Last weekend, I hosted a baby shower for a close friend. What a great excuse to get friends together, celebrate the upcoming arrival of her little one and enjoy some tasty fall favorites. I went back and forth about whether to do serve brunch or lunch, and I decided to go with the latter. Below [...]
Last week I was fortunate to volunteer with the Washington Wine Ambassadors at the Auction of Washington Wines Picnic with the Winemakers. This was my first event as a volunteer wine pourer, and I found it interesting, hot, and worth my time (beyond the great cause).
Having attended the picnic before as a guest, it [...]
Nicholas Wade of the New York Times reported that a certain ingredient in some red wines called resveratrol has had anti aging effects on mice. The effects of the ingredient is being further studied by a company aiming to develop age extending drugs.
Sounds like another good reason to open up a bottle of red [...]
This week we celebrate our nation’s 232nd birthday and what better time to pair two All-American classics, Sloppy Joe and Zinfandel.
Sloppy Joe, in one form or another, has graced the tables and faces of our nation for centuries. It can be made with ground or shredded beef, but is always swimming in a tomato-based sauce [...]
Dorothy Gaiter and John Brecher of the WSJ are some of the best wine journalists/critics in the world. Their articles are focused on the right aspects of enjoying wine - in our opinion. They tell the stories of the individuals, the history of the varietals, and dig up the facts that only a couple seasoned [...]
We’ve covered Tsillan Cellars plenty in past posts, and have a pretty sincere connection to the place. From an outside perspective, it appears that Tsillan Cellars has gone through their growing pains and is now really exceeding expectations with the quality of their wine, under head viticulturalist Shane Collins’ close watch.
After a recent winery [...]
Our wine of choice at dinner last night was a Spanish grenache, Borsao’s Tres Picos. The last grenache we had was from Washington’s Alexandria Nicole winery, so we were eager to look for the differences. Right off the bat Isabell simply said, “Tastes like a Spanish wine.” The wine took a while to open up, [...]
Beaujolais has become one of my favorite old world wines, and the Brioully Cru seems to be my favorite to this point. The dry, tart, minerally wine of this region is light bodied and very enjoyable. Plus, they have an amazing label that they share among the vineyards of Brouilly.
I recently purchased a couple of [...]
Mark Ryan is one of my favorite local Puget Sound wineries. Having been to one of his release parties, I found that his gregariousness and ability to turn great fruit into really good wine has lead to a dedicated following of wine collectors and connoisseurs. If you get a chance to attend one of the [...]
Isabell and I just returned from a relaxing trip to Maui. Not only was the trip a nice break from the drab Pacific Northwest weather, but it was a great opportunity to eat great food at some of the best restaurants in the islands. Here are the highlights:
Dinner at Mama’s Fish House. While Mama’s is [...]
