Food

Pinot Noir wines have had their way ever since the movie Sideways glorified this lovely wine in all the wrong ways and in the wrong wine country. This is a stately, royal wine, deserving of all the accolades it gets. …

From the outside, winemaking seems romantic.   Farm workers lovingly tend to their vineyards throughout the spring and summer, and then hand harvest their grapes in the early fall. Those grapes are then gently crushed — by foot, of course …

Two “shout out” restaurants have opened recently in Escondido and Hillcrest amid great praise for their strategic use of wine with their impressive food service.   Vintana and 100 Wines are the latest creations of the Cohn Restaurant Group, now …

This is the first interview in a series that will focus on the winemakers of Paso Robles, where I recently spent a weekend exploring.   Paso, with a few outstanding exceptions, is a land of Zins and Rhône blends (Note …

I’m a long-time member of a worldwide organization dedicated to preserving the culture and life-style of Italy, and attend meetings and events at the North San Diego County Lodge of the Sons of Italy.   Among the adventures some of …

Chestnut Ravioli With Brown Butter Sage Sauce I toasted the chestnuts in the oven, then peeled and chopped them. You could however simply use chestnuts from a can or jar which would eliminate that step for you. I combined the …

Napa Valley accounts for less than 4 percent of America’s total wine production. Yet it’s the country’s best-known wine region.   Napa rocketed to the forefront of American winemaking in 1976, when British wine merchant Steven Spurrier organized a wine …

October is Italian heritage month, and how better to celebrate at La Buona Tavola than with the heritage grain, Farro.     Favored by the ancients, the Roman Legions conquered the world on their daily ration.  Also known as emmer, …

We are just days away from the 22nd annual Harvest Celebration in Temecula Wine Country, a two day event on Saturday November 3rd and Sunday November 4th from 10am to 4:30pm.     Over 35 wineries will participate in the …

What do the “experts” really talk about when they ramble on about the qualities of a wine varietal.  You’ve heard the drill on the language of wine-speak: “crispy, grassy, oaky, velvety, smooth, tannic, spicy,” etc. etc.   In the effort …