"From the Bay to the Blue Ridge"
By Matthew Fitzsimmons Understanding Virginia’s “Natural Wine” Natural wine is a trendy term in the wine industry. It certainly hits several items on the hipster bucket-list. Some claim that it’s healthier for you than regular wine (unlikely to be true). Natural wine is often confused with organic wine (not the same, but somewhat in the […]
Lets’s Eat by Charles Oppman Cassoulet Now that we’re in the cold weather months it is good time for a hearty country dish. Why not make a classic bean dish―cassoulet? Cassoulet is a rib-stickin’, slow-cooked bean stew or casserole originating in the south of France, containing meat (typically pork sausages, pork, goose, duck and […]
By the Gastronomes Starting 2021 With Good Luck Foods! While the pandemic protocols are still in full force for our restaurant and bar businesses we are looking toward a much brighter future. There is a vaccine now and more people seem to be willing to dine at an establishment – indoors and out – but […]
By Doug Fabbioli What is Terroir and Why Does it Matter? One of the nice things about social media is that we can have some thought-provoking discussions without having to be together in the same room. Yes, sometimes we get some trolls or ridiculous characters spouting off their opinions so they feel better, but […]
By Walter Scheib et al. White House Egg Nog – One for the Ages This recipe from former White House Chef Walter Scheib, The American Chef, was published in this space shortly after he left his post on Pennsylvania Avenue and we have decided it might be a nice thing to do annually. We met […]
By Doug Fabbioli We Farm – We Don’t Hibernate Many folks may think that farmers get to hibernate for the winter months until the sun warms the ground back up to a reasonable temperature in the spring. Mother Nature gives us a grand season each year to reap the sunshine and turn it into a […]
By Matt Fitzsimmons Virginia Wineries Breaking the Mold On Sparkling Winemaking Sparkling wine has a reputation as a ‘special occasion’ beverage – but this is changing. While higher-end sparklings will likely remain a rare treat for most consumers, a growing number of American wine drinkers are reaching for bubbly more frequently, making it one of […]
By The Gastronomes Thanksgiving Dinner – To Stay or To Go This holiday season is going to be one for the books for sure with the pandemic still in what seems to be full force. Who would have thought it would be this serious for this long? A huge part of the holidays is food […]
By Charles Oppman Chocolate, The Aztec Elixir This may be the best―if not the most delicious―medical news since the Aztecs gave the world chocolate in the mid-16th century. (Well, actually the Spanish Conquistadors slaughtered the Aztecs and took their chocolate back to Europe.) Several studies have shown that dark chocolate and cocoa has beneficial effects […]
Grapevine By Matthew Fitzsimmons Virginia Food and Wine Pairings You Should Try Food and wine – two of our favorite subjects. The concept is the two react with one another, so finding the right pairings makes the overall experience more enjoyable. While you can enjoy either on its own, like any great team a good […]
