If the greatest wines in the world are made to age using the most expensive production methods, have a long history of quality control and are so recognizable by style that they can only be a single wine from a singular place, then Port is such a wine.
Port is a sweet, fortified wine made since the 17th century from grapes grown in the Douro River Valley in Portugal.  They are aged, traditionally, downriver in the cooler port city of Vila Nova de Gaia across the river from Porto.  In the …

Today, TripAdvisor released their annual list of the “Best Food & Wine Destinations” in the world, and for the South Pacific region, Melbourne was #1.  This follows Melbourne’s recent ranking as the world’s most liveable city, as judged by The Economist Intelligence Unit on August 30th.  For good reason.  I have rarely traveled to a major wine capital where I returned with a high that lasted for days for the vibrant food and wine scene, the cultural diversity and most of all, the warmth of the people I came across.  …

My trip to Porto and the Douro Valley in Portugal revealed a lesser-known fact:  that sweet fortified wines can pair with savory foods in new and exciting ways.  Just don’t think about Port as a really “sweet” wine, and don’t always think “red” although most Port wine is made with red grape varieties.
While Port wine is sweet, typically about 100 grams/liter, it can be lower than 40 g/l for a white Port or as low as 80 g/l for ruby and tawny Ports depending on the producer’s house style.  For …

A great way to use a lot of fresh shiso leaves is to make a pesto, Asian style.  I was inspired by traditional pesto but replaced the basil with shiso and the pine nuts with widely-available edamame soy beans.  Asian flavors give the pesto lots of umami.
When shiso grows in abundance during the hot summer and early fall, making something that is cool to eat and fast to make without heat is welcome.  All you need is a stick blender and one container like a glass measuring cup.
For this recipe, …

Shiso, aka perilla frutescens, is part of the mint family that grows abundantly during the summer.  The green variety is pungeant, with citrusy, floral and mint aromas that complement asian flavors very well.  Shiso leaves are high in beta-carotene and equivalents which are great antioxidants, and vitamin K for bone health.*
Growing up, we used to call shiso our “million dollar crop” because it grew abundantly in our backyard while being sold in neatly stacked packs of ten leaves at our asian grocer for a handsome sum.  Today, it’s not unusual to find micro-shiso …

Food and wine charities are not new.  Professionals in the hospitality industry who participate in these events are by nature, generous people, and so are their patrons.  But when Dry Creek Valley vintner Clay Mauritson asked busy restaurateur, hotelier and Michelin star Chef Charlie Palmer to help him put together Project Zin – a charity to raise funds and awareness for Down syndrome which affects Mauritson’s son – Chef Palmer was standing by.
Clay and Charlie’s friendship goes back over a decade, when Clay’s family began helping Palmer develop vineyards in …

The adjective that most commonly precedes chardonnay and pinot noir wines is “food-friendly” and when one travels to the cradle of chardonnay and pinot noir wines – Burgundy – you only have one thought:  food.  Since Burgundy vineyards cover a distance of about 150 miles north to south, one doesn’t need to travel elsewhere to find a wide range of wine styles – light to full-bodied, oaked or not, everyday to complex -  that will pair with almost any dish.

The classic dishes to try when in Burgundy include jambon persille …

For those of you touring Napa Valley wine country, it’s sometimes nice to spend one day in one place, without a car, but still get the complete food and wine experience.  There are others of you visiting San Francisco who only have a day or two to spend in wine country.  Downtown Napa has more than 20 tasting rooms, wine bars and wine lounges to get a taste of Napa Valley wines, at your convenience.  While the local wine tasting rooms owned by Napa Valley wine producers pour their own …

The new 1313 Main upscale wine bar and lounge in Downtown Napa opens officially on May 27th.  It is the latest addition to Downtown Napa’s wine tasting scene that differentiates itself by offering a range of local and international wines that are hard to find by the glass and available in 2 oz. and 5 oz. pours.  Even better, the price points are accessible, allowing wine lovers to discover wines they wouldn’t normally buy by the bottle.  For example, Kistler Chardonnay at $7 per 2 oz. pour.
According to proprietor and …

Downtown Napa, as the Gateway to the Napa Valley, has a wide range of casual and fine dining to meet every palate and occasion.  There is also a variety of specialty food purveyors, farmers’ markets, bakery/cafes and even take-out that feature what Napa Valley does best, serve up local, fresh and sustainably grown food that is vibrant with flavor.
Reservations Recommended
For serious dining, you don’t need to go up-valley to experience a range of world-class cuisine from French at Michelin star La Toque in the Oxbow District to southern Italian at …