Posted on June 14th, 2013
June is “National Tea Month” and what better way is there to usher in hot weather than with an icy cold glass of iced tea.
The Chinese credit a legendary emperor named Shen Nung with the discovery of tea in 2737 BC. According to legend, he only drank water that had been boiled and one day, leaves from a nearby bush, Camellia sinensis, fell into his boiling drinking water. According to some, iced tea was first made by Richard Blechynden, an English tea concessionaire at the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair who decided to combat a slump in sales of hot tea caused by a heat wave; he poured the tea over ice and his customers loved it. However, references to “iced tea” first appeared in print in the Virginia Cookery Book written by Mary Stuart Smith in 1855.
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Posted on June 9th, 2012
The country where it all began comes of age again and produces award winning wines that you would be proud to have on your dinner table. This week I was fortunate to discover the wines of Domaine Costa Lazaridi and fell in love with the wines of Greece again. My goal and yours for Summer of 2012 is to taste as many Greek wines as you can, so you too can discover other high quality wineries coming from a wine producing country that literally fell off the map. All I can say is give the wines of Greece a chance and you will be very happy with your new discoveries.
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Posted on January 25th, 2012
I’ve been collecting wine for 27 years: always looking for the next outstanding bottle from a favorite winemaker, researching upcoming regions, or anticipating the harvest and release of another vintage of an old favorite. This might sound strange to some, but to those of us who are lovers of food and wine, it isn’t.
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Posted on October 30th, 2011
Prosecco is the sparkling wine of the moment. After all, why shouldn’t it be?
It’s light and refreshing; it mixes well to make interesting cocktails and pairs well with many different cusines; and it can be enjoyed just as well on its own as an aperitif. I personally enjoy drinking Prosecco throughout an entire meal: it enhances all the flavors of the food and is just a fun wine to enjoy with friends and family. Continue reading »
Posted on August 6th, 2011
This past June 30th in New York City I was invited to be part of a panel at Le Cirque restaurant that presented the wines of the Veneto region to a large group of press and consumers. The presentation was led by Aurora Endrici, an Italian Sommelier from Italy, Anthony Dias Blue, a wine and food personality, and Paolo Secondo, the owner of a group of top Italian restaurants in New York City.
Among the wines that were tasted and reviewed by all were Glera, Corvina, Vespaiolo, Garganega, Moscato, Raboso, Amarone, Soave and Prosecco. As we tasted the wines one by one with the audience, we also answered questions from Aurora Endrici and the press about these familiar and new wine discoveries. The line up of wines was an eye opener for all in attendance: no one was left unimpressed with the high quality of wines produced in Veneto and the wines’ ability to pair so well with many different cuisines. After the tasting we joined everyone at an intimate luncheon where our conversations about the undoubtedly world class red and white wines being produced in the Veneto region continued. It goes without saying that, once again, the Italian Trade Commission of New York did an outstanding job hosting a significant and important event in the world of Italian wine with the Veneto Chambers of Commerce.
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Posted on July 27th, 2011
In 1837, the Delmonico brothers opened the first fine dining restaurant in the United States, featuring private dining and the largest private wine cellar in the city .
In 1862, Charles Ranhofer was named Chef de Cuisine for his most noted and famous creations which can be found in restaurants around the world: Eggs Benedict, Baked Alaska, Lobster Newburg and Chicken a la King are a few of his culinary creations. Eggs Benedict is so famous and an American staple that it was featured on the new Chef reality show on Fox 5 in July 2011. Six Chefs had 30 minutes to make that perfect Eggs Benedict that is served every time at Delmonico’s and it was not an easy task. I recently visited Delmonico this past May and June for lunch and dinner. Continue reading »
Posted on February 25th, 2011
This is the time of the year when everyone is coming out with their lists “The best of 2010” (Restaurants, wine lists, cigars, cars, airlines, resorts, wines etc.)
The Wine Spectator came out with their Top 100 wines of 2010 and it seemed liked consumers ran to their local wine shop to grab up as many gems as they can. It’s always fun to judge the sales of those wines after the release of the list. No matter what the price tag is they sell like hot cakes.
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