We have many reasons to enjoy living in the East Bay of San Francisco. We can be in the city in 15 minutes, visit wine country in a little over an hour and have access to an abundance of regional parks all within a 15-minute drive of our house. Lately, we’ve also discovered a small number of wineries in the area who are making pretty exceptional wine. This Saturday, we decided to stay local by barbecuing in one of our favorite parks while opening a bottle from Broc Cellars.
Broc Cellars is a small winery in Berkeley, Calif. We first discovered Broc and its owner, Chris Brockway at an East Bay food and wine pairing event a few months ago. Broc blew away the competition away with his incredibly rich and complex wines, as well as his food pairings, which included both venison and duck.
Brockway introduced his first vintage in 2004 and yesterday, we had the great fortune to drink his 2007 Vine Starr red blend. It was the perfect wine to sip as we enjoyed the view in Redwood Regional Park and fired up the grill for some tri tip.
The smell and taste of the wine is distinctly Zinfandel, but much more complex. There are notes of blackberries and a fruit jam smell and taste that makes you come back for more. Jill also tastes a little bit of licorice on it – but strawberry licorice. It could be because she loves Twizzlers and wishes that flavor was in everything, but it seems to really be there. The wine notes list the blend’s varieties as 67% Zinfandel, 30% Syrah, 2% Petite Sirah, 1% Mourvedre. We love that Brockway makes his wines in the Rhone style. You can’t beat getting great French-inspired wine from a local winemaker (and at a reasonable price). The Vine Starr is currently selling for $25.
As you can imagine, Brockway doesn’t have his own vineyard in his backyard in Berkeley. He sources the grapes from growers across Northern California and produces his wine in a Berkeley facility shared with a few other wine makers.
Wine is currently being produced in all 50 states in the United States. Our advice – check out your local producers and get to know them. The winemakers are often products of great enology programs and are striving to bring great wine to their local market. As we all “go green,” let’s continue to “go local” and support these up-and-coming wine producers.
Jill and David Shabelman
It’s May which means Grilling time is here! Get your grilling essentials this summer at Food Network! Whether on TV, Foodnetwork.com, or from Bobby Flay’s new cookbook, Food Network has lots of grilling tips that’s sure to help you master the grill!Giveaway pack:
* FN/Bobby Flay Grilling Basket
* All-Clad BBQ Tool Set
* Bobby Flay’s Burger, Fries, and Shakes cookbook
* Canvas bags
Enter to win here…
With your new “go green” initiative in full swing, you may think that firing up the barbecue is something you should avoid. Here are a few tips that will let you enjoy the sweet smell of grilling, while keeping your carbon footprint in check:
Feed your fire with greener fuels.
Skewer the meat – with some veggies of course!
Pick your products wisely.
Ditch the paper plates.
Finger licking good!
Clean green.
The 4th of July is a cause for revelry, and picnics rife with overeating. If you need some suggestion, Forbes Traveler has compiled a list of awesome July 4th meals.
Arnold Palmer is an expert chipper. And, I’m not even talking about golf. The list includes his restaurant’s home-made potato chips and blue cheese dipping sauce. And, for those of us looking for the newest “drunk food,” check out New Jersey’s “Fat Sandwich.” Accompanied on the list by such other meals as giant hamburgers and deep-fried hot dogs, this 4th of July is bound to be an artery-clogging affair. Read more…
Monroe, WI (PRWEB) May 20, 2008 — With food prices on the rise across the country, it’s important to get the most flavor and value out of your summer meat purchases. Gary Schwager, President of The Tender Filet, a leading purveyor of quality meats-by-mail, offers beef lovers three simple tips on how to get the most taste from the grill this summer. These helpful hints will assure that every bite of beef tastes as good as–if not better than–the last when grill lovers kick off the summer grilling season this Memorial Day.
1. “When buying beef, look for meat that has been appropriately aged. While you might think aging beef sounds strange, it’s during this process that the juices are absorbed into the meat, enhancing the flavor and tenderizing the steaks.” The Tender Filet consistently ages its beef for 21-28 days to achieve the most tender, flavorful meats available online and by catalog.
When buying beef, look for meat that has been appropriately aged. While you might think aging beef sounds strange, it’s during this process that the juices are absorbed into the meat, enhancing the flavor and tenderizing the steaks.
2. “Another important consideration is the cut–you don’t go just anywhere to get your hair cut and the same goes for meat. Experienced meat buyers know they get more use and flavor out of their beef if it’s cut to restaurant-quality specifications. Most meats found in supermarkets are not cut with that level of care and can be less economical due to increased waste.” The Tender Filet’s average meat cutter has 15 years of cutting experience.
3. “A final tip is to plan meals ahead of time and buy meat in larger quantities to take advantage of deals. For holidays like Memorial Day, we find customers buy in large amounts so they can portion use throughout the summer. To make this easier for our customers, The Tender Filet offers a credit plan with low monthly payments for ease of shopping.”
For more information or to order from The Tender Filet, visit Tenderfilet.com or call 1-800-228-1214 for a catalog.
CHICAGO, May 19 /PRNewswire/ — Whether it’s a peaceful lunch in the country, a lively get-together in a downtown park or an outdoor concert complete with charcuterie — there’s no better companion for a picnic spread than a lovely glass (or plastic cup) of wine.Master Sommelier Andrea Robinson, one of the nations leading wine educators and host of Fine Living TV Network’s “Pairings with Andrea,” says there’s something about wine, picnic fare and the fresh outdoors that brings out the best in each other.
“Wine really is the perfect partner for any kind of picnic spread,” says Robinson. “Since wine is so versatile, it can go with everything from an elaborate cheese platter to a bucket of cold fried chicken. And choosing a wine to take on a picnic can be as easy as grabbing a bottle out of your refrigerator or wine pantry or getting a little more adventurous at your local wine shop.”
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Andrea shares these favorite food and wine pairing suggestions:
-- Picnic on the beach -- Substantial salads, such as Hot and Spicy Shrimp
and Avocado Salad, spooned into wraps or pitas for easy eating is a
great option for a day spent soaking up rays on the beach. Try pairing
your salad with a Sauvignon Blanc, whose richly layered flavors and
floral aromas unfold on the palate.
-- Picnic at outdoor concert or movie in the park -- We know that buttered
popcorn and movies go hand and hand, so treat yourself to gourmet
savory popcorn such as Truffled & Herbed Popcorn and wonderful wine-
friendly cheeses. For the most flexible popcorn pairing, pop the cork
on a Brut sparkling wine, whose lively acidity and yeasty quality are a
great partner to the buttery, toasty taste of popcorn.
-- Picnic on the boat -- For an afternoon dockside boat picnic, it can be
fun to make finger food versions of your favorite entrees, such as
Prosciutto-Sage Chicken "Ravioli" Bites. Round it out with seeded
crackers and savory dips such as hummus and tapenade. Pair it with a
dry Rose, whose tangy character is the perfect compliment to this
picnic meal.
Pick Up and Go Packaging
Grab-and-go wine options are now making it easier than ever to make wine a part of an outdoor gathering. From hip Tetra Paks to practical mini bottles or wine cubes, as wine packaging undergoes an evolution, packing up, carrying and serving a favorite wine is easy, delicious — and stylish.
Andrea dishes out the following tips to ensure a carefree picnic gathering.
-- Chill out -- Chill your wines ahead of time -- even the reds -- so they
don't get too warm in outdoor temperatures. Once you arrive, try
finding some shade to keep your wine out of the sun. There are also
great backpacks, picnic bags and insulated wine jackets with a blue ice
pack or pre-frozen insert that will help keep the bottles cool.
-- Think inside the box -- The new generation of boxed wines makes for a
great choice when dining in the great outdoors, especially poolside or
on the beach, where glass might be an issue. Try Tetra Paks, the soft-
sided, flexible cardboard boxes sealed with plastic screw caps, which
make transporting wine a breeze. Plus the super convenient screw cap
means you won't have to fight with an opener or go searching for that
corkscrew you forgot.
-- Stemware? Anything Goes -- No need to pack your fancy wine glasses.
People tend to get bogged down by lugging around wine glasses or
worrying about breaking them. Truth is any glass will do the trick --
and that includes plastic.
-- Mix and Match -- Single serving wine bottles allow you to mix and match
a variety of wines and food without having to transport several bottles
of wine. It's a great way, too, to offer a different wine pairing with
each course of your picnic spread.
-- How much wine to buy -- Plan for about two glasses of wine per guest
and estimate five glasses per bottle. To determine which kind of wines
to buy for a bigger group, use this formula: 60 percent white wine and
40 percent red wine.
For more information, tips and wine pairing advice, check out wineanswers.com or andreawine.com.
About Wine Market Council
Wine Market Council is an independent, non-profit trade association of grape growers, wine producers, importers, wholesalers, retailers and other organizations affiliated with the wine industry. For more information, visit winemarketcouncil.com or wineanswers.com.
About Andrea Robinson
Andrea Robinson is one of only 16 women in the world to hold the title of Master Sommelier from the prestigious Court of Master Sommeliers. Through her best-selling books, wine course DVD, award-winning television shows, andreawine.com Web site and Health and Eating Well magazine columns, Andrea talks and teaches about wine with hundreds of thousands of wine consumers and professionals each year.
CLEARWATER, Fla., March 21 /PRNewswire/ — Hooters Restaurant’s founders kicked off a yearlong celebration of the chain’s 25th anniversary very fittingly — by launching delivery of 150,000 chicken wings to local shelters and food pantries in the Tampa Bay Area.
Neil Kiefer, CEO of Hooters Management Corporation, said, “It’s what we’ve done since 1983, when we first opened our doors. Hooters is not just about fun and great food for our customers, it’s also about commitment to our communities.”
Soon, hundreds of cases of wings will arrive at Clearwater’s Religious Community Services, St. Vincent DePaul’s Soup Kitchen, the Salvation Army, the St. Pete Florida Clinic, Tampa Metropolitan Ministries, Bradenton’s “Meals On Wheels,” and Our Daily Bread.
Representatives from Hooters Foods, Inc., will distribute “Chickens for Charity,” the name given to this special anniversary initiative. Hooters Foods, Inc. distributes Hooters world famous sauces and breading to grocery chains and thousands of other retail outlets throughout the country.
Hooters Restaurant chain, which started in Clearwater, Florida, currently has 433 restaurants in 28 countries. Nationally, Hooters will be throwing parties and giving away $25,000 to its customers every month on the 25th, with the yearlong observance culminating in an anniversary celebration in Miami Beach, Florida, on July 23rd, 2008.
Source: Hooters Management Corporation
What could be easier than tossing your dinner on the grill? At first you might think: nothing. But there is an art and science to grilling. So if you’ve fired up the grill a bunch of times and still aren’t getting the results you want, follow these steps to ensure success.
Read more.
