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Purchase Wine – Beautiful Wineries Of The Wine Country

Wineguy — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 01:00:12 +0000

Beautiful Wineries Of The Wine Country
The wineries of Northern California are as varied as the wines that emanate from the region’s bountiful soil. In BEAUTIFUL WINERIES OF THE WINE COUNTRY, author Jennifer Barry and acclaimed photographer Charles O’Rear present a magnificent visual tour of more than 50 distinctive wineries in Napa, Sonoma, and Mendocino counties. Featuring a variety of building styles—Victorian and historic farm, European influenced, and California contemporary—this small-scale, full-color coffee-table book is a thoughtful gift for architecture enthusiasts and the perfect keepsake for wine lovers and visitors. From sweeping landscapes to the tiniest architectural details, BEAUTIFUL WINERIES OF THE WINE COUNTRY captures the beauty and spirit of this multicultural locale.

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Store Wine – Joanne Weir’s More Cooking in the Wine Country: 100 New Recipes for Living and Entertaining

Wineguy — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 17:00:15 +0000

Joanne Weir’s More Cooking in the Wine Country: 100 New Recipes for Living and Entertaining
“In this sun-drenched valley, everything grows, something is always in season, and the habits of living are relaxed and celebratory.” That’s why Joanne Weir–the celebrated food writer, cooking teacher, chef, and popular television cooking show host–names California’s wine country as the place where the things that matter most to her about cooking happen. “It’s easy to live the rich life here: eating fresh foods right out of the garden and orchard, savoring artisanal cheeses and breads, drinking vintage wines. When I’m here, I feel as though I’m living in a state of grace,” she writes. Joanne Weir’s More Cooking in the Wine Country gives readers all the recipes, advice, and inspiration to bring that state of grace into their own kitchens–no matter where they live.

Just as she did in her celebrated first book on this topic, Weir Cooking: Recipes from the Wine Country, Weir relies heavily on the lusty and vivid flavors and simple cooking methods of the countries of the Mediterranean. The more than 150 recipes in this volume celebrate the bounty of the wine country. From Crostini with Smoked Trout and Lemon Zest to Caramelized Coconut Budino, Weir provides recipes for every course that are at once interesting in their inventiveness and comforting in their familiarity.

In keeping with the “California cuisine” mantra of using fresh, seasonal, and locally grown ingredients, Weir celebrates the seasons with ever-changing offerings. Autumn inspires a salad of Endive with Gorgonzola, Caramelized Onions, and Fig Jam that expertly balances bitter, salty, sour, and sweet. A sprightly Spring Soup of Favas, Sugar Snap Peas, and Asparagus is bright with the crisp, new flavors of spring. Stone Fruit Summer Salad highlights the most succulent produce of the season. And Beef Braised with Zinfandel and Winter Vegetables makes the most of the root vegetables and hearty herbs available this time of year.

The wine-pairing suggestions that accompany each recipe are extremely helpful, tips for how to handle such challenges as peeling fava beans or making perfect risotto are welcome, and the luscious photographs of many of the dishes are inspiring. –Robin Donovan

Customer Review: Outstanding chef
I thoroughly enjoy all of Joanne Weir’s books. She is very knowledgeable about Meditterrean cooking. Her recipes are original, come together very well and many of instructions for making in advance. I place her right up there with Patricia WElls.

Customer Review: Sounds good, but who knows.
I enjoyed watching the cooking show with Joanne Weir, and was very glad to find a used copy of her book. But…. if you live in an area of the country where gourmet items or fresh herbs and other ingredients are scarce you may never be able to duplicate many of the recipes without substitutions. This is a disappointment, and of course not the fault of the book.

Wine gift – Michelin Guide 2009 San Francisco (Michelin Guide San Francisco, Bay Area & Wine Country)

Wineguy — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 05:00:21 +0000

A Gourmet Getaway in the Playground of Palm Beach – MarketWatch (press release)

A Gourmet Getaway in the Playground of Palm Beach
MarketWatch (press release)
To book a Garden-View room at the special Festival rate of $250 per night, plus tax, please call 1-800-432-2335. For access to this rate from December 6-14, just mention the Festival. With enthusiasm, attendees of the Palm Beach Food & Wine Festival …

and more »

Michelin Guide 2009 San Francisco (Michelin Guide San Francisco, Bay Area & Wine Country)

Ice Wine – The Food Lover’s Companion to the Napa Valley: Where to Eat, Cook, and Shop in the Wine Country Plus 50 Irresistible Recipes

Wineguy — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 05:00:11 +0000

SUPERMARKET SOMMELIER: A look at some new releases in the wine world
I had the privilege to taste a pre-release bottle this past August and have to rate it A+! Crimson and Clover upholds Concannon describes the wine, “as having the aroma of currants, cloves and vanilla, the fruit flavors of black berry

Eating Italian: Artichoke Hearts and Pancetta cooked with white wine
With joblessness and homelessness at such high rates hunger is up as well Cook as directed and a buttery wine flavor appetizer to serve on crackers is made. In a skillet warm olive oil on low heat, add wine and cook off alcohol for about 3 minutes

The Food Lover’s Companion to the Napa Valley: Where to Eat, Cook, and Shop in the Wine Country Plus 50 Irresistible Recipes
This is the first of its kind: an insider’s food guide to that gourmand’s paradise, the Napa Valley. Author and longtime resident Lori Lyn Narlock goes behind the scenes to discover where chefs shop, the best places to take a cooking class, or where to get a grapeseed oil massage. With complete details on the where, when, how, and how much, plus dozens of artful black-and-white photographs, this indispensible guide for food lovers even includes 50 recipes honoring the region’s local specialties. It’s a mouthwatering roster of the best that Napa has to offer.

Customer Review: Don’t go to Napa without this book!
Have been to Napa many times – but was unaware of the many gems this book uncovers – an incredible and fun resource for the food and wine lover! I will be seeking out these finds in the future! Highly recommended.

Customer Review: Great overview of Napa
This book covers all the areas I was interested in learning about before our trip to Napa Valley. The reviews seem unbiased and thoughtful. We had visited Napa 18 years ago and while we already had a few ideas, reservations, etc., this guide gave us even more places to consider. I’ve “earmarked” so many pages and even took this guide with us. It also includes maps, addresses and phone numbers and/or websites. Some good recipes are in the back. A good companion guide.

Best Wine – The Chardonnay Charade: A Wine Country Mystery (Wine Country Mysteries)

Wineguy — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 11:00:32 +0000

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Local supply store opens for beer, wine crafters – Pantagraph
BLOOMINGTON — Twin City residents who brew beer or make wine now have a local source for supplies. The Hop Shoppe, 313 N. Main St., Suite B, in downtown Bloomington, opened this week and will hold a grand opening Saturday. Owner Bryan Ballard of Normal

The Chardonnay Charade: A Wine Country Mystery (Wine Country Mysteries)
The Chardonnay Charade begins with a daring helicopter flight in the middle of the night. Facing a freak spring frost that threatens to kill the grapes in her vineyard, Lucie Montgomery hires a chopper to fly over the vines in order to blow warm air on them. But her thoughts soon turn from grapes to murder when she discovers the body of Georgia Greenwood, a controversial political candidate, lying near the fields. Georgia’s husband, Ross, Lucie’s friend and doctor, immediately falls under suspicion. To make matters worse, Ross, a renowned collector of Civil War documents, has just discovered a letter that seems to prove that Confederate president Jefferson Davis had prior knowledge of the plot to assassinate Abraham Lincoln. In the small town of Atoka, Virginia — proud home to the “Gray Ghost,” the Confederacy’s legendary guerrilla commander — the letter is a bombshell.

Three years ago Ross saved Lucie’s life after she was involved in a near-fatal car crash. Now she intends to return the favor and prove Ross’s innocence. As the search for Georgia’s killer escalates, Lucie crosses swords with her attractive but cantankerous winemaker, Quinn Santori, and confronts her own unwelcome feelings of jealousy over his new romance and job prospects. Her worries about her kid sister’s out-of-control drinking and a second vineyard-related death further ratchet up the tension. Even though Lucie believes that in vino veritas — in wine there is truth — she finds that the path to uncovering a murderer involves making a heartbreaking decision that will alter the lives of those she loves.

Customer Review: Light, refreshing and with a smooth finish
This is the second in the Wine Country series of mysteries that began with THE MERLOT MURDERS. The series focuses on Lucie Montgomery who has taken over her family’s business, the vineyard that her late mother had started and that her father had nearly bankrupt before his death.

As THE CHARDONNAY CHARADE begins it is about nine months after the events of the previous novel. Lucie and her winemaker Quinn have managed, despite their differences, both personal and professional, to keep the vineyard going, even to the extent of expanding their plantings. Unfortunately the Virginia spring has turned unseasonably cold forcing them to drastic measures to keep the vines from freezing. Even more unfortunately after two sleepless nights of battling the weather a guest from a reception held at the vineyard is found dead among vines that had just been sprayed with a particularly toxic pesticide. Now not only did Lucie have to deal with inclement weather but also with the very real threat that the EPA would close the vineyard.

This is an interesting new series, one that is definitely in the cozy genre. The cast of recurring characters is large and well written and the location is described in such detail that the vineyard and surrounding areas become almost another character. It is unusual for this genre in that the mysteries have enough twists and turns to keep the reader guessing until the end. The overall story arcs (concerning Lucie’s rather dysfunctional family and her romances), are particularly strong in this series so that it would be better for the reader to begin at the beginning. The elements all come together so well that most readers will want to immediately start on the next entry in the series, THE BORDEAUX BETRAYAL.

Customer Review: Mystery for Wine-Lovers
A fun read, especiaslly for those of us who are interested in wine-making and the Virginia wine country.

Store Wine – Matt Kramer’s New California Wine

Wineguy — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 16:00:15 +0000

FDA: Drugs Approved in U.S. Before Europe – FOX News
Americans in the past year got access to 24 new medicines before they became available anywhere else, U.S. drug regulators said as they seek to show they are doing enough to promote medical innovation. Releasing a report on the approvals in the year ended on September 30, the Food and Drug

Libyan chemical weapons stockpiles intact, say inspectors – The Guardian
Libya’s stockpiles of mustard gas and chemicals used to make weapons are intact and were not stolen during the uprising that toppled Muammar Gaddafi, weapons inspectors have said. The Hague-based Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) said destruction of the materials would

Matt Kramer’s New California Wine

California has become the hottest wine producing area in the world, and it happened in less than 25 years. Now the acclaimed Wine Spectator columnist and critic Matt Kramer traces the dramatic progress of the California winemaking industry—the who, how, why, what, and where. No one is better equipped to provide insight into the ways in which West Coast vintners are working to create extraordinary wines, and to explain the myriad developments in character, quality, and technology that have taken place. Kramer’s book provides the first comprehensive look at how new approaches to wine making have contributed to California’s current high status in the world order of wine.

Customer Review: California Wine Simplified.
By far, the most complete and easily read book of its type. It puts all of the recent changes in the California AVA’s in perspective.

Customer Review: I’ve read it, I’ve used it, I drank it (well, not really)
I have already nipped into this book several times, especially before trips to nearby Santa Barbara wine country, and Kramer has never steered me wrong yet. Based on his recommendations, I experienced some great wines at Foley and Longoria – not really a GUIDE BOOK per se, no fancy graphics or easy to turn to index pages, but Kramer does have his own wine guide for this. I highly recommend for wino-folks living right here on the left coast.

Store Wine – California, a guide to the inns of the North Coast, Monterey, the South Coast, San Francisco, the Wine Country, the Gold Country (Country inns of America)

Wineguy — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 20:00:10 +0000

California, a guide to the inns of the North Coast, Monterey, the South Coast, San Francisco, the Wine Country, the Gold Country (Country inns of America)
An overview of the geography, history, economy, and people of California.

Customer Review: California, Here I come
In planning a family vacation to California, we found the book by Julie Douglas to be very informative and loads of fun for our children. We all learned a lot and had such fun doing it. Hope to see more books like this. Very creative activities!

The Grapes Grow Sweet: A Child’s First Family Grape Harvest

Wineguy — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 18:00:27 +0000

Visit a Vermont winery this weekend. – Boston Globe
The event is the second statewide event promoted by the members of the Vermont Grape & Wine Council. Activities will vary from vineyard to vineyard, so visitors are encouraged to contact participating properties directly to see what’s happening when.

Family farm converted to county’s second winery – Trumann Democrat
She is also the chairwoman of the Cold Climate Grape & Wine Conference. In 2007, the vineyard idea resurfaced during a family dinner. The couple’s nine children – Paul has five and Terri has four – were supportive but didn’t take their parents’ vineyard

The Grapes Grow Sweet: A Child’s First Family Grape Harvest
Winner of the Benjamin Franklin Award

For the first time, four-year-old Julian is old enough to take part in the grape harvest on his family’s vineyard. Through Julian’s wonder, The Grapes Grow Sweet offers a captivating glimpse of growing up on a family vineyard in wine country. Readers follow the development of the grape from bloom to harvest, and see up close the animal and plant life of the vineyard.

Customer Review: The Grapes Grow Sweet
My son received this book as a birthday present when he was five years old. He was fascinated by the story and beautiful pictures. Since we live in the wine country, and watch the “grapes grow sweet” in real life, it was wonderful to have such a wonderful book to read. Now that he is eleven, he reads it to my grandson who is equally enchanted, and asks us to read it each time he visits.

Customer Review: I use it in my classroom!
As a resident of northern California I enjoy reading “The Grapes Grow Sweet” to my daughter, which describes a fall grape harvest from the perspective of a young boy growing up in a family vineyard. I am also a school teacher and use the book in my classroom. Many of my students have family members who are farm workers so they have background knowledge of life in a vineyard and can relate to the story being told. We spend a few days in my class each fall completing an integrated thematic unit that includes reading, descriptive writing and art. We finish the unit by bringing in different foods made with grapes that we can eat in class. Typically we have grape juice, grape jelly, raisins, grapes, etc. It is easily adaptable to the state standards and has amazing water color art that inspires the children to create their own works of art! The text offers descriptive writing samples to students by describing the pale green leaves, rattling, roaring tractor, shiny bunch of grapes, bouncing jackrabbit and sunbathing lizard. I look forward to fall each year and the opportunity to read “The Grapes Grow Sweet” with a new group of students.

Ice Wine – Michelin Red Guide 2008 San Francisco Bay Area & Wine Country (Michelin Guide San Francisco, Bay Area & Wine Country) (Michelin Guide San Francisco, Bay Area & Wine Country)

Wineguy — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 06:00:22 +0000

Michelin Red Guide 2008 San Francisco Bay Area & Wine Country (Michelin Guide San Francisco, Bay Area & Wine Country) (Michelin Guide San Francisco, Bay Area & Wine Country)
Experience the best of San Francisco and the Wine country with the choices of the Michelin expert inspectors new for 2009. Also experience the detailed color maps of neighborhoods, city or region highlighting the location of restaurants and hotels. The Bib Gourmand $40 and under category and Where to Eat section for less than $25 indicates restaurants of good value and quality while on a budget. This guide is a true find for San Francisco visitors and natives alike!

Customer Review: great handy gastronomical guide to SanFran Bay Area
Found this little and handy book at the local Santa Cruz library. Considering that it was very recent print (2008 edition), solid book-binding and very handy and practical (almost a pocket-book) I decided to give it a try. I have lived in the Monterey Bay and San Jose/Silicon Valley areas for the last 10 years but am not very familiar with “the City” (San Francisco). This guide focuses on restaurants and good eating (almost 300 pages) and leaves 60 pages for hotels and places to stay.

I have not had the chance or extravagant budget to try too many of the more exquisite restaurants listed in this guide. The descriptions of location, ambiance, and menu looks accurate and very helpful. For wider selection, I would supplement this guide with Yelp (online reviews written by locals). The menu-price listing ranges from under $25 (not too many) to over $60 (also a few) and with the rest for the 2nd and 3rd tier ($25-$40 and $40-$60).

The best features of this guide (IMHO) are:
a) the expandable maps inside the covers,
b) the descriptions and maps of each little neighborhood in San Francisco (which were great help for me), AND
c) the inclusion of South Bay, East Bay, Napa & Sonoma areas.

To make browsing easier, the editors have included a very helpful listing of all restaurants by cuisine type, restaurant type, neighborhoods, and alphabetical at the beginning of the book. Happy travels & Guten Appetit!

Customer Review: It makes your mouth water!
I visit the San Francisco area a couple of times a year (actually, I spend most of my time in the Wine Country, where I have family), and it’s always great to have reliable recommendations for dining there. The Michelin San Francisco, Bay Area and Wine Country Guide has the imprimatur of the Michelin name, and I can vouch that its reviews of the dining establishments I’ve “vetted” myself (Spinnaker’s, Brix, Kenwood, Cafe Citti, Wolf House) are absolutely spot-on, which makes me eager to try more of Michelin’s recommendations. I might quibble about the exclusion of a few of my favorite places (particularly the superb Italian cuisine and cozy, old-California ambience of the Swiss Hotel in Sonoma, which I urge the Michelin raters–and whomever is reading this review–to consider), but in general this guide gives readers a cornucopia of excellent restaurants and hotels to choose from.

Grape Wine – The Backyard Vintner: An Enthusiast’s Guide to Growing Grapes and Making Wine at Home (Backyard)

Wineguy — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 02:00:11 +0000

The Backyard Vintner: An Enthusiast’s Guide to Growing Grapes and Making Wine at Home (Backyard)

Anyone who ever wanted to have homemade wine and never thought they had the space or ability to make it will love this book. The Backyard Vintner is a handy guide to at-home wine making that teaches readers the tips and tricks of the trade. It is perfect for those who want to bring the feeling of wine country right into their own backyard.

The Backyard Vintner teaches readers how to start and maintain a vineyard, providing vital information on topics such as planting, trellising, and proper pruning techniques for grapes; which grape varieties will grow best in every climate or region; and the wines that can be made from each variety. Basic recipes for wines, and advice on topics such as bottling, storing, and serving wines, are also provided.

Customer Review: Growing grapes made easy
This book provides usefull and pertinent information all the way from the grape planting process to the wine making process. He walks you through every step carefully, but does not suggest a robotic structure for making wine, he leaves open oppertunies to show your own creativity.

Customer Review: Touches on the important points
I’ve purchased several “how to” wine books and this one is good, but not great. I would not rely on it as my only reference. Rather, it makes a very good companion for “From Vines to Wines.”