Category: Pairings

  • Celebrating Argentina’s Path to Independence

    On the 25th of this month, Argentina will celebrate 200 years since the Revolution of May opened the way to her Independence. As part of the celebration, Central Market will host some of our favorite winemakers in Texas stores, May 12-25, 2010, for “Passport to Argentina” a festival celebrating culture, food and wine.

  • Wine Pairing Recipes: Seafood Medley Stew

    This recipe for Seafood Medley Stew can be followed exactly, but where is the fun in that? Use it as a jumping-off point. Adjust the spices and ingredients to make it your own. Or, like me, make it differently every time. I call for one jalapeño below, but feel free to use more, less or some other pepper. In fact, the batch pictured featured a mild Hatch pepper augmented by about 1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes.

  • New Sauvignon Blanc on the Block: Cornerstone Cellars

    Last night we paired a sample of 2009 Cornerstone Cellars Sauvignon Blanc, with a spicy variation of Joe’s Seafood Medley Stew*. I like my food muy caliente! and this wine was perfect to take out a little of the heat from the serrano pepper. But to enjoy all the subtleties and nuances in this beautiful new Napa white, I was glad to have saved enough to have a glass or two on its own.

  • Hospice du Rhône: You Had Me at Syrah

    This week we joined Taste Live for Washington State Syrahs featured by Hospice du Rhône, a perpetual non-profit business league that represents and promotes the 22 Rhone varieties and those wineries who make them.

  • Why I Hate Bill Gates: Thank God for Wine!

    My laptop crashed. After nearly 24 hours of trying to recover my data due to a “corrupt volume” on my Microsoft Vista OS that just “happened” yesterday morning, I think I’m in a really bad relationship with Bill Gates. I need wine!

  • Walla Walla WOW – L’Ecole No. 41 2008 Estate Luminesce

    L’Ecole No. 41 takes its name from the historic Frenchtown schoolhouse that houses the winery. Every wine in their portfolio we tasted is good, and it’s no wonder they’ve been named Winery of the Year eight times by Wine & Spirits. If all Washington State wines taste like these, we can’t wait to get to Walla Walla.

  • Top Ten Best Drinking Movies

    After exhaustive research by our panel of judges here is a list of movies that star alcohol in some way. Conspicuously missing are a lot of quite good wine movies. Once I started making the list it became clear to me that Alan Rickman’s Steve Spurrier would pass out long before the spurned Arthur was even warmed up.

  • Weinrieder 2006 Grüner Veltliner Alte Reben

    Grüner Veltliner is not one of the most well known wine grapes on the planet. Wines made from this grape tend to have a spicy nose of white pepper, floral perfume, and either peach or tropical fruit. The Weinrieder 2006 Grüner Veltliner Alte Reben is an excellent example of just how good this wine can be.

  • Pop that Cork! Value-Priced Champagne Alternatives

    In the current economy, many people are looking for an alternative to traditional champagne to help ring in the New Year. Last year we told you about Cava from Spain, and we’ve found a few other sparklers to share with you this year as well.

  • Easy Holiday Banana Bread