Enobytes Wine Blog

In my column today in The Oregonian, I give insight into the rules of etiquette when visiting your local tasting rooms. I’m sure many of you will be visiting your local wineries this holiday season, and those who live in the Willamette Valley are fortunate to have so many great producers on this less traveled route who make phenomenal wines at reasonable prices, including many organic and biodynamic certified wineries. Be prepared to hear a lot of vocal pride for the wines from the 2008 vintage that will be poured and even more enthusiasm for the wines that will be produced from the 2009 harvest.

Happy travels and wishing you a great holiday season…

Holiday dinner pairings…if you fret the challenge of finding the perfect pairing, you’re not alone. It’s daunting to think about what goes with what; turkey is sort of like chicken, so should I serve it with a Chardonnay? Can I serve the same wine with oyster dressing as I would a sausage dressing? What about smoked meats? Sauces? Candied yams? Pumpkin pie?

These decisions would make anyone go nuts. Holiday meals are usually so varied when it comes to flavor, texture, sweetness level, acidity and oil content that it’s almost impossible to find the perfect match as the combinations are endless. If you’re looking for a few really good versatile wines that will pair with a myriad of foods, check out my recommendations from the slideshow below. There’s bound to be a few wines you’ll love and your guests will be impressed with your wine-savvy knowledge.

Read the rest of this entry »

How to Win when the Coin is Thin

Prices of fruits and vegetables at holiday times where you live has a whole
lot more to do with your location that the rest of your meal planning. Here
are some things you can do to keep the tab down. Read the rest of this entry »