As is the case with restaurants and bars, Utah’s brewing industry is under severe stress thanks to COVID-19 shutdowns and restrictions. Brewpubs are trying to survive with curbside takeout service just as many breweries are selling beer-to-go. (Thankfully, that hasn’t been terminated … yet.) We can all help by drinking locally-brewed beer and buying gift cards and swag from … [Read more...]
Ogden’s Own Five Wives Vodka (and Hand Sanitizer)
Kudos to Steve Conlin and all the good folks at Ogden’s Own Distillery, makers of Five Wives Vodka, for their tireless work in helping to supply our community with hand sanitizer. Yes, that’s right. The outfit - normally known for making award-winning Five Wives Vodka - have shifted production during the COVID-19 crisis to making hand sanitizer. My wife stood outside in line on … [Read more...]
Adobe Road Winery Redline
One of the more interesting wine bottles to come across my desk this past year is called Redline, a red wine blend from California’s Adobe Road Winery. What first got my attention was the cool looking bottle with a silkscreened vintage sports car tachometer on the bottle. Why? I’ll explain. Located in the heart of Sonoma County, Kevin Buckler and his wife Debra opened Adobe … [Read more...]
Figuière Famille Combard Le Saint André
Who doesn’t love a sale? Through the end of March, you can pick up a terrific, versatile red wine from Provence, France for a mere $11.99 (regularly priced at $14.99). The wine is Figuière Famille Combard Le Saint André. One of the things I love about the wines of Provence is that they tend to be uncomplicated, yet refined, with great minerality. I also like that they … [Read more...]
French 75 with Cognac, A Must Try Cocktail at Firewood in Park City
During a delightful dinner recently at Park City’s Firewood restaurant, beverage expert Greg Ceccarelli suggested a cocktail to kick the evening off: the French 75. However, he had a trick up his sleeve. This French 75 was made using cognac, where gin is the more typical spirit of choice for the cocktail. I learned that, apparently, there is debate and some … [Read more...]
Refreshing, Crisp Italian Wine: 2018 Zenato Lugana di San Benedetto
I’ve been on a bit of an Italian wine kick lately. That’s partly because I keep coming across wonderful wine values from Italy, like this one: 2018 Zenato Lugana di San Benedetto, priced at a mere $16.99 here in Utah. Zenato Lugana is made from 100% Trebbiano grapes - one of the most widely planted wine grape varietals in the world. The grapes were harvested from Zenato’s … [Read more...]
A Versatile Italian Rose: Masseria Li Veli Susumaniello
Last week in this column I wrote about a nifty new wine discovery from Italy called Casanova di Neri IrROSSO. This week, I’m turning my attention to another really great Italian wine. This one is a Rosé: Masseria Li Veli Susumaniello 2018 ($21.99). Masseria Li Veli is a winery in Italy’s Apulia region, founded and operated since 1999 by the Falvo family. They’ve … [Read more...]
Elegant but Affordable Casanova di Neri IrROSSO
During a recent wine tasting at Osteria Amore, I got to taste a range of wines from the great Casanova di Neri winery of Italy. These were mostly wines that I could never afford to sip on my own, so it was a real treat to taste Casanova di Neri’s world class Brunello di Montalcino wines and others. One of the wines I tasted was one that I can afford: the most recent creation … [Read more...]
V-Day Bubbles: Scharffenberger Brut Excellence
I always think that bubbles are a great choice for celebrating Valentine’s Day. And, given that many of us will be blowing our budgets with high-priced V-Day dinners, I wouldn’t mind not breaking the bank on wine. So here’s a really good budget bubbly that tastes like a million bucks: Scharffenberger Brut Excellence NV. This sensational sparkler clocks in at a … [Read more...]
Florensac Picpoul de Pinet: Excellent Dry White Wine from Southern France
While Bordeaux and Burgundy in France get most of the attention from wine aficionados, there are some good wines and great bargains to be found in the Languedoc-Roussillon coastal region in Southern France. Les Vignerons de Florensac (The Winemakers of Florensac) is composed of some 260 winemakers and it’s this territory - an ancient one - where one of my favorite Picpoul de … [Read more...]
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