After four years and the equivalent gestation of several baby elephants, my new child has arrived. No, not that kind… I have two teens at home and we are done on that front, but the child in question here, and the latest ‘family addition’, is my new book, Daring Pairings: A Master Sommelier Matches Distinctive Wines with Recipes from His Favorite Chefs (UC Press) and is a work of which I am very proud.

The book is really a result of the requests of so many readers of its prequel, Perfect Pairings, and the expressed desire, once mastering the ‘basics’ (Chardonnay, Cabernet, Pinot Noir, etc) of taking the road less traveled Continue reading »

I spent last week in Seoul, South Korea being the “American judge” at the finals of the 7th annual Korea Wine Challenge…which you’d know if you’ve been following my Tweets and Facebook page updates. This international wine competition is becoming more and more serious and important with each passing year. It is encompassing new and interesting wines that reflect the interest of many exporting countries to increase their offerings in this dynamic and expanding north Asian wine market. Continue reading »

As a true epicure, I always try to be as adventurous as I can when I am dining out, especially if being hosted by others. Some items are in bounds (pigs ears, sea cucumbers) and some are out of bounds (snake blood, monkey brains). Arriving in Korea and expecting to settle down on my first night to a great meal with beer and soju (Korea’s native ‘hard liquor’), I was informed by my hosts that the rage du jour in South Korea is a beverage that is something between wine and soju, made from rice, and sold under the moniker of macoli, essentially a lower proof alcohol unfiltered rice based wine. Looking something like milk, it’s a little sour, a bit fizzy, but it goes down easy and pairs beautifully with the national cuisine. Need a beverage to tame the heat of kimchee without causing heartburn, this is the ticket. Continue reading »

And no, I am not talking about fault lines in California, Mexico, Japan or even… of late, Chile. The ‘plates’ I am referring to have to do metaphorically with the dramatic shifting in the UK wine market and the fact that France no longer appears to be most anyone’s favorite when shopping these days. Not first, second, third, or now even fourth… are you amazed?

In restaurants, when I was first learning about wine in the late 1970s (yes, back in the proverbial day), it was all about French wine. Bordeaux and Burgundy were the pinnacles, and yes we tipped our berets to the Loire Valley, the Rhône, and a few bits and pieces of Provence and the Languedoc. We studied and consumed Italy at the peripheral level (Chianti and Barolo), enjoyed our token Germans, and locally were fiercely proud and supportive of an emerging local but, at the time, globally insignificant California wine industry. Continue reading »