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- Stuck in a wine rut? Try these refreshing alternatives
- Perfect Wines for Rack of Pork Agrodolce
- Bravo Marcello! Grazie Mille
- Valentine’s Day: Forget it at your peril!
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Doin’ The Butt
March 11, 2007 by John BrownGrape Expectations: Or How A “Gourmanseur” Was Born
March 5, 2007 by John BrownIn this Wild and Wonderful wine backwater, I am hailed by many of my friends (?) as THE West Virginia wino. So it always comes as a shock when folks consider me an expert. This aversion to any type of recognition is probably the result of my Catholic school education, where guilt was the only attribute held in higher esteem than humility.
Anyway, several years ago I was introduced, by the overly exuberant host at a wine dinner, as a connoisseur and a gourmet. After smiling uncomfortably and bumbling through the event, I quickly excused myself and rushed to the nearest dictionary to find out just how those terms are defined by Mr. Webster. Webster’s New World Dictionary defines connoisseur as “one who has expert knowledge and keen discrimination, especially in the fine arts.” A gourmet is described as “one who likes and is an excellent judge of fine foods and drinks.“ In looking up ‘gourmet,’ I spotted the word ‘gourmand’ right above it in the dictionary and quickly decided that term more accurately describes my approach to eating and drinking.
A gourmand is defined as…
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Spicy Pork Roll-Ups – Or, how I learned to cook and avoid the Honey –Do’s
February 26, 2007 by John BrownSicilian Wine and Food: An Offer You Can’t Refuse!
February 18, 2007 by John BrownAsk an Italian what wine they consider to be best, and they will invariably point to a winery down the street or to a vineyard on the hillside adjacent to their village. This is a country around which wine and food are the central components of everyday life, and citizens are justifiably proud of what is grown in the fertile soil of this ancient land.
As a wine-stained graduate of Whatsamatta U, I am understandably partial to the vino made in Italy. As a matter of fact, what I love most about Italian wine is its tremendous diversity. Within the geographic confines of its 20 states, Italy produces a virtual sea of wine from a dizzying array of grapes. The most famous wine states are Tuscany in north-central Italy and Piedmont in the northwest. In Tuscany, the great wines of Brunello di Montalcino and Ornellaia share the stage with the ubiquitous Chianti, and whites such as Vernaccia Di San Gimignano. In Piedmont, the prestigious vines of Barolo and Barbaresco (made from the Nebbiolo grape) reign supreme, and are joined by Barbera and Merlot along with crisp whites such as Arneis and Cortese Di Gavi. Both of these regions are in the northern part of the country where the wine produced is considered to be the best.
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How I Forgot Valentine’s Day And Learned To Live The Monastic Life
February 13, 2007 by John BrownContinue reading…
EDITOR’S NOTE: Wine– and Beer — Suggestions for Valentines Day
by Douglas Imbrogno
EDITOR’S NOTE: We have even more ‘spirited’ advice for Valentine’s Day over at Rich Ireland’s “Beers To You” gazzblog.
LIQUID ASSETS: This week’s wine-buy recommendations
February 8, 2007 by John BrownI know you’re just itching to get to the wine shop this weekend to spend a little hard-earned cash on some serious vinous elixir, so take a look at what I ‘m suggesting below.
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Hearty Food and Wine: A Tasteful Alternative To Anti-Depressants
February 5, 2007 by John BrownLet’s face it, not many of us venture outside when the ambient air temperature descends to single digits. This is an exceptionally bleak time of year when the only product selling more than adult beverages is anti-depressant medication. So what can you do to lift your spirits and alter your mood without a prescription?
How about this: create your own bacchanalian extravaganza this weekend. Just fire up the grill, put a pot of chili on the stovetop or put together a huge pan of lasagna or baked pasta with Italian sausage, peppers and a couple of pounds of mozzarella! Then wash it all down with your favorite beverage. I know , to some hop-heads it’s almost un-American to drink anything other than that foamy malted beverage with the menu suggestions above — but I suggest you uncork a few bottles of wine instead.
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