Oysters and sparkling wine are always a hit: non-fussy, a big crowd pleaser, a bit exotic and exciting!
Seriously, though, when throwing an Oscar party or just a film night with friends, it is very important to be able to relax and enjoy the show with your guests.
So go with a nice cheese plate, some simple finger foods, along with bubbles on ice, and maybe even a berry pie — so easy!– that you can make ahead and smell while it cooks and cools! (Just buy the crusts, toss the berries in a little flour and sugar, and you’re good to go!)
Cocktails are classy and fun when made with bubbles, but they can be more work than setting out wine and beer — unless there’s someone at your gathering who would rather make cocktails than watch commercials! A salad is always nice to have as well — something crunchy and fresh — people can dress their own.
This first weekend of March World Of Pinot Noir returns to the exclusive Bacara Resort located on the coast just north of Santa Barbara.
Along with flowing pinot filling dump buckets will be buckets of rain and mud, so bring your umbrella and prepare for possible road closures!
That’s right, due to the extensive damage to the hillsides caused by the Thomas and other recent fires and predictions of a serious winter storm, this year’s World of Pinot Noir requires a bit more than a light jacket for cool evenings: bring an umbrella and a rain jacket — and you should consider some mud boots as well as planning on possible road closures, detours, and worse. Seriously: be sure to have cold weather clothes in your car along with snacks and plenty of water so you don’t indulge in that bottle of Pinot Noir I know you have tucked in there somewhere! Continue reading →
Especially on National Pizza Day when you’re celebrating your sweetheart’s Valentine’s Day birthday with French wine and heart shaped pizzas?
That was us on February 9, National Pizza Day when we gathered at Sue’s to celebrate John’s birthday with gourmet sweetheart pizzas — big enough to share with two, fun to share with all!
photo of Breathless Sparkling Wine by Gina Shay #WineStudio
Cheers to Women Owned Wineries and Women Who Make Wine!
This February 10, here on Wine Predator, I’m hosting the Wine Pairing Weekend crew as we showcase some of our sweethearts who are women who own wineries or make wine — and food that pairs well with these wines. Continue reading →
Okay wine friends, how long did it take you to realize that the Crocodile Dundee trailer during the Super Bowl WAS NO TRAILER?
You know the ad where it seems like it’s a trailer for Son of Dundee or some such and it’s actually a showcase for Australian tourism featuring a scene at a winery and starring Chris Hemsworth and Danny McBride drinking Australian wine?
According to Andreas Clark, CEO of Wine Australia, in a press release dated Feb. 5, “The Super Bowl has the largest reach of any advertising platform in the USA, with more than 100 million Americans tuning in across the USA and many millions more people globally.” Continue reading →
30% of Israeli wine brands are certified kosher, but they produce over 90% of the Israel wine industry’s output.
Wineries around the world craft special runs of kosher wine that meet the specifications.
All kosher California wine is made by fully kosher wineries such as Herzog Wine Cellars, Covenant and Hagafen with one exception: Marciano Estate’s “Terra Gratia.”
Passover dinners feature red wine because that’s what Jews used during their Seders after they escaped Egypt.
Kosher wines range in price from $5- $500 with the average price at $25.
Bartenura produces the largest selling imported Italian Moscato in the U.S. — and while it is kosher, only a small fraction of the 5,000,000 blue bottles go to the kosher market.
wine predator.............. gwendolyn alley 