Food & Wine

  The package arrived unceremoniously at my front door—6 bottles of wine from Plume Ridge Bottle Shop with a note from Wine Buyer, Monica Yu, “This is for your article about the right way to pair wine with cheese and a lovely Holiday Cheese spread as prepared by Patty Lyn.” Challenge accepted.  I’d be crazy not to take advantage of this situation. There was one, inconsequential hiccup ... I am not a cheese expert, so I immediately did 2 things: Jumped on the internet Called my French friends Google is a large, lonely intimidating place for a culinary excursion. However,...

Yule logs, also known as Buche de Noel can be traced to Europe.  Now it is a popular Christmas dessert or pudding in a shape of a log and traditionally eaten in France. A quintessential dessert that is usually complex to make but our founder Christina Coulourides recommends this Food Network recipe to create a miniature versions called Yodels and does not require baking.  Best paired with Sauternes. Photo Credit: Food Network

Bet you didn't know you could sauté grapes! With Nan's creativity at work, she is presenting a whole new way to try grapes. In fact there are three grape related ingredients in this dish: fresh red grapes, red wine and grape jelly. This is the most wine dish ever. Wine suggestions to cook and pair: Light bodied Pinot Noir would be perfect. Serves 2Ingredients: 2 duck breasts Salt and pepper 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1/4 cup diced pancetta 2 cups red grapes 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme 1/2 cup dry red wine 1/2 cup duck or chicken stock 1 tablespoon...

Chili is mostly always made with meat. Not this time. My husband and kids absolutely love this dish. It is a perfect blend of spices, beans for protein, and quinoa paired with a delicious Chenin Blanc on a cold winter night. You just can’t go wrong here. Serve in a bowl with your favorite toppings or you can toast hamburger buns and pour the chili over the top like “Chili-Size”. For meat eaters, you can toss a hamburger patty on the toasted buns and pour chili over the top. Endless possibilities! Yields: Enough for 6 adults or moreIngredients: 1 cup...

  This is something I’d ask a customer that came in looking for a brand name that you probably could get at any big retailer. Now of course, this was a lighthearted way to get their undivided attention. Then I might ask… why are you looking for that brand? More and likely they would share some details to help me understand why they asked for that specific wine. And this is when I’d like to share some facts about the mentioned brand. Usually nothing negative, but real, and not to say national brands don’t have some good wines. Plume Ridge...