Five Quick Tips for Picking the Ultimate Thanksgiving Wine (EDITOR’S NOTE: These tips are also just as useful for Christmas and New Year’s.) “No other holiday celebrates the gift of wine like Thanksgiving,” says author and sommelier Natalie MacLean, author of the bestselling book Red, White and Drunk All Over: A Wine-Soaked Journey from Grape…
It’s the classic tug-of-war. The locals want to keep it small, like it’s been for years. The newcomers, coming from the city, have found wide open spaces and affordable real estate prices. A place they can escape to and build their dream home on a lake. Yvonne Barnette, a resident of Lake County for the…
Air Canada’s enRoute magazine is one of my favorite in-flight reads. It’s smart, witty and bi-lingual to boot. And now its come up with its 10 Best New Tables of 2007. Travel and food writer Chris Johns of Toronto, who ate his way across Canada, teamed up with a panel of top foodies to come…
Most people think Springtime in Paris — but why not Thanksgiving in Paris? Context, the network of scholars who lead walking tours in several European cities, is hosting a special Thanksgiving dinner at historic restaurant Le Pharamond on Thanksgiving Day, November 22. It will be hosted and presided over by docent and dining historian Carolin…
San Francisco has a new wine list—one that’s dedicated to the southern hemisphere. South Food and Wine Bar at 330 Townsend Street highlights food and wine from down under. And with perfect pairing, the chef will titillate your taste buds. Australian celebrity chef Luke Mangan has never been one to sit still. With two chic…
New boutique wine shops seem to open with more and more frequency, each offering fine wines, personable and knowledgeable staff, tasting bars and the same muted décor that makes it hard to distinguish one from another. Sip Fine Wine & Spirits, Denver’s newest wine shop, tries to stand above the competition by virtue of its…
And saying “Charge It!” that I often miss the fine print… and this is one detail you won’t want to overlook. Thank you Visa. Complimentary Wine Tastings at Sonoma County Wineries Visa Signature cardholders enjoy year-round benefits at 50 select Sonoma County wineries, including*: • Complimentary tastings • Savings on non-wine merchandise • Savings on…
A few of my friends in Marin and Sonoma County have sizable yards with actual acreage. Rather than just let their dogs run free to compost the land, they’ve chosen another way to enjoy their spacious property… planting wine grapes. Some do it for fun. Some do it for profit. All do it so they…
Several years ago I made my first visit to Sonoma County Wine Country. It was autumn, and it was beautiful. The crowds were gone, the leaves were turning and the temperatures were just right. This year, Wine Country Inns of Sonoma County have put together Experience the Harvest Adventures including fall menus, special winery tours,…
My son was recently visiting from New York City and we were looking for a nice little restaurant after watching the Seattle Mariners play the Los Angeles Angels at Safeco Field one sunny afternoon. One of Seattle’s finest concierges, James Mulvaney of the Washington Athletic Club (named Seattle Hotel Concierge of the Year), recommended the…
I’ve been wine tasting in Sonoma, Napa and Livermore Counties in Northern California, as well as in France, Italy, Greece, Australia, and New Zealand. But it’s always been at a winery or tasting room on land. Now, you can enjoy premium wine tasting with a gourmet dinner — while cruising on San Francisco Bay aboard…