Entries tagged with 'Wine'
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"If nothing else, get three bottles of sparkling wine into your house or apartment now." [Flickr: bignoseduglyguy] It's that time of year again, when your life is about to get really hectic. Before you hit the panic button, do yourself a favor and go out this weekend and buy a mixed case of wine. With a mixed case of wine in your closet, you'll be prepared for the drop-by visitors, last-minute takeout decisions, and leftovers that can make the most organized person scramble. Most of us remember to buy wine for the family dinners and big celebrations of the months to come—it's the smaller stuff that makes you want to tear your hair out. I'd recommend buying three bottles of...
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Growing up in Florida, apple picking is logistically impossible. It's one of the many reasons why I've made it a tradition to go each year since I've been living up north, along with the amazing views and resulting fresh-baked pies. This year, the orchard of choice was Russell Orchards in Ipswich, Massachusetts, known more for the products sold in its outpost than for the myriad varieties of apples growing on its trees. Russell Orchards is home of New England's best cider donuts. Among its biggest claims is that Russell Orchards is home of New England's best cider donuts. Only when I saw how intensely dedicated they are to this special treat did I start taking the claim seriously: not...
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On Fridays, Deb Harkness of Good Wine Under $20 drops by with Serious Grape. [Photograph: Deb Harkness] As temperatures dip, leaves turn, and the nights grow longer, many of us are turning to robust red wines. But if you're a white wine fan—and love seasonal offerings like turkey, squash, apples, and pumpkin—then you might want to look to Austria this autumn. Riesling, Grüner Veltliner, and delicious white blends made with several grape varieties are all good options. Austrian white wines deliver elegance, earthiness, and versatile, food-friendly flavors. Plus, they're affordable. Whether you're looking for a special bottle to put aside for Thanksgiving or one to enjoy with your mid-week pot of pumpkin and leek soup, there's a bottle just right...
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[Flickr: Shot_by_Cam] Last week's Weekend Cook and Tell challenge was all about an Italian-American classic, and its favorite quaffable partner: Spaghetti, Meatballs, and Wine. We asked you to share your favorite spaghetti and meatballs recipe, and throw in the wine pairings. This challenge inspired some pretty varied responses, some included meatballs, some wine, but the common thread was pasta. Here are some favorites: To kick off this round up, here's a quote from dmcavanagh: "Meatballs are as personal as fingerprints, 100 different people could serve you theirs and no two would be the same." Growing up in an Italian-American family meant that EliEats was no stranger to the traditional Sunday ragu. Along with plenty of spaghetti, meatballs, sausage and...
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On Fridays, Deb Harkness of Good Wine Under $20 drops by with Serious Grape. [Photograph: Deb Harkness] The idea of decanting a wine—pouring the contents of a bottle into another vessel—may strike you as fussy and pretentious act, conjuring up images of white-gloved butlers and wine snobs. People have been decanting wine since at least Roman times because until recently, wine was not filtered and clarified as part of the wine-making process. Even with modern wine-making, there are two excellent reasons to decant wine: it removes the sediment in older wine and it aerates younger wines, which can make a difference in how they taste. In the case of older wine, sediments can form as part of the aging process....
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On Fridays, Deb Harkness of Good Wine Under $20 drops by with Serious Grape. [Flickr: NatalieMaynor] The farmers' market can be one of the most inspirational places for a foodie. At my local Los Angeles market right now the stalls are full of tomatoes, zucchini, potatoes, mushrooms, peaches, baby lettuce, and other treasures. We are still wolfing down vegetable-based pasta sauces, heirloom tomato salads with basil and sweet onions, and gorgeous green salads. If you are taking full advantage of the harvest, pick up a bottle of Pinot Grigio on your way home from the farmers' market. Pinot Grigio is a grape that pairs wonderfully with most vegetables because of its fresh flavors and abundant acidity. The grape also adapts...
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Mike James combined his passion for wine and video games by starting 8-Bit Vitners, a winery based in Walla Walla, Washington. This summer the winery released its first vintage, a red blend, called Player 1, which you can buy online for $18 per bottle. In an interview at SuppleWine.com James mentions his picks for best videogames to go with Player 1: Mega Man 2 on the NES or, for a more current came, Shadow of the Colossus for PS2. He also says he hopes to release a white wine, appropriately called Player 2, next spring. [via Unique Daily] Related Creative Wine Labels Why Serious Eaters Should Be Serious Wine Tasters Serious Grape: Winter Red Wine Blends...
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On Fridays, Deb Harkness of Good Wine Under $20 drops by with Serious Grape. Photograph from stephee on Flickr It's back to school time. Even if you aren't going back to school yourself, even if you don't have kids, you may be nostalgically thinking about those days of sharpened pencils, new lunchboxes, and shoes that pinched. If you're longing to learn something new this fall, how about grapes? Most of us gravitate to the same few grapes when we buy wine and prefer to bank on familiar favorites rather than take a risk with something we're not sure we'll like. But these grapes will please most palates and provide you with an opportunity to expand your wine knowledge—and your wine...
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Photograph from Nine99 Design When I think of a wine label, I imagine an illustration of a French château with cursive lettering. Nothing wrong with that sort of label, of course—but it's not that interesting. Weburbanist shows the versatility of wine labels with their feature of 61 creative wine labels, from traditional to typography-centric to pop art. I'm a fan of the stylish Shefa Wine label made by Nine99 Design. Related Mad Manatee Beer from Bold City Brewery Cartons' Chemical Properties May Actually Improve Wine Don't Want a Whole Bottle of Wine? Try a Can...
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Last week, Serious Grape columnist Deb Harkness stopped by with a few good candidates for refreshing summer wines. Over on her own blog, Good Wine Under $20, she's got another suggestion—the 2008 Dry Creek Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc, which "can hold its head up among zingy New Zealand bottlings, but has a bit more softness and is far less assertive."...
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