Monthly Archives: December 2010

What Wine Goes With Deep-Fried Turkey?

Posted on December 27, 2010 by

While spending Christmas with my family in Tacoma, we managed to successfully deep-fry a turkey without injuring ourselves or setting the place on fire. As far as wine choices with this turkey, and especially with a holiday meal where everything … Continue reading →

Posted in cooking, food, Holidays, wine | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Wine Safari with Foodista

Posted on December 24, 2010 by

My good friends at Foodista, Barnaby (auteur) and Andrea (charming co-star), put together a great little video tour of Esquin and were kind enough to let yours truly be the guide. On our “wine safari” I help Andrea navigate the … Continue reading →

Posted in video, wine | Tagged | 7 Comments

Prosecco: Freshness Matters!

Posted on December 23, 2010 by

Sometimes you can learn a lot about a wine from a back label. Let’s take the Bisol Prosecco di Valdobbiadene Crede for instance. This single-vineyard gem is not only thirst-slaking, palate-cleansing, and party-starting, but the good folks at Bisol are … Continue reading →

Posted in Italy, sparkling | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Quintarelli: Great with Thai Food

Posted on December 20, 2010 by

Like Dal Forno Romano, the wines of Quintarelli will change your notions of the heights that great Valpolicella can reach. And, to my pleasant surprise, Quintarelli also makes a hell of a white wine. The Secco Ca’ del Merlo is … Continue reading →

Posted in Italy, white wine | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Côtes du Rhône Goes With Everything

Posted on December 16, 2010 by

I was at a spectacular family-style meal that started with a welcoming glass of white and a duo of wood-fired pizzas. As we sat down to our multi-course feast, I figured we would have a different wine with each dish. … Continue reading →

Posted in France, red wine | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Champagne: V is for Vilmart

Posted on December 13, 2010 by

I can admit to being a bit finicky and quite opinionated about Champagne. My strident feelings bubbled (hee hee) over at the uncritical stance many of my colleagues have towards Grower Champagne. (As opposed to negociants who often purchase grapes … Continue reading →

Posted in Champagne, France | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Muscadet Built for the Cellar

Posted on December 6, 2010 by

As a lover of the bracing whites of France’s Loire Valley, my introduction to Muscadet (made from the Melon de Bourgogne grape) was a welcome delight. And if you love oysters and (like me) have a budget far from unlimited, … Continue reading →

Posted in France, white wine | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Viognier is Voluptuous

Posted on December 1, 2010 by

Is there a wine that smells better than Viognier? It reaches its aromatic pinnacle in a tiny little sliver of the French wine world, Condrieu. This Northern Rhone appellation produces Viognier with truly ethereal properties: fragrant like blossoming fruit trees, … Continue reading →

Posted in France, white wine | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment