This story is a collaboration with the late Jim O’Kon. A renowned architect and designer whose masterpieces included The Carter Presidential Library and Disney World. Jim, as a teenager, actually met Ernest Hemingway in Havana. His wonderful book, Sitting in Hemingway’s Chair, which I edited, is my favorite resource for all things about the legendary …
The Gourmet Highway – Ernest Hemingway: American Gourmet Read More »
In our acclaimed book, Women Winemakers: Personal Odysseys, we identified four main pathways to winemaking in the male-dominated world of wineries. Here we share the “personal odysseys” of lead women winemakers from the Okanagan Valley who followed one of these pathways, The Sensory Pathway—coming to love wine from aromas or from tasting wines. Located in …
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Wines and Drinks for the New Season My most recent visit to Monticello included the privilege of being alone to peruse Thomas Jefferson’s wine cellar. Variety and diversity seemed to dominate the remaining vestiges of inventory. The experience was instructive and comported with what I came to appreciate about our third president, who had a …
Few pleasures are more rewarding than a flavorful cocktail or chilled light wine on a summer evening. The popularity never wanes. Ever-evolving, some become a little trendy which is healthy and normal. There are time-honored rituals that add to the enjoyment. Home entertaining, whether a casual dinner or a big barbeque, merit a bit of …
Over the years I attended three events that qualified as genuine wine dinners. One was a celebration of Julia Child’s 90th birthday at the Arizona Biltmore. Another was dinner with Masters of Wine at Arnaud’s in New Orleans and the other was a Bordeaux dinner at The Breakers Hotel in Palm Beach. None were advertised …
The Gourmet Highway: The Elegant American Wine Dinner Read More »
Now that most of us are enjoying warmer weather and longer days, this is the perfect time to turn to bright, fresh wines for springtime sipping. Here are five Napa Green certified wines you should try this spring. Whether you prefer red or white, there’s something for everyone. 2020 Napa Valley Estate Sauvignon Blanc Sauvignon …
Each glass of wine is part of a never-ending journey. That observation was often stated by Jim Sanders, an embodiment of wine and food expertise, a combination soldier, scholar, traveler, chef, winemaker, importer, retailer and restauranteur. Like a potter with clay, Sanders transformed wine beginners like me into something more than a curious drinker. His …
After visits to Ireland, I changed. The daily grind at home was more bearable. Reading became a preferred discipline and the live stage remains far more appealing than a movie. Those great books of literature, plays and poetry took on new prominence. Joyce, Yeats, Shaw, Wilde and Heaney became part of ordinary conversation. And, there …
Since mid-March of 2020, I have written a weekly piece for this magazine featuring food stories and recipes. Motivated by a suspicion that some sort of isolation was going to be the norm for an uncertain period of time, this task served as an antidote to boredom. Then, I began to realize that this was …
I have hosted 50 virtual wine classes at this half-year mark into the pandemic. My stamina remains strong, but who would’ve predicted that we’d still be clinking glasses against our screens at this point? We wine lovers are a resilient bunch and we remain determined to share our passion with our compatriots in this new …