Category: Uncategorized

Two weeks ago, when it was 75 degrees, I was grilling animal flesh over charcoal and toasting the emergence of spring with a flagon of purple elixir. Now it’s late March, 32 degrees and there is snow on the ground. What happened to the weather and that groundhog’s prediction for an early end to winter…

I have been a long time fan of wines made from grapes grown in the Sierra Foothills of California, particularly bottles produced from vineyards in Amador County. The Sierra Foothills AVA (American Viticultural Area) is comprised of five counties in the shadow of the Sierra Nevada Mountains between Sacramento and Lake Tahoe and about two…

Appropriately matching wine with food continues to be a challenging and pleasurable life-long pursuit of mine. It is not, however, an easy task since the flavor of a specific meat, vegetable, fruit or fish is never all one needs to consider. Think about it. A roasted chicken is never simply a roasted chicken. In order…

If you have read this column/blog, you KNOW that wine is the ultimate liquid accompaniment to just about every type of food known to man. Yet, there are heathens out there who deign to suggest that beer is a more appropriate beverage to swill with our daily repast. Heresy, I know, but in an effort…

Most of us want simple answers to the questions that perplex us. Take wine appreciation for example. I am often asked to describe the most important qualitative aspect in producing good wine. Well, unfortunately there is no simple answer, but there are two basic conditions that must exist for good wine to be made. The…

With the dawn of a new year, it is not uncommon for many of us to experience a touch of melancholy, guilt or both. Melancholy – in my case – because I cannot physically or fiscally sustain the incessant consumption of excellent food and wine ad infinitum. But even if I had the wherewithal to…

Is this fun or what? The holiday season, I mean. It’s not often you get a pass to cast prudence and caution to the wind and plunk down some serious green for a little red or white. I‘ve already been perusing the shelves of my favorite wine shops (and online too) in search of that…

At dinner the other evening at a local restaurant, I asked the waiter if he could decant the rather full-bodied red wine that I had selected to accompany our meal. One of my tablemates looked quizzically at me and inquired why I felt the wine needed to be decanted. To air or not to air.…

I’ve proclaimed this many times before, but it bears repeating: Thanksgiving is truly a wine lover’s holiday! Why? Simply put, it’s the culinary versatility of the Thanksgiving dinner and the way turkey and all the “fixins” can be successfully paired with just about any type of wine. The turkey by itself possesses meat that has…

One of the state’s premier food and wine events will once again be held in beautiful Tucker County at Canaan Valley Resort. The “Wild, Wonderful Wine Weekend,” which has become an annual gourmet extravaganza, will be held this year from November 9th thru 11th. Once again, I will have the privilege of selecting the wines…