Last Wednesday I attended one of my favorite events of the year, Wine and Spirits Top 100 party. This tasting is great because guests get to sample an assortment of special, hard-to-find, and expensive wines along with some delicious bites from San Francisco's newest top restaurants. From exotic Greek whites to vintage pink Champagne to cult Napa reds, there were three floors of wineries pouring amazing sips!
To get a glimpse of the experience, browse the gallery after the break.
While in Seattle for Starbucks Coffee College, I had a chance to do everything from visiting the first Starbucks location to learning how coffee beans get roasted. But my favorite experience took place in the company's tasting rooms, where I learned how to evaluate coffees by a practice known as "cupping." See how I took my coffee appreciation to the next level — and how you can, too — when you read more.
Over the weekend at the Food Network's annual festival in South Beach, I was lucky enough to eat a lot of food. So much food that it felt like all I did was eat! From burgers to caviar to sardines, I ate it all. Here, you'll find my top 20 tastes from the entire three days.
The Winter Fancy Foods Show, an annual expo of foods and trends that takes place each January at San Francisco's Moscone Center, happened over the weekend. On Tuesday, YumSugar and I ate our way through the aisles of cheese, chocolate, and every edible item imaginable. Here are my top bites.
No specialty cocktail is needed at an Okotberfest celebration, the German festival is all about one thing — beer. Instead invite friends to partake in a beer tasting! There are several different ways to host a beer tasting. You can get the same kinds of beers, say German pilsners, all made by different breweries. You could select one brewery, purchase all the varieties of beer they make, and serve those. Or you can just buy a bunch of beers from various styles and regions. Head to Bevmo, Trader Joe's, or other local shop that sells a wide assortment of beers and purchase six packs or larger bottles for the tasting. To get more beer-tasting tips read more
In my quest to become more educated on the world of spirits, I've taken a liking to high-end tequilas. Beyond Patron, there's a huge variety of wonderfully complex tequilas that are perfect for sipping solo or shaking into a classic margarita. One brand, Casa Noble, produces an amazing collection of authentic tequilas. Packaged in a traditional yet sexy bottle, Casa Noble's tequilas are uniquely modern because they're triple-distilled and naturally produced in French wine barrels. Recently I attended a tequila tasting hosted by the founding partner of Casa Noble, David Ravandi. To illustrate the fact that his tequilas are distinct from anything else on the market, Ravandi paired them with cheese. To find out what I thought of the unexpected combination of cheese and tequila, read more
There was one thing I learned at the Artisan Cheese Festival that changed my life. No joke! Normally when I think of pairing wine and cheese I choose a red wine.
However, after tasting over 30 types of cheese paired with both red and white wine, I have to agree with cheese expert Laura Werlin: in general, cheese pairs better with white wine than it does red wine.
Why? Simply put, cheese affects the taste of the wine more than the wine affects the taste of the cheese. A bold, highly tannic red wine cancels out the flavor of most cheese and leaves a soapy taste in the mouth. On the other hand, the buttery richness of cheese is complemented by a creamy Chardonnay or acidic Sauvignon Blanc.
Especially if there is a dominant characteristic in the wine — too much oak, extremely high alcohol content, etc. — it won't pair well with cheese. To truly understand the difference, I highly suggest you perform your own cheese and wine tasting. To learn how read more
While downing green drinks or beer cocktails is a fun way to celebrate St. Patrick's Day, sipping a fine, Irish whiskey is a low-key way to mark the occasion. Like wine, there is a special technique to enjoy the potent caramel-colored spirit.
Here's how:
Do you enjoy whiskey? Have you ever been to a whiskey tasting?
Although there were over 200,000 products and 81 countries represented at the Fancy Foods Show, only seven items stood out in my mind (okay eight if you include the caviar!). These delicious bites were the highlight of the show. Start clicking to check them out.
