In episode 6 of “WineBoy,” host John Brown heads ups to Robert Wong’s Bridge Road Bistro for a tasty pairing of wine and food. Executive chef Paco Aceves shares with Brown a chicken penne pasta dish from the Bistro’s recently revised menu. Brown pairs it with a French red wine from a new wine list by general manager Amy Sue Gates. You’ll be hungry before it’s all over. And wait for those credits to roll…

In my hedonist’s mind, almost everything has a relationship to food and wine. In the summertime, my thoughts turn to cool refreshing white wines such as Sauvignon Blanc, Prosecco and Pinot Grigio, or spicy reds like Zinfandel, Syrah or Pinot Noir.

As far as food is concerned, to yours truly summertime means grilled foods or barbecue. Barbecue, though, means different things to different people. For some, it’s a verb as in: “I’m going to barbecue some hamburgers.” For others, barbecue is a noun and refers to a type of cooked pork or beef rib meat that is immersed in various sauces, chopped and served on a bun. Since I love to grill out, barbecue means a style of cooking to me. You’ll find just about every kind of food on my grill, including (but not limited to) pork, chicken, beef, lamb, fish, vegetables and sometimes even fruit. (more…)

“WineBoy” episode 5 is now online– click to watch. Host John Brown wraps up his introductory series, “The Five ‘S’ Words of Wine” with one that counts the most: ‘Swallow.’ The four-minute web show’s setting includes John Crihfield’s food stall at the Capitol Market, a wine recommendation from Down Under where they name their wines funny, as well as John Brown’s signature off-the-basement-wall antics.

Watch for a new ‘WineBoy’ each Thursday morning online at thegazz.com (peek in Wednesday afternoon and it’s likely to already be online). The next one — online Sept. 4 — features a Bridge Road Bistro wine and food pairing. Executive chef Paco Aceves shows off a new dish from the recently revised menu at owner Robert Wong’s restaurant, paired with a white wine from a fresh new wine list by general manager Amy Sue Gates. You’ll be both thirsty and hungry after viewing.

John Brown’s grandparents, Saverio and Catarina Iaquinta, are seen at center above in this photo from the couple’s 50th wedding anniversary

A friend recently asked how I came to be such a fanatic about wine. Good question and I get it often, especially now that I have a wine blog and “WineBoy” weekly podcast. As a matter of fact, I did a little self analysis on that question years ago and I think I’ll share it with you right here and now.

When I was growing up in the 1950s and ‘60s, I had the privilege of being raised in a culture distinctly different from most of my contemporaries of that time, and light years away from how kids grow up today. Back in those times, my world almost exclusively revolved around home and family. My mother was Italian and my father was Irish, but since I was raised with my mother’s family, it was the Italian influence and ethnicity into which I was absorbed. My maternal grandparents were both immigrants who spoke heavily accented English and who provided their nine children and 23 grand children with the elements of Italian culture and values that have molded our extended families to this day. (more…)

We’ve reached Episode 4 in the WineBoy webcast series “The Five ‘S’ Words of Wine.’” In this one you finally get to — ‘S’ word! — sip. John Brown also serves up an affordable and classy Chardonay recommendation plus his signature off-the-wall, free association commentary. To view prior episodes:
Episode 3: ‘Sniff’
Episode 2: ‘Swirl’
Episode 1: ‘Sight’

If you haven’t yet seen my alter-ego on the big screen, you need to tune in by clicking on the WineBoy webcast list below. This is the fourth in a series of five shows dealing with the five S’s of wine appreciation. So far, I’ve told you about Sight, Swirl, Sniff and now Sip (my favorite) and next week we’ll feature the last “S” swallow. The webcasts feature about two-thirds wine education and one-third complete and utter foolishness from the depths of my diseased brain.

On this episode four, I’m recommending you try a lovely and inexpensive chardonnay. In the past three episodes, I’ve also recommended specific wine for your drinking pleasure. You’ll have to view the webcasts to find out. Let me know what you think about WineBoy and how we can improve these little vino-vignettes for you.