Food & Wine

  Cellar workers, or cellar rats, are often romantically portrayed in movie fiction wearing pristine Carhartts and working in immaculate barrel rooms. The reality couldn’t be more different. Most work in the cellar involves liquid and plenty of it. Grape juice, grape must, wine, cleaning solutions, sterilizing solutions, and mass quantities of clean water are the cellar rat’s constant companion. This leads to soggy boots, damp pants and a Jackson Pollock-like display of stains on all clothing. It also involves noise—from a rattling bottle line whizzing by your ear to the endless BEEP-BEEP-BEEP of a forklift in reverse. Most of...

The celebration of the Chinese New Year is upon us. Just across the Pacific Ocean, communities in Asia celebrate their biggest holiday of the year. The festivities will last typically two weeks long. In a none covid year, usually there will be multiple family gatherings and lavish meals. According to a recent survey commissioned by Vinexpo, Chinese red wine consumption is now the largest in the world, surpassing France and Italy. Much of this will also influence how Chinese food will be paired with wine. In the spirit of the new year let's march to this year's lineup of wines to...

True love is hard to find, and so is matching chocolate and wine. With the right combination of chocolate and wine, it can be a match made in heaven. Use the following guide to help you find the perfect pairing or set up your own match game of chocolates and wine. A good rule of thumb is to pair lighter, more elegant flavored chocolates with lighter-bodied wines. Stronger chocolate should be paired with more full-bodied wines. If you are trying a variety of chocolates, work from light to dark. Start with a more subtle white or milk chocolate and end on...

This Valentine's Day, you can impress your lover or sweeten up a ladies night with strawberry and chocolate filled crepes! Crepes are easy to make and can be made with a variety of flavor combinations. Sweet crepes can be flavored with liquors to compliment your chosen filling. Some combination suggestions may be rum and chocolate, orange and chocolate, raspberry and chocolate, etc. Since the batter can be made in advance, you don't have to waste too much time in the kitchen during your date. Makes 10-12 Crepes Ingredients: The Dessert Crepes: 2 Large Eggs 1 cup of Milk  (2% or...

Serves 6-8  *Vegetarian Ingredients: ½ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil 1 tsp. Herbs de Provence, dried 6 cloves Garlic, smashed and peeled 2 large Yellow Onions quartered 1 Bay Leaf 2 medium Zucchini (about 1 ¼ lbs), cut into 2 pieces 1 medium Eggplant (about 14oz.), cut into 2 pieces 1 Red Bell Pepper seeded and quartered 1 Yellow Bell Pepper seeded and quartered 2- 16oz can Whole Peeled Tomatoes with juices. Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper to taste 1 tbsp. Chopped Fresh Italian Parsley 2 tbsp  Thyme dried 2-3oz Goat cheese 1-2 cups Bread Crumbs Instructions: Preheat oven...