… The good, the bad, the ugly, and the emotional, from our First BBQ Competition at the McKinley Springs BBQ Showdown & Benefit. I don’t function at my best when I am severely sleep deprived. Really, who does? But I feel like I function less well than others and I easily turn into a moody…
Travel
Comté Photo Preview
A photo preview of the Jura Mountain Region in eastern France and home of the world class Comté cheese. Say cheese! Comté cheese that is. Last month I had the opportunity to tour the Jura Mountain Region in eastern France and home of Comté cheese production. As someone who knows a fair share about wine, but admittedly much…
Washington State Wine Country Photo Preview
One of the biggest misconceptions I often hear about the Pacific Northwest (PNW) is that it’s all green and rainy. Those who have never spent a good deal of time here often wonder how there is such a burgeoning wine industry, and question how big red grapes like Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, and more can grow in…
Advice to wine writers and other takeaways from The Symposium for Professional Wine Writers
“If your writing doesn’t keep you up at night, it won’t keep anyone else up at night.” This was a comment that stuck in my head by keynote speaker, Billy Collins, U.S. Poet Laureate (2001-03), at The Symposium for Professional Wine Writers, held last week at Meadowood Napa Valley. That was just one of many…
Staying Organized While Traveling
Having just returned from Sicily, and now preparing for a family vacation with kids, several people have asked me how I get it done between constant international travel and traveling with small children. That got me thinking that others may benefit from some tips and tricks I’ve learned along the way. Here are some of…
Valley of the Temples – A must do day trip in Sicily
When visiting Sicily if there’s one place you absolutely can’t miss (besides the wine, the food, the beaches, and, well, more wine), it’s the Valley of the Temples. The Valley of the Temples The Valley of the Temples is an archaeological park that consists of eight temples (and their remains) built somewhere around 540 BC…
Sicily Photo Preview and Sicilian Wine Primer
My first article on my trip to Sicily was published over on Palate Press today. I must admit, it was difficult to write! There was so much I wanted to say about this incredible region, and to have to compile a weeks worth of information, people, wine, food, scenery, into one article was a challenging task!…
Ecliptic Brewing – come for the beer, stay for the food
Ecliptic Brewing, located in NE Portland, is the kind of brewery where you come for the delicious beer, and stay for the incredible food. As a gal who’s all about my food and wine pairings I was intrigued to be invited to a beer and food pairing lunch at Ecliptic Brewing last week. Beer and Food…
Oregon Wine Country Half Marathon Recap
Last month, hubby and I decided spend a rare “date day” running a half marathon. Some couples choose to go to a movie and dinner when they get away from the kids; we chose to run 13.1 miles together. I guess you could call us weird. The race was the Oregon Wine Country Half Marathon….
Horse Heaven Hills Wine Region — a preview
A preview of the Horse Heaven Hills Wine Region and an article I wrote about the region for Palate Press Magazine. A few weeks back hubs and I ventured into the desert in search of… wine. No I’m not talking about Arizona, where I’m originally from. I’m talking about Washington State. But isn’t the Pacific…
Knudsen Vineyards — from vineyard to bottle
A brief history of Knudsen Vineyards (Dundee Hills, Oregon) and a preview of the inaugural release of their 2012 Pinot Noir. “When you begin any occasion, you start with sparkling wine. You just know good things are about to happen.” This was Cal Knudsen’s philosophy, as explained to me by his daughter Page Knudsen Cowles,…
Friday Favorites – anniversaries, box wine, and upcoming adventures
A roundup of my favorite things from the week in the categories of wine, food, travel, and lifestyle. WINE & FOOD Anniversary Food & Wines This week marked hubby and my 9th wedding anniversary. Though it fell on a weekday it didn’t stop us from going big for dinner. Hubs grilled up some amazing NY…
Friday Favorites – Travel edition (Neskowin, Oregon)
A roundup of my favorite things from the week in the categories of wine, food, travel, and lifestyle. TRAVEL About two weeks ago we decided we needed to get out of town for a weekend. We have not had a vacation in what feels like forever and I needed to get the heck out of…
Exploring Cabernet Franc — Cornerstone Cellars
I first knew of Craig Camp, of Cornerstone Cellars, several years ago through the Wine Bloggers Conference, but our paths never crossed. I’m not sure why. It wasn’t until, several years later, through the introduction by a mutual friend, Thea, that I was officially introduced to Craig and able to taste a few of the…
My response to the Panel of Professional Print Writers at the Wine Bloggers Conference.
Is it okay to describe a wine as “perfect”? I think so. I was particularly eager to hear what the “pros” had to say on day two of the 7th Annual Wine Bloggers Conference, in a session titled: Panel of Professional Print Wine Writers. The professionals on the panel included writers James Conaway, Mike Dunne,…
McKinley Springs BBQ Competition
By contributing writer Sean “The Hubby” It’s no secret that I love to BBQ. But to make the investment in competition BBQ is an entirely different level of love obsession. You don’t have the safety of having your own kitchen and bed right around the corner. You don’t have friends and family giving you positive…
Cahors, France — a photo preview
This week’s “favorites” are dedicated to my week in Cahors, France. Cahors, France Cahors, located in southwest France, hails claim to the birthplace of Malbec (the grape Argentina gets all the credit for). I was there for “Cahors Malbec Days”, a four day symposium and trade event focusing on all things Malbec. While there I…
Friday Favorites – more simple summer wines and Cahors prep
A roundup of my favorite things from the week in the categories of wine, food, travel, and lifestyle. FOOD I’m still coming off a high watching hubs help cater his first event with the new smoker. 320 pounds of pork butt were slow cooked to perfection by hubby and Matt Johnston of Boda’s Kitchen celebrating…
Livio Felluga — crazy good wines and memories of Friuli
Wine, like comfort food, has the power to evoke memories. Just a simple glimpse at any Frito Lay product will bring me back to my childhood (my dad used to work for the company back in the ‘80’s and let us raid his delivery truck from time to time… therefore my dad was cooler than…
Mini-Vacation Spotlight — Sedona, Arizona
Things to do for a great mini-vacation to Sedona, Arizona. For Mother’s Day two years ago my husband asked what I’d most like. I told him I wanted Sedona. I wanted to go somewhere warm, quiet, beautiful, serene, and most of all peaceful. I had just come off of my first year of having twins,…
The Carlton Inn Bed and Breakfast (Carlton, Oregon)
The Carlton Inn Bed and Breakfast, in Carlton, Oregon, is a fantastic place to stay when in Oregon’s wine country. Following our wedding, my husband and I spent a quiet week near Lake Placid in upstate NY, at a bed and breakfast called the Porcupine Inn. We immediately fell smitten by the B&B bug. Upon…
Friday Favorites – Touring Oregon Wine Country
A weekly roundup of my favorite things this week in the categories of wine, food, travel, and lifestyle. Since returning to Oregon I’ve tried to immerse myself in Pacific Northwest wines, specifically on understanding the intricacies of each wine-growing region. This week I had the opportunity to spend some time focusing on two different regions…
Salmon and Pinot Noir, a Great Wine Pairing
Find out why Salmon and Pinot Noir are such a great wine pairing, plus recipes for salmon cooked on the smoker. Living in the Pacific Northwest we’re very lucky to be surrounded by great options for the freshest fish. When in Seattle we like to take the kids to, Pike Place Market. If you go,…
Friday Favorites — Farmer’s Market Fun
A weekly roundup of my favorite things this week in the categories of wine, food, travel, and lifestyle. Since I took last week off this encompasses two weeks of favorites. LIFESTYLE Portland Farmer’s Market The Portland Farmer’s Market is open for the season! It has been open for two weeks now and we’ve hit it…