Pairings
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Moldova Wineries Provide Ukrainian Aid: ‘It’s a Human Thing to Help’
On a warm weekday in June at Château Purcari, the oldest winery in Moldova, a few guests mingle at outdoor tables, sipping wine against a bucolic backdrop. Swans and fuzzy cygnets glide around a pint-sized pond. Two paddle boats float near a footbridge, awaiting their next captains. Farther afield, rows of grapevines flutter in the…
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What Is St-Germain and What Do You Mix With It?
St-Germain gives the appearance of a centuries-old concoction with a colorful origin story similar to other French liqueurs like Chartreuse or Cointreau. But despite its Art Deco-styled bottle and vintage-inspired branding, St-Germain is just 15 years old. The elderflower liqueur was created in 2007 by third-generation distiller Robert J. Cooper. A Paris neighborhood inspires its…
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Have You Ever Wondered What ‘Chewy’ Means When Describing Wine?
At first glance, it may seem odd to apply the same textural assessment to wine as one would to a chocolate chip cookie. But if wine can be crunchy, it can be chewy too. “A chewy wine would be overtly structured or concentrated,” says Chris Fladwood, winemaker at Soter Vineyards in Carlton, Oregon. “I’m thinking…
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Here’s How to Make a Vermouth Limoncello, Plus 4 Bottles for Every Season
Skip Tognetti, owner, and founder of Seattle-based Letterpress Distilling made arancello (an orange version of the liqueur) as a way to express his Italian heritage while pushing beyond limoncello. “Blood orange is almost ubiquitous in Sicily and part of Calabria,” he explains. “I thought it would be fun as a seasonal thing”—the fruit typically peaks…
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Here Is The Only Vodka Gimlet Recipe Worth Knowing And Sharing
A good vodka gimlet recipe stands on its merit, whether you love, hate, or never heard of the original, gin-based cocktail. A traditional gimlet is made with gin, lime juice, and simple syrup. Some prefer to use Rose’s Lime Juice, which bartender and author Jeffrey Morgenthaler say delivers a “bracing, bitter, tart edge.” The gimlet…
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Here Are The Craziest Flavored Beers In The Biz and the Brewers Behind Them
In the early days of Eleven Madison Park, Augie Carton would regularly sit at the bar and order the five-spice duck, a signature dish from Chef Daniel Humm. Adorned with cumin, coriander, lavender, red Sichuan peppercorn, and honey, it would be served with seasonal fruit: strawberries in summer, apples in the fall, figs, and plums…
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One Getaway Changed the Way My Partner And I View Wine Forever!
It’s common in relationships to not fully understand what your partner’s job entails. We’re all busy trying to perfect our own job skills. There isn’t much time left in the day to decipher your SO’s day-to-day job description—or even their formal title. My partner understands I write about wine, but they assumed my job was…
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Do You Want To Lean How to Drink Wine Like an Italian?
After many years living in and traveling around Italy as an American, just trying to understand the wine, a few keys—yet unanticipated— habits rubbed off on me. The biggest one: How to drink wine like an Italian. If you ask an Italian, there is a certain ceremony and order. I did not. But I might…
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Introducing Anderson Valley, California’s Hidden Hillside Beauty of Pinot Noir
Tucked between the rugged ridges and redwood trees of Mendocino County, Anderson Valley has a well-deserved reputation for wine quality thanks to pioneering wineries like Navarro Vineyards & Winery, Husch Vineyards & Winery, Handley Cellars, and Roederer Estate. This 15-mile-long valley and its surrounding hills, just 2.5 hours north of San Francisco, are both a…
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‘What I’m Trying to Do is Create an Ecosystem’: Black Culinary Excellence On Juneteenth and Beyond
Juneteenth has always been special for Oakland chef Amina Robinson-Briscoe, also known as Chef Mimi. As a child, Chef Mimi and her family would attend Juneteenth festivals in the neighboring city of Berkeley every June 19. “Once I got older and realized what it was about in terms of the freedom and liberation of Black…