer and the patio is open.

After we were done in Woodinville we went back to Redmond and out to dinner at Frankie’s Pizza and Pasta. We have loved this place for a long time. The food is excellent and the wine list is even better! Boy did we get lucky on this trip. My paarents’ favorite waitress brought us the wine list and then a few minutes later came back to make sure that we’d noticed a certain wine on the list. It was the Columbia Crest Cabernet that had just been ranked the #1 wine of 2009 by Wine Spectator Magazine! Yep, same list that I mentioned earlier. What a great day for wine! Thanks for pointing it out to us, Kelly!

[Via http://caninesandcabernet.wordpress.com]

News Corp. Shakes Up Top Fox Executives

Classic Rock Wine Bottles

2010-01-14T00:02:00.000+02:00

via Brandfreak: http://tinyurl.com/ybua4r3

Some classic rock ‘n’ roll album art makes its way to wine labels

If you’re the same age as this writer and grew up in the ’70s and ’80s, you probably had at least one night when you killed the lights, sunk into the basement couch, put on Dark Side of the Moon and lit up some… uh, had a glass of wine. Well, great news for oenophiles who love their Floyd and their Stones: A fully branded relaxation experience is near at hand. Dude.

A new company called Wines That Rock recently introduced the first three bottles of a promised series of vintages inspired by iconic rock-album art. The first three to be uncorked: Forty Licks Merlot, Woodstock Chardonnay and The Dark Side of the Moon Cabernet Sauvignon. The labels are not exact copies of the album jackets. (Note to those under 25: “Albums” were 12-inch circular pieces of vinyl that came in a cool cardboard envelope with liner notes printed on the back.) But the bottles take all the appropriate aesthetic cues. The Pink Floyd cabernet features a refracting prism, the Rolling Stones merlot bears a colorful interpretation of John Pasche’s iconic tongue-and-lips logo, and so on. Wines That Rock’s founders, Ron Roy and Howard Jackowitz, previously founded a rock ‘n’ roll fan-club company that worked with bands like AC/DC and The Who—experts in imbibing, no doubt.

Roy and Jackowitz are not vintners, however, which raises a potent branding question about this unusual venture: People might buy these bottles once to get the cool labels, but are they getting decent wine? “We partnered with the Mendocino Wine Company to make sure Wines That rock always sells a high-quality wine,” says WTR co-owner Bill Zysblat. “In marketing the wine, we are looking to make clear to people the quality winery it is coming from.” For good measure, WTR sent some bottles to a few high-falutin’ corkers like Gary Vaynerchuck from Wine Library TV, who publicly declares: “This is a drinkable wine.” Fair enough. And even if you don’t like it, those are some kick-ass labels.

[Via http://twohundredproof.wordpress.com]

Sarah Palin to Contribute to Fox News - The Caucus Blog - NYTimes.com

Winetasting

2010-01-12T18:21:00.000+02:00

corgi Originally uploaded by Miss Adventures

And what is winetasting about, if not … DOGS ?

In theory, clicking on the photo or the photo’s hyperlink to the right should take you to the full collection of Flickr photos that I uploaded from yesterday’s awesome winetasting trip on The Grapeline. It’s become a yearly event each January … we will definitely be back in 2011.

But just in case you don’t feel like clicking and journeying elsewhere on these here Interwebs, here are some of the best photos, capturing some of the most important and enjoyable parts of yesterday’s adventure:

[Via http://travelshoesdogsrandom.wordpress.com]

News to know: Microsoft Office; Windows 7 shortcuts; Palm; CES ...

Wal-Mart - The Welcome Wagon of Wine!

2010-01-12T00:35:00.000+02:00

Wal-Mart and wine; ok, it didnt roll off my tongue at first either; Kind of like 7-11 and wine. But, It’s there. And they”re big. Walk past the tomatoes, past the craftsmen power saws and there it is; the Welcome Wagon of wine Wal-Mart style!

Hometown super-duper wine selection right in your neighborhood!

In my mission to find some hidden gem’s at the local Wal-Mart here in FL , I came across this Chilean Cab. Sauv for under $10.

Concha y Toro’s Casillero del Diablo Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 from Chile was a mere $8.97.

This Chilean beauty proved me wrong! It’s earthy, cigar box and dark chocolate notes made my mouth water for a char-grilled steak.

Make sure to let this new world beauty breathe & decant for a few, it got so much better by the third, um, I mean second glass…:-P

Watch this to see how the “Devil” got in my glass and what Casillero del Diablo means !

Cheers!

PS follow me ALL year long when I post next January my OFFICIAL Hidden Gem Wines List from Wal-Mart to see who makes the cut! Who knows this Chilean could be at the bottom!?

[Via http://winechanneltv.wordpress.com]

Dallas Cowboys Blog | Sports News | News for Dallas, Texas ...

The Icing on My Divorce Cake

2010-01-10T06:23:00.000+02:00

If you haven’t figured it out by now, I have a pretty sweet divorce.

After five years of a fairly decent, yet disappointing marriage, Ex-Husband and I split up. Once I got past the brief period of post-divorce insanity and worked through the awaiting rotten emotional garbage, I was exactly where I wanted to be: On my own, starting over, with endless possibilities! Ahh… delicious divorce.

Now, a few years later, Ex-Husband and I have a respectful relationship, that even somewhat resembles a friendship. Braden, Ex-Husband and I all benefit from the rewards of our cooperative, drama-free co-parenting arrangement. Braden’s dad and I have both moved on and found more fulfilling relationships with new significant others, and we’re genuinely happy for each other. It’s not uncommon to see any combination of the five of us at an event or one of our homes. (Well, one combination is uncommon: My boyfriend and Ex-Husband’s Girlfriend alone together might raise an eyebrow…)

It wasn’t until recently that I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know Ex-Husband’s Girlfriend. They have been together for a little over two years now, but she and I only just started to interact beyond a brief “hello” within the last couple of months. I never imagined our relationship would blossom into what it has.

It began on email. Then we exchanged digits. Next, a dinner “date” (as Ex-Husband calls it, to poke fun at her). We had such a great time at dinner that we sat at that table for three hours! Did I call it dinner? I meant to say “at bottle of wine with some food on the side.” We shared stories, laughter and even a few tears. Going into the dinner, I was a little worried that it might be awkward — but it turned out to be anything but.

We found out that we have a lot in common, which I think was a surprise to both of us. We also learned about our extreme differences in upbringing and adult lives. I talked about coming to the decision to divorce and the struggles and rewards associated with that decision, and she discussed the decision to enter into a serious relationship with a single dad and the struggles and rewards associated with that.

Our dynamic is so interesting, so rewarding and so amazing that even I can’t find words to explain it or express my appreciation for it. Because this wonderful woman has entered my son’s life with an open mind and an open heart, we have been able to spend time together on each of the last three holidays – Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day. Today, she, Braden and I went out to lunch and then to see The Princess and the Frog. We had a blast! Braden beamed with excitement the entire time. We agreed to have these girls’ days with Braden on a regular basis. Family takes on a whole new meaning when it’s one you choose.

Ex-Husband’s girlfriend isn’t a mother, nor an ex-wife — so coming into our situation was a huge life adjustment. One that I am so grateful that she committed to making. Through my relationship with her, I’ve learned that we can find some of our most amazing blessings in the most unexpected places. Hers are not easy shoes to be in, but she wears them so very well.

For these reasons, Ex-Husband’s girlfriend is, without a doubt, the icing on my divorce cake!

[Via http://mylifeincomplete.com]

Volcanoes erupt coal – Fox News « The Volcanism Blog

Friday Antiquarium

2010-01-10T00:30:00.000+02:00

[Via http://previouslyinaudible.wordpress.com]

Food News Feed January 8, 2010

National Wine Centre of Australia

2010-01-09T06:26:00.000+02:00

The National Wine Centre of Australia (commonly the “Wine Centre“) is a public exhibition building about winemaking and its industry in South Australia. It contains an interactive permanent exhibition of winemaking, introducing visitors to the technology, varieties and styles of wine. It also has a wine tasting area, giving visitors the opportunity to taste and compare wines from different areas of Australia. The Wine Centre is situated at the eastern end of North Terrace, Adelaide in the east parklands and adjacent to the Adelaide Botanic Gardens. The building is designed and uses building materials to reflect items used in making wine. The external of the building looks like a section of a wine barrel. Outside the building are rows of grapevines, showing seven different varieties of grapes to curious visitors who normally wouldn’t have access to a vineyard to see the differences for themselves.

- Wikipedia

[Via http://chrishoopmann.wordpress.com]

Adebayor unhurt in gun attack - Manchester City FC

no$gba and SSF working in WINE

2010-01-09T00:22:00.000+02:00

More WINE stuff. I know Wine Is Not An Emulator but my trials and errors with running emulators in WINE are as follows. SSF, the Saturn emulator, worked a little. The GUI loaded, but I didn’t have a Saturn disc to test. no$gba ran a Nintendo DS rom. Need For Speed 2 didn’t work and came up with some errors. I will post my screen shots below. The SSF screen shot looks pathetic as I couldn’t load anything without a disc, but you will notice that the GUI loaded ok.

[Via http://macemulators.wordpress.com]

Rudy Giuliani Wrong in Saying 'No Domestic Attacks Under Bush ...

not a winter warmer...but as fresh as the come

2010-01-07T12:36:00.000+02:00

Here’s a quick video on the Innocent Bystander’s – slightly bubbly Pink Moscato 2009

It was full aromas and had lots and lots of berry fruit just jumping out of the glass.

And by no means sickly, with bubbles and balanced acidity it just cleansed the palate.

Available at various online retailers – check wine-searcher and Harvey-Nics for about £5.99 – that’s a half-bottle, by the way.

innocent bystander pink moscato 2009

[Via http://spiltwine.com]

The News You Can Use from the Nexus One Event - Nexus one - Lifehacker

Welcome and Happy New Year...

2010-01-07T00:35:00.000+02:00

During the month of December I did a lot of entertaining. Not just at my home but at other people’s and found it interesting that people always gravitate in the kitchen no matter the size.

My home is small, perfect for me and my kittens. However, add nine more people and it is crowded. Same goes for my friend, LeAnn’s place. Her home’s floor space is much larger, which made it easy to invite more people. In spite of all the roaming room, people still gravitated to the kitchen. So, what’s up with that? My own thoughts could lean toward the “if the food is being made here; maybe I’ll get some samples” theory, but I believe it’s more than that.

People want warmth and comfort. They want to connect with someone else on a real, personal level, even in this high tech world of Blackberrys, iPhones, Skype, Internet Social Networking, etc. Sharing your home, food and wine with people means you love them. Simple isn’t it? The kitchen represents warmth, comfort. Quite frankly, the kitchen is the heart of the home. So, use it to your advantage, even you just invite a friend over for frozen pizza and appetizers. It’s not about being fancy; it’s about opening your heart to people.

The dinner party at my place in December was fancier than normal in terms of food. The recipe below is for the Veal Meatball “Surprises” with Red Sauce that I made. It’s a take on the Giada DeLaurentis recipe on Food Network. If you don’t want to go through the work of the meatballs – buy them and don’t tell anyone. There are good, quality beef meatballs out there. Another great idea? Have some of your guests (who congregate in the kitchen) help you roll and stuff the meatballs, if you want homemade. No matter which route you choose, I can guarantee the dinner party will be fun and festive.

Red Sauce (this is inspired by a Giada de Laurentis recipe but I changed it up a bit to serve my wants… feel free to change it to suit you and your guests’ tastes):

3 – 4 Tblsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil (from now on…EVOO, I can’t help it…I’ve been Rachel Ray-ized)

3/4 lb Pancetta, thinly sliced and diced

1/2 lb Proscuitto, thinly sliced

32 oz can Fire Roasted, Diced tomatoes (I used Glen Muir brand)

14.5 oz can crushed tomatoes

1/2 – 2/3 c. Dry Red Wine (I used a French Red Wine that had passed it’s prime a bit and was sitting in my refrigerator. Some professional chefs disagree with this approach and say you should ONLY use wine that you enjoy drinking. Well, I enjoyed drinking the wine I used earlier the previous week…I just didn’t get it all drunk)

1/2 large yellow onion, diced fine

6 cloves garlic, minced fine

2 Tblsp Dried Oregano

2 Tsp Red Pepper Flakes

1 Tblsp Thyme

1 large pinch Marjoram

Kosher Salt (to taste)

Fresh Ground Black Pepper (to taste)

3/4 c. Pecorino OR Asiago Cheese, grated

1 lb. Linguine (prepared to pkg instructions)

Instructions:

In a large skillet with high side the heat EVOO over medium-high heat until oil almost shimmers. Add pancetta and proscuitto. Cook for 5 -7 min. You do NOT want this to to be crispy, you just want to render out flavor. Add onion and garlic with a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook for another 5 min or until onion is translucent and softened. Pour in tomatoes. Add your spices, including another generous pinch or two of salt and a couple small pinches of black pepper. Let simmer for approximately 10 – 15 min. After the sauce has simmered, taste it…Grab a spoon and take a taste. If you think the dish needs more seasonings, then add them at this time in tiny amounts. Next, add red wine and let simmer again for another 7 – 10 min. Add asiago or pecorino cheese. Taste the sauce again for seasoning. Add meatballs to sauce AFTER the meatballs are done cooking. Garnish with some chopped flat leaf parsley.

Veal Meatballs (Taken from Giada de Laurentis’ recipe: Bucatini All’ Amatriciana):

1 lb ground beef (I used 85% lean ground beef, I wanted the fat content to help brown)

1 lb ground veal

1/4 medium onion grated (I used my food processor)

1 1/2 c. Grated Parmesan Cheese (Important – use a good quality one, not the stuff from the green can)

2/3 c. Italian Bread Crumbs (I used a store brand kind from Whole Foods)

2 eggs

1 good squeeze of ketchup (approx 1 1/2 Tblsp)

3 garlic cloves, minced fine

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

2 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp black pepper

4 oz. smoked mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/2″ cubes

1/2 c. flat leaf parsley, finely chopped

Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Put your oven rack in the middle of the oven. Spray 2 cookie sheets with Pam Olive Oil to prevent sticking.

In a large bowl, mix all the ingredients with the exception of the mozzarella gently. Make sure, however, you do not have “clumps” of seasonings or food anywhere. Roll into 24 meatballs (about 2 – 2 1/2 in). Create a hole in the meatball and stuff a cube of mozzarella in the middle, close the hole and place on cookie sheet. Bake meatballs for approximately 25 – 30 minutes.

Again, once the sauce is about ready to go, add meatballs to sauce.

Drain the pasta thoroughly and serve separately from the sauce and meatballs. That allows your guests to take what they want in pasta to meat/sauce ratio. (Personally, I prefer less pasta and meat but want more sauce) Serve this homestyle.

Wines:

Basically, this dish SINGS for a dry red wine. We had several to choose from, as that is what I asked guests to bring, amongst my favorites:

Chianti Classio Reserva
Cabernet Sauvingon (a lighter styled one…not one with a lot of oak)
Southern French Rhone

I hope your taste buds sing after this meal as well as your heart and soul.

[Via http://sunshinegrl0117.wordpress.com]

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In the Big House

2010-01-05T12:48:00.000+02:00

Disclaimer: I received this wine as a sample from Big House Wines.

So the Big House Line. A box of the latest releases showed up on my door not so long ago. First, I can’t stand their website. I don’t know if it’s my computer or what, but it’s jumpy and hard to navigate. I understand trying to be cute…but if I can’t get to what I need easily, I’m outta there. On the other hand, these are meant to be inexpensive, not serious, table wines. The 2007 Big House Red retails for around $8, had a screw cap closure, and clocks in at 13.5% alcohol by volume. It’s a blend of everything and the kitchen sink.

On the nose I got banana, berries, spice, cranberry, plums, green pepper, and dirt. It smelled fruity and jammy. In the mouth I found raspberry, cherry, chocolate, and plums. I thought the palate was fairly simple compared to the nose and it had bitter tannins on the finish. It smoothed a bit as it aired. It didn’t really jive for me.

[Via http://wannabewino.com]

Complete iLounge Pavilion CES exhibitor list, map published ...

Why Did the Wine Bloggers Cross the Road?

2010-01-05T00:43:00.000+02:00

*This is a republishing of a story I wrote for Palate Press: The Online Wine Magazine back in September. In late July, 275 wine bloggers, PR reps, winery principals and others in the wine industry converged on Santa Rosa, California, for a three-day Wine Bloggers Conference. The night before, however, more than a dozen bloggers from origins as far-flung as Spain made their way to the sleepy hamlet of Murphys, three hours east of Santa Rosa. Why? The answer has as much to do with rubber chickens as with wine. El Jefe and a rubber chicken. Photo by Melissa Dobson

Murphys is home to Twisted Oak Winery, owned and overseen by Jeff Stai and his brood of mascot rubber chickens. Jeff – or El Jefe as he is colloquially known – is a cyber Pied Piper among bloggers. As hands-on with computers as he is with his Calaveras County wines, Jeff has been an early adopter of many forms of social media, notably Twitter (2,500 followers), Facebook (676 fans) and blogging. And in each form of media, he has used rubber chickens as a sort of calling card, setting an irreverent tone that has helped engender a virtual cult-like following. How else to explain the popularity of Twisted Oak’s annual Take Your Rubber Chicken to Work Day. Rubber chickens tend to squawk out the tasting-room door at well over 1,000 annually, according to Jeff.

No doubt the 14 bloggers who happily invested the extra gas and time commitment to visit Twisted Oak did so not for the perks – a whirlwind tour of Murphys, barrel tasting, a bbq and a blending competition – but just to spend some old-fashioned face time with Jeff, whose use of social media is the most innovative and successful of any winery.

The “questionable” winding road to Twisted Oak About inviting bloggers to visit before the conference, Jeff says: “It was a carpe diem thing. People will often arrive early for an event like WBC and it seemed like a good idea to convince a few bloggers to give us a try. I will do anything I can to convince folks that there is wine life northeast of S[an] F[rancisco]!”

From contests that ask people to write the labels for his Ruben’s Blend wine to asking for assistance to name the new kittens his family adopted, Jeff encourages virtual visitors to feel a personal connection to Twisted Oak and his life. I first encountered Jeff on his winery blog, El Bloggo Torcido, in 2006 – it was among the first wine blogs I started following. I actively commented on his blog; in turn, he encouraged me to start my own and became one of my first commenters.

I emerged from the field trip with a better sense of what makes Twisted Oak Winery work, both online and in real life, as well as a very positive impression of Jeff’s approach to social media. In his view, a rising tide lifts everyone, and he actively encourages all the wineries, tourism groups, and other establishments in the Murphys area to jump on the social media boat. “Just the other day I was helping another winery get their Facebook page together,” says Jeff. “People visit more than one winery after all. The important thing is to get them here.” Bloggers Russ Beebe and Ashley Routson stroll through the Twisted Oak wine cave.

Other wineries looking to tap into Twitter, Facebook and other social media would find their time well-spent to look at what El Jefe has done for Twisted Oak. Devoting 8-12 hours a week, he manages to blog, Twitter, Facebook, Flickr and participate in multiple forums. Rubber chickens and a “twisted”sense of humor may not work for everyone, but the attitude of connecting personally to interested wine lovers, and developing a sense of community around the winery, certainly can.

Jeff, in his own words a “social media slut,” estimates that at least a third of Twisted Oak’s business results from his online activity. He includes me among this number, and I admit, it’s not likely I would have known about Twisted Oak Winery if not for Jeff’s consistent cyberpresence. Here are some of my Twisted favorites:

2008 Syrah-Viognier (barrel sample). This is going to be a fantastic wine. I tasted vanilla, anise, beautiful flowers, apricot, plums, black cherry and red-fruit edges.

2002 Murgatroyd (library selection). On the nose I found spice, mulberry, toasty oak, cinnamon, blackberries, black currants, slight chocolate and violets. It smelled like mulled cider and tasted like Christmas. In the mouth I got tart fruit that seemed much more red than the nose; red berries, red currants, earthy spice, mulberry, cranberry, cinnamon. Murgatroyd is a kitchen-sink blend that includes Cabernet Sauvignon; ready to drink now!

2007 “Silvaspoons” Verdelho. On the nose I got pineapple, tropical fruit, spice, peach, mandarin oranges, banana, and papaya. In the mouth I found the wine to have a a slightly creamy texture and flavors of lemon, tropical fruit, papaya, melon, pear, citrus and granny smith apples. Overall, the wine is dry, crisp, easy to drink. A must buy for the summer months! (Current vintage is 2008.)

[Via http://wannabewino.com]

UK videogames revenue 44% higher than films // News

Corrupt Power

2010-01-03T18:02:00.000+02:00

Ohio limits an individuals wine purchases to 288 bottles a year. On its face, an unreasonable limit and a gross overstepping of governmental power. But why limits?

The bottom line is this: Government agents will not break down your door if you bring home that 25th case of Two Buck Chuck. But if you order more than 24 cases of wine in a year and have it delivered directly to your door from a winery, you could face a fine.

State legislators added the purchase limit in 2007 (and amended it in 2008 to clarify the size of the bottles) when they were trying to figure out how to regulate wineries shipping directly to Ohioans.

“This was to prevent massive shipments to individuals,” said Donniella Winchell, executive director of the Ohio Wine Producers Association. “The level was set to establish what would seem to be a reasonable amount for personal use.”

The Ohio Wine Producers Association? I can’t think of anyone who benefits from such a stupid law, other than perhaps that group. I wonder how much they spend on lobbying and in campaign contributions.

[Via http://paulstagg.com]

AMERICAblog News: Obama: Al Qaeda responsible for attemped airline ...

Wine Tasting Notes: 20 July 2003

2010-01-03T11:58:00.000+02:00

This is a repost from a wine tasting at Pauli’s in Huntsville/Madison, AL. There will be a series of these to go up, along with notes on individual wines.

This week’s tasting at Pauli’s was focused on South Africa, and was quite fun. In an unusual move, the tasting started with a dry cider that was a refreshing change of pace. Savanna dry premium cider has a nice yellow colour, a dry crisp nose rich with fruit: pear and apple predominating. The taste is mellow, a medium full body with a slight tartness followed by apple, pear, and a hint of honey. It has a nice finish as well. Not too sweet, and refreshing on a hot summer day.

The first wine was Groot Constantia 1999 sauvignon blanc. It has a nice straw colour, a crisp nose of hay and light green fruit, with a hint of vanilla and citrus. This is followed by a very light taste that is tart-crisp, with straw, sour apple. and vanilla rounding it out.

The second wine was De Wetshof Estate Lesca chardonnay, 2001. The pale straw colour is nice, and it has a sharp nose with fruit, wood, and a light citrus overtone. The taste is that of fruit with apple, lemon, and grapefruit leading, with oak following. The finish is astringent in a pleasant way. Not overly woody, so refreshing.

The third wine was KWV 1999 shiraz. It starts with a nice ruby colour followed by a good nose of red fruit, chocolate, and a hint of leather. The body was light, and the taste filled with blackberry and leather.

The fourth wine was Roodeberg 2000, a blend. It has a nice deep red colour and a good nose filled with spice, leather, loam, and fruit. The taste starts with a slight pucker followed by fruit, clove, cinnamon, and leather. It has a good finish, nice complexity, and was a very good wine for a blend.

[Via http://untourist.net]

TWC-News Corp. Extend Talks; Scripps' HGTV, Food Go Dark On ...

01-10

2010-01-02T06:25:00.000+02:00

What did you do for New Year’s Eve? Did you make last-minute plans that turned out excellently, like we did?

We’d thought and thought about where to go to ring in the new year, and by the time we came up with a plan, the venue was sold out! A few other options (think keg parties, trashy and noisy bars) just didn’t appeal to us much.

We considered a short getaway, but my three-day weekend was interrupted by being called into work Wednesday night because two co-workers had their heads cracked open this week and we were short-staffed. It sounds callous to mention such a trivial event in my life in the same sentence as someone falling and going to the hospital only to have an emergency Pacemaker operation and another getting in a serious car wreck that broke bones and shook him up thoroughly, but that’s the facts, folks. I feel terrible for them and their families, especially this time of year.

It was back to square one, and on Dec. 30, at about 11:30 at night, I had the brilliant idea to check whether the Italian cafe just down the street from me had anything going on for the evening. We ended up with a 9 p.m. reservation for two at Asti Trattoria.

My favorite neighborhood intersection.

We’d been to the restaurant once before, for a casual, exceptionally good lunch, but this experience was on a different level altogether. Everything that went into my mouth was stunning.

We arrived at 8:30 and stood in the crowded bar area with glasses of Cantina Terlano 2007 Pinot Noir, which was so good we got a bottle to go with dinner.

Vino por el año nuevo

We were seated under a sky of multicolored balloons, and our waiter was quirky (his navy dress shirt was covered with pictures of Irish setters) but service was exceptionally prompt, and we were overwhelmed by the time we got to the main course. We had to take dessert to go!

In case anyone is interested, here’s my vegetarian feast to close out 2009. Far and away my best meal of the year:

White Asparagus Soup

Parmesan & White Truffle Crema

Red & Yellow Beet Carpaccio

Fennel, Black Olives & Orange Vinaigrette

Ricotta Bruschetta

Asparagus Risotto

Prosecco, Meyer Lemon Oil & Scallions

Wild Mushroom & Cipolline Onion Ragu

Anson Mills Polenta & Black Truffle Mascarpone

Chocolate Truffle Tart

Vanilla Balsamic Gelato & Brandied Cherries

Unfortunately, I was not feeling exactly wonderful by the time the clock struck 12 — I just couldn’t handle that much incredibly rich food and a good amount of wine. OK, I was actually asleep when 2010 was born.

But dessert was lovely on New Year’s Day, less the incredibly strong reduced vinegar they used as a sauce. Perhaps if we’d had it served at the proper temperature, it would have worked better.

So now it’s back to reality, back to the grind, back to the same old schedule. But with one twist: We’re doing the Power 90 program (think precursor to that P90X thing advertised in annoying infomercials) to get super-buff (ha!) in three months or less!

I’m quite excited to begin. I’ve printed up a 90-day planner and the exercises I’m supposed to do, and I’ll get started first thing tomorrow on my first full cardio routine. Wish us luck!

[Via http://plumandcircumstance.wordpress.com]

Good News From GMU « LewRockwell.com Blog

some resolutions

2010-01-02T00:49:00.000+02:00

i don’t usually make new year’s resolutions, but this year i decided that i would go for it, and actually try hard to keep them.

don’t drink wine if i’m planning on having more than 2 drinks total. i know that wine gives me the worst hangovers. i spent most of today throwing up and with my head feeling like someone was chiseling it. and i’ve never learned so far. so i’m going to stop, if i’m drinking drinking it will be spirits only from now on
don’t do anything which i don’t want to do. this is the actual serious one of them all. i’ve wasted enough of my time doing stuff that i don’t want to be doing, so that’s it, i’m not doing it to myself any more. everything i do this year is going to be something that i want to do and makes me happy
attempt to do a 365. a lot of people seem to be doing these this year, and i fully admit i’m just jumping on the bandwagon, but i like it. i’m planning on taking pictures which tell something about what i did that day rather than concentrating on trying to make them amazing. this is the one i took today, i’m in my bathroom, i thought it was appropriate
keep my film list up-to-date. i normally keep a list of every film i’ve seen, and this year i’ve totally neglected it, so i’m determined to make sure i write them all down this year, and try to fill in all the ones i’ve forgotten from this year
start my new food blog (which i did today) and keep it up. i want to make it a proper thing, not just do it all half-arsed and only post odd things when i remember. basically i’m working my way through two 1001 things to eat before you die books (1796 foods in total) and taking pictures of the foods and writing some kind of review/anecdote to go with it. it’d be good to get at least 365 foods done by the end of the year

so that’s it. i’m going to try hard, i’m not going to get bored and quit stuff like i usually do

[Via http://teawithlemon.wordpress.com]

News Corp to exit Serbia | Broadband TV News

Whines about wine

2009-12-31T12:41:00.000+02:00

Now I’ll be the first to admit I am no Oz Clarke, thank God, but the current state of the wine market leaves me a little, erm – off. Admittedly I am basing my criticism on the weekly shop at Tesco – but as they now claim to be the nation’s biggest wine merchant, maybe the multinational dross on offer truly reflects the market.

My first gripe about grapes is the sheer volume of wine from faraway places. There is a perfectly good producer of wine just the other side of the channel – but amazingly Tesco feel the need to stock more wine from the antipodes than they do from France.

The rubbish on offer from the USA and South America also defies belief. In an era when the entire world, let alone the Tesco shopper is being conned into thinking carbon footprints are important, the number of air miles owned by the average wine bottle is quite staggering.

But the thing which really gets my goat is the way wines are labelled by grape variety – as though this means it will taste exactly the same every time – whether it comes from Argentina, Chile, New Zealand – or some drought-stricken part of Australia.

Behind this con lies the rather unpalatable truth that wine is being made on an industrial scale by the same methods the world over. Which to me is a bit of a shame.

I am not overly enthusiastic about many things French, but their supreme Gallic indifference to the one-size-fits-all approach of latter-day wine-making definitely gets my thumbs up. Call me old-fashioned, but if I really want an oak-aged red – then it is rather nice to have had it actually aged in oak, rather than have a few over-sized teabags of oak chippings added.

And I see nothing wrong in getting to know certain areas and vintages.

Worst of all is the abomination of what passes for Rosé in the summer. Vile, sickly concoctions with euphemisms like ‘blush’ come nowhere near approximating even a half decent French Rosé – so why are they thrust at us from the supermarket shelves?

The old chestnut is that suppliers are only providing what people are prepared to buy – but that is just rubbish. They are stocking what they can get the most profit on.

[Via http://robsteroo2000.wordpress.com]

Balloon Juice » Blog Archive » Bad news for Obama

Back to Sydney

2009-12-31T00:11:00.000+02:00

Hi guys! We got back into Sydney around 4pm after an uneventful drive but thankfully the weather cleared up completely and it was sunny and hot in Sydney when we arrived. We are now staying in Watson’s Bay so made the most of the gorgeous views and had a couple of drinks in the beer garden at the Watson’s Bay Hotel overlooking the harbour. I had 2 small glasses of a New Zealand SB, 3 Ugly Sisters. It was great!

Our view

We had an early dinner (no afternoon snack) at Pita Mix. Can you tell we love this place . I stuck with the falafel but this time had it on a plate. It came with 4 salads and 4 dips and a pita. I ended up smushing it all into the pita though so it tasted pretty much the same except the falafel balls were smaller. Delicious and filling!

I also got some steamed veggies as a side. I think they were a frozen veggie mix but they were good and I got my broccoli fix .

They were good dipped in the hummos and babaganoush too!

Adam got the Jeruselum Mix which was chicken, lamb and beef with the salads and dips and a pita. He loved it too.

It was still early and light out and Watson’s Bay was crazy with tourists when we got back. We decided to be a bit touristy ourselves and went for a walk up to the Gap,

got a geltissimo gelato

(small Biscotinno, not great) and then wandered the streets down to Camp Cove

a gorgeous little harbour beach. We will do some more walking about today I think as I really haven’t explored this area before.

More snappy snaps of Watson’s Bay.

Saul and Cath came and met us at the pub for more drinks later on. I had a 3rd small glass of the 3 Ugly Sisters SB and called it a night.

Our room is so nice at this hotel!!! It’s huge, has double showers and a massive Kingsize bed. Sweet! I set my alarm for 6.30am for an early morning run before it gets hot but I ended up snoozing. I obviously needed the sleep.

Breakfast is included in our room here! It is a really nice simple buffet, but since there aren’t many options everything is really fresh and changed regularly.

I had a bowl of All Bran to start (ate half). Then a very thin slice of wholemeal bread with Kraft PB, then a slice of Fruit Toast with a smidge of butter and finally 1/2 a peach and 1/2 a pear with natural greek yog and passionfruit pulp. Very nice!

I didn’t eat the poached egg. Delicious soft, wholemeal bread.

A jam packed day lies ahead. We are meeting Adam’s cousin in Surry Hills for lunch, then I’m shopping with my sisters once they get back from Forster, then we are going to Neil Perry’s new restaurant Spice Temple, with some friends for a late dinner.

[Via http://whatisforbreakfast.wordpress.com]

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Clos Roche Blanche: Gamay as Touraine Treat

2009-12-29T12:11:00.000+02:00

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When a wine and its fruit are born from a low yield program, organically farmed, raised in vineyards planted at the end of the 19th century, hang from old vines, retail around $15, hail from a Loire Valley appellation, and find their way to the US as a Louis/Dressner Selection, it gets my attention. This fusion of vinous genetics brought me face to face with the 2008 Clos Roche Blanche Touraine Gamay which lives up to expectations as a wine of unique character, finesse, and richness, flashing its seductive food friendly qualities and manageable 12% alcohol to earn its righteous place on the dinner table.

The winery’s program is built around multiple varietals, and the quality of this Gamay underscores winemaker and grower competence and agility. Here is what Louis/Dressner Selections has to say:

The vineyards of Clos Roche Blanche were planted on the Touraine hills bordering the Cher river by the Roussel family at the end of the 19th century and have remained in the family since. Catherine Roussel took over this 28-hectare estate in 1975 from her father, and was later joined by Didier Barrouillet, who tends the vineyards and makes the wine. Both are enthusiastic proponents of non-interventionist winemaking.

Their soil is poor, mainly clay with flint over a limestone subsoil. The varietals grown are Cabernet (Sauvignon and Franc), Gamay, Côt (or Auxerrois, the grape of Cahors) and Sauvignon Blanc. Roussel and Barrouillet keep yields low by maintaining old vines, using organic fertilizers in moderation and growing grass between and plowing under the rows.

They converted the vineyards to organic farming and, with the 1995 vintage, received the official “organic agriculture” accreditation. The vines are treated with copper and sulfur solutions, and plant decoctions (a mixture of nettles and other herbs) used in biodynamic viticulture

The 2008 version of the Gamay had a nose consisting of black cherry, also some redder berry fruit, and while a bit of sweet candy notes came through, it did not dominate. After 15 minutes in the glass, the berry aromas made room for wafts of sage brush, pepper spice, and flowers that added some earthy grounding to the luscious fruit. This Gamay has a remarkably rich mouthfeel without the anticipated density or fullness (know what I mean?), and it offered great extraction and depth of fruit without any associated massive weight. The wine finishes medium long, but never in an overpowering way that gets in the way of the food.

We paired it with a fowl dish heavily treated with rosemary and garlic. The wine and food knit together perfectly, almost as if we had tasted in advance to discover the wine and food’s blood type match. Instead, the perfect matrimony was nothing more than stroke of luck. While the wine could keep me amused and focused drunk all by itself, pouring it without some herbed fowl, lighter meats, or stronger fish would be akin to watching a talented Rockette dance all alone on the Radio City Music Hall stage, all night long.

[Via http://winezag.wordpress.com]

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Tasted: 2008 Salvador Poveda "Centacion" Monastrell

2009-12-29T00:09:00.000+02:00

2008 Salvador Poveda “Centacion” Monastrell

Appellation: Alicante

Tasting Notes: 100% Monastrell. 14.0% ABV. Dark violet in the glass. Nose is candied red fruit, dust, and some cedar, smells like an old fruit rollup, but not unpleasant. At first, I taste lots of red fruit, then overwhelming sweet tannins, a little cedar, then back to the fruit rollup on the finish, but dusty and dry. Disjointed. Interesting, but disappointing. Seller said this would be one for lovers of cabs and big Bordeaux; I would say that is true if one loves bad Bordeaux. Was $8.99, will not buy again, and probably will dump this bottle out unless my wife likes it.

Rating: 2/5; 8/20; 74/100

Price: $8.99 at Bin 604 (Baltimore, MD)

A note on ratings: I use the 100 point rating for Cellartracker, even though my palate is still deveolping. As a statistics geek, I know that the variability in scores works itself out as the number of scores increases. However, my score may not be yours, or Robert Parker’s. I much prefer to use a 5 point (or star, or whatever you want to call it) scale, as it more represents my reaction to wine, which is more simple than a 100 point scale represents. I like the 20 point scale as the more detailed score. On this site, I will provide all three, although the most meaningful are the 5 and 20 point ratings.

[Via http://thegrandcrew.wordpress.com]

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How to Become a Wine Tasting Expert

2009-12-27T06:04:00.000+02:00

Becoming a wine expert is not as hard as you might think. What you will need, apart from sheer enthusiasm, is a combination of some straight forward wine skills. These come in the form of an ability to decipher and provide accurate tasting notes, read and fully understand wine labels and at least know what countries around the world produce wines.

How to Become a Wine Tasting Expert

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Rob_Hemphill]Rob Hemphill

First of all, pick your niche such as New World reds, oak-aged Chardonnays or Bordeaux wines (start with what you know or like best) – the list is limitless, so you can start anywhere you like. Then visit your local wine store, and have a good look at as many wines as possible in your selected niche. The staff in the wine store will usually be very helpful showing you how to select wines with certain aromas and flavours, as well as which varieties pair well with which foods. Also keep an eye out for alcohol levels – a high alcohol wine may not always be desirable.

A few pointers to keep in mind:

Read back labels to learn about the wines themselves.Talk to shop staff or even to other customers for their opinion.Is the alcohol level high for the wine in question or would you prefer it to be a little lower? (Higher alcohol wines tend to come from hotter countries).Find out if the weather was good or bad for that vintage – this makes a big difference to the overall quality.

One great way on the road to being a wine connoisseur is to join a wine club. Most wine clubs hold regular wine tastings and show an array of different wines at each tasting event. The benefits here are that you will be tutored in the tasting by experts, and your fellow enthusiasts will be able to offer invaluable advice. Most importantly, you will begin to familiarise yourself with all those well known wine adjectives and phrases that are so much in use, like “delicate style with hints of gooseberries on the nose” or “mature red with blackcurrant fruit flavours”.

Before tasting a wine check its colour and condition, this will enable you to assess its age (the darker the wine, the older it is). If it is too dark a colour then beware as this could mean that some oxidation may have taken place which is not a good thing. The second judgement that should be made regards the clarity of the wine, it should be brilliant and clear – cloudy or otherwise could mean that a yeast exists in the wine resulting in its instability. The flavour, or off-flavour would be very obvious even to an untrained nose.

A wine tasters biggest asset is his nose. After the visual checks on the wine next comes the actual tasting. As one smells the wine, the glass is gently swirled around encouraging the release of aromas or bouquet from the wine, it is now that one can detect subtle nuances such as the delicate nature or full body of the wine, as well as the sweetness or acidity.

The final part is the actual tasting itself. Having done a visual check, and then sniffed the wine we have a good idea of what to expect when the wine touches our mouth. The first taste is usually of a dry bitterness nature followed by sweetness later on. So with a younger white wine, the acidity will shine through first, followed by the overall flavour in the body of the wine. This is where one looks for those wine adjectives to describe what you are tasting and be thoroughly objective. With practise this is where the experts ’slurp’ their wine, this is merely sucking in air and mixing it in the mouth which enables more accurate and prolonged tasting to take place.

What we are looking for is a well balanced wine. Balancing the alcohol level in the wine with its sweetness is the aim – too much of one and not enough of the other is undesirable and would be unbalanced. A good balance will have a reasonable acidity (which helps to age the wine) combined with plenty of fruit flavours giving its distinctive sweet character. If the acid level is lower, the wine will not last as long in the bottle, so this is where the knowledge of where the wine originated from becomes useful.

Try tasting as many different styles of wine as you can – shouldn’t be a problem! In no time you will be assessing them like a true professional, and what’s more it’s great fun!

Practice makes expert!

Wine is a fascinating subject, the more you know, the more you want to find out. Learn how to taste and appreciate wine, and much more from [http://www.squidoo.com/understandingwine]Understanding Wine: A Beginners Guide. Also, discover how to pair wines and food successfully.

Ever made Homemade wine? Don’t know how to, why not visit http://winemakinghome.blogspot.com/

Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?How-to-Become-a-Wine-Tasting-Expert&id=1848814] How to Become a Wine Tasting Expert

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[Via http://jirawatc.wordpress.com]

Anorak News » Blog Archive » Abdul Farouk Abdulmutallab Livens Up ...

Christmas Dinner 2009

2009-12-27T00:35:00.000+02:00

Christmas dinner at my brother’s house is always a massive bath of generosity. Despite more than our family’s share of bumps and potholes this year, this Christmas was no different.

The family was together and we all contributed something to the meal, my brother far more than the rest of us. We brought lumpiang shanghai and roasted duck for appetizers, and homemade cannoli for dessert. My brother’s sister-in-law brought a fresh mango mousse cake.

We kicked off the evening with Italian sweet peppers stuffed with herb cheese, roased garlic, deviled and lobster-stuffed eggs, bagel and lox. We added lumpiang shanghai and a roasted duck with plum and hoisin sauce. Appetizers were complemented by a 1996 J Brut Sparkling and a 1997 J Brut Sparkling – a touch of honeysuckle and orange blossoms on the former and toasted almonds on the latter.

We took a break to exchange and open gifts, always a fun and raucous time of the evening. We had gifted our niece and nephew a bit of cash, encased in miniature Christmas stockings that we had sewn shut. Why do we always feel like we made out like bandits?

We couldn’t wait any longer for dinner, and its centerpiece was my brother’s horseradish-crusted prime rib. Also on the table were a Honeybaked ham, haricots verts with crisp-fried shallots, sautéed mushrooms and onions, oven-roasted fingerling potatoes and carrots, roasted broccoli florets, and Yorkshire pudding.

To accompany dinner, my brother opened a 1996 Opus One – luscious and smooth, dark berries, well-tamed tannins, just the right amount of pungency. That was followed by a 2005 Edizione Pennino zinfandel – fruit-forward, a touch of black pepper, soft and rounded texture.

We waited about a half hour before diving into dessert. We had brought homemade cannoli. Our son makes the shells from scratch, a long and arduous process. Someone had brought chocolate chip cookies and another purchased a fresh mango mousse cake. Rounding out the selections were some Point Reyes blue cheese with candied walnuts and sliced apples and pears, and homemade marshmallows. And an incredible Donna Fugata Ben Rye Sicilia Passito Pantelleria dessert wine.

Our son and his cousins concocted some Romulan Ale – a lethal mix of Blue Curacao, 151 Rhum, and Everclear. Flammable and frightening.

We all tasted a candy unique to Baguio in the Philippines called Kulangot. Translation: Booger. It’s actually a little bit of coconut jam in a nut shell. Gross name, delicious little morsel.

After dessert we took another break and headed to our cousin’s house in the next town. We visited with our aunt (our uncle’s widow) and five of her six children and their families – a nearly full house. We brought them some lumpiang shanghai and brought our aunt an orchid plant for Christmas. We shared stories of loss – we had just lost our eldest brother in Southern California and she had recently lost her younger brother in the Philippines. We sampled some of the food on their groaning board – baked lumpia, purple yam jam, fresh pineapple, grilled jumbo shrimp.

When we returned to my brother’s house we finished off the last of the Ben Rye and watched a little Filipino TV. Then it was time to call it a night. Until next year…

All photos courtesy of my niece. Please follow her as @foodiesecrets on Twitter.

[Via http://manila58.wordpress.com]

Christmas Stole my News Items!

How to decant

2009-12-26T12:28:00.000+02:00

A lovely narrative and a thorough description of how to decant.

So what is decanting? Decanting is a process of carefully moving (pouring) wine from its vessel (typically the bottle) into a decanter. A decanter can be a glass pitcher or carafe. Many wine masters believe the best decanter has a long neck and wide bottom surface area, almost the opposite of a wine bottle. These features better allow oxygen to reach the wine for a more smooth, mellow finish.

[Via http://winefeeds.wordpress.com]

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Mmmmm, Piper.......

2009-12-26T00:50:00.000+02:00

I love Piper. Piper-Heidsieck, Piper Sonoma, bring it over and I’ll finish it off. Today my wife and I tried Piper-Heidsieck Rosé Sauvage Brut Champagne. Bought it at Goody Goody for $50. Was it worth it? Read on friend…

Absolutely it was worth it! I was a little apprehensive, because around the $50-$75 price point is where most experts agree you stop paying for wine quality and start paying for label exclusivity. I drink a ton of $20-$25 sparklers, and rarely venture beyond around $40. My higher end sparklers are Iron Horse, Taittinger, and Piper-Heidsieck, all around $35-$40 (less if you can catch them on super sale). I also drink a couple different sparklers that are quite inexpensive: $9 Enrico Cava Rose (available at Goody Goody) and Gloria Ferrer Sonoma Brut (available most everywhere for $13. Some places have it for $15. I think that’s a good indicator you need to find a better wine store). I had never ventured beyond $50 per bottle bubbly. Frankly I was afraid of being disappointed. You see, I want expensive bubbly to be fantastic and worth every penny, much in the same way I want Ferrari’s to be fantastically fast and exotic. You see, I can’t afford a Ferrari. But there are ‘weekend warrior’ programs where you can drive one on a track for a day. And there are places like Vegas where you can rent one for a day. I hope to do that one day, and when I do, I want to be overwhelmed by it. I want it to be so moving and exciting that I feel more alive for having done it. Similarly, I can’t drink high-end bubbly every day. But like that rental exotic I can afford it occasionally. And when I do, I want it to be a stirring, memorable moment. I want it to show me what wine can be like when it’s tirelessly worked on, cared for, massaged and worried about. Ferrari goes kind of bananas over what their exhaust note sounds like. Millions of dollars, countless hours of computer analysis and engineer attention go toward making it about as perfect as it can be. Anyone who doesn’t think producers of high-end bubbly go through the same gyrations should spend a week underground as a riddler. You can taste the effort in the yeasty brioche notes. You can detect the subtle weave of dozens of blended base wines even if you can single out only a few of them. And the lingering finish seems to hang on the palette like the high unwavering note of an opera singer. I put sparklers at the top of the wine pyramid, and I hope I never feel like I’ve drunk the bottle that represents the zenith. I lust for that certain ethereal zestiness that is bottle of good bubbly, and even if the bulk of my cellar is pedestrian yet high-quality I look forward to that day in a Ferrari, that one or two days a year I crack open as good a bottle as I can afford. That’s why I want it to be fantastic. I want to feel like even at $75 a bottle that it’s still a great value, still a great decision. $50 for mediocre wine would be foolishness. $50 spent on a bottle that from which every sip makes you smile is a bargain. I hope to eventually get a bottle of Cristal, of Krug, of Veuve Grande Dame. I have to save up for these. When I do get to buy one, I want to be bowled over by it and wish I had money for more. In the same way, I hoped this Piper-Heidsieck would be better than any of my ‘everyday’ sparklers. I wasn’t disappointed.

The color was a beautiful hue of strawberry-violet. The nose was inviting, complex and polished. Fruity, floral, yeasty, and rich. The wine was all this on the palette. Many strands of flavors- bramble and red fruit, floral notes, kind of an almond nuttiness and layers of fresh baked yeasty goodness. Long, lingering finish. Beautiful. Definitely and distinctly superior to my favorite $40 bottle, Piper-Heidsieck Brut. This was a complete score, a solid choice, and worth every penny. It makes me very excited about my New Year’s eve bubbly: Veuve-Clicquot Rosé. Check back on the 1st of January to see if it was $30 better than the Piper. Cheers!

[Via http://dallaswineblog.com]

The Bitter Bill - NY Daily News

Moving, and all the fun that goes with it

2009-12-24T17:51:00.000+02:00

When the Wine Gal (my wife) and I made the decision to put our house on the market, our intent was to make a move to Oregon’s wine country, either Dundee or Newberg. We were looking for a home that either had a daylight basement or a 2nd residence that we could rent out to people visiting Wine Country for a holiday. It would be the first step to our new wine country lifestyle. Sadly, the perfect place slipped out of our fingers and we couldn’t find another place that suited our wants. Rather than settle on a place, we opted to look for a good deal that could (hopefully) build some equity over the next few years and give us some additional leverage to make the leap when the time comes again. And we did find a great place that we are very excited about, and are confident that it will take us to where we ultimately want to go.

Over the last week as we packed up, neither of us had any regrets. The new home is a better layout for having a toddler, and for the way we live. But, as some of you know, I spent over a year finishing out our 950 square foot basement, finishing it about a year and a half ago. The basement had some great space, and it took a lot of work, both from myself, and with the help of many friends and family members. That became the hardest part of the move…so many people helped create this great space and we only got to enjoy it for a short time. The hardest thing for me to leave behind was my wine cellar, designed and built by my older brother. It was an amazing room, with the coolest cellar door you’d ever see..

The night before we moved out, I had my older brother over to enjoy a nice bottle of wine in the cellar he built. We opened a 2002 Truchard Vineyards Zinfandel, which proved to be a perfect way to close the room. The Wine Gal made Parmesan chicken with pesto noodled, which paired great! We just enjoyed the wine and food, and the room. When we moved in, I owned 24 bottles of wine…all “special” bottles. On the way out, I have a collection of over 300 bottles, and now, no cellar to put them into! I know that there will be another great wine cellar in my future, even if it isn’t for a few years. In the meantime, I left with a bit of a heavy heart.

[Via http://winewithgraham.wordpress.com]

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