To prove how excited I was to be heading to this year’s Napa Valley Wine Writers Symposium, I tipped over my wine glass. To acknowledge my celebration, the restaurant owner didn’t refill it, reassuring me that I had had enough excitement for the evening. The Symposium, as the site says, draws top wine book authors and editors, wine magazine writers and critics, newspaper wine columnists, and bloggers to Napa Valley to speak, listen, debate, explore themes prevalent in contemporary wine writing and network with their peers for four days. A combination of lectures, panel discussions, group and individual writing sessions, […]
Veal Roast with Sage and Apple Stuffing
A savoury spiral of succulent veal and bread stuffing makes a deeply flavourful winter meal and an elegant dinner table centerpiece. Ingredients 2 tbsp butter 30 ml 3 stalks celery, chopped 3 1 onion, chopped 1 1 tbsp dried sage 15 ml 1/2 tsp celery seeds 2 ml 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper 1 ml 2 apples, diced (unpeeled) 2 8 cups cubed day-old bread 2 L 3/4 cup dried cranberries 175 ml 5 lb boneless veal breast, trimmed 2.5 kg 1-1/2 cups approx. chicken stock 375 ml Preparation In large skillet, melt butter over medium heat; […]
Pairing books and wine
In a recent column for the Globe & Mail, I paired some of my favourite books with wine … I can’t think of a better book to read on January 1 than Lucky Jim by Kingsley Amis. It has one of literature’s finest descriptions of a hangover: “Consciousness was upon him before he could get out of the way; not for him the slow, gracious wandering from the halls of sleep, but a summary, forcible ejection … His mouth had been used as a latrine by some small creature of the night, and then as its mausoleum.” On the […]
Holiday wine and cheese party: festive meets simple
During the holidays, some of us feel the need to indulge our loved ones with lavish meals, while others opt for easy but tasty hors d’oeuvres. Here’s an alternative that offers the best of both worlds: a festive wine and cheese party. By matching fine cheeses with bright, sparkling wines you will create a very special event full of holiday magic. Start the celebrations with a bottle of Domaine Rolet Crémant du Jura, a smooth sparkling wine from France, and a colourful Rumball Coonawarra Sparkling Shiraz from Australia. Their aromas of gingerbread (Crémant), blackcurrant and vanilla (Coonawarra) are perfect for […]
Sparkling Wines that Won’t Blow Your Holiday Budget
Champagne can only be produced in the French region that bears its name, but the joy that comes from hearing a cork pop can come from any number of other sparkling wines – at a fraction of the cost. "The central problem is that wine pricing is almost completely arbitrary … the price of a wine does not significantly correlate to the pleasure it brings," said Robin Goldstein, editor of "The Wine Trials," an annual guide to wines under $15 a bottle that beat wines costing $50-plus a bottle in blind tastings. Dom Perignon producer Moet & […]
Pair Wines with the People on Your Holiday Gift List
Wine is one of the few presents that makes both the giver and the receiver look good. You look like you spent a bundle on the gift (even if you didn’t) and the recipients are happy that you think they know something about wine (even if they don’t). This holiday season, anyone can tap into my free web site and mobile apps for iPhone, BlackBerry, Droid and other smartphones. They help consumers with a whole new type of pairing: wine with the people on your Christmas shopping list. The app and site also pair wines to thousands of dishes, including […]
Treat your greens to a downpour
We all remember our parents telling us how important it was to eat our vegetables as a child. And if you were staring down at a plate of limp carrots, peas and broccoli, following this command wasn’t always easy. Luckily with this delicate and delicious vinaigrette, getting your fill of leafy greens is much more of a pleasure than a chore. Now there is a palpable difference between a store bought dressing and a homemade one. And by adding Jackson Triggs White Meritage to the recipe, the tastes are immediately taken up a notch. This silver medalist at the […]
Savoury Recipe for Beef and Red Wine Stew
This wonderful recipe comes from Amanda, host and co-producer of The Hot Plate Recipe Author Link: www.thehotplate.net Recipe Author Website: The Hot Plate Recipe: Just the way we like it; rich, meaty and with a healthy dose of wine to round out the flavor. If you don’t have an oven safe pot just slow cook on the stovetop at a very gentle simmer. Stew is an easy dish to prepare if you’re pressed for time or need to feed a crowd because the active time is minimal. ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil 1 lb stewing beef 1 bag pearl onions, […]
Make your Crème Brûlée extra Icy
This delicious dessert is so loved by all that the English, the Spanish and the French all stake claim for its origin. The Spanish have taken credit for this sensuous custard as “crema catalana” since the eighteenth century, while the English claim it originated in seventeenth-century Britain, where it was known as “burnt cream”. It apparently wasn’t until the end of the nineteenth century that common usage of the French translation came into vogue, putting it on the map from Paris to Le Cirque in New York City. Its wide recognition today seems to have given the French credit for […]
5 Quick Tips to Choose a Terrific Thanksgiving Wine
“No other holiday celebrates the gift of wine like Thanksgiving,” says Natalie MacLean, author of the bestselling book Red, White and Drunk All Over: A Wine-Soaked Journey from Grape to Glass. “Wine is a taste of the harvest along with all the delicious dishes on the table. But actually choosing a bottle can feel like a thankless task, especially with so many flavors to match.” Relax. Have a drink. And try some of Natalie’s suggestions for great wines to pair with Thanksgiving turkey and all the trimmings. In Red, White and Drunk All Over, which has just been published in […]
