The word is buzzing on the food & wine blogs this week…it would appear that Wine Spectator's Award of Excellence (y'know…those purple stickers you sometimes see proudly emblazoned on a restaurant window?) are nothing but a $250 sham. (…)
Poached salmon makes for a great light supper (especially when topped with a creamy mustard or dill sauce), and chilled overnight it makes a great simple lunch or salad topping. (…)
The annual Discover Virginia Music and Wine Festival is scheduled for August 30 & 31, 2008 from 11am to 6pm.
Discover Virginia is the first festival in the area to showcase the many award-winning wineries of the nearby region. (…)
The Garden State Growers Association will host the second annual Cape May Wine Festival, in Cape May, NJ on October 11th, 12th & 13th of 2008, Noon - 5pm. In addition to award winning wines, the festival offers live music, crafters, seminars, gourmets foods, and a special "Kids Zone" for young attendees. (…)
There's a new look at Rhino Wine Gear. There's a much better navigation system, so finding great wine gifts should be a breeze. So far the feedback has been awesome. (…)
Big plans for the Holiday weekend? We will be headed to a BBQ, and just may have a container of this party-friendly, warm weather treat in tow…
White Wine Fruit Cocktail
1 1/4 cups dry white wine
1/3 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
1/2 cantaloupe, cut into bite-size pieces
1 cup seedless green grapes, halved
1 pint fresh strawberries, hulled and halved
Combine the wine and sugar in a saucepan. (…)
Is it wrong that I don't completely hate on Sandra Lee? Sure, she's likely to still use Tang as an ingredient, and I am still getting over the great "Denim and Diamonds Tablescape" debacle of 2007, but you gotta admit, the lady throws a heck of a party. (…)
The Chateau Miraval wine estate in Provence, France is about to welcome some new tenants. (…)
Its a little hard to imagine enjoying red wine in this oppressive heat we've been experiencing in the Northeast (other than our go-to sangria), but I spotted a recipe this weekend that made me want to crack open another bottle. Giada's Cantaloupe Red Wine Surprise is a cool and refreshing heat-wave treat. (…)
Oenophile….or sucker?
The New York Times reports that American wine drinkers are more and more being portrayed as easily manipulated "dupes and twits" in the wine marketplace. The Times points out a recent Newsweek article, which focuses on a taste-test that resulted in a $10 bottle of Washington sparkling wine beating out a $150 bottle of Dom Perignon, and a $55 bottle of Napa Cabernet being defeated by the infamous Charles Shaw "Two Buck Chuck." But turn the tables, and inform the "average oenophile" how much a particular vino costs, and taste-testers are typically reported to score higher marks to the pricier bottle. Could it be (as studies by the California Intitute of Technology would indicate), that the more expensive a consumer believes a wine to be, the more pleasure he will derive from it? (…)
In a move reminiscent of the famous "Schlitz Gay" SNL beer commercial, a new wine, meant to "honor the gay community" has recently been introduced to the market. (…)
Health experts warn not to raise your glass just yet, but recent studies have shown a link between red wine consumption and a decrease in amyloid-beta proteins, which cause Alzheimer's inducing plaque in the brain. (…)
Perfect to serve with Corned Beef and Cabbage, or even an Irish Lamb Stew, this Saint Patrick's Day Sangria will have your Irish eyes smiling…
Saint Patrick's Sangria
makes 6 - 8 servings
1 bottle red wine (rioja or merlot work well)
1 lemon cut into wedges
2 oranges cut into wedges
1/2 cup sugar
2 shots of Irish Whiskey
2 cups seltzer water (sub ginger ale if you prefer a sweeter sangria)
Combine all ingredients except seltzer in a large pitcher, squeezing a bit of fruit juice into the wine before adding the pieces of fruit to the pitcher. Chill in the fridge for two or more hours. Before serving, add the seltzer, and serve over ice. (…)
I have mentioned before what a fantastic job my husband does of selecting wines for our house. Trips to our local wine market result in his spotting a few new gems for us to try, and the shop's lovely owner normally suggests a couple of exciting bottles for us to sample. No trip to the store would be complete, however, without him picking up a couple bottles of our favorite wine stand-bys. You know the kind I mean - the wines you want on hand for surprise guests, or the wine you open for a quick weeknight meal when you just can't justify opening that $30 bottle. We brought one such stand-by to the table this weekend, and after the rousing reception it received, we realized we shouldn't be taking it for granted. (…)
So we have to confess, we haven't actually tried any of the varietals from the Washington and Oregon winemaker, Naked Wineries. With names like Dominatrix, Tease, Escort and Missionary, we sure aren't bringing a bottle to our next book club meeting. Reviews online are mixed, but the 2003 Penetration Cabernet, pictured above, scores a rating of 87 with an average retail price of $28.
American Winery describes the "orgasmically grown" varietal as having "…intense concentration with a huge extract…Penetration is always satisfying…"
Ummmmm…we'll have what she's having.
And the votes are in, folks! The verdict? "Not that bad!"
I have always been dying to try Trader Joe's much talked about Two Buck Chuck (or Three Buck Chuck, as the regional case may be.) My husband? Well, not so much. While our tastes in wine are well-matched, the one area we butt heads on is price. Always the budget-minded shopper, I urge my husband to stick to the $10 and under section of our local wine shop. When left to his own devices, he comes home with more than a few $20 bottles. Fortunately, he rarely picks a clunker. (…)
Researchers at Sirtris Pharmaceuticals seem to have stumbled upon The Fountain of Youth…and it's filled with red wine. (…)
We are huge fans of Ina Garten at our house. With recipes that are easy to manage, and her cook-ahead strategies, we know we can count on her for last-minute dinner parties. The following recipe for her famous Beef Bourguignonne was our latest go-to, and it didn't disappoint.
Fillet of Beef Bourguignonne, from The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook
serves 6 - 8
1 (3-pound) filet of beef, trimmed
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, for seasoning plus 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper
3 to 4 tablespoons good olive oil
1/4 pound bacon, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 cups good dry red wine, such as Burgundy or Chianti
2 cups beef stock
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 sprig fresh thyme
1/2 pound pearl onions, peeled
8 to 10 carrots, cut diagonally into 1-inch-thick slices
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced 1/4-inch thick (domestic or wild)
With a sharp knife, cut the fillet crosswise into 1-inch-thick slices. (…)
From hybrid cars, to energy-efficient lightbulbs, to the sustainability of the foods we eat, America has "green" fever. Heck, even the NFL announced Sunday Night Football to be green this week, forcing viewers to listen to the commentary of Chris Collinsworth and Bob Costas as they sat in a poorly lit studio. With all that focus on enviromentalism, it couldn't be long before someone decided to examine the carbon footprint of the wines we drink. (…)
Want to know the secret to Jessica Simpson's newly buff-again bod? When asked by Life & Style magazine about her recent slim-down, Ms. (…)
