Many a sommelier student has heard that Haut-Brion was named such by an Irishman named O’Brian or O’Brien, who wanted to make wine but knew that no Frenchman would consider wine made by an Irishman worthy of his palate. So he adopted a French spelling and pronunciation of the name.
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Even Alton Brown thinks Sandra Lee is creepy!
Not too long ago I wrote a piece entitled Why do I hate Sandra Lee so much? that I used as a launching off point for a rant about what a wasteland Food Network has become. I used Sandra Lee, rightfully so, as the spokesmodel for everything wrong with what used to be my favorite network. Many times when I go on these rants people ask me why I don’t just change the channel and […]
Continue readingMore TagSilver Oak and Twomey – Wine Reviews
Last week we had the great honor and distinct pleasure of meeting legendary wine maker Daniel Baron. It was a fantastic way to spend an afternoon, and we plan to tell you all about it later. But Daniel was there to pour wine, so lets talk about the wine first. The wines poured were all from Twomey and Silver Oak, and all were quite delicious. Here are the capsule reviews. Twomey Sauvignon Blanc 2008 – […]
Continue readingMore TagThey say, “Joe, why do you drink?”
I have a shameful confession to make: I am a Detroit Lions fan. There, it’s out there and I can’t take it back. I root for a team that has won 3 out of their last 39 games, holds the NFL record for the longest drought of road wins, and is the only team in the history of the league to go 0-16 in a season. And people wonder why I drink. It hasn’t always […]
Continue readingMore TagA Tale of Two Meals
To be honest, it made me want to go back in the kitchen and cook each course properly so that the chef and the proprietor could taste the difference. I can’t help it, I have a Gordon Ramsey complex. “Have you $@#%ing TASTED it???”
Continue readingMore TagEarthquake wreaks havoc on Chile’s Wine Industry
Early estimates put the loss at $975 million due to spillage from barrels and storage tanks damaged in Saturday’s 8.8 magnitude earthquake in Chile. Not since Prohibition has this much wine been spilled in one day alone.
Continue readingMore TagSonoma Coast Jewels: Freeman Vineyard & Winery
Part of my motivation to visit Freeman Vineyard & Winery was reading that co-owner and assistant winemaker learned about wine from her grandfather, a Japanese scholar. And that she shared the same first name as my study abroad hostess, Akiko.
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“A bottle of Chablis, hey now, that ain’t no stuff for me Chateau Timberley, as long as I can’t see Gallo or Muscatel, either one would be just swell I didn’t come here to fight, hey just as long as that ain’t white” -The Replacements, Red Red Wine There is an old adage that one should never cook with a wine that one would not drink. If one were to repeat this adage, one would […]
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This isn’t going to be another one of those tired old articles about how to not suffer too much during Lent. In fact, if you are a believer who devoutly gives up meat for the horrors of something like shrimp or sushi, you should probably stop reading right now and go get yourself some *&#%ing tilapia.
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