Manoavino Taste!

Parducci Sustainable Red with a Farm to Table Dinner in Minnesota

Well in spite of stormy weather all around we made it here to Minneapolis safe and sound to very fair weather. This city will be home for Pierce for some years as a promising student of the "The U."

Diana's sister, husband Dan and their two boys live here too. Last night we all enjoyed a great farm to table dinner at home of almost all locally produced ingredients. The dinner was a delicious Pasta with Bacon and Corn 'Pesto'

My brother-in-law Dan of course had some good wine to pour and we started off with one of my favorite whites, Vorburg Pinot Bianco from Italy. Kellerei Cantina Terlano Vorberg Riserva. We then enjoyed a delicous and very affordable red from Parducci Wine Cellars in Ukiah, Mendocino County, CA.

Bodegas Bilbainas Vina Zaco Rioja Alta and Dinner with Friends

I brought these two inexpensive Riojas to a dinner with friends. The menu was grilled chicken and a lemon pasta so I was thinking white, but knew they prefered red wines so brought this nice medium bodied modern Tempranillo

The white, El Hada, we had before and loved it again, the red which is one of the "modern" Riojas I have been telling you about was wonderful.

Wine for Breakfast? King Estate Raspberry Pinot Noir Jam Taste Test

King Estate in Oregon is well known for their wonderful Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir and other varietals.

They also make a very fine raspberry jam infused with their Pinot Noir. King Estate practices organic farming and the jam is no exception.

We decided to pit King's jam against two other raspberry jams we had in our refrigerator in a crumpet taste test.

I am sure you would agree there is no better palette for tasting jams that a nicely toasted crumpet with butter.

Summer Backyard Dinner Fresh From the Sea and Farm with Le Focaie Maremma Toscana Sangiovese

Last night was a perfect evening for outdoor dining in our backyard.

The meal, all from the Montclair Farmers Market or our own garden, included delicious, fresh from the sea, sauteed scallops, baked stuffed heirloom tomatoes and just picked milk and honey corn on the cob.

I was torn between opening a white or a red, and decided on a red, Le Focaie Maremma Toscana Sangiovese based on the tomato recipe.

This wine by Rocca di Montemassi turned out to be a very good choice. With great savory flavor and finesse this old world style wine was perfect with a dinner that could pair with a red or a white. Read our recipes and more about this wine.

Wonderful bounty from the Montclair NJ Farmers Market

Horton Vineyards - Orange County, Virginia - Does Wine Taste Better in the Cellar Where it was Made?

Horton is one of the vineyards we had the pleasure of visiting during our trip to Charlottesville for the North American Wine Bloggers Conference. It is set in pristine Virginia farmland that is as beautiful as it is fertile.

We arrived at Horton by way scenic, windy, tree-lined country roads. The stately house stands out among the fields and trees and is the home of some very good wines.

After our tour of the vineyards we descended into the massive cellar to see how their wines are made and taste many of them.

Three Stylish Spanish Wines from Rueda, Jumilla and Montsant - Great Values

I am starting to like the New World wines that are coming out of Spain. I was never a really big fan of the classic Old World classic Spanish wines but this new crop with their stylish labels are hard to resist.

Plus they are inexpensive.

This one called El Hada is an excelent white from Rueda which is mainly known for its red wines. The winemaker Jose Maria Vegas was a real pioneer in the region, the first to see the great potential for white wines there. He opened his winery in 1988, very new for Spain in Santiuste de San Juan Bautista, Segovia Spain.

I enjoyed this wine with a quick dinner at Uptown 596  in Upper Montclair. It is a great wine for Mediterranean dishes at Jackies, Falafel Hut, or Raymond's to name a few.

Congratulations to One of Our Favorite Bars, Employees Only, New York City

This July, spirits from around the world descended on America’s most soulful city as Tales of  the Cocktail® returned to New Orleans.

We are very excited to congratulate one of our favorite NY cocktail bars Employees Only for winning these awards:

World’s Best Cocktail Bar

World’s Best Drinks Selection

 

Tales of the Cocktail is always held in July at various locations throughout the French Quarter. Some of the best-known local mixologists and noted bartenders from around the country assemble to shake, stir and pour their colorful concoctions.