It's Time for Wine: Excellent Napa Cabs at More Affordable Prices

Can Anyone Afford the Highest Scoring Wines? or We Know Where to Find Some Excellent Ones with Gentler Pricing If you are one of the many who put stock in the wine scores awarded by the Wine Spectator, then you may have been as depressed as we were to read the Cabernet Sauvignon report published [...]

Meringue Kisses

Put off that New Year’s resolution to eat healthier for a little bit just so you can enjoy these delicious meringue kisses!  Light as air with a nice crunch, these cookies can almost pass as a guilt-free treat. This recipe from my mom has always been a hit with family and friends.  Just be careful [...]

A Guide to Sparkling Wine

‘Tis the season to toast with Champagne! When you’re selecting that bottle of bubbly for your celebration there are many options besides the traditional French sparking wine. Not sure what the differences are among all the varieties of bubbly? This guide will help explain why all Champagne is sparkling wine, but not all sparkling wines [...]

AG Pick: Nora da Neve Albarino 2005

I think I have found my favorite Albariño.  Of the Albariños I’ve tasted recently, the Nora da Neve stood out as being on another level.  One reason for its delicious taste?  Oak. Haven’t tried an oaked Albariño before?  That’s not surprising.  Hardly any winemakers in Spain use oak with Albariño for fear it will dominate [...]

Best Bites in America's Busiest Airports

If you’re flying this holiday season, don’t feel like you have to grab an unhealthy and unappetizing meal at the airport.  Food & Wine magazine recently released its Ultimate Airport Dining Survival Guide, a list of great places to eat in some of America’s busiest airports. If your travels take you through Miami International Airport, [...]

For Your Ears: The Main Drag

Every so often I get information on up-and-coming music acts that I like to share with my readers.  For your listening pleasure I present The Main Drag, a folk/electronic band from Boston. Described as Grizzly Bear meets MGMT, The Main Drag make sophisticated and infectious indie-pop using music production as an instrument, stacking harmonies, synthesizers, [...]

Win a Wine & Food Vacation in Austria

Want the chance to spend a week exploring Austria’s vibrant wine scene?  How about dining at delicious Austrian restaurants, skiing the Austrian Alps or visiting the country’s museums and historical landmarks? Austria captures the spirit of the bygone era: ornate palaces, imperial monuments and a thriving wine industry that has earned a worldwide reputation for [...]

It's Time for Wine: Praise for the Vintner's Association

The Government Notwithstanding, the Vintners Come Through Again Once again the Napa Valley wine industry, through the Napa Valley Vintners Association, has donated large (no, that trivializes the amount to some degree – let’s say huge) sums of money to various programs in Napa County – money that without which many of these programs could [...]

AG Pick: 2006 Pier Asnas Langhe Rosso

With the many varieties and styles of Italian wine, it’s hard to know how to pick out a good bottle.  Fortunately I had some help finding the 2006 Pier Asnas Langhe Rosso. I heard about this Italian red from Michael Bittel, wine connoisseur and owner of Sunset Corners Wines & Liquors in South Miami.  Michael, [...]

Exploring Italy's Marche Region

Though every region in Italy produces wine, some regions tend to hog the spotlight.  Tuscany immediately comes to mind for its Chianti and Brunello, as does Piedmont’s Barolo, Lombardy’s Pinot Grigio and Veneto’s Prosecco. The Marche region is not as familiar to me.  Had you asked me a few weeks ago to name a varietal [...]