Can’t blame this cat for hesitating to go outside. It’s dreary and rainy here in Seattle, though thankfully not apocalyptically cold like in other parts of the country. This is the time when, wine-wise, you look to warm up with the deepest and richest of reds. Or perhaps a glass of fortified wine, like Port? [More]
How Much Should Wine Matter in a Restaurant Review?
Of course when I go to a restaurant I’m hyper-tuned to pluses and minuses of the wine list. But how much weight should wine carry in the total assessment of a restaurant? What can we learn about the restaurant as a whole based on its beverage service? I am fortunate to have met Hanna Raskin, [More]
What Is The Result of A Crush? A Noteworthy Washington Syrah
If your looking for Washington Reds (as in wine) to watch, go to your local newsstand and buy all the January/Feburary 2014 issues of 425 Magazine. Yours truly has a pick for you. In a world of Chateau Fancypants type wines with a dour labels, you’ve got to hand it to the folks behind Result [More]
2013: A Year in Wine Travel
What a year of travel around the West Coast and the world in search of vines and wines. The year started out with a trip to Napa and Sonoma, where I visited the CrossBarn winery in Sebastopol. I got to meet globetrotting winemaker Paul Hobbs and enjoy some fancy wines. But one white wine under [More]
2013: Reviewing My Year in Wine and Food Books
Taking a look back at all the blogging I did this year, I sure plowed through some thoughtful and thought-provoking books about both wine and food. And non-eating/drinking related books also inspired me indirectly and even directly. Let’s take a stroll down memory lane: I enjoyed Graham Greene’s sweaty, atmospheric The Power and the Glory [More]
How to Destroy Wine and Food Stereotypes and Embrace Sweetness
Wow, what a fantastic podcast I have for you. How about a one-two punch of Natalie Slater from Bake and Destroy followed by the CakeSpy herself, Jessie Oleson Moore. Whoa! Buckle up. I was inspired to ring Natalie after receiving a free copy of Bake and Destroy: Good Food For Bad Vegans. I totally made [More]
Considering Champagne in Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises
I’ve been pondering this passage from Ernest Hemingway’s seminal Lost Generation novel, The Sun Also Rises. Here are my thoughts: “I say that is wine.” Thank you, Brett. For many, Champagne exists in a separate category from wine. People think of it as a special outlier. You can listen to my conversation with David Speer, [More]
