Ever thought to pair food and wine based on what you can see? Probably not. When it comes to senses utilized in pairing wine with food, sight isn't the first to come to mind. But at one of this week's SF Chefs seminars, wine expert Gilian Handelman stressed the importance of visual cues when combining food and drink.
Through a simple exercise, Handelman — who is the director of wine education for Kendall-Jackson — demonstrated how produce and wines with similar pigmentation make ideal partners for one another. To see what that exercise was — you can recreate it at home as a learning tool yourself! — read more.
I have a confession to make, and I'll be blaming this one on the frosty pitcher: I've been much more into punch cocktails this Summer, and a lot less into wine. I was a little worried the phase might take a while to pass — but then I tried 
If you're a red wine drinker, chances are, at some point you've come across Syrah, Shiraz, or both. Have you, like me, ever wondered what the exact difference is between the two? Syrah and Shiraz are different names for the same varietal, which comes from a dark-skinned red grape that grows well in warm climates worldwide. The way the grape is spelled tends to be an indicator of the wine's origin. 
Whether it's Spain or the Netherlands taking top prize this Sunday, the 
