Rodney Strong Winemaker Rick Sayre: Lucky, But Deserving
Rick Sayre, Chairman of the 2016 Cincinnati International Wine Festival On a warm, sunny Sonoma day in January, Rick Sayre generously spent four hours touring, tasting and telling the story of his journey at Rodney Strong Vineyards. Toward the end of our interview, Rick confessed that he would have preferred to be fishing for…
Texas (Wine) Rodeo
Huh? Texas wine? Isn’t that the home of “Chateau Bubba”? Even though roughly 90% of all wine produced in the U.S. comes from California, today wine is made in all 50 states. It’s perhaps not surprising that Washington, Oregon and New York State (Finger Lakes, Long Island) are the other top producers of quality wine, collectively making up…
A Spectacular Chaine Holiday
The Hilton Netherland’s Hall of Mirrors adds sparkle and festive vibes to any event. Monday’s holiday dinner for more than 100 members and guests of the Cincinnati chapter of Chaîne des Rôtisseurs was no exception. Greeted by glittering glasses of Roederer Estate Brut NV (Anderson Valley sparkling), canapes passed deftly by a charming staff among hugs and holiday…
Artisanal Bells Up Winery
Yesterday I had the pleasure of listening to a webinar sponsored by the French Wine Society featuring veteran Champagne expert Peter Liem. The subject was grower Champagne. I was most struck by Liem’s frankness, advising us not to be allured blindly by the market buzz of grower bubbly because it is (seemingly) artisanal, and not to…
Bolognese + Brunello
It’s Monday. You may be revving up for NFL. I’m swooning for the “Monday night special” at Nicola’s Ristorante Italiano flanking the northeast corner of OTR. Nicola’s Tagliatelle alla Bolognese is so popular among knowing neighbors and patrons that I hesitate to call even more attention to this fabulous experience. Every Monday night, the restaurant…
Turkey Wines
Every year, without fail, I get “ask Kathy” calls from friends far and wide: what wines should I buy for Thanksgiving? The easiest answer is to choose one (or more!) wines that you really like. There is frankly enough stress created by preparing holiday meals with many courses, setting a table to host many guests,…
1 Chef, 3 Somms @ Mita
Chef Jose Salazar of Cincinnati’s eponymous Salazar restaurant opened Mita to great acclaim in August 2015 as a showcase for the cuisines of Spain and Latin America. Members of the Cincinnati chapter of Société Mondiale du Vin, a sister organization of the international Chaîne des Rotisseurs, were treated to an exclusive sampling of Chef Salazar’s fabulous…
Wine “Rock Stars” Headline International Wine Festival
Gina Gallo and Jean-Charles Boisset are inarguably the best known wine couple in the world. Their stories, separately and together, are inspiring and magical. As a very private couple who are parents of young twin daughters, they rarely appear together at public events. So it is truly special that they agreed to serve as co-chairs…
Contains Sulfites
Consumer warning: this is a lengthy article debunking the myths and legends of sulfites. Let me cut to the chase and provide dessert before the entrée: unless you are asthmatic or one of the 1% club of people who have a bone fide sulfite allergy, it is highly unlikely that sulfites are the cause of…