So many choices with so many meal partners. Time for a stew, a pot roast (a great red wine partner). Add the root vegetables, and you have an all-in-one meal that spells delicious. BTW, turning on the oven to make dinner helps turn the kitchen into the cozy spot we so desperately covet!

The true hearty among us have no difficulty firing up the outdoor grill even with inches of snow on the ground. Weber has some advice for those thinking they might want the 2-inch thick rib-eye prepared just right. Remember it takes longer to get the grill going when the temperature is in the chill column.

Don’t forget dessert. Even a double scoop of vanilla with hot fudge sauce can do the trick. Nothing fancy needed, just a chance to appease the sweet tooth–hard to do with just a bowl of berries!

No rocket science here;  just survival strategies as we hunker down for another snowy weekend on the East Coast.

Brr….

The alcoholic beverage industry has always done well during down times, times of negative economic news. We worry; we imbibe. Yet, recent information from the Bureau of Labor Statistics says that we actually spent less on food and alcoholic beverages during 2009 than in the prior two years. That’s surprising, but it translates into drinking less expensive alcoholic beverages and dining at more moderately priced restaurants.

What has changed and what does it mean? We continue to imbibe whether for social or economic reasons. We may have taken our beverage consumption down to second-tier brands or have fewer beverages when we dine out. We still dine out, but are more careful about how we spend our money; the increase in burger places and small plate menus attest to this trend. We may even make our own wine or keep it as grape juice!

However we take our drinks, the end result still emits a less than optimistic tone. Much has to improve before the Lafite  Rothschild comes back to the table, but in the meantime cuddle up with your favorite beverage as you ingest one of the wine and spirit book recommendations from wine critic Eric Asimov of The New York Times.

We are talking about big bottlers moving more of their line to screw tops and our moving along with them and not snubbing our noses at those decisions. Your nose is important. The wine’s nose is important, too. Time for practicality lesson one.

Sure I’ve been to Lisbon and spent time with Mr. Cork, but that was a while ago. That was when one didn’t question a bottling method and didn’t think faraway thoughts about cost and ease of opening. Those were what we call the Presentation Days. You know how fancy five-star restaurants would spend time ceremoniously opening a bottle, and you would shrink at the responsibility placed on you. Should you swirl, sip, or spit? The air was filled with anticipation.

Plenty of high-end restaurants still do ceremony, but have taken it down multiple levels. As a drinking public, we are more knowledgeable about our wines and prefer a wine list with explanation rather than a cost-driven volume of high-end wines that rival our mortgages. Enter the screw-top. Wait, wipe the perspiration from your brow. You have not left the fancy and moved to the diner. Your fine dining restaurant is as likely to have several screw-top bottles in a variety of price points as expensive bottles that demand ceremony. After all many of the big names from Australia’s McLaren Vale made the decision a long time ago to take the turn and go with a more accessible bottle. They have plenty of company.

Your fear of storage, of putting a bottle away for future generations, may also have to be reassessed. There is no equation that works in all instances. Screw tops do not necessarily mean inferior wine. Nor do foil-lined, cork-encased bottles guarantee superior quality. Not hardly. After all, the term that a wine is corked could not be used for one with a screw top!

Yet, natural cork has and will continue to have its devotees, the adherents to tradition and a belief in quality control. Those of us who save and collect our corks for some future art project may do just as well with recycling.

In the meantime, let me suggest a seasonal meal shift and a lovely 2007 Perrin Cotes du Rhone (screw top) to welcome October.

I’d begin with a Graham Beck Brut. Not overly expensive but wonderfully light and summer bubbly. Start the game with this pour, and you’re off to a good start no matter which team is playing!

If you prefer whites for the matches, then here’s a name to remember: Ken Forrester. The Petit Chenin Blanc or Chenin Blanc can begin any event, sporting or otherwise. A wonderfully drinkable, refreshing pair. The Forrester brand will not disappoint in reds, either, as their Shiraz Grenache will have you thinking of French Rhones.

Not just the Forrester label, but many kindred spirits make South Africa well-known for their Shirazes or as the French say, the Syrah grapes. Sometimes just knowing a region helps you focus: Think the Stellenbosch region and you’ll have no trouble finding a wine to suit your mood and menu.

As for food and wine pairing, that depends somewhat on time of day or when you play the match tape, but one thing is certain, you can end the match/meal with a perfectly paired dessert wine. I go back to Ken Forrester for a Late Harvest Chenin Blanc.

As they say, I’ve been a fan for a long time. The Games just get us refocused on the bounty.

Salud to the country and its well-established wine regions.

Name a state in the US, and you’ll have no problem finding a wine. Many continue to amaze and threaten the once imperial leadership from CA and other West Coast states. No more.

Name a country, and you’ll find lots of competition to the wine regions of France and Italy that have so dominated the international marketplace for so long.

Let’s play the game.

Find a wine shop you like; they most likely have weekend wine tastings (Many have added after work tastings and offer numerous price discounts). Sign up for their preferred customer list, AKA, give them your email address! Support wine shops that have stock beyond the ordinary. Many new shops have opened throughout the country that pride themselves on stocking the lesser known, often called the second brand of the big houses, and many smaller, lesser known wineries. Of course, when you travel, consider sampling the local wines of the area, the state. You may surprise yourself.

Follow a wine trail. You do not have to limit that excursion to West Coast states. Look at Virginia, a state which has been grabbing headlines for its selection and quality of product. Each area of  Virginia, for instance, has a terroir trail specific to its region or county.  If you find a group of friends to accompany you, consider a car service or at least a designated driver as sampling is such a major part of the excursion.

Let no one spill your fun. Wine tastes are personal. Not everyone will like the same wines nor the same wines with the same foods. Pairing can prove challenging, but again your individual palate impacts the end result. Try, sample, and compare. Your tastebuds will tell you if you have a match.

Throw out the rules. Enjoy the wine and explore beyond the big names.

You’ll be pleased.

OK, it can be; it doesn’t have to be super sweet or even sweet as the significant number of dry Rieslings attest. No longer do you need to avoid a great grape. There’s basically a Riesling for every type of white wine drinker. You can trust the Riesling Taste Profile and make a decision based on the graphic on the back label. You will be in for a pleasant wine surprise if the profile matches what you plan to eat or what you like in a wine.

Over a million cases already include the profile graphic and additional wineries are expected to come on board as this particular grape is the fastest selling white grape in the United States. Imagine its numbers if consumers who suffer from Riesling Phobia would look at the graph and be comfortable with the grape!

There are so many foods that favor a Riesling pairing. Or, the other way to think about this versatile grape is that there is a food-friendly Riesling ready for you to try.

I need no convincing: I’ll start with one from the Mosel.

The traditional 3rd Thursday of November Beaujolais Nouveau event has become an opportunity for liquor stores and restaurants to celebrate with a pour, special pairings, and the hope that this year’s young crop may be better than in some previous years. Always dicey but for those who can’t imagine skipping a toast, a pour, or a traditional event, then tomorrow is your day.

By French law and now anticipated tradition, the young, fruity, light wine of the Gamay grape cannot be poured until 12:01 AM on that 3rd Thursday of the month, or exactly one week before the great food holiday, Thanksgiving. One of the big names in the Beaujolais region is Georges Duboeuf, and his Nouveau label has become as pervasive as this mini-celebration. For true traditionalists, his best Beaujolais Nouveau years have ended in the 9′s so get ready to enjoy the 2009.

Stores will be ready for tastings tomorrow. Then you can decide how much of a traditionalist you are.

If you’re thinking of a restaurant to try the wine or to celebrate its annual release, then consider one of the many French restaurants that participate in such an event. (Mon Ami Gabi is one national company that has plans for the evening, and some locations have decided to turn the “Day” into a week of festivities).

If you’re in Washington, DC and you’ve always wanted to visit The French Embassy, this might be your perfect excuse. Tickets are necessary, but it is a fun way to feel transported to France for an evening of wine and food in a beautiful setting. Check with your local French-American Chamber of Commerce for events in your city.

A Votre Sante; Cheers.

Now to make it an even more enticing experience, coffee companies and beverage outlets have decided to reward us with little extras. McDonald’s continues to be a significant player with its full espresso line. By this summer they plan to have frappes ready for those looking for a reasonably priced beverage.

Caribou Coffee decided to carve its niche as the company with real chocolate drinks. By using Guittard Chocolate, they have a new line of drinks featuring beautifully crafted chocolates joining forces with coffee and creating drinks such as a dark chocolate latte. Chocolate and coffee have always created an impressive pairing blend.

Godiva Chocolatier decided to join the fray by introducing new coffees, including truffle-infused blends, for the growing home market of coffee drinkers. Again we see the chocolate notes working into the coffee profile.

It’s all about the important wake-up call. Coffee still has more steam than many other beverages. At this time of the year as we’re thinking of holiday meals and presents, nothing wrong with a coffee purchase!

Personally I like mine in a cup without any flavorings. Just good beans, roasted properly, filtered water and bingo! Don’t forget my dark chocolate square, right next to my cuppa.

No problem. I’m waiting.

Here are other facts to sip:

Health articles that speak volumes about the heart-healthy benefits of red wine positively impact consumption. There’s a possible spike in grape juice consumption, too, as it possesses the same ingredient, resveratrol. How about the impact of resveratrol on fighting off viruses. Right now with the fear of the devastating effects of the flu, the Italian study could not be better timed. I’m starting to feel really healthy.

With all the employment anxiety affecting so many of us, how about the study that suggests red wine helps with digestion. Now we’re talking pairing: a good dinner and a glass of red wine. This has true promise.

Sure some wineries have not survived aspects of the downturn, and the Julia Child/Robert Mondavi food center, (The American Center for Wine, Food, & the Arts, COPIA in Napa) is up for sale, but as far as an industry, many US regions are reporting strong sales. Wines from South America, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand  are strong contenders for a re-tailored wine budget. It looks as if France is back in favor as the world’s number one wine producer, taking the crown from last year’s winner, Italy.

Wine tastes and budgets are all over the map. Maybe you’re drinking more Malbec than Merlot now than you were 2 years ago, or more Beaujolais than Bordeaux, but you’re enjoying the swirl. Some patterns could be in flux as big bonuses are back again on Wall Street. Maybe some of those redefined New York restaurants are rethinking their tailored-down lists. Time will tell. I hope those days of wine and roses are left to the novelists.

So many wonderful wines.

Raise your glass high and enjoy the bouquet while your heart, digestive system, and virus-fighting agents smile at your beverage selection.

Here is a mini roundup of possibilities: You know I’m partial (see prior blog entries on wine) to many of the fine wines coming from Virginia. Yes, October is Wine Month, but you can get a jump on the action right now, in September. Let’s start with an interesting combination: Polo, yes, a polo match, accompanied by wine tasting and gourmet food: A true Trifecta. Next weekend is the 24th Annual Commonwealth Cup which pits the best Virginia Polo Players with their British counterparts at the site of the Wine Festival of the Plains, all an easy trip from Washington, DC.

If you want to taste a larger number of wines and later visit the wineries, you might try the following weekend’s event at Bull Run Park: The 34th Virginia Wine Festival which features wine seminars, wine and food pairing demos, and representation from over 50 wineries. This program is part of the Atlantic Seaboard Wine Association which recently held the 5th Annual award competition with entries from the 17 states eligible to participate. The Best of Show was awarded to a Semi-Dry Riesling from Chateau Lafayette in Reneau, New York.

How about the Finger Lakes? Autumn leaves are already falling, and you have a multitude of wine trails to capture your attention. You can start with a trip to the International Winery of the Year winner (Chateau Lafayette) , and maybe have time to sample some of its neighbors as part of the Seneca Lake Wine Trail with over 30 wineries in close proximity. These areas become incredibly crowded on weekends, and a number of the wineries are offering mid-week bottle discounts. This may be a perfect excuse for a less crowded break.

Midwesterners complain they get ignored in these type of articles. Not so. Here’s a chance to do a shout-out to the Shawnee Wine Trail with 12 wineries in southern Illinois. Many are participating in Labor Day weekend activities, but the rest of the month holds promise for quieter tastings and more in-depth discussions.

Of course, there’s Napa and Sonoma, Oregon and Washington, and all the states in between that host wine festivals as this has become big business throughout the country. Consider this preview as a small pour, a sample of what’s to come as the Fall season has just begun. We have plenty of time to enjoy Nature’s bounty.

Raise your glasses.

French chefs view this as an opportunity to highlight the versatility of the Cotes du Rhones, the reds, whites, and roses, and show how they pair perfectly with the seasonal ingredients that highlight any French meal. The website has a complete list of participating restaurants. Check for the individual menus as many of the chefs plan separate menus for each week.

As for the Cotes du Rhones, there are over 6,000 wine grape growers in the Rhone River region between Lyon and Avignon. One should have little problem finding his favorite Rhone wine for everyday drinking at home, too. They pair wonderfully with so many summer dishes.

The promotion is a perfect excuse to Dine Out, Enjoy Summer, and Celebrate French cuisine.

Then take your new French recipe food and wine guide (a present from the participating restaurants) and create perfectly paired French-style meals, regardless of the season.

Bonne Chance.

So many good options here: 20 different Virginia wineries pouring their specialties, a summer buffet dinner in the Manor House, wine tasting seminars (led by Virginia’s sommelier ambassador, Mary Watson), glass blowing demonstrations, and the opportunity to meet regional artisans. The adult-only evening events (July 10-12) provide a perfect excuse for daytime regional travel culminating in the creative festival environment. If you want to turn it into a weekend and skip the after-sipping driving ritual, then take advantage of the special lodging/transportation package with nearby Lansdowne Resort.

This is a good weekend to plan ahead as reservations are necessary for general admission, dinner, and picnic boxes.

Take advantage of this reasonably priced festival with so many food and wine options.

You’ll understand why Virginia is For Lovers!

Now, regardless of weather, and this is no cruel calendar joke, tomorrow, Friday, the 5th of June is a calendar keeper–it’s National Doughnut Day.  This is no made-up holiday but one that traces its roots back to 1938. If you’re more interested in the food possibilities, plan ahead and do your own personal best taste test. The options are not limited to the national brands, check with your local bakery and entice them to join in on the fun. In the meantime, consider these two specials:

–Dunkin’ Donuts (see the spelling) will let the customer choose any donut with the purchase of any beverage. 

–Krispy Kreme thinks you might want to get a drink, but they are enticing with free doughnuts, no purchase necessary.

Hmm, imagine those will be some impressive lines! 

What a perfect combo: A Friday and a free treat. Sweet.

Walk to the doughnut store; there’s less guilt.

Enjoy.

It is true that bacon, sausage, and ham sandwiches may sound like the universe of sandwiches to many people. NOT everyone eats pork products. The new pairing promotion offers a 12-oz tall brewed coffee and a choice of a pork off-shoot sandwich. Or a tall latte and a slice of coffee cake or oatmeal. What happens if you want an egg sandwich, a turkey sandwich, or any number of other non-pork possibilities?

Seriously, who is doing your market research? The concept is good; the execution is a killer.

Think. Make the changes.

There is something about the world that seems all right while you read in front of cacophonous fire. Just as long as you read sections of the newspaper that have nothing to do with real world issues. Start with the Sunday Styles section of the New York Times and rush to the back, to the wedding stories. They are so much fun. Of course, there are the Bill Cunningham party photos. Skip over the real life, potentially sad articles, and  go for the morning fun and begin your day with a relaxing tone.

Then, you can ease into that splendiferous cup of espresso. Did I mention I made it to Wegmans. From earlier posts, you’ll know it’s not around the corner but worth the drive. I get less expensive gas in Virginia and then head over to the shopping mecca which somehow seems to do as much damage to my credit card as a trip to Costco. Bad financial week, hit both of ‘em in a matter of a few days.

Now it’s time to analyze what it is about their whole bean dark roast espresso that keeps me hankering for a true cup. Maybe it’s the price. Certainly doesn’t hurt that the 32-ounce bag of beans is under $10. Flavor wins from the bean’s oily richness that engulfs the coffee machine’s bean holder. It transcends any other coffee bean experience of late. Hit the buttons, grind, and punch up a double espresso.

Now the morning has promise, a crackling fire ,and a true cup of espresso. I haven’t even started the potatoes yet. More on that later.

Crackling sounds and a steaming cup of coffee. A perfect pairing.