Pairing Wine and Convenience Food

Can wine really go with anything? We tested inexpensive vino with eight quickie meals from frozen TV dinners to boxed noodles. This article published in August, 2010 on MyRecipes.com, the web portal for magazines like Cooking Light, Real Simple, and Southern Living. Full text.

Which wines go best with fish and shellfish?

Budget-Friendly Wedding Wines under $15

Reception hall? Check. Guest list? Check. Relatives driving you batty? Naturally. With wedding plans well underway, don't forget the wine to complement your carefully-planned meal, put guests in a celebratory mood, and help anxious mothers relax. This article published in May, 2010 on MyRecipes.com, the web portal for magazines like Cooking Light, Real Simple, and Southern Living. Full text.

Summer Ceviche

With fresh-from-the-sea aromas and lip-smacking textures and flavors, this Latin American dish cools down even the hottest summer day. This article published in the August 2010 issue of Wine Enthusiast. Full text.

Which wines go best with main-dish summer salads?

Pairing wine with salad is a tricky business: some lettuces intensify bitterness in wines. Crisp, raw vegetables demand a wine with texture. And acidic dressings tone down tartness in wines. But main-dish salads, full of ingredients with a natural affinity to wine, such as cheeses, nuts, and meat, taste better with a glass of vino. This article published in the June 2010 issue of Cooking Light. Contact me for full text.

Where the Wine Grapes Grow

To understand a wine's unique aromas and flavors, track its terroir. Pick up a bottle of Chardonnay for dinner, and you could end up with such opposites as a cool, crisp, minerally sip from Chablis or something decidedly rich, creamy and tropical from California. Though both wines were made from the same grape, the flavors are--literally--half a world apart. This article published in the Spring 2010 issue of Grape. Contact me for full text.

The Lowdown on Markups

Wine consumers love to complain about exorbitant prices on restaurant wine lists. Here's the inside story on why and how restaurants price their wines, including tips for getting the best value for your money. This article published in the February 2010 issue of Wine Enthusiast. Full text.

Five Reasons to Toast Your Health

Kicking back with a glass of vino is a well-deserved treat at the end of a busy day. Even our founding father Benjamin Franklin agreed: "Wine makes daily living easier, less hurried, with fewer tensions and more tolerance," he wrote. But wine brings more than pleasure to the table. Since ancient times, physicians have proclaimed wine's health benefits, and now a slew of recent studies show it's good for your brain, heart, and more. This article published in October, 2009 on MyRecipes.com, the web portal for magazines like Cooking Light, Real Simple, and Southern Living. Full text.

Sushi Behind Closed Doors

In Japan, sushi is an art form. In America, it has become a cult. At home, it can be a blast to make and serve. This article published in the December 2009 issue of Wine Enthusiast. Full text.

Making Scents of Wine

Wine experts advise going sans perfume when tasting, since the scent can interfere with the wine's aromas and flavors. Now you can actually wear wine as a fragrance: the Salud Wine Perfumes Collection launched this summer with five wine-inspired aromas. This article published in November, 2009, in Wine Enthusiast. Contact me for full text.

Comfort Wines for Comfort Foods

A Taste of Wine Country

Sipping your way through a vacation is the ultimate treat for wine lovers, but sometimes, after trekking from winery to winery, it’s just nice to sit down and enjoy wine the way it was meant to be tasted—with food. To help you out, here’s a look at some wineries around the U.S. that are serving up a plate with their pours. This article published in August, 2009 on winemag.com, Wine Enthusiast Magazine's website. Full text.

Port: The Other  White Drink

Port fans barely recognize it as a drink. But if you allow white Port to stand on its own as a simple, enjoyable, summer aperitif instead of measuring it against its complex, nuanced red cousin, you might be pleasantly surprised. This article published in June, 2009 on winemag.com, Wine Enthusiast Magazine's website. Full text.

Wine on a Budget

Seven rules of thumb for finding good wine without spending good money. This article published in June, 2009 on MyRecipes.com, the web portal for magazines like Cooking Light, Real Simple, and Southern Living. Full text.

Wines for Spring

For many wine lovers, longer days and blooming bulbs signal that it’s time to store the dark, heavy reds and break out the lighter whites. Fragrant with possibility and light in body and spirit, aromatic whites in particular reflect the overall mood of spring. This article published in March, 2009 on winemag.com, Wine Enthusiast Magazine's website. Full text.

Wine Pairings for Easter

Whether you're serving ham, lamb, or a delicious brunch, we've got wine pairings for your feast. This article published in March, 2009 on MyRecipes.com, the web portal for magazines like Cooking Light, Real Simple, and Southern Living. Full text.

The Parker Holdouts

Everyone knows a score from a top critic like Robert Parker or Wine Spectator can make or break a vintage. What's not common knowledge is that a growing number of producers are refusing to submit to the system. This story published Feb. 13, 2009 on Portfolio.com. Full story.

Wines for Vegetarians

Vino and vegetarian fare aren't mutually exclusive dinner partners; they just need a new set of pairing rules to make a great match. This article published in the March 2009 issue of Wine Enthusiast. Contact me for full text.

Wine You Can Fall In Love With

Seductive. Smooth. Sparkling. Here's how to find the perfect pairing for your Valentine's dinner, no matter whom you're celebrating with. This article published in February, 2009 on MyRecipes.com, the web portal for magazines like Cooking Light, Real Simple, and Southern Living. Full text.

The Gift of Wine

Wine is classy, delicious, portable, and there's a bottle for every budget. Find the perfect vino for everyone on your list who likes a glass of good cheer. This article published in November, 2008 on MyRecipes.com, the web portal for magazines like Cooking Light, Real Simple, and Southern Living. Full text

Squashing the Stereotype: Don't pigeonhole pumpkin as a pie-only ingredient. This squash has been cultivated for sweet and savory dishes for nearly 9,000 years.

While pumpkin is best known for its starring role in America's famous Thanksgiving dessert, it's a more versatile actor than we give it credit for. RECIPES (with wine pairings): Creamy Sage Pumpkin Pasta, Pumpkin Seed Enchiladas, Pumpkin Bread Pudding with Caramel Rum Sauce. This article published in the November 15, 2008 issue of Wine Enthusiast. Full text.

Vine Renaissance

Winemakers are turning their focus to holistic sustainability in the vineyard, winery, and beyond. This article published in the September 2008 issue of Continental. Full text

Never mind the bollocks, here's the bubbly: English sparkling wine is on the market, and it's winning awards.

Good English wine sounds as oxymoronic as good English food, but in the past five years, the UK sparkling wine industry has emerged like a long-hibernating animal just waiting for the proper season. This article published in the August 2008 issue of Wine Enthusiast. Contact me for full text or reprint inquiries.

In Vino Gravitas

As temperatures heat up in the world's grape-growing regions, winemakers face incredible opportunities and unforseen challenges. How are they responding to the shifting fortunes of climate change? In a word: adaptation. Includes wine recommendations from six sustainable vineyards. This article published in the June/July 2008 issue of Plenty. Full text

Happy Hour

It was a tough job, but we made the rounds of bars and restaurants all over Knoxville to find the best after-work food and drink spots on the city. These specials are guaranteed to put a smile on your face. This article published in the July 2008 issue of Knoxville magazine. Full text

Booze Clues

Nationwide, Americans succumb to extremes, and to excess. We weigh the spectrum from morbidly obese to morbidly anorexic. We eat fast food every day, or only locally-grown, organic fare. We binge drink, or we abstain altogether. I hope to take a different path with my daughters by introducing wine as a food, an integral part of the meal, the way generations of Europeans have done. This article published April 30, 2008 on Babble.com. Full text

Chocolates, Liqueurs, and Love

If you like to match sweets with sweets, chocolates and liqueurs may just be the perfect pair. Both make an excellent end to a meal, both are delicious alone or in desserts and drinks. But there are more chocolates and liqueurs than ever to choose from, and not every Valentine will desire the same pairing. RECIPE: Spirited Truffles. This article published in the February 2008 issue of Wine Enthusiast. Contact me for full text or reprint inquiries.

Happy Hour

So friends are stopping by. You could spend hours in the kitchen whipping up pates and hors d'oeuvres. Or you could open a can of nuts, a bag of chips and some store-bought salsa. Somewhere in between, there's an array of easy to prepare and tasty food that will keep you sane and make your guests feel special. Recipes: Curried Popcorn and Rosemary Parmesan Twists, with cocktail pairings. This article published in the February 2008 issue of Relish. Full text

Wine Storage Basics

Many of us know the pleasure wine brings to a meal. If you enjoy it often, you likely have more than a couple of bottles on hand. What kind of storage you need depends on the type of wines you typically consume and how often you drink them. Here we offer the basics on proper storage conditions with well-designed options for every budget. This article published in the September 2007 issue of Cooking Light. Contact me for full text or reprint inquiries.

A Fresh Look at Wine and Cheese

Scientifically speaking, wine and cheese are not ideal partners--but sometimes the most unlikely pair will end up as a marriage made in heaven. RECIPES (with wine pairings): Goat Cheese-Stuffed Artichokes with Dijon Vinaigrette, Roquefort Pear Tart in Walnut Crust, Apple-Manchego Skewers with Raspberry Vinaigrette. This article published in the December 15, 2007 issue of Wine Enthusiast. Contact me for full text or reprint inquiries.

Avocados Beyond Guacamole

For such a mild-tasting fruit, the avocado has a racy reputation. In its native Central America, the avocado was an aphrodisiac, thanks to its pear shape and creamy flesh. RECIPES (with wine pairings): California Crab-Stuffed Avocado, Avocado Butter, and Avocado, Tomato, and Spinach Crepes with Bacon and Pesto. This article published in the July 2007 issue of Wine Enthusiast. Contact me for reprint inquiries. Full text