Have you ever spent a small fortune on a bottle of wine, whether at a restaurant or at a bin auction, or even at your local store, and it just tasted... off? I recently had the amazing opportunity to try a 2009 Hermitage by E. Guigal (Hermitage = Syrah grapes). By...
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WSET 3, Here I Come!
Hello Everyone! I am so excited to announce that I have just started the WSET 3 course and hope to sit for the exam in July (if everything goes well! *fingers crossed*). What is WSET? 3? WSET stands for Wine & Spirits Education Trust. There are 4 levels, the 4th...
Wines For Spring
Spring is here! While some may be anticipating swimsuit sales, warm weather and spring break, my mind is on fresh produce and what those beverage professionals call "transitional wines." What's a transitional wine anyway? It's the way we talk about what to drink when...
Q&A: Nebbiolo Wines at Moderate Price Points?
As a subscriber, you get access to questions and answers from other subscribers. Have your own questions? Submit them here!Your Question: I really like the heavy tannins/earthiness of the Nebbiolo and Negroamaro wines. However, almost all of my experience with these...
Holiday Essentials: Wines Off The Beaten Path
It seems like every year each publication has an idea about which wine (instead of wines) will be the next big holiday must-have. This year? My bets are on South African Chenin Blanc. Last year it was rosé, for the past decade it’s been Beaujolais Nouveau, and then...
Music And Wine Pairing, Part II
In case you didn’t read part 1, here’s the quick recap: I went to the CIA BevPro Summit in March and they had a music and wine pairing workshop. It was brilliant and the flavors of the wine really did change perceptions on the taste. I did some research and wanted to...
Music & Wine Pairing Part 1
I attended the Culinary Institute of America’s Beverage Professional Summit a few weeks ago and there was an incredible workshop based around music and wine pairings. There was a guided session followed by a “silent disco” where we could walk around and try wines with...
3 Quick Wine Pairings For Your Next Happy Hour
I get the question, “What are some quick wine pairings I can do for a happy hour or a small party?” quite a bit. When I went online to see what others have written about I noticed that most ideas were complicated foods that even I, as a chef, wouldn’t want to spend...
Why Wine & Food Pairings matter
What’s the Big Deal? This post is going to describe the why of wine pairing, rather than specific types of pairings. I’m writing this in hopes to empower you to try to create your own pairings based off the following premises. I get it. It’s complicated,...
COMING SOON: Terr-what?
COMING SOON: France – Bordeaux Everyday Drinking Wine
When some people think “Bordeaux” they think of the big names, Chateau La Pricey. However, while these wines are beautiful and outrageously expensive, there are plenty of fabulous everyday wines for around a $20 value.
THE LATEST & GREATEST
Strawberry Sorbet
It's almost Memorial Day Weekend! Strawberry sorbet made from fresh strawberries is one of my favorite dessert components of all time. I love using this strawberry sorbet recipe for client dinners. The sweet and refreshing sorbet pairs so well with so many different...
Classic Tiramisu with Marsala and Mascarpone
I love tiramisu in all forms, but the classic combination of ladyfingers, chocolate, coffee, and custard is my favorite. This recipe deviates from the original by adding masala to the custard, and by soaking the ladyfingers in espresso and marsala rather than just...
Homemade Ladyfingers or Sponge Cake
Homemade ladyfingers are quite easy to make. To make things even easier, I take this recipe and spread it out onto a prepared 1/2 sheet tray. This way you don't need a piping bag or tip. You can cut squares using a knife, or cut with biscuit cutters to fit whatever...
The Best Easy Pizza Dough
Easy Pizza Dough? Is there really such a thing? Nancy Silverton talks in her Chef's Table episode about how she spent 10 years perfecting the Mozza Pizza Dough.... so can it really be easy? (PS if you haven't gone to Mozza in LA -- add it to your bucket list). While...
Cinnamon Ice Cream
This is a classic cinnamon ice cream. Egg yolks and a mix of heavy cream and half and half make this rich and decadent. So I'm giving you the disclaimer now: if you're the type of person that likes the "light" or "fake" ice cream stuff -- go get some fro-yo. This...
Review of Martha Stewart Wine Co
As a wine educator, Martha Stewart Wine Co sounded really interesting to me for a number of reasons. I'll let you know that I am an affiliate with Martha Stewart Wine Co, but I only started recommending her products after going through this experience. This blog post...
Portuguese Wine Travels: Villa Rosa Bairrada Baga Wine Review
Portuguese Wine is some of the best and most memorable wine I've ever tasted. One of the most memorable experiences I've had was perhaps at a Michelin Star restaurant, at The Yeatman, in Porto. Every course was served with a Portuguese wine to match. And every wine...
Easy Flourless Chocolate Cake
If you're looking for an easy flourless chocolate cake recipe, look no further! This dense and fudgy cake is best served cold with a light dollop of sweetened whipped cream and fresh berries. A client of mine asked for this as an add-on to a wine tasting and tapas...
Fall Kale Salad with Roasted Sweet Potato
Sometimes I just crave a good, hearty fall kale salad. Do you? This salad is paleo-friendly, gluten-friendly, dairy-free, allium-free, and grain-free. Whew! That's a lot of "free's" If you want to spice up the salad - I won't be offended, see below for my...
Viura: Spanish White Wine Intro
Viura (also known as Macabeo) is a native Spanish white grape that has quite a history! In Penedes, and a few other areas of Spain, this grape is known as Macabeo. You can also find Macabeo in Rousillion, France! In Valencia, Rioja, and Rueda, this grape is called...