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  • Perfect Pairings: Melon de Bourgogne w/Fettuccini With Clams and Dill

    Every now and then you run across a food and wine pairing that is so perfect, you can’t imagine anything better. This is one of those rare instances when the wine ‘contrasts’ and at the same time ‘compliments’ the dish. Coastal region wines naturally pair with seafood. This is no exception. Melon de Bourgogne is…

  • Trendy Cocktails: Prickly Pear Cosmo

    Here is an exciting twist to reintroduce this ‘Sex and the City’ revived classic cocktail… the Cosmopolitan. The prickly pear flavor is a perfect compliment to the citrusy flavors of fresh lime juice and sweet orangy-ness of triple sec. You can find prickly pear syrup online, but nothing compares to syrup created from fresh fruit.…

  • Enthusiast to Sommelier: Pandemic Impact

    As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to wreak havoc on the world, it was simply a matter of time before it impacted our quest for sommelier-hood. The format and schedule of the Introductory Sommelier Course & Examination and other events hosted by The Court of Master Sommeliers have been at risk since the beginning of the…

  • Enthusiast to Sommelier: Take a Pass

    Don’t be fooled by the title of this blog post. While it has crossed our minds on more than one occasion to drop out of the wine knowledge race, we are staying the course. With only three short weeks remaining, it would be easy to succumb to the pressure and throw in the serviette. Instead,…

  • Trendy Cocktails: Slo Gin Fig Martini

    As for martinis, there are two distinct and very vocal camps. Historians and cocktail purists believe that a true martini can only be made with gin. Vodka lovers, of course, stand completely opposed with their many variations of the vodka martinis. And according to James Bond, they should be shaken… not stirred. Personally, I only…

  • Enthusiast to Sommelier: For the Sake of Learning

    There are a few (ok… many) wines described in the various books and study materials quickly finding their way to the top of my “must try” list. I blame it, among other things, on the alluring descriptions of “Wines to Know” in The Wine Bible by Karen MacNeil. Her words spark a curiosity quenched only…

  • Enthusiast to Sommelier: Right on Cue

    Sometime during the last few months of intensive studying, I must have sprung a leak in my brain. The grey-matter between your ears is supposed to be a sponge–right? It’s supposed to be able to absorb terabytes of information. I’ve read the information prescribed by the Court of Master Sommeliers and retained most of it.…

  • Trendy Cocktails: The Blood & Bourbon

    Finding the right pre-dinner cocktail can sometimes be a challenge. As with wine, there is a difference between ‘right’ and ‘right now.’ Sometimes we succumb to convenience… and choose the ‘right now’ option. A pre-dinner cocktail should set the tone and expectations for the upcoming culinary experience. As a side note, I consider every meal…

  • Enthusiast to Sommelier: Sip, Sip Hurrah

    The Court of Master Sommelier Deductive Tasting Method is at the heart of the two-day course and final exam. For level one certification, the curriculum in 2020 includes six (6) individual wine tastings designed to teach this very effective process for identifying wines. I’ve been preparing for this all of my adult life (ok… maybe…

  • Enthusiast to Sommelier: Wine Happens

    As I’m learning the basics of vinification–in preparation for the first Court of Sommelier exam–it became evident that winemaking is as much an art as it is a science. Specifically, wine does not ‘happen.’ The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines vinification as “the conversion of fruit juices (such as grape juice) into wine by fermentation.” This definition,…