How do I begin writing about Italy? When I was studying for the Court of Master Sommelier certified exams the country that intimidated me above all others was Italy. Many folks tell me it is France that they fear the most. But for me France was the easy one. France was always my favorite. The…
Makin’ Gnocchi – The Recipe
Up until this weekend if you had asked me about making homemade gnocchi my answer would have been “sure, if by homemade you mean cutting open a vacuumed sealed pack purchased at Trader Joe’s then throwing them into boiling water, then yes I have”. Only there’s nothing truly homemade about that process and in fact…
Terre Margaritelli Winery – Umbrian Hospitality (extended version)
(This is a revised and extended version of an article I wrote for the 2012 International Wine Tourism Conference held in Perugia, Italy earlier this month. To read the original please click here) “We are small. We are new. We want to produce our own wines with our own personality. As a new producer…
Receive your free ebook, Dinner and Wine for $20 or Less, with guest contributor – ME
I am always on the search for quality value wines and you all know I love to cook too. So when my friend Amy, aka the VineSleuth, contacted me for help on her new ebook I jumped at the opportunity. Amy has created a fun and savvy cookbook with recipes by cookbook author and mom…
My nine days in Italy – A preview
I have just returned from Italy where I spent nine days exploring the wine, food, and sights with a group of talented (and fun) bloggers, writers, and other media. We were there for the International Wine Tourism Conference where I presented a seminar titled, “A Sense of Place: How to leverage your region and place…
New year, new countries, new wines, new experiences, new beginnings
2011 was a whirlwind of a year for me. Looking back much of it seems like a blur. My twin boys were born in December of 2010, just three weeks before the beginning of the new year so a large chunk was spent getting to know my little guys, taking care of them, and cherishing…
Champagne Series, Part II
My dad recently sent me a text saying “do you have Champagne glasses?” I initially wanted to respond, “Um duh, who do you think you’re talking to???” Then I thought perhaps it was a trick question. Was this question really intended for me? I mean its ME for heavens sake, the bubbles queen. Then I…
Tapeña Wine Package Giveaway
I’m giving away a prize people… better keep reading! Today is an incredibly special day for me. Not only is it just another day in the midst of my favorite time of the year (the holidays), it is my twin boys first birthday! Holy wow did that year fly by!!! I have a whirlwind of…
Giving thanks… and a little bit of wine
…Not your average Thanksgiving wine post… I had a very hard time accepting the fact that I would spend my first Thanksgiving away from my family in Arizona. This was many years ago mind you. We had many family customs that made me nervous to explore what others traditions would be like. My family never…
Lessons learned from 10 days without power
“Things could have been worse”. A phrase I heard about a million times during the eleven days I was without power following the October 29th freak Connecticut snowstorm – A snowstorm that managed to knock down thousands of trees and power lines throughout the state causing the single biggest power outage in the states history….
Champagne Series, Part I
Anybody who has known me for longer than two minutes knows that I have a bit of an obsession with bubbles (aka sparkling wine). If you’ve ever attended a class I have taught you will see my energy rise and eyes light up when discussing this particular subject. Simply put, bubbles are my favorite beverage…
Get excited – The 2nd Annual Champagne Day is approaching
The most exciting day of the year is approaching. No it’s not Halloween, Thanksgiving, or even Christmas! It’s a day celebrating the greatest (and my absolute favorite) beverage on the planet and it’s coming up this Friday, October 28th – Champagne Day 2011, A Global Celebration. A day celebrating Champagne?! Um, yes please! Now in…
26.2 miles of aches, pains, and a delicious Champagne
*Disclaimer: This post has very little to do with wine and a lot to do with my potty mouth You know those people, at the end of a marathon, who limp pathetically towards the finish line in what looks like slow motion, looking like they are about to throw up any second, with an intense…
Pacific Rim 2008 Dry Riesling – A great new value wine
So there I was last night, minding my own business. It was just an average Monday night. We forgot to pre-plan our dinner for the evening so we defaulted to Trader Joe’s Mandarin Orange Chicken (I know, it happens. I’m almost embarrassed to admit but we do this at least once a month)…. In my…
Summer May Be Over But I’m Still Drinking Pink!
Rumor has it that summer is officially over (insert sad face with tears flowing down the cheeks). And even though my first summer in New England was rather humid, buggy, muggy, and hot, I still consider it my favorite season of the year. I live for summer. Sunshine, late sunsets, flip flops, the piña colada…
The Other Side of Terroir
In the wine world we often refer to the term terroir. While there is no definitive definition of the word terroir, it is often used to describe the many unique aspects of a location that influence a wine specific to a region, or as Jancis Robinson describes in the Oxford Companion to Wine, “the total…
Updates, hurricanes, wine judging and a really good Txakoli
It may seem like I have been MIA again here from the blog, but I can assure you I’m still here. Over the last few weeks I’ve been through hurricane Irene, leaving us without power for three days, then we moved to a new city (while juggling the now 9 month old twins), followed by…
Milestones and Bubbles
This past weekend I ran my longest single run ever – 15 miles. Prior to this my longest run was the two half marathons (13.1 miles) I ran back in 2009 and never imagined I would ever exceed that distance. But I did, and plan to do it four more times until October 15th, when…
Meat Showdown: Meat and Cabernet Sauvignon Two Ways
In my household I have the reputation for being more of a “health nut”, always looking for creative recipes for leaner proteins, loads of veggies, salads and appetizers. Hubby, on the other hand, is all about the meat; constantly trying to get me to eat more. So I was far from surprised when he woke…
2011 Wine Bloggers Conference in Photos
Cheers and I’ll see you all in Portland in 2012!
2011 Wine Bloggers Conference – WBC moves east.
I have just returned from Charlottesville, Virginia and the North American Wine Bloggers Conference with a full mind, a tired brain, and some great memories. The conference is now in its fourth year, and I’ve had the fortune of attending all but the first one; previous cities include Sonoma, CA and Walla Walla, WA. This…
Wine and Food Pairing: It’s not poppycock
Today I am speaking at the 4th annual American Wine Bloggers Conference in Charlottesville, Virginia on the topic of Wine & Food Pairing so I thought I’d let you in on some of the goods. As soon as I have a link to the video of the presentation I promise to post it here… even…
Show Me Some Love!
An article I wrote is currently featured on the website Snooth as a part of their “Bloggers Itinerary Contest”. The editors of Snooth asked wine bloggers to write about their favorite wine country itinerary and submit it to their contest. My article is currently in the running. I’ve lived in Northern California, near Napa and…
Grilling and Chilling with Pink Wines…
… your guide to finding delicious rosés perfect for summertime grilling! I seem to be on quite the rosé kick this summer. I blame two things – the heat, and my husband. First, when it’s hot out I want to be drinking something cold and refreshing. The later is based on the fact that my…
