Yearly Archives: 2015
Cava Cocktail: Best Brunch Drink in Portland Oregon
Sure the Bloody Mary gets all the pub, but you should seriously consider a Cava cocktail to accompany your next brunch. While staying in Portland, Oregon, I was a short (but rainy) stroll away from Irving Street Kitchen in the Pearl District. It was here that I enjoyed this brunch-tastic cocktail, named “What She’s Having“. [More]
Weekend Wine Links: Dirty Lists, Non-Awful Prosecco, Cool Kids
You know what I do when I’m not writing about wine? I’m READING about wine. All over the internet! Yes! I’m pretty one-dimensional, sad to say. But that dimension is full of all kinds of colors, sounds, liquids, solids, and other cool stuff. So, to paraphrase (lift) what Bill Murray said in Caddyshack, I got [More]
The Pleasures of Zin: 2011 Frog’s Leap Zinfandel
Zinfandel was one of the first wines I cut my teeth on a couple decades ago. (Thank you, Ravenswood.) But as my taste gravitated away from heavy, jammy, boozy expressions of the grape, I left it by the wayside. So how great was it to crack open a bottle of 2011 Frog’s Leap Zinfandel Napa [More]
Pairing Wine With French Onion Salisbury Steak
Pleasure to know my pal Peabody. She’s the creator of Sweet ReciPEAs, and we have an informal food and wine pairing collaboration going. Our most recent? It involves her recipe for French Onion Salisbury Steak. For those of you old enough to remember Salisbury steak in the form of TV dinners, you will undoubtedly give [More]
Smith-Madrone: Stu Smith on Wine and the Ephemeral Sense of Art
Post-Symposium for Professional Wine Writers, all I wanted to do was eat tacos and drink cocktails. And guzzle beer. But I am very glad I took a trip up to the top of Napa Valley’s Spring Mountain to visit Smith-Madrone. A few months prior, I’d had the wines–a Chardonnay, Cabernet, and Riesling–sent to me and [More]
A Return to Golden Paramount Seafood for Dim Sum in Richmond, BC
Was I ever excited for an encore visit to Golden Paramount Seafood for dim sum in Richmond, British Columbia. I was on a Chinese food adventure with other eager eaters from the world of writing courtesy of Tourism Richmond. It is no exaggeration to say: We. Ate. So. Much. For the love of noodles*, we had three (!) [More]
Grassi Ribolla Gialla at Cook in St. Helena
Sometimes after all that Napa Cabernet, you crave refreshment. And not just beer. Enter the 2012 Grassi Ribolla Gialla. To call this Italian white wine grape obscure (and especially in Napa) would be an understatement. But a few producers are waving the flag for RG either in blends or all on its own. The Grassi [More]
Are There Questions About Wine You’re Afraid to Ask?
In the spirit of bringing you Wine Without Worry, over on msn.com I have answered all the questions rolling around in your head you might be reticent to voice in mixed company. Speak up, I implore you! The queries below originate from enthusiastic, curious wine drinkers looking to learn the basics and beyond. And please [More]
