At the tasting we met a delightful couple, Don and Judy Phelps, owners of “Hard Row to Hoe” Vineyards. They poured a refreshing Sangiovese Dry Rosé. And Judy told me the story behind the name. Seems that back in the late 1930s, there was a brothel located at Point Lovely.
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Great Argentine Sparkler for Memorial Weekend BBQ
I was expecting sweet. But what we got was a crisp, drier wine with a refreshing finish, much closer to a true champagne. and a perfect pairing with summer barbecue!
Continue readingOur Big Fat Greek Draft Day
Greek wine tasting was a part of our NFL Draft. Joe was looking forward to the Detroit Lion’s overcoming the curse that was Matt Millen with the promised savior that is Ndamukong Suh.
Continue readingCelebrating 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.
Continue readingWine 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.
Continue readingNew 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.
Continue readingHospice 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.
Continue readingWhy 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!
Continue readingWalla 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.
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