Category: Uncategorized

A reader asked me where he could find the wines I had suggested in the June 24 Gazette-Mail “Main Ingredient” piece. Good question. The majority of wines I recommend for your sipping pleasure can be found either in local wine shops or grocery store wine areas. When I’m reasonably sure the wines are not available…

Syrah grapes on the vine. Wine made with the same grapes is designated Shiraz in Australia. Most grape varieties, regardless of where they are grown around the world, produce wines that have a defining aroma or taste that are universally recognizable. Take Cabernet Sauvignon, for example. Cabernet, produced in such geographically diverse regions as the…

Below are a couple of worthy wine events around West Virginia this summer that combine vino and victuals. THURSDAY, JULY 19: “Wine and Roses” Join me and about 100 other thirsty wine lovers at the third annual Roark-Sullivan Lifeways Center (RSLC) Wine and Roses event. Wine and Roses will be held indoors at the Capitol…

As I’ve almost evangelistically proclaimed over the years: “Brothers and Sisters, you got to drink that wine with victuals. Say hallelujah!” Both the wine and the food are enhanced and your sensory pleasure is doubled. One of the best websites I’ve found to get up-to-date information on matching food and wine is: www.nataliemaclean.com/matcher. Natalie MacLean,…

‘Terroir” as it relates to a wine’s creation starts with the place where the grapes are grown and rapidly expands to include anything and everything related to a wine’s evolution. Scanning the national wine blogs and columns provides an interesting perspective on what the wine cognicenti are yapping about. Without getting into the technical details…

Click to enlarge or click here for link. If any of you are vacationing in the northern California wine country this summer, you’re probably just as much interested in where to dine as where the multitude of tasting rooms are located. I’ve had the pleasure of spending a great deal of time, particularly in Napa,…

Summer’s coming with a fury and, like a creature shedding fur, I’m transitioning from the heavy reds of winter to lighter and more refreshing wines which are better suited to the tropical temperatures to come. I’m also altering my food choices by selecting lighter meals with more fresh veggies and fruits. I am not, however,…

Aging wine with the hope that it will morph into something sublime is risky, but to me it’s worth the gamble. One of the benefits of surviving youthful excess, war, marriage, physical infirmities, children and several decades of stressful living is that I have accumulated several cases of older wine. As a matter of fact,…

“Don’t cry for me Argentina!” That musical refrain comes to mind whenever I open one of the lovely wines from that mysterious country. This is a land where the vibrant wine industry is in its infancy, and where the political and economic conditions are as fragile as when Evita captured the hearts of the world…

Blogger John Brown has fond memories of imbibing screw-cap wines beneath the South Side Bridge. Photo by Walker DeVille for the DowntownWV blog Some of you seem shocked many wineries are now using screw cap closures instead of the more traditional cork to finish their wines. With all due respect to tradition and the desirability…