Author: John Brown

Obsessed as I am with eating and drinking well, I make a conscious effort to not only pair wine with the food I consume, but also to match these pairings with the seasons of the year. You would think the occasional sideways glance in a full -length mirror would disabuse me of this obsessive tendency,…

I came of age during a time when beer was… well… just beer. Oftentimes, the suds were chased with a shot glass full of cheap hootch. Heck, if you ever wanted something other than cold, yellow, pilsner in my neighborhood, you had to wait until Christmastime when a regional brewer produced something called “Old Frothingslosh.”…

So, there I was: sitting at a table under a multi-colored umbrella on the deck of a semi-high-class eatery. The weather was very warm, but pleasantly dry, and I had a hankering for a wine that -given the climate and my menu selection– probably qualified as a counterintuitive choice. I wanted a glass of red…

I don’t know about you, but after a particularly good meal accompanied by a glass or two of fine wine, I can become pensive, reflective and downright hillbilly profound. One evening last week after such a repast, I came to the happy realization that, despite the troublesome distractions of the times, including wars, natural disasters,…

Independence Day is just around the corner, so I’ve been thinking about wines I’ll use to toast Uncle Sam on his 246th birthday. At the risk of sounding provincial, I’m going to stick with wines from the good old US of A to celebrate the Fourth of July. And since most of us will be…

Many of you have ventured to the Canaan Valley and the towns of nearby Davis and Thomas. I have written about some of my favorite eating and sipping establishments there such as Sirianni’s Café, Stumptown Ales and The Billy Motel in Davis, along with Farm Up Table Restaurant, Riverfront Wood Fired Pizza and Tiptop Coffee…

Leg of lamb is always the featured entrée in our home on Easter Sunday. I must admit, however, that my first experience with lamb could have been my last. That inedible dish was prepared in the time-honored and assertively bland tradition of English gastronomy. It was roasted in its own pungent juices, devoid of any…

Just recently, I had the pleasure of sipping three wines I think you might find enjoyable, especially when paired with the dishes I’m also suggesting. 2019 St. Supery Dollarhide Sauvignon Blanc ($32) – The Dollarhide vineyard is nestled in the mountains on the eastern slopes of the Napa Valley. Cool evening temperatures allow this sauvignon…

You like to drink wine or you would not be reading this column, right? I’ll presume my assumption is correct, and I will also venture to guess you enjoy pairing the fruit of the vine with wine’s best friend – a compatible meal. But what about using wine as an ingredient in cooking your meal?…

It is the dead of winter and you’re not only sick of the cold, gray and snowy days– you’re weary and listless. You’ve probably tried to amuse yourself and your friends by playing cards, board games and just about anything to make time go faster. You may have even been desperate enough to retrieve that…