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2016 October

Adventures in Eating: Pumpkin Stew with Lentils and Chard

August 18, 2016

Pumpkins are not just for Halloween, but for year-round cancer protection. Dai­ly, I read something about how certain foods aid in forestalling or eliminating certain diseases. Eating pumpkin is the latest scientific information regarding feeding our body machinery more effi­ciently to live a healthier life. I also just read where tests have shown that women… read more »

Import Selection: Coltibuono Bianco, 1989. La Badia

August 18, 2016

Revelations never cease, it seems, when I investigate good Italian wines. While researching this article the translation of the name “Badia a Coltibuono” (some­thing I had been in mystery about for nearly ten years) like the an­swer to an ancient riddle, suddenly appeared: the “Abbey of the Good Harvest”. La Badia was built as a… read more »

Domestic Selection: Cabernet Sauvignon, 1987. Hawk Crest

August 18, 2016

Amongst the resplendent caber­net jewels in Napa’s crown, few sparkle so pre-eminently as those of Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars. I quote here, one who knows whereof he speaks, Warren Wini­arski, winemaker and co-owner of Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars: “Let us take a fresh start by making an as­sumption….that in every class of product there is… read more »

The Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa

August 18, 2016

Nestled into its own environ­ment off the main road through Sonoma (all two lanes of it), the Spa is a welcome destination for the person in need of self indul­gence. Encompassed by eight acres of eucalyptus shaded grounds, the Sonoma Mission Inn and Spa is situated right on top of sparkling mineral water springs (bottled… read more »

Adventures in Eating: Turkey Tetrazini

August 18, 2016

By the time most of you read this column, Thanksgiving will have been history. You will have baked (hope­fully) or purchased your cooked tur­key, and some of that good stuff is still in your refrigerator. Leftover tur­key, whether it be made into curry, salad, sandwiches, hash, etc. is al­ways welcome. Turkey is a bountiful food… read more »

Import Selection: Wintervine, 1988.

August 18, 2016

Mark Cashmore, a chemistry and physics school teacher, turned winemaker, is giving the French wine industry fits. He is an Aus­tralian winemaker who has dared to try the unusual… made a suc­cess of it… and has had the una­bashed gall to tweek the nose of the French (Hmm!). First he blends Pinot Noir and Cabernet… read more »

Domestic Selection: Pinot Blanc, 1988. Paraiso Springs

August 18, 2016

The Paraiso Springs label be­longs to Richard Smith. He does not own vineyards or a winery. In­stead he selects the best grapes he can find, orders them crushed ac­cording to his specifications, and then fermented under the direction of Ron Niino, an expatriate from San Martin. He also buys bulk wines that meet his blending… read more »

Wine Tasting Party

August 18, 2016

“This is a new twist for us. We received such a fun letter from a member we wanted to share it with everyone. Her cover letter closed with; “……keep up the good work on finding us quality wines to sip each month.” The enclosure reads as fol­lows. “Recently, for my assistant’s 30th birthday, I decided… read more »

This Free, 24 Hour Wine Fountain in Italy Is Too Good to Be True

October 14, 2016

When I heard about this, this morning… I thought I was dreaming or had been transported into an alternate universe. In the Abruzzo region near Rome, a fountain flowing with free red wine has been installed on the Cammino di San Tommaso route where thousands of traveling locals and tourists find their way from Rome to Ortona…. read more »

Adventures in Eating: Hot Lemon Sauce

August 18, 2016

The season is upon us, and one of my favorite no effort pastimes is to ask people if they arc to be the chef of the day. If the answer is affirmative, I then ask what they will be serving their guests. I never fail to get a big smile and a list of what… read more »

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