How to Find a Restaurant with a GREAT Wine List

Looking to go to a nice restaurant on your next vacation, or find a great new restaurant in your hometown? The Wine Spectator website offers a searchable list of over 4,000 restaurants worldwide that have won an award for their wine list.

Good wine often means great food, so visiting one of these restaurants is a safe bet for a enjoyable meal. I was out of town for a special occasion last year and chose a restaurant in Georgia from the Wine Spectator list. I ended up having a superb experience pairing creme brulee with a bottle of Sauternes, thanks to the advice of the wine savvy waitstaff.

There are seven award winning restaurants in Albany: Yono's, Angelo's 677 Prime, Jack's Oyster House, Marche, Provence, Scrimshaw, and the Ginger Man.

I am a big fan of the Ginger Man. This restaurant has a more casual atmosphere and is perfect for a good meal and an interesting wine experience. The last time I visited, they offered wine flights - small portions of three types of wine. Ordering a flight is the perfect way to compare and contrast different wine styles.

Yono's sommelier Dominick Purnomo shared some sommelier secrets with me earlier this year. Watch the Youtube video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ybRI4u2Hl4g

Which restaurant has your favorite restaurant wine list?

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Four Summer Food Pairings for Chardonnay

For an article in the Beacon News, sommelier Bill Garlough outlined several dishes that pair well with a glass of Chardonnay. Many beginning wine lovers feel comfortable drinking Chardonnay in a variety of situations, so it may be the easiest wine to serve at a summer party.

Garlough's pairings for non-oak aged Chardonnay include delicate white fish and corn on the cob with butter.

"Big Flavor" Chardonnays produced from warmer wine regions pair well with rich seafood dishes, like lobster or seafood in cream sauces.

For more of Garlough's wine and food pairing advice, visit his website at MyChef.com http://www.mychef.com/wine_news.htm

What do you like to eat with a glass of Chardonnay?

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How to Serve Chocolate and Wine or Scotch for Dessert

In the Globe and Mail article 'Raising the chocolate bar,' CindaChavich details the chocolate and wine pairings at Chicago's ENO, New York's Chocolat Michel Cluizel and Calgary's Nectar Desserts.

At Nectar Desserts, scotch lovers can try a 70-per-cent Guanaja chocolate bar with a taste of smoky Islay malt, or a fruitier Valrhona Manjari from Madagascar with a lighter, fruitier whisky.

Chavich also offers tips on how to make the most of your next taste of chocolate, including how to break the chocolate and how best to taste it to unlock its flavors.

Would you match chocolate and wine or scotch?

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Food and Wine Pairings for the Grill

In an article for Wine Enthusiast Magazine, Laura Holmes Haddad offers a variety of grill-friendly wine pairings. Two I found particularly useful were the matches of Gewürtztraminer or Chenin Blanc with a fruit salsa and Sauvignon Blanc or Gruner Veltliner with grilled vegetables.

On a hot summer day, the thought of chicken or salmon slathered with a heavy, sticky BBQ sauce is not very appetizing. I want something fresh, cool and a little bit juicy, and a good fruity salsa often does the trick!

Grilled vegetables is an easy side dish for parties, and does double duty as an entree for vegetarians, especially when veggie burgers are not served. Sauvignon Blanc or Gruner Veltliner have the weight to stand up to the grilled flavor while being light enough to let the vegetables natural flavors still be the star of the show.

Pairings for grilled meat and more are at 'A Glass for the Grill.'



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Long Island Food and Wine Pairing Classes

Upcoming food and wine classes at Palmer Vineyards

If you find yourself in Aquebogue, Long Island this summer, stop by
Palmer Vineyards to learn more about winemaking and food and wine
pairing. Here are some of the classes offered at the vineyard, more
information is at http://www.palmervineyards.com/

Saturday, July 26th
Cooking Demonstration
12:00 and 1:30 pm
Join us on the deck with Food Stylist and Gourmet Chef Lia Fallon. She will be demonstrating Grilled Shellfish.

Admission: $10 includes recipes, glass of Palmer award-winning featured wine and a taste of what's cooking.


Saturday, August 2nd
Cooking Demo - Tortillas and Sangria
12:00 and 1:30 pm
Cooking demonstration with Bertha Micieli de Luna.

Friday, August 8th
Winemakers Walk and Barrel Tasting
6:30 - 9:30 pm
Experience Palmer Vineyards through the eyes of the winemaker, Miguel Martin, as he takes guests through the winemaking process. Miguel will first tour guests through the vineyard, lead into the winery and finish in the cellar with a barrel tasting. Guests are treated to samples of up to 5 award winning Palmer wines in the tasting house.

Groups are limited to 15 people, therefore reservations are required - first come first serve.

Admission: $10

Saturday, August 9th
Cooking Demonstration
12:00 & 1:30 pm
Join us on the deck with educator, owner of the Gourmet at Home & chef Andrea Glick. She will be demonstrating Grilled Peach Salad.

Admission: $10 includes recipes, glass of Palmer award-winning featured wine and a taste of what's cooking.


Saturday, August 23rd
Cooking Demonstration
12:00 and 1:30 pm
Cooking demonstration with Erica Gross owner of Culinary Pleasures(cooking classes, small dinner parties & hostess service)

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Best Chardonnay for Party

Chardonnay Choices for your Summer Party

Kudos to WSJ Tastings column authors Dorothy J. Gaiter and John Brecher, with help from Melanie Grayce West, for tackling a VERY popular subject - finding an inexpensive Chardonnay to serve at your next party that people will actually ENJOY drinking.

We have all had mass-produced Chardonnay's that seem more like a trip to an amusement park or bells and whistles than an actual wine made from quality fruit.

Gaiter and Brecher picked California Chardonnays from Cambria Winery 'Katherine's Vineyard,' Markham Vineyards, Meridian Vineyards and St. Clement Vineyards.

Gaiter and Brecher offer their personal picks for white wines to serve at your next party, but realize the strong tradition of Chardonnay as the 'safe' white wine of choice for many casual wine drinkers.

If you are fixing dinner for an avowed Chardonnay lover, consider picking one of these bottles and matching it with a food pairing from Natalie MacLean's Food and Wine Matcher: http://www.natdecants.com/matcher/results.asp?type=wine&id=169


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What wine to serve with ... Ice Cream?

My friend Kate recently wrote about the ultimate summer wine and food pairing match on her BBR blog - wine and ice cream!

Kate pairs a Muscat de Beaumes de Venise, a fragrant dessert wine made from 100% Muscat de Frontignan à petit grains blanc, with Elderflower ice cream. The match works for several reasons: the fragrance of the wine matches the flavor of the ice cream; the full bodied unctuous mouthfeel of the wine matches the creaminess of the ice cream, and a dessert wine has enough residual sugar to overcome the natural sweetness of ice cream.

I enjoy a dessert wine made from the Zinfandel grape over vanilla ice cream - the spicy flavor of the wine added another layer of flavor to the classic taste of french vanilla ice cream.

Do you drink wine with ice cream?

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Tough Wine Pairing Solutions - what to serve with Asparagus, Chilies, Artichokes, and more...

In the Sommelier Journal article, 'MATCH POINT Don't toss out that asparagus' Joyce Goldstein provides tips on pairing wine with non wine friendly foods like asparagus.

Goldstein recommends tempering asparagus with butter and pairing the dish with Chablis, Pinot Grigio, or Sauvignon Blanc.

Wine-friendly artichokes are sauteed and finished off with lemon. This dish can pair with a high acidity wine like Vinho Verde. Artichokes are 'wine sinners' because of their tendency to make wines taste too sweet. Balancing acidity versus acidity with a lemon element and an acidic wine takes care of this culinary issue.

Goldstein also offers pairings for cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts and other pungent vegetables, jalapeño or poblano chilies, tomatoes and eggs.

I highly encourage everyone to check out this article, it offers the logic behind pairings in plain language most everyone can understand.

Do you have a superstar wine pairing for a wine-unfriendly food?


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The Difference Between American Pinot Gris and Pinot Grigio

I learned back in 'wine school' that Pinot Gris and Pinot Grigio were one and the same grape, but I have consistently found two very different wines in my glass when ordering American - made Pinot Grigio and Pinot Gris.

Dorothy Gaiter and John Brecher have found the same thing, and they provide an explanation for this phenomenon in their Wall Street Journal tasting's column, 'American Pinot Who? Gris or Grigio, the Varietal Offers Great Quaffs -- If You Pick Carefully.'

Gaiter and Brecher said that, "While many American winemakers use "Pinot Gris" to indicate that the wine is fuller-bodied and "Pinot Grigio" to indicate that it's sunny and light, there's certainly no rule about that and there are plenty of exceptions," and offered their perceptions on almost 60 wines from Oregon, Washington and California.

As far as pairing, Gaiter and Brecher recommend, "The fuller-bodied examples (which are usually called Pinot Gris) ... with heavier summer foods, while the lighter wines (which are usually called Pinot Grigio) ... for sipping outside or with simpler fare."

A glass of fuller bodied Pinot Gris can be your 'summer vacation' from a favorite California Chardonnay, and a glass of lemony Pinot Grigio could make a flavorful 'adult' alternative to sticky, sugary lemonade.

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Combine Stout Beer and Shrimp for a German Dinner

In 'Add beer to shrimp for a German touch,' an article for the Windsor Star, Julian Armstrong offers restauranteur Olaf Mertens' recipe for Spicy Stout Beer Garlic Shrimp, a recipe that includes shrimp, garlic, onion, chili pepper, tomato sauce and dark stout beer.

A new friend of mine enjoys Belgian Beer. I previously blogged about beer and wine pairings I discovered at Brewery Ommegang, but I have never actually COOKED with beer before.

Check out Brewmaster Phil's beer and food pairings here: http://kathleenlisson.blogspot.com/2008/05/food-and-beer-pairings-from-brewery.html

Have you cooked with beer?

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White Wine Pairings with Soft Shell Crabs

Soft Shell Crabs are a classic restaurant seafood appetizer. What is the best wine to pair with this dish?

Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg recommend matching the wine with the way the crab is prepared. They offer suggestions for deep-fried, grilled or sauteed soft shelled crabs as well as crab recipes featuring butter, bacon or Pancetta, tropical fruit, lemon, nuts or pesto. Pairings include sparkling wine, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling.

What wine do you like with soft shell crabs?

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Pairing Foods with Vidal and Seyval Blanc

Eating with a Bottle of Vidal or Seyval Blanc on the Table

Applewood Winery's Barrel Talk newsletter recommends pairing the winery's Vidal wine with crab cake sandwiches, grilled chicken salsa with cool avocado, and a variety of creamy cheeses. Summer Fields, their Sevyal Blanc wine, can be matched with spicy food like Thai or Mexican or enjoyed with a strawberry and spinach salad with poppy seed dressing.

If you are in or near New York's Hudson Valley, consider attending on
of Applewood Winery's pairing classes:


Cheese and Wine Workshop Saturday, July 19th at 2PM. Sample delicious cheeses from all over the world paired with a variety of Applewood wines. Fee is $25/person and $20/person for Wino Club members. Call Michele at 845-988-9292 or email info@applewoodwinery.com

Food and Wine Workshop July 20th at 2PM. Try Applewood wines ranging from dry to dessert paired with foods. Fee is $25/person and $20/person for Wino Club members. Call Michele at 845-988-9292 or email info@applewoodwinery.com

Applewood Winery is located at 82 Four Corners Road in Warwick, New York.

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Best Dry Rose Wines

In the Houston Chronicle article, 'Rosés aren't blushing anymore, Consumers take to the product in larger numbers,' Dale Robertson reports on a wine tasting of 25 randomly selected dry Rose wines from, "six countries and four continents, made from a full range of grapes, using a mix of production methods." Robertson's group's recommendations included an under $12 Grenache Rose from Balandran Les Mugues.

A chilled glass of Rose is the perfect wine for picnic foods and a great 'redd-ish' wine for a white wine drinker to try with foods that traditionally pair with red wines.

Visit your local wine shop and ask for a dry rose wine, and preview some sample bottles at Snooth here:
http://www.snooth.com/wines/dry+rose+wine#dry+rose+wine:1:1:0:10:qpr

Would you try a Rose wine with picnic foods?

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NYC Winemaking Opportunity!

NYC residents will get the chance to be New York winemakers at City Winery starting this fall.

According to the Springwise newsletter, "City Winery will combine a wine bar and event space with a fully operational winery in the heart of Soho, New York City. The private-label winery—apparently the city's first—will let consumers choose their favourite grape, consult with City Winery's master winemaker and then crush, ferment, bottle and label their own bottles of wine. The company will have the capacity to make about 300 barrels of wine in its first year.... grape varietals will be sourced from vineyards in California, Oregon, Washington State, New York, Chile and Argentina.

Learn more at the City Winery website here: http://www.citywinery.com/

City winery memberships start at $5,000 per year. Of course, getting started with a home winemaking kit is significantly less, but doesn't include access to the expertise of a professional staff dedicated to winemaking.

Would you like to be your own winemaker?


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Last Minute Sangria Recipe

In an article for the Dallas Morning News, J.M. Hirsh reports on the essential steps for whipping up a last minute Sangria.

'Red, White and Blue Sangria' offers drink making advice from Kim Haasarud, author of "101 Sangrias and Pitcher Drinks." Haasrud advises readers that an 'emergency' recipe for Sangria by-the-glass involves a splash of lemon or lime juice, a teaspoon or two of sugar, ice cubes and red wine.

Haasrud also offers recipes for white wine Sangrias and a patriotic recipe for Red, White and Blue Sangria, a recipe with blueberries, strawberries, raspberries and pineapple chunks.

This might be a good way to enjoy that last glass of red wine in last night's bottle.

Would you try this recipe for Sangria by-the-glass?
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