I’ve always had a soft spot for Cinsault (also spelled Cinsaut), especially old-vine Cinsault. A native of Southern France, this black grape variety is similar to Grenache in that it delivers soft, fruity, aromatic reds. It’s most often used in blends or to make perfumed all-Cinsault rosés. But old-vine Cinsault […]
Last Thursday, Markus Stolz invited me to attend a tasting of Xinomavros, followed by a dinner at Bar Boulud in New York City. The invite came on the heels of my latest blog post about a magnificent Xinomavro from Thimiopoulos Vineyards. This was my chance to taste more than a […]
The most exciting part about my journey of discovering wines has been getting to taste varietals I’d never heard of. Take Xinomavro, for example. The name itself is intriguing enough to make me want to explore. Xinomavro is the aristocratic black grape of Greece. It means “acid black” and it […]
Last year, my husband Marc and I made our very first trip to the Finger Lakes. Evan Dawson, the brilliant wine writer for The New York Cork Report, was entirely responsible for the decision to head north. His passion for the wines of the Finger Lakes convinced me that I […]
Surrounded by dazzling turquoise-blue waters, the mountainous island of Cephalonia is the largest of the Ionian islands in western Greece. It’s also an island with its very own white grape variety: Robola.
Slightly sweet, a tad tangy, and extraordinarily flavorful, the tomato is a fruit disguised as a vegetable – with a color, shape and vitality that make it one of the most gorgeous fruits to look at. But the tomato also happens to be extremely versatile and easy to cook with.
There are certain things that happen in life that are so completely unforeseen, and yet so completely enriching, that you wonder what life would have been like without them.
It’s always a delight to write a feature and create recipes for Rockland Magazine. And this issue is all about one of my favorite foods: Salads!
I discovered Paumanok Vineyards last January when the New York Cork Report team graciously invited me, my husband Marc and Markus Stolz (the guru of Greek wines) to join them for a lunch and tasting at the winery.
Last May, an extraordinary thing happened: Randall Grahm, the iconic winemaker of Bonny Doon Vineyard, came for dinner. With him arrived a caravan of 14 wines – wines that echoed through the last 25 years of his astonishing journey as a winemaker.
When it came time to choosing wine for the latkes I created for my Hanukkah feature in Rockland Magazine, I didn’t hesitate for even half a second. Sparkling wine was in order – after all, what holiday party is complete without a glass of bubbly?! And it just so happens […]
Are you planning a Hanukkah party this year? Take a look at my feature for the 2010 holiday issue of Rockland Magazine. In it, I share my thinking on how to blend a little tradition with a lot of glamour and make this year’s Festival of Lights your brightest one […]