Category Archives: Food and Drink

It all begins with an idea …

Posted on November 14, 2012 by

The Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History will unveil a new exhibit next week called “FOOD: Transforming the American Table 1950-2000.” A major part of this exhibit – which anyone who eats or drinks should visit – covers the … Continue reading →

Posted in California, DrinkLocalWine.com, Eastern US, Food and Drink, Local Wine, Regional Wine Week, Virginia, Washington Post, Wine | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

Pairing wines with vegetarian food

Posted on June 27, 2012 by

This question came to me recently through the Free Range on Food chat on The Washington Post’s website. The chat runs every Wednesday from noon to 1 pm for those who need help with recipe questions, cooking conundrums or even … Continue reading →

Posted in Food and Drink, Italy, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, Wine | Tagged , | 1 Comment

An Irish kosher wine from New Zealand?

Posted on April 5, 2012 by

(This column was published in The Washington Post on Wednesday, April 4, 2012.) Wine is increasingly becoming part of our modern dining culture, a drink to be enjoyed regularly and not just on special occasions. That’s to be applauded from … Continue reading →

Posted in Food and Drink, Religion, Sauvignon Blanc, Wine | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Singing the Praises of Somms with Canary Island Wines

Posted on March 28, 2012 by

There’s been some feather-ruffling on the wine blahblahsphere lately about a “war” between critics and sommeliers. As described by W. Blake Gray on Palate Press,  sommeliers resent wine critics and their 100-point scoring systems because they try to democratize wine … Continue reading →

Posted in Food and Drink, Spain, Uncategorized, Wine | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Why white wines should not always be drunk young …

Posted on March 22, 2012 by

Here’s my dirty little secret: I love white wines. In WineLine #26, way back in January 2003 before these online scribblings were called blogs, I issued an impassioned defense of white wines. Sometimes, I even think I prefer white wines … Continue reading →

Posted in Food and Drink, Italy, Weblogs, Wine | Tagged , | 6 Comments

Rooting for Chenin

Posted on March 19, 2012 by

I always root for the underdog grape varieties. In a simplified consumer culture where red wine means Cabernet Sauvignon and merlot and white wine is synonymous with chardonnay, it is easy to lose sight of the amazing diversity wine has … Continue reading →

Posted in California, Food and Drink, France, Washington Post, Wine | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

Figeac: The misunderstood Premier Grand Cru Classé of St. Emilion

Posted on February 9, 2012 by

Opportunities to participate in a vertical tasting – spanning several vintages – of a premier wine are rare, so I jumped at the invitation to participate in an 11-vintage retrospective of Chateau Figeac, a Premier Grand Cru Classé producer in … Continue reading →

Posted in Bordeaux, Food and Drink, Wine | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Peter Chang, Kung Fu Master of Sichuan Cuisine

Posted on January 26, 2012 by

In Chinese, the word we transliterate in English as “kung fu” (or gongfu in the current spelling system used in mainland China) does not mean martial arts. It means simply art, or technique. One displays exceptional gongfu when one has … Continue reading →

Posted in Chinese Food, Food and Drink, Virginia, Wine | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

A quick guide to sherry

Posted on January 25, 2012 by

Yesterday, I wrote about how sherry pairs well with Chinese cuisine, in part because of its resemblance to the shaoxing rice wine of China. Today I offer this brief guide to the various types of sherries and some of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Chinese Food, Food and Drink, Spain, Wine | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

Toast Chinese New Year with sherry

Posted on January 24, 2012 by

Ask wine lovers what to drink with Chinese food, and they’ll probably say “beer.” Press for a wine recommendation, and one might grudgingly suggest Riesling or Gewurztraminer, explaining that the sweetness in those wines is a necessary counter to the … Continue reading →

Posted in Food and Drink, Spain, Washington Post, Wine | Tagged , , , | 7 Comments