Despite knowing numerous wine varietals well, Petite Sirah is always a varietal that causes me pause when pairing with cuisine.  In a tasting room, Petite Sirah often emerges in a glass as dark and mysterious, with a seductive nose, an involved flavor profile and with tannins ready to rival Cabernet Sauvignon.   It is a […]

As hot summer days begin to fade with the sun’s late rays, temperatures cool and it is easier to reach for those long-awaited red wines.   Red wine, often best known for its tannins and complexity, is something that just does not pair with hot intense rays of the sun.   When winter ends and warm spring […]

Petite Sirah is one of those red varietals that rarely do I reach for except for during the dregs of winter.  Notoriously rustic, complex, rich and often lumbering across the palate in a no-nonsense sort of way, Petite Sirah readily pairs with comfort food and is in ready reach on a dark, stormy night.   Yet, […]

  Summer, winter, spring or fall . . . no matter the season each week I create a recipe to pair with a bottle of wine.   In some instances, it is the recipe that dominates and other times it is a particular bottle of wine that I wish to feature which controls the pairing.   Yet […]

With the holiday weekend ahead, of all the wines that could be served in backyard barbeque celebrations, if the evening temperatures cool and are moderate then Zinfandel should be one within easy reach.   Widely planted throughout California, Zinfandel is the red varietal that perhaps comes in second presently to the famed Cabernet Sauvignon.   The varietals, […]