The Spirit World

My latest artist pick (wine under $10/bottle) is the 2005 Castle Rock Petite Sirah. Grown in the Russian River Valley of California where well drained soils and a fog cooled climate offer ideal growing conditions, this medium-bodied lush wine with juicy berry, mocha and candy apple on the nose is on the verge of jammy […]

We recently partnered with one of the best restaurants in the Chicago area to offer a cocktail and food pairing dinner. Only a few places here are doing anything with cocktail pairings - it’s a very new concept for most people. Given the movement toward culinary cocktails and artistry in beverages, we hoped to show […]

Summertime and the living is easy. Well, maybe not quite easy, but perhaps our hearts are a bit more carefree as the days grow longer and warmer.
Memorial Day Weekend generally heralds the start of the summer season and the return to backyard entertaining. For those in the city or without backyards, there is the tendency […]

The warm days of summer are almost upon us — time to break out the white wine. Versatile as an aperitif and food-friendly, Sauvignon Blanc is as varied in style and complexity as are completely different varietals.
At a recent gathering of starving artists, the 2006 Baron D’Aliénor Bordeaux Sauvignon was a real crowd pleaser. Made […]

Comeing up quick - May 16th and 17th May is the Savor American Craft Beer and Food Experience.
Described as a ‘must attend for craft beer aficionados and foodies alike’, SAVOR will offer a memorable craft beer and food experience to a limited number of attendees under the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium in Washington, DC.
There will be […]

The “he” in question is Sam Calagione, a craft brewer and founder of Dogfish Brewery, which sells more than a million six-packs annually of its “off-centered ales for off-centered people.” The “she” is Marnie Old, an oft-quoted sommelier and director of wine studies at French Culinary Institute in New York City. Their book, the illustrated […]

Huh? What are we doing talking about Halibut over on The Spirit World? Stick with me. All will make sense in a moment.
Here in the Pacific Northwest, it might be Salmon which appears to get all of the attention, perhaps it’s just because they have a good PR agency. But you’ll also often find great […]

Nothing is more appealing to me when I travel, than having an opportunity to sample some of the locally available food or beverages. When I find that there is not only a local food AND beverage, but that they are specifically intended to be paired together, then clearly this is not an opportunity I can’t […]

Nigel Slater came up with some cracking recipes in last months edition of Observer Food Monthly. As is his style, the recipes are just the sort of food I adore cooking - highly flavoursome dishes benefiting from long slow cooking times. Uncomplicated but all the better for it. Look at that picture of the Pork Ribs, mouth-watering, […]