I've always paired wine with food. Like my obsession with finding the right wines to age, I was similarly obsessed with finding the right wine to go with my culinary creations. I never followed white wines with fish and red wines with red meat. I dissected the flavors of a dish and the aromas of a wine and looked for synergies. Similar to my taste in music, I looked for harmony over discord. So I'm especially excited about my 2015 The Year of the Appellation project.     In 2015, my goal is to know California wines as well as I know Texas wines (actually planted vines and harvested grapes). Because the Zinfandel Experience is at the end of January, I decided to start exploring California appellations that produce Zinfandel. (Once we complete our exploration of Zinfandel we'll be moving on to Pinot Noir.)  

SPONSORED POST: This is a paid post. The Road to The Good Life chose to work with La Crema Winery for their dedication to handcrafted wines at reasonable prices. All opinions presented are my own.   Summer squash is one of those vegetables available year round in California, and similar to peppers and tomatoes is best when eaten in late summer/early fall. Right now there are many varieties of yellow squash and Patty Pan available at your local Farmer's Market.   My love affair with squash didn't begin until I was in middle school, and it began because my mother paired summer squash with bacon and tomatoes and served it over Ala (cracked wheat bulgur). (Seriously, my mother was a genius. Want to get a kid to eat their vegetables or try something new? Try my mom's trick: add bacon or substitute bacon grease for butter or oil. Because, let's face it. What kid doesn't love bacon? But, I digress.) I primarily love summer squash for the color it adds to food, but I al...

( updated 3/9/2022 ) My favorite treat when I need a pick me up or when I'm celebrating is chocolate, usually paired with one of my favorite red wines: a Pinot Noir or a Zinfandel. So, when I had the opportunity to attend a wine and chocolate tasting a few years ago at the See's Candies at Church and Market Street (this location has since closed) I jumped at the chance.   What would you pair with your chocolate? At the tasting, we sampled See's Candies with Champagne, Merlot, Muscat Canelli, and Stout. For me, the most surprising pairing was a Muscat Canelli with a Key Lime Truffle. But that wasn't my favorite; read on to discover the obvious pairing I couldn't believe I'd never tried.  

Inevitably just as you've checked the last name from your list you remember someone else you need to get a gift for. Luckily many of us nowadays have Amazon Prime with free two-day shipping. Over the next couple of days, I'll share gifts you can still get delivered in time for the holidays. Today I'll start with treats for the wine lovers in your life.     These gifts are perfect for hostess gifts or for livening up your typical get together. My criteria for choosing items were 1) whether they were available through Amazon Prime (free two-day shipping for Amazon Prime and Amazon Mom members), 2) would they assist with creating a memorable experience, and 3) cost under $30.   My picks from top clockwise are: The Essential Scratch and Sniff Guide to Becoming a Wine Expert: Take a Whiff of That ( *affiliate link ), $17.99; The Wine Lover's Cookbook: Great Recipes for the Perfect Glass of Wine ( *affiliate link ), $19.34; Sideways (Widescreen Edition) ( *affiliate ...

On a warm spring afternoon, I love a slightly chilled glass of wine. Until last night I didn't have a goto Pinot Grigio (Italian) or Pinot Gris (French, New Zealand, and Pacific coast). Last night I met La Crema Wines Pinot Gris at its launch party and that changed.     From my first sip, all I could imagine was grabbing a chilled bottle, snagging my picnic basket, grabbing cubes and heading to Mission Dolores Park by way of Bi-Rite Market . When I later saw the hang tag for the Pinot Gris I knew this was my match. Great minds think alike.   I first heard about La Crema Wine's expansion into Pinot Gris at Alt Summit SLC in January, and have been waiting patiently for my first sip. I was ecstatic when I got the invitation to attend the launch party for La Crema's new-to-them varietal Pinot Gris . The wine did not disappoint. It exceeded my high expectations.     If you've read the blog for awhile you'll know that I love La Crema Wines, we served their Chardo...