Good wine tastes even better when made by great people: An interview with Paul Romero of Stefania Wine

One of life’s simplest pleasures is a well made glass of wine. A single glass of wine exemplifies the hard work put into the vineyard and winery, as well as the personality and passion of its winemaker. When it comes to making good wines that express love and appreciation of both the vineyard and the wine, not many folks do it as good as Paul (and Stefani) Romero of Stefania Wine. Read more

Tasting Report: 7 Wines of the Loire Valley paired with Sushi

What wines go well with $360 worth of sushi? Well, for the 9 of us in attendance on Sunday at the Wine Club gathering (at Yamato Sushi- review to come), I think we’d agree that something from the Loire Valley (France)would work quite nicely.

Overall we had a great time working through the 7 wines (tough work but someone has to do it!). The only sparkling wine in the group came from Louis de Grenelle, a large estate in Saumur (home of some great red wines). We worked through 4 Vouvray’s and two other Loire whites, ending with my favorite wine from the Loire Valley, a red wine from Chinon (100% Cabernet Franc). There wasn’t a bad wine in the bunch, with two being great (89 pts!) and all being wines I’d gladly drink again. Read more

Foreign beer and Smoked meat: Part 1

As usual, the weekend affords me plenty of time to not do my research or other work associated with the research and to cook.  Seeing as how it is summer time, it seems only fitting that one should make proper use of the grill whenever possible.  So two nights ago as I was putting a glass into the freezer to get a nice chill before I poured a beer into it (it was a miller lite… I know what you’re gonna, but someone has to drink the leftover beer!) and I noticed a bag of ribs I had bought from the butcher.  Unsure how I had forgotten about a large quantity of spare ribs, I defrosted them in the fridge over night.

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Korean food: Jong Kak and Wong Gal Bi

by Greg B.

If anyone is ever in the mood to go stuff themselves silly on good food with a bunch of friends, Korean restaurants are the place to go. I had never had Korean food until this past winter, but since then it has become at least a monthly event. And, if you have never eaten it, it certainly is an event. I listed two restaurants because these are the only two I have been to, and both are excellent. Read more

Free Advice To Restaurants: How to sell more wine and keep your customers coming back for more.

Two months back I was asked by a friend and restaurant manager who I’ve known for years for advice on her wine list. She asked how her restaurant (a mid-range restaurant in a nice area of suburban Detroit) could increase their wine sales and revenue since it had slowly been decreasing as the economy worsened. This was a great question and one that I feel is relevant for many fine dining restaurants in Baltimore and elsewhere in the US. In a time when the economy has many people eating at home and spending less on food and wine, how does a middle to high class restaurant survive? Here I offer advice some pretty simple advice for restaurants that either do not have a dedicated wine manager, or who could use a few ideas on how to sell more wine and make more money. Read more

Sushi Sono: Best Sushi in the Baltimore area - by Greg B.

Author: Greg B

Everyone is picky about their sushi restaurants and we all have our favorites. And why not? We are, after all, eating raw seafood. It’s only natural for an organism to return to the same feeding places where they have successfully eaten and not gotten sick… or worse. After dating a girl in college who took me out to sushi one Friday afternoon (lunch special at Sushi Hana in Towson = excellent), my life changed. Fridays became known as “sushi Fridays”, and it drew a crowd of people from across campus. Once it started, it kept going. Sushi Friday continued even after friends of ours and even we, graduated. Sushi Hana was an excellent place to learn about sushi, and while it is still one of my favorite sushi places to eat at in Baltimore, it has been surpassed.

The first time I ate at Sushi Sono was when my boss took the entire lab out in celebration for getting a very large grant. I cant be sure exactly how much sushi was there, but saying over 200 pieces would certainly not be an overstatement. However since then I just don’t drive very often, and it is extremely rare to see my down in the Columbia, MD area. But this Saturday my roommate and I just so happened to be down there, and with 3 hours to kill around lunchtime. The scene was set for some delicious sushi.

We walked into the restaurant and were immediately greeted by a very polite older woman. Asking if we wanted to sit at a table or the bar, we chose the bar. I like to sit there and watch the sushi be assembled and the fish get sliced and arranged, it’s very interesting work. Once we sat down, a very pleasant young woman dressed in traditional Japanese kimono asked for our drink orders. My roommate got the usual (Asahi) beer, and I decided to get cold sake instead of warm (perhaps the 90 degree temp had something to do with it?). I ordered a bottle of OzekiYam Nishi for $22, thinking I would have plenty of time to drink the bottle before it would be time to go. However, this lunch was governed by extreme efficiency, and just after I drank my first glass, we ordered.

I ordered the vegetarian box A from the lunch special ($10.95) which came with vegetable tempura, rice, a spinach roll and a shittake mushroom with asparagus sushi roll. I also ordered two pieces of Massago (smelt roe, for $4) and two pieces of White Tune ($4.50) since I had never had either of these. My roommates ordered a lunch special Chicken Tempura box ($9.95) with chicken tempura, tempura veggies and rice, along with a Spicy Tuna roll ($5.50). Within minutes, the Miso arrived.

In all honesty, Miso soup is miso soup. It is very rare I get Miso soup I don’t like, and most places taste almost exactly the same. Except again, the waitress was extremely polite and friendly. Halfway through the Miso, one of the men behind the bar placed a wooden tray with my Massago and Tuna over the fridge compartment and onto the bar. It was then that I knew I probably had to drink up with the sake! I finished my Miso and a few more drinks of the sake when our pleasant waitress returned with my meal and my roommate’s spicy tuna roll.

Sake goes great with Japanese food. There is no other way to say it. Drinking sake for it’s own sake (I couldn’t resist) is not something I do unless it is wintertime and the sake is warm. This particular sake brand was not one I had consumed before, and it was very mellow, which went well for a summer afternoon. The vegetable tempura was excellent, along with the little bit of spiced radish we got to place into our digging sauce. I had never had the spinach roll or shittake mushroom roll before, and the spinach roll was pretty good. It was served cold, with a slight touch of rice vinegar. The shittake roll was very good also, as the texture of the mushrooms and the asparagus nicely opposed each other for an interesting bite. The smelt roe was good, but not too surprising, however the white Tuna was not something I had eaten before and was excited to try. It was like butter, soft, cool and delicious. You did not even have to bite to eat it, it was so soft. Definitely a new favorite sushi dish of mine.

As my roommate got a call from the Sears guy saying he didn’t have the 4 tires in stock he thought he had, and we could get the car back anytime, I hurried up my sake consumption. The waitress returned, and took the rest of our plates (they had been floating around during the meal, and as soon as any piece of plateware or lid or anything was finished, they would remove them from the table almost instantly. Definitely made me feel like I was at a fancier establishment than my tee shirt and shorts I was wearing indicated). We paid our bill and received our Japanese fruit flavored gum in a box, you all know the kind. We walked out and I made a mental note to return more often. Hopefully, this is one restaurant I will keep good on my promise.

Belgian Ale Night

It was a day like any other day. Trying to graduate school and squeeze in time to do experiments between all kinda of administrative nonsense and mountains of useless paperwork, but at least the evening held the promise of something delicious. Dr. Didier Depireux, a Belgian, had his parents bring a few bottles of beer over when they visited recently and it just so happened one of the bottles is Jim’s french-canadian roommate’s favorite beer: Forbidden fruit. This beer was the reason for the occasion.  Brewed by Hoegaarden and known as ‘verboden vrucht’, the bottle had a crown top metal cap (unusual for Belgian beers, I think).

Jim acquired a rather large bottle of Chimay red to use as a baseline comparison. The bottle of Forbidden fruit was smaller, and the bottle had a substantial quantity of sediment in it, something I dont mind too much (also, it’s high in vitamins!) especially since all my homebrew also has it.  We opened both, pouring each a sample of the Chimary red and the Forbidden fruit, cheersed to Didier and his family, and took a drink of the Forbidden fruit.

I have to say, despite the fact that I am not the world’s largest fan of Belgian style beers, this one was not too shabby.  What it lacked in body it made up for in flavor AND, very importantly, it did not have an overwhelmingly strong alcohol taste/smell to it.  For me, this is a big issue, as I usually tend to drink a substantial quantity of beer when I do drink, and I could see myself downing a few of these beers in a night, rather than just a few and waking up the following day unable to look at sun light.  The beer gave off a rather small quantity of head, something made up for by the Chimary.  The size of the head is important for a beer, as it traps in some of the aroma and maintains some of the carbonation.  However, Forbidden fruit had a very nice carbontaion style.  The bubbles were very very small, almost champagne style, which made the Chimary’s bubbles seem very large by comparisson.  You could actually feel the difference between the two while drinking.  I do feel that Forbidden fruit would have lost a good deal of its carbonation within a few minutes, so you’d be doing yourself a favor by drinking up.

I was a bit surprised by tasting this beer, since I head some quick reviews online and the tastings were all over the place.  A lot of people tasted a bitter beer with alcohol finish, others had a sweet beer with no alcohol, or sweet with alcohol, etc.  In the end, I’d have to say the beer had sweet malty taste, without a big alcohol taste, and had a dry finish.  You could smell some overtones of fruit… but not citrus, though I’d need another beer to be able to better detect the fruit.  Not a bad beer, and in the lineup, I’d put it above Chimary Red as far as categorizing beers based on goodness goes.  Maybe next time we can compare it to Chimary Blue!

Recommended pairings: A strong cheese… I’m thinking bleu and a real sharp cheddar (NY aged, of course).  You might be able to get away with the classic mussels dish, but it should be a very strongly seasoned and flavorful dish to match the flavors in the beer.

Restaurant Review: Mannequin Pis Restaurant (Olney, MD) -A night of Belgian respect with Chris and Dana

Outstanding Belgian food, bier and hospitality! Read more

Tasting Report: Good Values From Sicily- The Wines of Sicilian Producer Tasca d’ Almerita

Sicily is well known for its sweet Marsala wines, which make up a majority of the wine produced in the DOC wine region. But in recent years, there has been a surge towards producing quality red and white table wines as the global demand for quality wines increases. Read more

July 4th Pig Roast

This past friday was July 4th, and I felt it was time to celebrate our independence from the British empire the way Americans should celebrate: by getting drunk with friends.  However, I felt that, given all the recent issues and troubles our nation has been experiencing, from erosion of constitutional civil liberties to economics woes and war, we needed something a little extra.  Thus, the first annual July 4th Pig roast celebration was born.  Complete with homebrew!

This party had been on my mind for month, since February after we held our much-delayed 2nd annual Gregtoberfest.  In anticipation, I searched online for recipes of beers from some of our great founding fathers and came across three:  George Washington’s Porter, Ben Franklin’s Spruce Ale, and Thomas Jefferson’s Wheat beer.  Given that I dont enjoy porters, I ruled out George Washington’s beer for now.  The spruce ale sounded very intriguing, and the Maryland homebrew store does have spruce extract for such such an occasion, but I decided to leave this beer for an experimental batch for myself, rather than give to people.  Thus, Thomas Jefferson’s recipe was chosen.  Preparation began in April and the beer was racked in early May, about when i started searching for the pig.

My usual butcher (J.W. Treuth) did not have whole hogs for sale, and being that I dont like small undertakings, I continued to search for a good one.  Luckily, my boss informed me of Wagner’s our in New Market, MD.  I called them up and very quickly they informed me I could have any size hog I wanted, and the different prices associated with the poundage.  I settled on a 37.5 lb pig and we agreed on a pickup date and that was that.  I was the proud potential owner of a pig.  The next issue was clear…. How to cook it?

If there’s one thing any good American knows, it’s that BBQ is awesome, and that roasted meats are awesome (sorry pescatarians and such, I dont mean to offend, I’m just stating my opinions on the matter).  After weeks of searching through recipes and consulting cooks, I decided to follow a rough estimate of what the internet Italians call ‘porchetta”.  When I finally got my pig, I salted the meat for 24hrs, squeezed lemon juice on the skin (it helps break down the fats under the skin) and added cracked black pepper to the animal and let it sit in my fridge.  The following 12 hrs I added a bit more salt, stuffed the pig with many (and I do mean many) garlic cloves, fresh sage leaves, rosemary and some fennel, along with 4 lbs of loose sage sausage.  I then proceeded to sew up the animal, and inserted garlic cloves in various places under the skin and let the animal sit in the fridge overnight, for the roasting day.  I also prepared a basting solution of water, salt, olive oil, black pepper corns, garlic, fennel, rosemary, oregano, sugar and a medium sweetness blush wine.  Keep in mind this was basting for a large animal for several hours, so the total solution volume must have been well over a gallon… for your own preparation records!

Come July 4th, I awoke and ran downstairs, possibly more excited than a kid at christmas.  I assembled a spit that one of my Greek friend’s mother’s was gracious enough to lend to me, skewered the pig, tied him up and started the coals.  By 9am, I had the pig roasting on the fire, trying to be careful to keep the coals near the hams and shoulders, since these are thicker parts and require more heat than the gut.  Almost exactly 6 hours of roasting later, the pig was done and left to cool on a table, prepared for butchering when guests arrived.  And arrive they did!  Over the course of 9 hours, we must have put down easily 200 beers, a small pony keg of heineken, several bottles of wine, and a couple shots of tequila.  oh, and some pig brains too.  Approx. 50 people made their way through my house, consuming almost all the food and almost all the beer.  The perfect party!  The pig was a little salty, which I felt went well with the beer available.  The TJ wheat beer was a hit as well (though I felt it lacked a little something extra… maybe next time!).  All in all, things worked out well.

In the end, I realized that when you roast an animal, people come from all sorts of places to eat it.  However, I am looking forward to my next excuse to roast an animal.  Anyone have any good reasons excuses??

 

A trip to Virginia’s Wineries: A weekend of wine drinking in Virginia tastes best with good friends!

The majority of wine production in the United States takes place in 5 of the 50 states: California, Oregon, Washington, and to a lesser extent Michigan and New York. The last two may not be making wines the caliber of their west coast counterparts, but there are many good Rieslings and Ice Wines coming from Michigan and New York that are gaining national and international attention.

But what about the other 45 states?

For starters, wine (of some sort!) is being made in almost every state in the US. Idaho, Montana, Texas, Virginia and even Maryland have been producing wine for many years now. But you have to wonder: who’s drinking these wines and are they any good? I’ve been in Maryland for 4 years now and I know very little about the wines of Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania- all of which have wineries less than 2 hours from my home. I have had a few bottles here and there that had me impressed (an Elk Run Gewurztraminer comes to mind), as well as one outstanding bottle of 1980 Byrd Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon that Kim and I had at Della Notte a few years back. Yes, a 1980 Maryland Cabernet, drank in 2005, that was very good. Sad to say I can’t find out any information on Byrd Vineyards and they are not around today (if you know anything e-mail me: michael@foodandwineblog.com). Read more

Tasting Report: Good wines and great QPRs from Chilean producer Vina Ventisquero (Chile)

Chilean wines are quickly becoming some of the best QPR (quality-to-price) wines in the market today. From Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet, to the more rare Carmemere, the Chilean wine industry is setting the bar high when it comes to wines that bring big bang for their buck. (click here for more on Chilean wines)

I was recently invited to lunch with Felipe Tosso, head winemaker at up and coming producer Vina Ventisquero. In our two hour lunch I developed an understanding of his style and a respect for his experience and passion, as well as for his commitment to maintain eco-friendly wines. (image from www.intlwine.com/southamerica.htm) Read more

Montalcino Restaurant Review: Osteria Al Giardino (Montalcino, Tuscany, Italy) - Upscale and pricey, but worth it. Highly Recommended!

Osteria Al Giardino:

Ambiance: Elegant,
Food: Upscale and traditional Montalcino/Tuscan cuisine
Service: Outstanding: attentive, great wine service.
Wine List: Good overall. Fair pricing with a good number of bottles with some age to them.
Pricing: $$$$ - Expensive, but worth it for a special occasion. Expect around 60 Euros per person, plus wine (our total was aorund 230 Euros)
Attire: Upscale, but comfortable/business casual seems appropriate.
Overall Rating: Great. Highly recommended for special occasions but be prepared to spend some money. The food was exceptional across the board and the service was very good. Chef Giovanni Luca di Pirro shows great passion in his food and keeping you well fed!
Piazza Garibaldi 10
Montalcino, Tuscany, Italy
Bookings and Fax: 0577 849076. e-mail: osteriaalgiardino@virgilio.it
Closed Wednesday.

Il Girdino: This was our favorite “upscale” dining in Montalcino. The service was attentive and very helpful, the food was outstanding, and the setting was elegant and warm. Situated near the middle of town on the top of a hill where the main streets merge, Il Girdino was all around a great meal. The wine list represented some of the best wines in Montalcino and prices were on par with other restaurants and enotecas. Our meal began with a beef carpaccio of neck meat that was sliced so thin and delicate that it melted on the palate. Our other primi course was a poached egg served with a decadent white winter truffle sauce that was very simple but quite delicious. We paired these with wines by the glass from a well thought out list.

For a first course we split two dishes: white winter truffle linguine and a potato ravioli with artichokes and parmageano reggiano cheese. The homemade pasta dish featured a rich truffle sauce and a large plate of linguine covered with fresh shaved white truffles. This was a hit- the simplicity again let the truffle shine but prevented it from overpowering the palate. The potato ravioli was a bit of a let down. It was well spiced but the flavors and texture just weren’t that great. Overall, we were happy with this course.

Our main course featured both beef and cinghale (wild boar): a well seasoned steak cooked medium rare and a tender and flavorful cinghale stew. This course was paired with a 1999 Poggio al Vento (Col d’Orcia Riserva) that was served in beautiful stemware and went perfect with both dishes and which I rated 95 pts.

For dessert, we decided on a hazelnut Creme Brulee that featured lovely flavors and texture in the creme sauce hiding beneath a perfectly crisp top layer. This topped off one of the best meals I’ve ever eaten- all compliments to Chef Giovanni Luca di Pirro, who came to our table at the end of the evening to talk with us about our meal. You could see his passion for preparing world class meals in the way he spoke about the meal. A passion that was even more evident in the food itself.

Overall this was our favorite upscale meal in Montalcino. The setting is more elegant than most of the other restaurants, the food a little more upscale and complex, and as you’d expect, the prices a little bit higher. The meal with wine cost us around 220 Euros, or roughly $350 USD. Expensive? Yes, but worth it for one special night out in one of the most amazing towns in Italy.

MD Cru June Offline: Rieslings, Malbecs, Chorizo, Shrimp, Scallops and Flank Steaks- “Life is good.”

“Life is good.” That statement, which was made about halfway through dinner Saturday night by history guru “GF”, would be sufficient to sum up the evening. This was, of course, the monthly meet-up of the MD Cru- a group of food and wine enthusiasts who organize through the Wine Spectator forums to share great food and stories. And of course we open a few bottles of wine as well.

This month we were in D.C., at the beautiful historic home of one of the groups long-time members (there is no official group, or membership, for that matter, but it’s an easy way to refer to what has become a gathering of friends). The wine theme was two fold: German Rieslings and Argentine Malbecs. Other wines made it into the rotation, of course; a couple whites to start, a Champange, dessert wines, and a “pair” of ringers from Chile. Read more

Weeknight Dining: Eating Great In Baltimore - 16 Restaurants across town suitable for any budget!

With gasoline at $4.00 a gallon (or more), it seems that everyone is trying to cut back on spending. For many this includes eating out less and cooking meals at home. While cooking at home is always a great, healthy and cheaper way to eat, sometimes it’s just nice to not have to cook and do dishes. But does eating out have to cost significantly more than eating in? Or are there delicious options in town that will not break even the most sensitive budget?

Below is a list of some of the best restaurants in town that provide great food (and wine) for the price. A few of these aren’t necessarily cheap, but they are the most “bang for your buck” restaurants offering a great meal on any and all budgets. The list is arranged by neighborhood and provides summaries of each restaurant as well as what you can expect to spend per person. Chain restaurants were not considered for this list. Special thanks to Dae Chang who offered his expert analysis on a few places on this list! For another great list, check out the Dining Dish Blog’s Ten Inflation Busting Specials!

To nominate a restaurant to be on this list, e-mail me (michael@foodandwineblog.com) or leave a comment and I’ll check it out!  And don’t forget to check out these great wines that are budget friendly! Read more

Restaurant Review: Petit Louis (Baltimore - Roland Park): Outstanding French cuisine, wine list and service.

Overview

Ambiance: Upscale, bustling classic French Bistro.
Wine List: Impressive selection of French wines, sommelier available to lend a hand.
Corkage: Not available
Service: Very good to exceptional food and wine service.
Food: Classic/Elegant French Cuisine, good to very good.
Pricing: $$$ (Appetizers $7-$14, Entrees $17-$24, fair wine pricing).
Attire: No specific dress code but most patrons in business casual to business attire
Overall Rating: Highly recommended; great food, good service, great wine list.
Location/Contact Info: http://www.petitlouis.com

Review: A small French bistro situated in the beautiful Roland Park neighborhood of Baltimore, it’s easy to fall in love with Petit Louis. The classic decor, traditional French cuisine and impeccable food and wine service make Petit Loius one of Baltimore’s best restaurants for a casual dinner or birthday celebration. While not cheap, compared to other restaurants of this quality Petit Loius is almost a bargain! All these things combined make it one of our favorite spots in town- especially since it’s only a mile away from our house and parking is abundant. Read more

The Best Homemade Beer I Have Ever Made

Well, I just finished the last of a beer i brewed two septembers ago.  It was one of my first and more adventurous beers…. an Oak Whiskey Russian Imperial Stout.  And I have to say, aged over 18 months that thing tasted REAL good.  It actually was a fairly simple recipe, since I used an imperial stout kit for my base.  Added extra maltose to the wort to give the beer a nice creamy texture (which really didnt come out until it aged atleast 6 months in the bottle).  While the beer was in the primary fermenter, i soaked oak chips in a mixture of Irish whiskeys: Bushmill’s black and a touch of Jameson.  I also added a few drops of Jack Daniels… i have a bottle I bought at the distillery on my motorcycle trip and I never drink it straight, as I dont like Jack.  anyway, I let those soak for about 6 days and when i transfered the beer to the secondary, my goal was to add about half the whiskey… but when I got there, I made a last minute decision to add but a tiny bit of the whiskey (I wanted to drink a shot or so) and to add all of the oak chips.  I let this sit for about 2 months before bottling.  I recommend other people muck about with this general idea.  I never did check my specific gravity before bottling, so I cant give you an approximation of alcohol content, but I can tell you this:  sometimes girls would ask for a stout at my house during a party, her first beer, and i would give her one of those.  and in about 30 minutes they’d be complaining about being drunk.

Friday Wine Roundup: Best QPR (Quality to Price) Wines This Week- June 20, 2008

QPR is a measure of a wines Quality to Price Ratio. QPR is used to determine whether or not a wine is worth its price. Each Friday I put up a list of wines that I have recently tasted, that I feel offer great “bang for their buck.” With gas at $4.00 a gallon or more, it’s good to know that you can continue to enjoy great wines even when the budget tightens up. The wines listed here are wines that I feel offer you, the consumer, a great wine that is both well priced, and succeeds at providing a great wine experience. I try to introduce new grape varieties or wine regions to keep things interesting and recommend keeping an eye out for these good QPR’s next time you’re out wine shopping. Most, if not all are available throughout Baltimore. Read more

Meats on the grill and Pinot vs. Pinot: Argentina vs. New Zealand With My Good Friend Carlos

The Pinot Noir grape has a reputation for being difficult to grow and even more difficult to produce into a great wine. Since I’ve never had the chance to grow or make a Pinot, I can only go by the variability in the quality of Pinot Noir at certain price points. Across the board Pinot Noir’s are the most unpredictable wines when it comes to quality and value. Generally speaking, you have to spend two to three times more than you would for any other wine to get a good Pinot Noir.

With this in mind, Kim and I invited our friend Carlos (pictured above with Kimmy, and his leg is pictured next to the food below!) to come over, sit outside on the gravel that is our patio under renovations, and drink a few Pinots in the blind format. We wanted to evaluate the wines on their own, as well as with a variety of foods. I fired up the grill and threw on some lamb rib chops, a porterhouse steak, and a spicy marinated duck breast, as well as sides of pancetta-wrapped asparagus and spicy marinated eggplant. Overall the food went well with all three wines. Read more

Ordering wine in a restaurant: “By-the-glass” offers a fun learning experience (4 wines with steak)

After a few hours of working on the kitchen Saturday, Kim and I were getting hungry and it was getting late. 8:00 PM rolled around and we decided we wanted good steaks. Our favorite steakhouse in town is Fleming’s Primes Steakhouse and Wine Bar which offers 100 wines by the glass, an extensive reserve wine list and a variety of meats and seafood to satisfy any appetite. Beware that the wine prices are a bit high, but their by-the-glass list offers many good values, the food is always good, and the service is outstanding. So we called, squeezed in a 9:30 reservation and excitedly hurried over anticipating a great meal.  (Image from dreamstime.com)

Now, normally at a nice dinner I order a bottle of Champagne and a bottle of red wine at the beginning of the meal. This gives the wine time to sit in a decanter if necessary and helps us decide on what we are going to eat. At a steakhouse, it’s almost always a Cabernet or Bordeaux-blend, with the occasional Malbec or other miscellaneous varietal wine. On this night, though, we decided to try something different. SO we started our meal with a round of white wines by the glass, a Riesling and a Gewurztraminer to be precise. Both were quite good and perfect with our fried calamari appetizer. Read more

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