Wine Column
The Best of Wine, Spirits and Food!
Gourmet Highway: Florida at 500
By Doc Lawrence – I’ve dreamed of meeting a king or queen someday. Soon, there will be an opportunity, one that doesn’t require leaving Florida. Spain’s King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia, according to insiders, will be in Florida early next year to take part in the ceremonies honoring the 500th anniversary of Florida’s discovery […]
Entangled with Entwine
By Robert Paul – Given the far-reaching vine-like tendrils sent forth from the Food Network starting with food and lifestyle programming and progressing to product endorsements, books by their top tier chefs and designers, special events staged around the nation, products for home and table and much more, it came as no surprise to us […]
What Everyday Wine Drinkers Want
By Robert Paul – What most wine drinkers want is the best value available for the taste they want to savor. All oenophiles have favorite affordable “house wines,” ones that are always in the inventory for a casual lunch, a more formal dinner, or just for happy-hour sipping. My favorites have no claim to fame […]
Let Wines Take Flight
By Robert Paul – On a recent vacation, my wife and I stopped at an American bistro near Chadds Ford called Sovana Bistro in Kennett Square, PA near Delaware’s beautiful and historic Brandywine Valley (locals had recommended it). We had a wonderfully satisfying meal but also enjoyed an innovative approach to enjoying wine with each […]
Blanc Du Bois, Florida’s Great Wine
By Doc Lawrence – TALLAHASSEE. Mission San Luis, the award-winning archeological restoration less than a mile from Florida’s Capitol building, is a top tourist destination. Once, it was the western outpost of New Spain where conquistadors, Franciscan monks and Apalachee Indians lived, worked and worshiped in harmony. Later, the same land was also the site […]
Wines for All Reasons
By Robert Paul – This scenario plays out in my world frequently: Four or six of us are at a restaurant browsing the menu. Each of us orders a different meal and then the wine list gets passed from person to person until it comes to rest at my place setting. Eyes are averted, chatter […]
Sipping Sicily
By Robert Paul – I’ve traveled to many parts of Italy and have explored wine regions to taste and savor the varieties of robust reds for which the country is so justly famous. But, I’ve not been to the island of Sicily yet and my first encounter with the white wines of Sicily was close […]
A Modest Proposal, Malbec
By Robert Paul – In America, Malbec isn’t a flashy or sexy wine and you probably wouldn’t bring a bottle as a hostess gift to the home of someone you were trying to impress with your prowess in haute selection. The color is not always as bright a ruby-red as a Cabernet or Merlot […]
Gourmet Highway: Small Towns With Big Dreams
By Doc Lawrence- ( WHITE SPRINGS, FL.) Nestled alongside the storied Suwannee, one of America’s most romantic rivers, this little village is much like it was during the riverboat days decades ago when celebrities like Theodore Roosevelt and wealthy tycoons came here for spa enjoyment centered around the mineral water springs. Residents proudly showcase Victorian […]