I regularly get asked by friends and family who are planning on going wine tasting to share my advice and recommendations with them. After sending variations of the same emails to many of them, I decided to publish my thoughts for everyone to use and enjoy. Let’s start with Santa Ynez Valley and Sta. Rita Hills wineries … Continue reading
Recently, we were on our way to celebrate a family birthday at Chez Melange, the celebrant’s restaurant of choice. As we were about to leave the house, I peeked into our “wine cellar” to grab a wine for the evening — specifically, a cabernet sauvignon, since we all seemed to be in a beef & … Continue reading
For tonight’s concert of incidental music from A Midsummer Night’s Dream by Mendelssohn and Orff’s Carmina Burana, I decided to bring along a couple of 2004 wines: a Late Disgorged Brut from Domaine Carneros and a Ridge Lytton Springs. Both are drinking damn well. No matter how many times I drink “older” Lytton Springs, I … Continue reading
I don’t remember the first time I had foie gras, but I definitely know when and where I fell in love with it: it was at Water Grill in Downtown LA, right before the turn of the New Millenium. Michael Cimarusti had taken over the kitchen from Allyson Thurber a year or two before. On this … Continue reading
Mrs. CKDH had asked for some Pinot Noir to go with the Mardi Gras meal she was preparing, so I poked around the wine “cellar” (read as “dedicated closet for wine in our garage”) to see what I could find. I was surprised to find a bottle of 2005 Cambria “Julia’s Vineyard” in amongst the … Continue reading
(Continuing where I left off from my previous post on the subject . . . ) 2007 Etude Pinot Noir Deer Camp Estate Carneros and 2007 Etude Heirloom Pinot Noir Estate Carneros As much as I love California Pinot Noir, I’ve have been largely ambivalent to those from Carneros. Whenever I’ve tasted them in the … Continue reading
When it comes to wine, I’ll drink anything as long as it’s good: still or sparkling, red or white (or pink), dry or sweet, you name it. Over the past few weeks, I’ve had the pleasure to taste (and drink) a lot more wine than usual, spanning a whole host of varietals. As I mentioned … Continue reading
Typically, when the weekend comes around, Mrs. CKDH & I tend to open a bottle of wine (or perhaps two or six bottles, depending on which folks we happen to be drinking with). Since last weekend was a particularly celebratory one filled special occasions with family, friends, and lots of yummy cuts of USDA prime … Continue reading
All is Yar 