The good news is, after the Presidential residence sells it’s expensive collection of wine to buy cheaper wines, if any monies are left over, they will go back into the treasury. The sale is expected to bring in about $330,000 USD. The collection of 1200 bottles represents 10 percents of the Palace cellar. This...
Years ago I loved Marie Brizard Chocolate Royale (I think it was “Royale” back in the day), then it was no longer available in my market, and apparently disappeared completely. What a joy to find it again, although it has had a re-branding and was brought out as new product about a year ago....
Yet another report that red wine and red grapes have important health benefits. This time it comes from the Department of Otolarynology-Head & Neck Surgery at Henry Ford Hospital. And once again it is resveratrol that is being lauded. Added to the long list of benefits from red wine and red grapes is possible...
Say you’re doing a ‘happy hour’ in the big city at a trendy bar, and you have your client sitting at the bar next to you. Drinking good whiskey neat impresses the bartender and might impress your client as well. But then say you are sitting at home and rather than being tempted to...
The casting call is shown as April 20th, but perhaps there is still time. You can apply by downloading the pdf here. Assuming this is a serious attempt at making a good bottle of wine judged by four “mystery” celebrities, I think it’s a great idea. I don’t know where or when it airs,...
World Malbec Day was April 17th. I missed it – so engrossed in the Boston bombings that I could hardly think about wine, and that’s a pity for someone who knows better. This is the third annual World Malbec Day, and wouldn’t it have been fun to be in Argentina for that celebration, the...
The Acrobat Pinot Gris 2011 from King Estate in Western Oregon hails Springtime and patios (even if the weatherman doesn’t), although the 2012 may be on shelves now. I see retailers offering both. My first experience with Acrobat Pinot Gris was the 2010 vintage which was impressive, particularly for the price range of about...
Browsing through a First for Women magazine recently while traveling, I found two interesting articles concerning grapes – meaning those in wine and in raisins. Raisins get a bad rap for spiking blood sugar, and I understand this, but I snack on them every day because I love them. So I have news about...
A few days ago hubby and I had an opportunity to have dinner at McCormick and Schmick’s on 5th Avenue in New York (was surprised to learn it’s owned by Landry’s). I had a phenomenal salmon stuffed with Blue Crab, Shrimp and Brie. Absolutely mouthwatering memory. The rich salmon dish was perfectly matched with...
George Washington’s distillery three miles south of his home in Mt. Vernon opened to the public a couple of years ago. Located about 15 miles outside Washington, D.C., his original mash of 60% rye, 35% corn and 5% malted barley is used and tended to by “costumed interpreters,” who explain the fermenting and distilling...
Not many occasions that I get excited about Verdicchio simply because such a small selection is available to me, but at Chef Sara Jenkins’ Porsena in New York’s East Village I found Fattoria Il Coroncino’s Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Superiore 2009 and loved it with a simple spaghetti with steamed Manilla clams,...
Hubby and I were in New York City this week staying in the Rockefeller Center area. Our hotel was just across the street at The Jewel, which I recommend for location, location and location – making it a snap to have dinner at Del Frisco’s Grille – twice. I tried a two wines on...
So every sixteen year old girl will think these wines are made just for her. Pretty, pink and fashion forward. The Diageo line of Girl Go Lightly has three unoaked varietals, Chardonnay, Rosé and Moscato with 11% alcohol by volume. The first video below is an animated presentation and the next two are tasting...
We tried the Noble Vines 337 Cabernet Sauvignon 2010 at our Easter dinner with prime rib and all the other yummy Spring dishes that go with this special day for our family. Loved this bottle for quality and price, richness and long finish. There’s a lot of spice in the nose, dried cherry and...
I have a jewel of a red wine from the Southern Rhone and I’m excited about it because summer is on the way and heavier red wines are not always fun in the Oklahoma heat. Lou Ven Tou Rouge Blend is aperitif-worthy and food-friendly from the Southern Rhone. The second thing I noticed about...
A couple of weeks ago we enjoyed our last bottles of Bogle Vineyards 2010 Chardonnay. I do see it still available online in some areas. The 2010 is worth searching for if you are looking for value Chardonnay that generally exceeds its price. We have opened our first bottle of 2011 and there is...
I’m a longtime Bombay Sapphire Gin lover and I get a little testy when a new gin comes along and I feel I must buy a bottle, just because…. I can be fairly sure it won’t stand up to Bombay Sapphire. Trying another gin in a bar before I buy doesn’t work. It’s never...
I had a lovely lunch today with my Mom (she’s 91) at Naples Flatbread and Wine Bar which is fairly new in Tulsa. It’s my second time to visit and both times were a delicious experience. The menu includes heavenly flat breads, pizza, panninis, chicken wings, boned and boneless, and salads. The decor is...
Menetou-Salon is an appellation and a village at the eastern end of the Loire. The Menetou Salon is a neighbor to Sancerre, about 25 miles to the west. Hubby and I tried a Sauvignon Blanc imported by Neal Rosenthal from Domaine Philippe Gilbert, 2010 vintage. Domaine Philippe Gilbert is a family operation consisting of...
Going to Turin anytime soon? While writing an article on Barolo Chinato, I was looking for a tasting video. I found a few but they were all in Italian. I came across this beautiful look at the Piedmont region, home to the Barolo DOCG, Barberesco and Barbera. Barolo and Barberesco are each a type...
Barolo Chinato is a wine-based digestif or digestivo as it’s termed in Italy, and since the wine base is the coveted Italian Barolo from Italy’s Piedmont region, we’ll stick with digestivo. Barolo Chinato (pronounced kee-nah-tow) is an after-dinner drink, famous for aiding digestion and being one of the few that may be unforgettable in...
The eight-day festival of Passover (Pesach) begins on Monday at sunset, March 25th this year (technically, sunset begins the new day, so maybe you prefer March 26th). During the Seder meal, four cups of wine are drunk (and we’ll hope that’s not four eight-ounces cups, but a symbolic cup – four eight cups =...
America is missing beautiful white wines by insisting on drinking what we perceive to be “dry” with “dry” equating to “smart,” “stylish,” “modern,” and what the beautiful people drink – beautiful dry wine for beautiful people – and we don’t see Chenin Blanc as “smart” “stylish” “modern” or what those gorgeous savvy masses are...
Hubby and I tried a new wine and a new method of cooking a strip steak tonight. The weather here isn’t bad but it’s a bit windy, and by evening still a little too cool to want to be on the patio. So we prepared our two strip steaks weighing in at 1.86 lbs...
What? Well yes…Australia is making ice wine from Chardonnay grapes by using a commercial freezer. If you haven’t yummed-up on frozen grapes, you are missing a sweet treat. During the summer months, frozen table grapes are often on my lunch menu, so why not good quality grapes making a version of the classic ice...
One of the most memorable evenings of all the years and meaningful travels in my time in the wine and spirits business was a dinner on Ellis Island in New York Harbor, hosted by William Grant and Sons and The Wine and Spirits Guild of America. The Irish Tenors were not performing that evening...
You love Sauvignon Blanc, right? One of the hottest wine types in the market today. How adventuresome have you gotten with your Sauvigon Blanc? What do you have in your wine rack right now? A White Bordeaux? A White Graves? Probably not. Many of us are familiar with Sauvignon Blanc but few familiar with...
Adam Corolla’s Mangria is 20.9% alcohol. DO.NOT.GIVE.IT.TO.GRANDMA for a bedtime sip. Even Mogan David’s 20/20 Red Grape has been lowered to 18% ABV. (…bottled in Napa. Think Napa grapes are in the bottle? Nah. I don’t either): Here it is straight from Carolla’s Mangria website: Combining red wine and the smooth sweet flavors and...
The southern Rhone has had a steady stream of great Chateauneuf-du-Pape vintages, excluding 2008 which was still far above average. The 2010 Chateauneuf-du-Papes are considered to be nothing short of magnificent – and maybe beginning to get interesting in 2020 or later. I have friends with vintages going back to 2004 cellared-away for a...
The Gundlach Bundschu family winery is celebrating 155 years of owing their piece of Sonoma vineyard lands known as Rhinefarm. Gundlach Bundschu (drop both ‘ds,’ gun-lock bun-shoo) is the oldest continuously-owned-family winery in California. Founder Jacob Gundlach purchased 400 acres in 1858 with plentiful southwest facing hillsides climbing up the Mayacamas Mountain range. Charles...
To cork or cap. that is the question, or no, maybe not. Wineries around the world are fleeing real cork closures and have for a few years now. There are pros and cons, and the cons were more prevalent than the pros when the cork industry, mainly Portugal, didn’t take that smelly old dirty...
I was fortunate to receive a collection of what I believe are Hungarian leaded cut glass wine glasses from an Aunt. In her collection was one black glass that I think is no longer produced (center front), along with Blue, Red, Gold, Green and Purple., and 6 hock glasses that included the orange glass...
Hubby and I just finished dinner – a pan-grilled pork chop (about 9 ounces each) and fresh spinach with garlic and olive oil, enjoyed with (well, actually we started while the chops were cooking) the 2011 Line 39 Sauvignon Blanc. I discovered Line 39 after reading about the 2010 vintage Sauvignon Blanc at The...
When I first began learning about wine, it wasn’t by tasting, it was by reading, filling multiple spiral notebooks, memorizing and then the tasting followed. I’m one of those people who like research, and if the research is interesting, I get into it in a big way. I wanted to know what was important...
Meiomi Belle Glos has not only an interesting name, but an interesting back story to go with their award winning Pinot Noirs. Recently I had the opportunity to have dinner in Mesazul at the Trump Doral in Miami. I was having a fabulous pan-seard Ahi Tuna with lime and cilantro and the Meiomi Pinot...
Mine is on order. Take a look at the video and you’ll see why. Every review I read about those rated among the best electric wine openers, loved them for ease of opening, convenience (compact and streamline) and price. I bought the Oster in Metallic Red at just under $20 with no shipping. If...
Easter is March 31, 2013, less than a month away, and with Easter arriving I see Spring. Daylight savings time kicks-in on March 10th. Warmer days, longer days and planting time is here or around the corner. Maybe you have a group of family or friends showing up for Easter brunch, or lunch or...
Cristie Kerr, a 14-time LPGA winner has partnered with Pride Mountain Vineyards to produce the Curvature-label wine to promote awareness for, and raise money for, breast cancer. The wines are made at Pride Mountain and includes 2006-2009 Cabernet Sauvignons and 2009-2011 Chardonnays. Cristie’s family has a long history of breast cancer, including her mother...
Constellation Brands has sold the historic, 116-year-old Leasingham Winery in Australia’s Clare Valley to local winemaker, Tim Adams. Australian Wine Equities is taking over Stonehaven. Leasingham was purchased by The Hardy Wine Company in January 1988. Constellation bought Hardy in early 2003. Beginning in the 1990′s through 2006, Leasingham’s Clare Valley Shiraz’ received Wine...
Earlier this week I posted about a new study on wine and health and part of this article is quoted there. I want to expand on the points of red wine and bone health, as bone health affects both men and women, and bone loss starts at a fairly young age, although seldom detected....
