La Cantera Reserva and Ribs with a Temparanillo Glaze and the Weekly Menu #WinePW

Baby Back Ribs with a Spanish-inspired rub, glazed with a mixture of honey, chili sauce, and Temparanillo Wine that I opened to pair with dinner.

We are celebrating Spanish Wine Pairings for Summer with our Wine Pairing Weekend group.

An Algerian Chicken paired with Organic Wines from South Africa #EattheWorld #WinePW

When I was visiting my friend Linda in Tucson last month,  she gifted me a packet of Ras el Hanout that she had picked up during a cruise to northern Africa.  I decided to use it to make this Algerian Chicken dish.

Then, since I am hosting our Eat the World event this month, I invited the others to visit Algeria with me.

Wondering whether to serve Red or White for Thanksgiving? How about Orange? #WinePW

When our administrator, David of Cooking Chat, suggested we share Creative Thanksgiving Wine Pairings this month, I immediately knew I would share an orange wine.  I mean, what is more fall-like and unusual than an orange wine?

The Wine I Paired with Classic Summer Fare #WinePW

Summertime and the Livin' is Easy.  Here on the Farm our days consist of lounging in the pool and grilling dinner for whoever happens to stop by.  I always try to have a variety of wines available to please any palate, but for my palate, I prefer this hearty red blend from Decoy, especially when it is burgers on the grill.

We are pairing wines with Summer Fare this month......

Celebrating Women in Wine with Delta Airlines #WinePW

 We were traveling to Maui from LA last month.  Our flight was very early and we had been up for a few hours when the food and beverage service began.  I asked for an orange juice and a sparkling wine so I could enjoy a Mimosa with my Biscoff Cookies.

Exploring a Dealcoholized Wine

So as the New Year begins I, as I'm sure many of you, think about taking better care of myself.  I work out several times a week, I walk daily, and I try to eat healthily for the most part.  But I DO like my wine and that wine turns immediately to sugar and belly fat.

I had been seeing and hearing more and more about non-alcohol and dealcoholized wines and decided to do some tasting research on my own.

A Tropical Grazing Board and Hawaiian Sparkling Wine; Mele Kalikimaka #WorldWineTravel

I am heading to Maui to kick off the New Year.  I am very excited to return this year and so fortunate to have such good friends who welcome us to their home on the Island.   

I decided to see if Hawaii made sparkling wines.  To my delight, they do.  This made my decision on what to share with this month's wine group very easy.

Altos de la Guardia Rioja paired with Tacos Ticos #WinePW

This full-bodied red wine from Spain is made with Tempranillo grapes providing spicy notes combined with summer fruit.  It has a high alcohol content (14.5%) and was strong enough to stand up to deep-fried taco ticos with which I served it.

It's time for a Wine Pairing Weekend featuring Junk Food.......

Marry Me Chicken and Cantina Zaccagnini Il Vino Dal Tralcetto Rosé; A Perfect Pairing for your Valentine #WinePW

A delicious and easy chicken recipe that will impress your loved one paired with an Italian Zaccagnini Rosé is a perfect way to celebrate Valentine's Day.   With a name like Marry Me Chicken you can't go wrong expressing your love with this dish.

This month the Combined Wine Writers Coordinated Group is joining with the Italian FWT group to share Valentine's Day celebrations with Pink Wine.....

Cheers! It is Christmastime in Michigan #WinePW

Our halls are all decked and we are feeling jolly.  It is time for the parties to commence.  We start tonight with a dinner at Jessica and Julien's.  Julien's parents have been visiting from France and tonight is their last evening here.  

I am taking this Michigan-themed basket to share with everyone.......

Getting to know Cinnabari from Dracaena #WinePW

My favorite California Winery has a new blend this year that they call Cinnabari.  Dracaena wines specializes in Cab Francs. They also have a Chenin Blanc that is the best I have ever enjoyed and a Rose that is a summertime favorite for me.  When I opened my club selection this time I was excited to see this bottle of Cinnabari included.

Snacks, Wine, and Game Night #WinePW

I got a new game, Wine-Opoly, for my birthday from Roz.  My friends and family know me well.  

PBJ and Gewurtz? Say What?!! #WinePW

I normally enjoy my PBJ sandwiches with a large glass of cold milk.  It had never occurred to me to have wine with my comforting, casual lunch.  But then Robin of Crushed Grape Chronicles invited the members of the Wine Pairing Weekend group to experiment with unusual white wine pairings.

Grilled Teriyaki Chicken + Cava = A Perfect Summer Pairing #WinePW

This bottle of  CAVA Rose Brut may just be the perfect summertime, poolside drink.  It is crisp, bone dry and refreshing and it pairs beautifully with warm weather foods.

The Wine Pairing Weekend gang are looking at CAVA this month........

Triple Aged Cheddar Cheeseburger, a Bottle of Cabernet and a Book Review #WinePW

This delicious burger is stuffed with both white and yellow cheddar that has been aged 2 years before being grilled to a perfect medium rare and being topped with horseradish cheddar.  If you are a cheese lover this is the burger for you!!!

I intentionally made a burger heavy on the Cheddar to pair with a Cabernet Sauvignon wine......

Celebrating Livermore Valley with the #WinePW Gang and the Weekly Menu

I was given 3 bottles of wine from Livermore Valley as sponsor gifts for tasting purposes in return for an honest review.  I received no monetary compensation and all opinions and writings are strictly my own.

I did a food pairing with each of these wines for this month's Wine Pairing Weekend......

A Woman Wine Maker in My Own Backyard #WinePW

So there is a new winery that recently opened in our neighboring town of Marine City, Michigan called 2 Rivers.

We recently attended a fundraiser there and while tasting the wines and visiting with the wait staff who were running the fundraiser, I learned that the owners lived locally.  The wife was the winemaker and made the wines in the back of the tasting room while her husband was in charge of marketing and the front of the house.

Que Syrah Sirah #WinePW

A Rose by any other name would smell as sweet and a Durif wine called Petite Sirah is still as lovely.  But is Petite Sirah the same as Petite Syrah? 

Ahhhhhh.....that is the question I posed to my Wine Pairing Weekend Group this month.

Celebrating Black History Month with #WinePW

Each year the Wine Pairing Weekend Group celebrates Black History Month by showcasing wines made by BIPOC owned wineries.  This year I am sharing a bottle of Chardonnay from Brown Estate in Napa Valley.

A New Varietal for a New Year #WinePW

One of my Christmas presents this year from my husband was a trip to Firestarter Casino, about 3 hrs away.  They were having a tribute to Michael Jackson and he bought a night's stay, tickets to the show and made reservations at a very high end restaurant inside the casino.