In my last post describing the early history of the South African wine industry (1655-1890), I lamented that very little has been written – or at least not easily found – explaining what happened between the late 1700s and the devastating phylloxera epidemic in 1886. Thanks to International Wine Review (iwinereview.com) and a recent comprehensive…
Author: Kathy Merchant
I am a passionate wine educator and writer.
Diploma graduate of the Wine & Spirit Education Trust, French Wine Scholar, Italian Wine Scholar, and Certified Specialist of Wine.
T-23 to South Africa!
I am thrilled to be just weeks away from a fabulous trip to the Winelands of South Africa. Thanks to Sue Flischel and Lee Flischel, I am joining the first leg of their journey to Africa, indulging our shared passion for wine — no surprises there — before exploring and photographing animals on safari. My…
Perfect Pairings: the Principle of Place in Northern Italy
Matching food with wine, third in a four-part series from the 2013 “Perfect Pairings” series created with The Painted Chef Catering at The Grotto in Mt. Adams, anchored in the principle of place: terroir. Pairing food and wine…simple, right? Chicken goes with white wine, beef goes with red. Cheese is great with anything. Easy! For…
Fruits of the Vine
Sugar on a tomato? Yuck!! It’s fruit, for sure, but honestly, that’s a worse idea than making a butter and sugar sandwich on white bread!! (So Midwestern, so first grade…) Chefs, I totally get it. Sugar cuts acidity, especially in sauce/salsa, and even more importantly adding sugar can harmonize flavors and texture if the tomato’s…
Perfect Pairings: The Principle of Place in Tuscany
Pairing food and wine…simple, right? Chicken goes with white wine, beef goes with red. Cheese is great with anything. Easy! For sure, it takes a bit more effort to create a “perfect pairing” than simply choosing between an entrée meat (or vegetable) and a white or red wine. But the principles are clear and the…
Perfect Pairings: Principle of Place in Latin America
Pairing wine with the foods of Latin America.
“I can’t drink wine. It gives me a headache.”
Much has been written about wine-related headaches. Drink less. Go natural.