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Showing posts from October, 2012

Pairing wine with Chinese food - video program for Millbrae Community TV

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Earlier this year I was invited by the Millbrae Community TV to film an episode about pairing wine with Chinese food. The show aired in two parts during the Labor Day weekend on September 1 and 2, 2012. For the shoot, I had selected a sparkling Cremant de Bourgogne rosé (from Burgundy), a Gruner Veltliner (from Austria), a Cote du Rhone (from South of France), a Cru Beaujolais (France), and a German Riesling. Hope you enjoy this 10-min show.

Gastronomic Ecstasy, Italian style with Barolo

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To understand how perfect this pairing is, just think peanut butter and jelly, sea-salt and soft egg yolk, mustard and hot-dog, ketchup and french fries, Cabernet and steak... you get the idea?! OMG! When Dan and Ash put together a "casual" dinner just because , Ash's fresh pasta with wild mushrooms and Italian sausage, with shaved truffle cheese on top, served with the 1996 Michele Chiarlo Barolo Cannubi (thank you Sandy!) was orgasmic, except in a more romantic and indescribable way. When that truffly, mushroomy, fennelly goodness of a pasta was brought in proximity with the 1996, I could no longer separate the wine from the dish - the aromas melded, the flavors married, I was in heaven!  The charm of the perfectly aged Barolo from a classical vintage was irresistible.  Next to it, by comparison, I am sorry to say, the very impressive 2001 and 2005 Cavallotto Bricco Borschis Barolos just seemed out of place -- too young and primary (even the 2001). Cavallotto was...

Grand Champagne Tasting of 2012

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The 2012 annual Champagne tasting hosted by the Institute of Masters of Wine recently took place in San Francisco. The freakish 90 degree heat in October was offset by a nicely air-conditioned room on the second floor of the Ferry Building. What an enchanting view of the Bay, chilled bubblies in hand! Mesmerized. Slightly tipsy, my thoughts drifted - "is it time to try for a second kid?..."  I guess Champagne will do that :) I document this worthwhile event every year. For getting a broad swath of the latest and greatest in Champagne, to my knowledge, there is no better event in the Bay Area. And considering the $60 admission fee, this is probably the best bang for your buck of any wine tasting of the year. Teeth aching of acid overdose, a hundred bottles worth thousands of $$ of glorious sparkling sampled, a few exemplars truly moved... The best bottles are not cheap - retailing for well over $100, and the Rosé over $300, but when you are ready to live it up, it's h...