Napa Merlot made by women paired with gluten free, vegetarian squash dishes
Fall is prime pumpkin season, and we’re there for it with four fun holiday dishes that place pumpkin and other winter squash front and center. And we’re pairing them with three Napa Merlot wines made by women. Just what you want for your next gathering of gals or family– and just in time to celebrate Merlot Day Nov. 7!
Duckhorn Vertical paired with lamb shanks with pomegranate gravy on mashed potatoes
It’s time to give merit where merit is due: much maligned MERLOT.
Well, maligned about 15 years go. That is one seriously long lasting hangover!
People in the know KNOW that merlot is the way to go if you’re looking for a mellow companion to a heavy hitting meal. From lamb to duck to salmon to tuna steaks to prime rib, MERLOT marries fruit with herbal notes to make your meal merry.
Oded Shakked pours himself a splash of rose in the Longboard tasting room to enjoy during our mid-October 2020 interview.
“My ego is not in the wine,” says Longboard’s Oded Shakked in a recent interview held in his tasting room and winery in Healdsburg. “My passion is in the wine.”
Oded’s passion for wine came about through his passion for surfing. After surfing breaks along the Atlantic Coast in Bordeaux (“there’s big waves in Bordeaux!”), Spain and Portugal, he was the one sent into town to get their jug of wine.
It was a health matter, he explained: Continue reading
a mural just off the plaza on Plaza Street in Healdsburg
“I am in Healdsburg a few short blocks to the plaza and wineries,” my friend Sandy writes, saying she needs a cat sitter while she’s out of town. “It’s a one bedroom, a duplex in a house from 1895. I have a nice covered porch surrounded by trees and wonderful neighbors. I know you like to travel and do wine things in different areas. All the restaurants seem to be open. I see wine tastings on the sidewalk.” Continue reading
As we cautiously consider moves further from home, wineries with expansive lawns and trees like at Charles Krug and gracious gardens like at Peju will be precious places to visit.
Napa Valley’s Peju offers one such retreat with its distinctive 50 foot tower designed by renowned Southern California architect Calvin Straub which graces the label’s estate-bottled Peju wine.
In the Before Time, I visited Continue reading
#MerlotMe with meatloaf! How could it take us so long to try this combination? Continue reading
“Merlot is the first wine I fell in love with when I arrived in Napa. In my opinion, it is the perfect food wine,” says Markham winemaker Kimberlee Nicholls.
When people ask me for wine recommendations, I ask them what they like and what they’re eating. While they may not know what the menu might be, they do know one thing:
They want a SMOOTH wine.
wine predator.............. gwendolyn alley 