Category: Uncategorized
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D.C. eating and drinking: A Capitol experience
As a former Congressional employee, I get nostalgic when I reflect on the District of Columbia, particularly as it relates to my two favorite passions: great restaurants and exceptional wines. Back in those post-Watergate days, my income was insufficient to support the sybaritic yearnings I harbored; therefore I was not a frequent patron at the…
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Matching Wine and Food: From Aardvark To Zinfandel
Try blue cheese with Port and Zinfandel. You may have noticed that I rarely write about wine without mentioning what I consider a complementing dish. In my humble estimation, drinking a glass of wine without food is like listening to a concert while wearing ear muffs. This is particularly true for red wine where the…
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PINOT NOIR: Oregon’s Domaine Serene is where it’s at
So there I was at Paolo’s in Georgetown, chillin’ at the bar with a glass of Chianti Classico after a long day of doing my bureaucratic thing for the state. It was the early 1990s, Bill Clinton was about to be inaugurated and Washington was pretty electric. As I sat at the bar, I overheard…
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Wild and Wonderful Culinary Tales
The 18th hole at Stonewall Resort in Roanoke, W.Va. Stonewall photo Your traveling wino has been crisscrossing West-By-Golly, sampling the food and wine wares of some fine establishments. I can happily report that the state of sipping and supping is improving in these here hills. Today, I’m going to regale you with my experiences in…
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ZINFUL MUSINGS: Trying to earn a little respect for Zinfandel
Among the many full-bodied red wines that can nicely enhance foods such as beef stew, gumbo, chili, roasted meats and pastas, my favorite is Zinfandel. I’m talking seriously purple Zin — not the pink stuff that makes Aunt Lavinia feel like she’s a clever conversationalist. This is wine that will leave an indelible stain on…
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Doin’ The Butt
Banfi Chianti Classico Riserva is one full-bodied red wine that won’t be butted out when served with the dish described below. With the last vestiges of winter quickly retreating, you still have some time to prepare meals that require full-bodied red wines and hearty appetites. Of course, you have many choices, but today I’ll give…
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Grape Expectations: Or How A “Gourmanseur” Was Born
In this Wild and Wonderful wine backwater, I am hailed by many of my friends (?) as THE West Virginia wino. So it always comes as a shock when folks consider me an expert. This aversion to any type of recognition is probably the result of my Catholic school education, where guilt was the only…
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Spicy Pork Roll-Ups – Or, how I learned to cook and avoid the Honey –Do’s
Over the years, I’ve discovered that one of the very best excuses for getting out of “real” work (such as shoveling snow, moving furniture or cleaning the basement) is to cook dinner for the family. My wife, who must have been a hostage negotiator in a former life, made it clear to me that the…
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Sicilian Wine and Food: An Offer You Can’t Refuse!
Ask an Italian what wine they consider to be best, and they will invariably point to a winery down the street or to a vineyard on the hillside adjacent to their village. This is a country around which wine and food are the central components of everyday life, and citizens are justifiably proud of what…
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How I Forgot Valentine’s Day And Learned To Live The Monastic Life
Guys, trust me on this: women take Valentine’s Day very seriously! Hey, I’m no Dr. Phil (and I’m certainly not Dr. Ruth), but I do know that there will be serious consequences if you forget to do something special for your significant other on February 14. I learned this the hard way a couple of…