Ordering wine got you stressed? Prepare!

Ah, fine dining. Relaxed setting, delicious food, wine. Whoa! Wait a minute… wine? Of course, wine. But let’s say you’re one of those people who gets stressed out when staring down the columns of a restaurant wine list. And let’s say you happen to be the host for a special evening or business meeting. What […]

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Summer’s the time for ‘bubblies’

Happy Summer! Why are the “bubblies” perfect for summer? Because Champagne and other sparkling wine are super food friendly! Try pairing one with oysters, clams, lobster, Sushi, or almost anything on the grill. Sparkling wine has a long and storied history. Ever hear of the blind monk Dom Pérignon? Oh yeah, he invented Champagne, right?

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Where to find Finger Lakes terroir

Once, on a road trip between Pennsylvania and Atlanta, we veered off truck-choked Route 81 and wandered back roads into a small southwestern Virginia hamlet for a bite to eat. We found a family-style restaurant where the locals drawled in a regional dialect we found charming. I’ve long forgotten what I ordered, but I’m sure

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Seven on Seneca: A wine journey (long)

Glacially gouged Lake Seneca is a protective godmother to the vineyards ringing her shoreline. Deep as she is – 640 feet at her deepest – Seneca rarely, if ever, freezes over in winter. She spreads a blanket of warmth over the vines to temper the cold. In summer, she reflects the heat back on the

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Learning more about ‘natural’ wine

Call it the nature girl in me. Whatever. I’m simply on a mission to understand the so-called “natural” wine movement and make up my mind about it. Wine is always an education. So naturally (excuse the pun), I went to one of my teachers, Charles Austermuhl, who holds the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET)

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