This is definitely a sangria with some zing. Give it a try on a hot summer afternoon.
1 bottle of Zinfandel or Syrah
2 cups Vernor’s ginger ale
1/4 cup simple syrup
2 lemons cut into wedges
1 orange cut into wedges
2 limes cut into wedges
1 ruby red grapefruit, segmented
1 oz good gin
Make sure that all ingredients are well chilled [...]
Despite it being a day for solemn remembrance, especially in the times we find ourselves, Memorial Day weekend, for many, also signals the opening of the BBQ and grilling season for many folks. Being in Texas, that season never ends, but for a lot of people this is the weekend when they break out the [...]
This week Robert Mondavi died. Mondavi was very influential in the creation of America’s wine industry as we know it today. His early success developing techniques for both wine making and marketing for American, and later global, tastes allowed him to later donate millions of dollars to institutions such as UC Davis that also assisted [...]
Wine tasting events are all the rage these days. They are held as everything from home parties to mixers to fund raising events. These events are almost always a lot of fun, and are typically much less pretentious than many people imagine. However, if they aren’t something that you attend very often they can be [...]
I am not a big fan of the traditional Saint Patrick’s day meal of corned beef and cabbage. Boiling is not my idea of how to treat meat, I don’t care for the spice combination typically used for corned beef, and boiled cabbage is not high on my list of vegetable dishes. Other than a [...]
Last night I attended a wine tasting held in a shop owned by a friend of my wife. The event was fun and appeared to be a successful way for her to get people into her store. Nothing wrong with that, it is a nice shop and the people running it are exceptionally nice themselves.. [...]
I would like to apologize for not posting anything yesterday. My intentions were good, but apparently the road to hell is paved with homemade pasta. Lots of homemade pasta, as it turns out.
Last week my youngest son turned 13. This momentous occasion was prologued earlier in the week by me asking, quite innocently, what he [...]
First off, is there any funnier word in the entire English language than “wanker?” If so, I can’t think of it. In the context of this article on wine snobs, or wankers, it made me laugh even harder than usual. I think we all know at least one person like that.
There is a lot of [...]
I really enjoyed this article on pairings. I have a bottle of Muscadet just begging for a dish like his first suggestion.
Let’s get serious about food and wine matching.
I’m going to present three utterly perfect pairings. They are classic and easy to do.
First up: oysters.
OK, I hear the chorus of boos. Oysters? Yuck. But, please, [...]
Over the last two days I have proposed that couples stay in on Valentine’s Day and have a special evening at home, and if going out is a necessity, then postpone it for a day or so. Realistically, however, a lot of people are going to go out anyway, and here is some advice that [...]
If Valentine’s Day had an equivalent to Scrooge, I would be a natural in the role. I spout all of the usual reasons for disliking it, such as it being in existence solely to sell cards, etc., that are almost as cliche as cupid and hearts. Of course I am married to a woman who [...]
This time of year we hear a lot about wine and chocolate for Valentine’s Day, but do the two actually pair up well? The answer is a definite maybe. With some thought (the hard part) and some research (the fun part) wine and chocolate can be matched up very well. Keep in mind that the [...]
Galveston has been immortalized in song and in history books. It is a city known for a tragic past and for its resiliency. It should also be known for its friendly people and increasingly, as a place for good food and wine.
Since I moved to Houston a few years back, I have taken quite a [...]
As this excellent article on the Willamette Valley demonstrates, Google has allowed for some amazing uses of its technology by independent developers.
The information on the Willamette Valley is well worth the read, but the really stunning part of the article is described in the following excerpt from the article:
The initial interactive start-up screen lists all [...]
I would guess that most people never think much about the barrels that their wine is aged in. This article on barrel-making is very interesting.
From the article:
Barrel-making is labor intensive. Demptos can make up to 148 barrels per day in Napa, while Seguin Moreau’s capacity is about 125 per day. Demptos employs 39 coopers and [...]
The conventional wisdom is that you should always cook with wine that you would drink. I think that is complete nonsense. The aforementioned conventional wisdom probably sprang from the days when folks would buy bottles labelled cooking wine. I don’t even know if they sell such a thing anymore. I typically have a few open [...]
I have been trying to avoid this topic, hoping it would go away, but it just won’t.
Recently there have been a spate of articles claiming that the price of a wine has an effect on the drinker’s perception of how good it is. Reading the research study findings does not exactly bear out this conclusion, [...]
Last night I got lucky by pairing a delicious and unusual port that I had never before tasted with a chocolate mousse to great effect. The recipe for the mousse will follow, but first some information about the port. The wine was a Petit Syrah port from Imagery Winery in Sonoma.
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