The answer: Comfort food and hearty wine! But what’s the question? What do you need to ward off that psychological malady brought on by gray skies, cold weather, a general lack of sunshine and the end of football season?

Clinically known as seasonal affective disorder (SAD), Doctor Feelgood — me — has just the prescription: Braciole or Italian beef roll-ups with penne in a thick tomato sauce. This past weekend, after preparing and then consuming this dish (with a full bodied red I’ll tell you about later), my outlook on the week ahead was definitely brighter.

So, here’s what I put together that should feed four to six hungry and depressed friends. (more…)

If you’re not a Romance language specialist, you probably have trouble understanding the gibberish on the label of a bottle of European wine. Join “WineBoy” webcast host John Brown in show 23 as he deciphers the information so you can make better buying decisions.

The show also features cameos by two of WineBoy’s alter egos — Sir Reginald Winesot Clydesdale and the Marcrazi Umberto Lupini — not to mention, a solid wine recommendation or two. Watch it at the WineBoy blog at thegazz.com.

Map of Rioja region of Spain from www.cellartours.com

I have always been a fan of Rioja (pronounced Ree-OH-hah). It’s a famous wine region in north-central Spain that produces red wine in a style similar to the more famous reds of Bordeaux. The connection with Bordeaux grew out of a vine disease which devastated those world-renowned French vineyards in the 1800’s. Faced with having to completely replant their vineyards, many Bordelais ventured over the Pyrenees Mountains into Spain to grow grapes and make wine unaffected by the blight. (more…)

If you could afford to pay $100 or more for a “trophy” wine, wouldn’t you expect that bottle to be memorable? I had a friend who recently plunked down $125 for a bottle of cabernet that, indeed, was memorable, but for the wrong reasons. He described it as “rancid, overbearing and lacking character.”

Since that description could fit a plethora of animate organisms, including cheese, over-the hill rock stars and the entire French Parliament, my friend assured me that he was describing wine.

I suppose the lesson here is that expensive does not always mean quality when it comes to buying wine -which is why I always do a little research (usually online) before I spend more than $20 for a bottle.

Conversely, inexpensive wines are not always inferior. As a matter of fact, in my never-ending quest for excellent wine at bargain prices, I am often pleasantly surprised by the quality of wines I did not expect to be very good.

The point here is that often our expectations are colored by the price of wine. (more…)

The latest edition of “WineBoy,” our 5-minute Web show on the art and craft of wine appreciation, features part one of two programs on deciphering wine labels. Host John Brown first takes a look at what you can learn from a close look at California wine labels. A future program will take a gander at European wine labels, an entirely different read. Click here to view the program.

Hey foodies and… um, wine-ies (wine-o’s?): Want to spend a cold winter’s weekend eating, drinking and living large in the lap of luxury? If so, you might want to cruise up I-79 to Stonewall Resort and take in the festivities known as the Cast Iron Cook-off this weekend.

This third annual Cast Iron Cook-off is an opportunity to not only sup on gourmet delights and sip a vast array of great wines, it’s also a chance for you to pick up a few culinary pointers from some of this state and region’s most accomplished chefs who will be competing for the grand prize (What else? A commemorative cast iron skillet). Here’s a rundown of what you can expect at the event:

Friday, Jan. 25
6:30 p.m.: Dinner reception with several wines and hors d’oeuvres that feature Stonewall Resort Executive Chef Dale Hawkins’s New Appalachian Cuisine.

Saturday, Jan. 26
9:30 am until 2 pm.: Cast Iron Cook-off Teams spend 1 1/2 hours preparing and then one hour in actual competition. Start times are staggered, so cook-off competitors and their guests can observe other teams when they are not competing. Interspersed with all these activities are wine and food tastings along with an event where you can actually have your cast-iron ware appraised.
6 p.m.: Sparkling wine reception with entertainment provided by Colleen Anderson in concert.
7 p.m.: Dinner features a 5-course gourmet meal with accompanying wines. An awards ceremony will celebrate the day’s work and include the presenting of The West Virginia Pioneer Award.

Sunday, January 27
A true country breakfast with your favorite goodies completes the weekend.

If you’re interested in attending, contact Stonewall Resort (304-269-7400) for rates and packages.