Manoavino Taste!

Bangkok Meets Santiago - Thai Cuisine with Chilean White Wine

Sauvignon Blanc is a grape that’s grown throughout the world. It beautifully reflects the unique terroir of each place. The ripe peach, melon and tropical fruit flavors of this New World Chilean pairs beautifully with Thai cuisine.

The Wine: Mapuche Sauvignon Blanc, Central Valley, Chile $

The Food: Three classic Thai dishes

The Place: Brookside Thai, Bloomfield, NJ

When it comes to Thai dining the usual grab from my the wine fridge is a fruity mildly sweet Riesling, Gruner Veltliner or Chenin Blanc, maybe a Pinot Noir if meat dishes are planned. But, I was all out of those so I chose this Sauvignon Blanc.

If Malbec is a Sexy Sultry Redhead, Bonarda is Her Mysteriously Alluring Brunette Friend

Everyone loves Malbec, the enticing wine of Argentina. But do you know the second most popular red wine in Argentina?

Not so well known in the states, Argentinean Bonarda is a fabulous wine that we grab every time we see it. Like Malbec the Bonarda grape grown in South America is from France where it is called Douce Noir (Sweet Black). Duriguitti along with a number of other Argentine wineries make fabulous wine from this grape.

The Wine: Familia Duriguitti Bonarda Clasico $$

The Food: Classic American, Meatloaf, Mashed Potatoes, and Creamed Spinach, as close to homemade as you can get

The Place: Raymond’s Montclair, NJ 

Wine with Brunch? How about Something Sparkly, Exotic and Delicious?

For a family brunch with a gathering of cousins Diana made a Middle Eastern feast from the wonderful Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi cookbooks. Not to be outdone I created this tropical take on the classic brunch drink the Bellini.

The Wine: Zonin Prosecco, Pama, EO grenadine and mango ice cubes. $$

The Food: Delights from Yotam Ottolenghi

The Place: Home where the heart is with cousins galore.

Not Your Dad's Vermouth, Sooo Much Better

I grew up thinking of vermouth as dusty green bottles in my father’s basement bar. Something he drank only in the Christmas Manhattans or as little as possible in a Martini. It was not good stuff.

You might think the same, sorry but you're wrong. A quality vermouth is delightful, made by an original ancient recipe or one of the many new craft artisanal concoctions made today, it is a wine to seek out and savor.

The Wine:  Vermouth, an aromatized and fortified wine flavored with various botanicals, chilled, on the rocks, or in cocktails $$-$$$

The Food: Appetizers of almost any kind, Italian Antipasti or Middle Eastern Mezze are our choice

The Place: At home, in restaurants and bars, any place you can find the good stuff

The One Thousandth Post

Never imagined when I started Manoavino over eight years ago that it would grow to be this big. Thank you. What’s Next?

Read all we've posted...

Shake Shack Paramus, Thank You Randy Garutti

Waited in line for over an hour to get a Shack Shack burger? You bet your life we have. We’ve been ardent fans since the Madison Park location opened in 2004, where people happily queue up to get this fabulous quintessential American food.

So happy they have come to New Jersey.

The Wine: Shake Shack Paramus is BYOB, we would suggest a lively Malbec or Zinfandel $-$$

The Food: Burgers are the thing here, and we enjoyed them all.

The Place: Shake Shack, Route 17 South, Paramus NJ

 

Top Sommelier Reveals 6 Things Not To Do When Ordering Wine

 

Two Italian Sommeliers (AIS) in Puglia at your service

Here at Manoavino we are all about sharing practical down to earth wine knowledge. We're the opposite of wine snobs and like to write about the experience of wine rather than the technical details.

We loved this article by Paige Cooperstein writing for BusinessInsider where she shares some key tips from Sommelier John Ragan of Union Square Hospitality Group.

It starts with something I advise people to do, Don't Smell the Cork, and goes on to share 5 more great tips. Read more.