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 …

With today’s value-oriented consumers, everyday wines are nouveau chic.  But the New World didn’t invent inexpensive, everyday wine.  Some of the best values come from Italy and the northern region of the Veneto.  The Veneto is Italy’s largest wine region by production and exports, flying high with inexpensive but absolutely classic and well-made wines such as the white Soave, red Valpolicella and sparkling Prosecco.
The Soave appellation is located just east of the beautiful city of Verona.   The white wines are made principally from the garganega grape which produces a crisp, light- to medium-bodied wine with citrus …

Dining at Osteria Fontanina in Verona

Dining in new cities is always an exciting adventure, but its particularly exciting when you’re in the midst of several great wine appellations.  The Veneto is home to classic dry whites made of garganega such as Soave and Custoza, sparkling Prosecco made of, well, prosecco, and classic red blends based on cherry-licious corvina such as Valpolicella and Bardolino.  These wines pair perfectly with the diversity of foods you will find in the Veneto.

Classic dishes in the Veneto include risotto made with Amarone wine, chewy bigoli pasta, horsemeat (stewed, smoked, even tartare), pasta e fagioli …

The concept of ‘family-style’ meals, a single simple but appealing menu at reasonable prices, has become more popular than ever before.  For example, the family-style dinner option at Martini House has been very successful since its launch last year resulting in expanded number of days during the week and times it is offered.  Chef Thomas Keller recognized the appeal of family-style meals even before economic tides turned, back in 2006 when they set up the restaurant as an ‘ad hoc’ use of recently acquired space as they considered permanent options.  The casual concept was so …

Norman Rose Tavern is not your stuffy, dark English pub.  It’s a modern space with stainless steel touches but with all the warmth of recycled sun-washed wooden beams and doors and tufted leather banquettes.  Based in the heart of Downtown Napa in the new Napa Square at First Street and Franklin, the eco-friendly gastropub feels like it was meant for the location, with the dramatic windows and corner patio drawing the neighborhood and travellers inside.  The gastropub will seat about 100 guests including 18 seats on the patio and another 18 in the private dining room.  There will …

Confit of beets on house-made goat’s milk yogurt with watercress and fennel

One expects a formal dining room for a Michelin star restaurant, but at the Solage Calistoga, the decor and mood reflects the soothing and casual atmosphere of  the spa resort.  The restaurant is designed with a sensitivity to Calistoga environs with barn architecture, but with modern, loft-like open space, soaring ceilings and extensive windows that fill the room with light and unite the inside with the serene view outdoors.  And while the restaurant is clearly casual, the quality of products and …

If you are travelling to Bordeaux, you probably love food and wine.  Some of the specialties of Bordeaux given its proximity to water are duck, foie gras and lamprey eel and you will find some of the best entrecote (beef) dishes anywhere.  Lest you think Bordeaux is all about heavy food, don’t worry, there is also a good choice of seafood such as salmon, sole, cod, sea bream, oysters and shrimp.  There is a great balance of foods and restaurants to choose from and plenty of wines to pair
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La Brasserie Bordelaise at 50 Rue Saint Remi serves …

A nice base for us visiting the Southern Rhone was the Hotel Bellerive in Rasteau.  It is “homey”, very quiet, with beautiful views of vineyards and the Dentelles de Montmirail.  It is within half an hour to Vinsobres, Gigondas, Vacqueyras, Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Beaumes-de-Venise and the Cotes du Rhone Villages of Seguret, Sabelet and Cairanne.  Like most hotels in rural wine regions, don’t expect wifi or even a reliable wake-up call, but they do have the most hospitable cat I have ever come across, and good breakfasts. 
Favorite Restaurants:
Les Florets in Gigondas.  One of the best …

If you are not arriving from the North, a good way to start a visit of the Rhone Valley is starting from the South, in Avignon.  It is a quick 3 hour 20 minute train on the TGV from Charles de Gaulle and there are many things to do in this major city, the least of which is visiting the Palace of the Popes.
InterRhone, the Rhone Wine Council, is based in Avignon, so prior to heading out to wine regions, you may want to stop here first.  There are many resources such as maps …

One could spend days in Jerez being amazed by the infinite pairings of dry sherry with food, if mostly to satisfy a curiosity of pairing a low to medium acid, non-fruity, fortified wine with seafood.
My revelatory meal was at the Restaurant “El Marques” in Jerez where we had an all-sherry pairing dinner.  Our starter was a plate filled with carpaccio of cod topped with an olive and lime vinaigrette, a crepe filled with smoked salmon, guacamole, cray fish and baby onions, and thin slices of king prawn dressed simply with local extra-virgin olive oil and Jerez vinegar …