When people talk about “everyday” wine, I’ve sometimes wondered exactly what they mean. Is it a wine that goes with all sorts of food so it can be consumed without care? Is it a simple wine that that can appeal to many different palates? Or is it an inexpensive wine that you can afford to sip everyday? Family-owned by Sonoma County’s Sebastiani and Sons, Smoking Loon wants to be all that and more. Read more: Affordable everyday Wine review: Smoking Loon 2009 Zinfandel California This is the next installment of my Life in California series, chronicling my transition to the California lifestyle after moving to northern California from Tampa, Florida. Since we went back east in early November, Scott and I decided to stay in California for the holidays. It was only the second time (and likely, the last) I’ve been away from some sort of family during this emotion-packed, must-be-jolly season. I’ll admit it was freeing to avoid the nightmare of travel but melancholy settled in as I missed friends and family. But, of course, new friends, experiences (and wine) cushioned the season. Read more: Life in California: Holiday Edition Osteria Natalina draws from its previous life as Spartaco to offer something new and something old. It’s set in the same location, a corner of a strip center in South Tampa. Its obscure location doesn’t keep it from being discovered — it’s a well-traveled haunt. And its short, uncomplicated menu, with English subtitles, showcases owner Spartaco Giolito’s hometown, Rimini, on the Adriatic coast. Read more: Tampa restaurant review: Un-ostentatious Osteria Natalina showcases seaside legacies When Chappellet Winery opened its doors in 1967, 32 wineries operated in Napa. Robert Mondavi – now owned by corporate wine company Constellation – was number 31. Today, over 400 wineries share the same valley. Early on in this recession, Chappellet began combating the sales spiral by concentrating on the customer — they lowered their prices. “We wanted people to feel the love,” said Cyril Chappellet, 2nd generation winemaker. But they also stayed true to their history. This 2008 Cabernet effort tastes like it. Read more: Wine review: Chappellet 2008 Signature Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley The Russians got this classic recipe right — the rich, creamy sour cream and succulent meat come together to curl your toes and make a chilly winter evening just a little warmer. This recipe — lower in calories than the original — is simple to make and riffs on the traditional flavors. And from snout to tail, I’m a pork-aholic, so the use of boneless pork chops instead of sirloin makes the pocketbook feel a wee heavier too. So with such a prolific, daily wine tasting habit, distilling the thousands I evaluate every year down to nine is a tough challenge. (Thankfully, however, I keep track by placing these in the “Almost Perfect” section of my Wine Review pull down menu). But here are my top nine wines of 2011, in no particular order — all judged by their price/value ratio. Read more: In my opinion: The top nine wines of 2011 Ladies and gentlemen, children of all ages, I met chef Michael Vaughn who feeds about 200 hungry entertainers who live in some of the 61 train cars parked just outside of town. Chef Michael says he likes the adventure. “It’s definitely the greatest show on earth. We are the world’s largest city without a zip code,’’ he adds. The 16-year saw-dust veteran may have learned to cook in the south but his cuisine spans several continents. His international mix of patrons come from seven continents, including Uzbekistan, Uruguay, Russia, Mongolia and Paraguay. Michael invites the animal trainers, trapeze artists and others to bring him recipes and teach him about their special dishes that personify their home country. Read more: Food fit for a circus clown: Behind the scenes in Ringling Bros. kitchen A dear friend gave me a 1.5 liter magnum of this elegant sparkling wine for Christmas and I almost peed my pants. (Available to buy online only, by the way). There’s nothing quite like looking at a family-sized bottle of bubbly and savoring the ensuing drinking fantasies. I haven’t opened the behemoth yet but the little 750-milliliter brothers of the California sparkler are a staple in my house. A blend of 49% Chardonnay, 49% Pinot Noir and 2% Pinot Meunier grapes, Cuvee 20′s new, sleek packaging celebrates Judy Jordan’s 25 years of making sparkling wine in Sonoma’s Russian River Valley. They’ve had some time to get it right using the same production methods and grape varietals established in France. Sure, not that long in French Champagne terms but, hey, we’re a new country full of zeal, still finding our wine way. 
This bubbly barley beverage is a collaboration between famed microbrew Sam Adams and the planet’s oldest brewery, Germany’s revered Weihenstephan. Their goal was to create not just an innovative brew, but an entirely new style of beer. Sam Adams suds guru Jim Koch claims (in many videos) that it took over two years of ambitious tasty development to achieve this challenging objective. Read more: Sam Adams Infinium: A Champagne-like brew for New Year’s Eve celebration If old acquaintances are not to be forgotten, don’t choose a forgettable place to ring out the old year. Check out these ideas to ring in New Year’s Eve 2012 in Tampa Bay. Read more: New Year’s Eve restaurant spots and events for Tampa Bay 2012 |
|
|
|
|
You talk back