Corks and Caftans

Carey went through a nesting period in the weeks and months after our marriage. The result, among many various odds and ends around our apartment, is a diverse array of coffee table books. Too many to set on our coffee table without risking a collapse, so we established a few zones around our apartment where [...]

I have a shelf in my wine refrigerator dedicated to prematurely rejected and/or implausible Seghesio vintages—’98 Barbera, ’95 and ’97 Sangiovese, ’02-’04 Zinfandel to name a few. Actually, they were only implausible to the fools who gave them up. Enter Rob who swipes them up as they appear on WineBid.com. Since then, I have enjoyed [...]

Another update to my Saratoga b.y.o.b. search: Max London’s! Only $10 corkage fee/bottle; one of the lowest prices I’ve found to date. There is no doubt that Max’s is one of the best food spots in town—and done right, it actually can be budget-friendly. 2 appetizers, a brick oven pizza, and a bottle of Frank [...]

Carey and I have always had a fondness for Tres Sabores. A couple weeks before we were due in Napa for our honeymoon, two of our close family friends enjoyed their first visit to the Tres Sabores. It left such an impression that when we arrived at our hotel St. Helena, a bottle of their [...]

Despite a frustrating loss by the Giants after a nail biter of a game, I was still able to declare this night a triumphant victory. Light snow falling, a hot brick-oven pizza (that I dropped upside-down in the parking lot—pizza intact), a fake but functional gas fireplace, a freshly cut and decorated Christmas tree, two [...]

After a long string of firsts, Carey and I were introduced to Orin Swift (the wines, not the nonexistent person) during dinner at the Rutherford Grill on our last night in Napa Valley. The Prisoner was being poured by the glass—which, by the bartender’s body language, was a special opportunity. I immediately felt uncool for [...]

Carey’s parents were in town the end of last week—we had two amazing dinners at our place, thanks to my amazing wife and mother-in-law. It was a perfect occasion for a mix of good wine, some new hopefuls, and some old favorites, including a North Coast Pinot Noir from Coppola, a reserve Malbec out of [...]

There are a lot of great restaurants on the island of Nantucket offering cuisine from almost every country, region, or parallel that you might get a craving for. But nothing quite like the cozy, cash-only Black-eyed Susan’s. What starts as an inspired diner by morning, packed with a mix of people from on and off [...]

This is an important post. I have always made a point of reviewing and sharing wines that represent what I love and drink. Well, if this is true, which it certainly is, then I am guilty of a grave oversight. The oversight being Cline Cellars from Sonoma, Califonia—and that’s why, in this review, I’m including [...]

This is our first tasting of a Justin Zinfandel, and most likely the last, unless a 2008 is released through the wine club. Until this evening, I had no idea that Justin’s Zin is sourced from a small plot; only 2 acres. The result is only a few hundred cases, which, after the wine club [...]

Before heading back to San Francisco after 4 days of serious wine tasting, extravagant meals, picturesque hotels, and countless brushes with winemaking greatness, we pulled out the itinerary one last time to plug the address for Seghesio into the rental Benz’s navigation system. Arriving for our appointment 20 minutes early, I made Carey (who was [...]

Robby and I just polished off an entire bottle of 7 Deadly Zins. Ha ha ha… Evidence: I directly equate this slight misstep with two things: 1. I saw a baby today. I’m celebrating for Jen and Jim! I am an aunt! 2. I was researching joining the Saratoga Springs YMCA. Traumatic. Rob was pouring [...]