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Cheers To Miner Wines

partysugar — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 11:03:31 -0700

For my birthday I invited a small group of friends to join me for a wine tasting in Napa. We visited a few wineries, but our favorite was Miner family vineyards. The excellent PR girl had arranged a private tasting and tour, complete with a surprise birthday cake for yours truly! Our guide, the jovial and informative Jaime, began by giving us a sampling of the Miner Sauvignon Blanc and Rosato. Next we moved on to the Sangiovese and the Pinot Noir - both of which were outstanding. However the best wine was the limited edition Benedetto blend series. A smooth and bountiful red, this wine was like heaven in a glass. Jaime lead us through the wine making rooms and into the Miner caves. Nestled in the base of a small mountain, the caves hold thousands of aging barrels of wine. We sampled a 2006 Malbec which they plan on using to make their signature blends. Later he showed us the private cave dining room where we had an impromptu birthday party. If you are planning a trip to wine country, Miner winery is a MUST stop. If you won't be coming to California anytime in the near future seek out these wines at your local wine shop. Miner wines have been served at the White House so I can guarantee you will not be disappointed. To check out the entire gallery of images from my trip there, read more

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Come Party With Me: My Birthday Party - Drinks

partysugar — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 12:50:16 -0700

There's lots going on with the drinks at my 28th birthday dinner. I plan on serving a different wine with each course, but before we sit down to the meal, I'll offer guests glasses of a specialty cocktail. Since the menu is rustic Italian, the cocktail features Italy's most popular aperitif and campari. When mixed with a sweet late-harvest wine and fresh-squeezed orange juice, the vibrantly colored spirit tastes far from bitter.

At dinner, I pair the salad with a crisp, dry, minerally Italian white wine. A fruity aromatic rosé will balance out the richness of the cheesy pasta course. For the seafood stew entree, I'll serve a light-bodied softer red wine.

Finally, there's only one thing to sip with the dessert: a slightly sweet sparkling wine! To check out the campari cocktail recipe, read more.

Late-Harvest Wine and Campari Cocktails
From Food & Wine

Ingredients

3 3/4 cups sweet late-harvest white wine, such as Riesling
2 1/4 cups fresh orange juice
1 cup Campari
Ice, for serving

Directions

In a large pitcher, mix the white wine with the fresh orange juice and Campari. Refrigerate until chilled, about 2 hours.
Fill tall glasses with ice, pour the cocktail over the ice and serve.

Serves 10.

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Happy Hour: 2007 Schloss Schönborn Estate Riesling

partysugar — Wed, 20 May 2009 16:15:28 -0700

It's National Riesling week and while you could enjoy a discount on European Riesling at a number of restaurants in New York, San Francisco, Chicago, Miami, and Las Vegas, you can just as easily celebrate by sipping a bottle in the comforts of your own home. I highly recommend my current Riesling of choice, the 2007 Schloss Schönborn Estate Riesling. It's a juicy, drinkable white with a slight sweetness. The aroma is peachy, the taste minerally, and the finish crisp and light. Riesling is an excellent between season wine because it pairs with light salads and heartier dishes. I enjoyed Schloss Schönborn on a warm day at the park and was surprised at how smooth and friendly it was. How do you feel about Rieslings? What will you drink to toast Riesling week?

US Drops Proposed Tariffs on Roquefort Cheese

YumSugar — Thu, 07 May 2009 15:00:56 -0700

If you've been preparing to mourn the loss of Roquefort cheese, we've got good news for you: Yesterday, the United States struck a deal with the European Union, agreeing to drop its proposed tariff on Roquefort cheese, and products like Spanish ham and Italian mineral water.

The stink over taxes first began 10 years ago with a European Union ban on hormone-treated American beef, yet over the last few months, the controversy has heated back up. Before leaving office, President Bush proposed a 300 percent tariff on the pungent blue cheese from France. But when the tax was postponed, it appeared that the two countries were trying to work out a compromise. Although insiders are calling this a "first step" toward resolution, it doesn't completely address the problem at hand, and there are still many other measures that need to be taken. The agreement has to be approved by a number of officials from European Union countries. While the USDA maintains that hormone-fed beef is safe to eat, the EU still believes hormones could create health risks such as cancer.

The beef issue will continue to be a contentious one, but it's great news for Roquefort fanatics like myself. I can't wait to celebrate with a hunk of the creamy, pungent blue cheese! Will you do the same? Where do you stand on the beef issue?

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Today's Produce May Be Nutritionally Deficient

YumSugar — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 10:15:48 -0800

As it turns out, modern-day fruits and vegetables may not be so good for you after all. In this month's issue of HortScience, Donald R. Davis, a former research associate at the Biochemical Institute at the University of Texas, argues that the average vegetable found in today's US and UK supermarket could be anywhere from 5 to 40 percent lower in minerals, such as magnesium, iron, calcium, and zinc, than produce that was harvested 50 years ago.
Although vegetables may be larger, this doesn't mean they contain more (or even as many) nutrients. This is caused by what's called the genetic dilution effect, in which farmers' efforts to increase crop yields have actually led to lower levels of protein, amino acids, and minerals. Although the "dry matter," or the bulk of the commercial vegetable's size, is increasing, there is "no assurance that dozens of other nutrients and thousands of phytochemicals will all increase in proportion to yield."

Davis argues that efforts to increase the production of food has actually led to food that is less nourishing. Crops are now being harvested quicker than ever before, and therefore produce has less time to absorb nutrients. These farming practices have also led to soil mineral depletion, which adversely affects the nutrition level of crops.

What do you think of this news? Is there some validity to Davis's argument? Does it make you more inclined to buy organic vegetables?

Happy Hour: Montes Limited Selection Sauvignon Blanc 2008

partysugar — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 16:15:28 -0700

While some women prefer to drink red wine, in the springtime I constantly crave a chilled glass of my favorite white wine, Sauvignon Blanc. Last weekend I enjoyed an incredibly refreshing offering from Chilean winery Montes. With its crisp, bright flavor, peachy aroma, and grassy undertones, I was thoroughly impressed with the limited selection Sauvignon Blanc ($12). Although it's wonderfully easy to drink and affordable, this wine doesn't lack complexity or character. It's slightly minerally with a lovely acidity and smooth, lasting finish - basically everything you want in a Sauvignon Blanc. It paired perfectly with homemade shrimp pesto pizza, but the flavor is so fresh, this wine would be delightful on its own. Has anyone else sipped Montes?

How Long Do Raw and Hard-Boiled Eggs Keep?

YumSugar — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 15:00:41 -0700

The answer to this question may surprise you: while uncooked eggs typically last four to five weeks when properly refrigerated, hard-boiled eggs will only last about a week. This is because egg shells, which are highly porous, are sprayed before sale with a thin coating of mineral oil that seals the egg. Boiling the egg washes this coating away, however, leaving the shell susceptible to bacteria.

Got a burning question? Contact us.

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Come Party With Me: Passover - Drinks

partysugar — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 12:50:17 -0700

To make your Seder dinner extra special, consider selecting a specific wine to pair with each course - just be sure to choose wine that is kosher. Start the meal off with a dry minerally Chenin Blanc from Baron Herzog Cellars. A crisp white will complement both the green salad and matzo-crusted trout. Pour a Sauvignon Blanc - like New Zealand's Goose Bay winery's bottle that's highly regarded, affordable, and kosher - with the matzo ball soup. For the main course, choose a smokey, fruity Shiraz from Teal Lake. For dessert offer a kosher muscat by Mony winery.

What wines will you be sipping on Passover? Share your favorite bottles with us below!

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Happy Hour: Rossellini

YumSugar — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 14:00:30 -0700

Sunny weekends in San Francisco are hard to come by. When I awoke last Saturday to clear-blue skies, I headed over to Bar Bambino, an Italian nook in the city with a new back patio.

There, I enjoyed the perfect warm-weather drink: a spin on sangria that was refreshing and fruity without being overly cloying or too heavy on the alcohol. With one in hand, I imagined I was an effortlessly chic Italian woman. I snagged the recipe for the next real Summer day.

The cocktail calls for white wine (I'd recommend a Sauvignon Blanc, or any other dry white with mineral notes) as well as orange bitters, which can be found at large liquor stores. For the recipe, read more.

Rossellini
From Bar Bambino

Ingredients

5 ounces white wine
1 ounce white vermouth
2 ounces fresh-squeezed orange juice
Orange bitters, such as Fee Brothers, Regan's, or The Bitter Truth
orange wedge, optional for garnish

Directions

Combine first three ingredients in a large glass or pitcher. Stir to combine.
Serve in a highball glass filled with ice.
Top with 5 dashes of orange bitters.
Garnish with an orange wedge and enjoy.

Serves 1.

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Calcium = The Sixth Taste?

partysugar — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 09:00:46 -0700

Scientists in Philadelphia have discovered that mice can taste calcium. Since humans and rodents share many of the same genes, the human tongue should taste calcium as well. For centuries the four basic tastes were sweet, sour, bitter, and salty. However when umami, the fifth "savory" taste, was recognized 100 years ago, the door opened to research other tastes. According to Michael Tordoff, a geneticist who participated in the mice study, a human's palate can detect the mineral. It tastes:

Calcium tastes calcium-y, there isn't a better word for it. It is bitter, perhaps even a little sour. But it's much more because there are actual receptors for calcium, not just bitter or sour compounds.

Tordoff claims that the bitterness of certain vegetables, like bok choy or dark greens, is due to high levels of calcium. Although milk is full of calcium, the fats prevent us from tasting it.

Since I've always thought it was crazy that only four basic tastes exist, the discovery is incredibly interesting, and I think that maybe I've tasted calcium. What do you make of the findings? Have you ever tasted calcium?

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