For Sake’s Sake

This week kicks off Sake Week in London: A fact I find very interesting - mainly because I adore introducing friends to Sake. This past New Year's Eve, my husband and I hosted a dinner for 8 of our friends. We dubbed the event "Dinner of the Decades" to welcome in the last year of the current decade. The evening began in the living room with fire-side appetizers made famous in the 1950's such as deviled eggs and a relish tray [...]

By |2019-02-27T13:52:19-05:00February 27th, 2019|Wine Blog|

Pairing Buttery Chardonnay

We have all seen terms like buttery, creamy, smooth on the back label of our favorite Chardonnay, but what does that mean in terms of pairing? For me, corn on the cob, lobster, and crab legs come to mind. The buttery texture of some Chardonnays just naturally stand up to foods that we often serve with butter. You might wonder why some Chardonnays have this creamy, buttery texture and flavor and others do not. In a word, malolactic fermentation. Ok [...]

By |2018-07-27T22:03:44-04:00July 27th, 2018|Uncategorized, Wine Blog|

Wine Chemistry 101

Ever wondered where wine gets its aromas? While the science of wine is complicated, here's a snap shot answer: The grape: Each grape has a unique flavor profile or set of characteristics. Much like apples, no two varieties taste exactly the same. Think Granny Smith vs Honey Crip vs Red Delicious and you will get the picture. Fermentation: All wine grapes under go full or partial fermentation, which is the process of allowing yeast to convert the grape sugar into alcohol. Sometimes [...]

By |2016-08-31T18:55:35-04:00August 31st, 2016|Wine Blog|

A Brutish Winter makes for a Bubbly Spring

One can only hope that the brut winter weather of 2014 is finally over, but dare we utter the word “spring?” Most of us have a fear of jinxing the mild weather when it arrives by declaring spring has sprung – especially if you live anywhere in the north to central eastern part of the country.  Crazy weather patterns and polar vortex influences have wreaked havoc on our faith in predicting the forecast. That said, given the choice of glass [...]

By |2014-04-18T15:54:04-04:00April 17th, 2014|Wine Blog|

Screwing Around with the Cork

Most winelovers would like to say that they always open a bottle of wine using proper technique. That said, many times necessity (aka lack of an opener) overrides technique, and the vinous will takes over. Personally, I have been know to open a bottle of wine using a self-created method I call "pigeage-bouchon" or punching down the cork with a sturdy chopstick. It may not be pretty, but it gets the job done.  Stuck without a corkscrew in a formal setting? No worries.  I once [...]

By |2014-02-26T04:36:30-05:00January 25th, 2012|Wine Blog|

Decanting Wine

WHY WE DECANT WINE  Reason #1 - Letting the wine breathe: If you like big reds, then you need a decanter. Here’s why: The aroma and complexity of full-bodied, red wine actually improves with aeration (the addition of oxygen). Simply removing the cork does not allow the wine to breathe. You need to get the wine out of the bottle, so oxygen can mix with the wine. Try this, pour yourself a glass of good, quality red wine, give it [...]

By |2011-08-17T12:48:41-04:00August 17th, 2011|Wine Blog|

The "ah ha moment"

  Everyone has one. That singular point in time when you "got" wine for the very first time. It's your vinous "ah ha moment" and there isn't a sweeter sip to be had. Lots of people drink wine, but once you've experience your wine WOW you will never approach a glass in the same manner. You stop merely sipping wine and start savouring wine by taking in all that it has to offer including the wine's history, geography, sensibility, and winemaking tradition. My wine "ah ha [...]

By |2016-03-29T11:46:11-04:00March 30th, 2011|Wine Blog|

Fireside Sippers

With lots of candy leftover from the Halloween season, I find myself temped to nibble a piece at the end of the day. Trouble is...I also find myself wanting a glass of vino. For me,there is no better time to uncork a simple ruby port than the start of the holiday season. From Nov 1st to Jan 1st, I find myself sipping fortifieds and nibbling on more sweets than anyother time of the year. Did I tell ya there is snow [...]

By |2010-11-08T16:04:21-05:00November 8th, 2010|Wine Blog|

Season of Change

Harvest time rocks. It signifies a time of change. Take for example the changing of the seasons from summer to fall with leaves changing from green to autumnal colors. Better yet, the veggies on our table go from flowering to root, meats are roasted instead of grilled and (wait for it) the grapes on the vine are changed into wine! The French word vintage means harvest. So the date on that bottle of wine you are holding is actually the year in which the grapes [...]

By |2010-10-13T17:23:07-04:00October 13th, 2010|Wine Blog|

Hot Small Brand

 Every so often, I taste a wine that screams Tuesday night! It is a wine that pairs perfectly with a burger, pizza or a simple salad. More importantly, it does so for around $10 - $15...and for me, Four Vines Naked Chardonnay did just that. In fact, I chatted about this wine more than a year ago on the WAVE here in Cleveland: wine_on_the_wave_Sept 10 2009 According to Wine Business Monthly, "Four Vines, which is located near Paso Robles, was recently selected as a [...]

By |2010-10-05T12:24:20-04:00October 5th, 2010|Wine Blog|

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