The 2015 Wine Blogger’s Conference began on Wednesday, August 12, with a pre-conference excursion. But first, a little geography lesson: About two million years ago, the first of a series of glacial flows began advancing and retreating across what is now New York State. The ice gouged out the land, creating deep trenches and steep inclines. Because of the changes…

Last week, I spent several delightful days with my daughter in Maryland.  As always, it involved lots of good food and wine!  Of note was our visit to a wonderful wine bar in Frederick called Vini Culture.  They feature three enomatic systems (also known as “cruvinets”) that dispense more than two dozen wines.  Customers load money onto a card and…

This year I returned to the Passport to Pairings event that I found so enjoyable in 2014.  It was at the Thomas Bennett House, again, and – can you believe it – almost identical weather with overcast skies and a high temperature in the 40’s.  Not normal for early spring in Charleston!  The format was different this year in that…

Yes, indeed!  On a recent trip to Cincinnati, I had the pleasure of dining at Abigail Street, a wonderful tapas-style restaurant.  Perusing the menu, there was a section titled “Wines on Tap” (more about that below). We asked our server about the wine of the day and learned that it was a Cabernet Franc made at a local vineyard called…

The centerpiece of Friday’s agenda was a summer wine pairing luncheon at one of my favorite Oregon wineries, Winderlea, that is in the heart of the Dundee area.  On the way out of Salem, we stopped at St. Innocent, a winery I have never visited that came highly recommended.  We enjoyed one of the wine flights offered and I particularly…

Charleston was buzzing with activity as the 2014 Wine and Food Festival took place.  One of the events I attended was billed as Passport to Pairings, held at the Thomas Bennett House, and sponsored by an innovative company, Rewined, that repurposes used wine bottles into wonderful candles.  Each guest received a candle and mine is Carmenère-scented, one of my favorite…

For the first couple of weeks after the trip to Italy, I tried to behave myself, conserving calories and dollars.  However, that can last just so long!  My daughter, Hilary, visited me in Charleston the last weekend of October and we had great fun, as always, eating and drinking our way around town.  Among the highlights were lunch at 39…

The last day in Rome dawned bright, but soon gave way to rain.  I wasn’t about to let the rain stop me, so with umbrella in hand, I set out in the direction of the Trevi Fountain.  The rain got heavier and navigating the narrow streets full of people with umbrellas was hazardous.  I forged on, turning down an even…

Our departure from Gubbio was not without problems.  It was raining (first time during the trip), but more importantly, there was a local run that morning and the tiny streets were blocked off while the runners got started.  I believe I mentioned the bicycle race that interfered with our day in Florence – what are the chances of encountering two…

Saturday’s day trip was to Spoleto, home of the Spoleto Festival of Two Worlds, conceived by Gian-Carlo Menotti in 1958. Charleston is home to the US version of the famous music festival. Spoleto is an ancient city built high on a hillside, dating back to 240 B.C.  Today, the city is accessed via a series of escalators that easily take…