Subject:

Wine

  • Blogs

    May 9, 2013

    Central Bistro's Andrea Volpi Offers Tips on Cooking with Wine

    You've probably seen the meme about wine and cooking: "I tried cooking with wine for the first time last night. After 5 glasses, I forgot why I was in the kitchen." Even if this is you, have no fear. General "cooking with wine" rules including things like "don't use cheap wine," or use a dry whit ... More >>

  • Blogs

    April 25, 2013

    Sam Pillsbury Spills on the Reason He Landed in Arizona, and Launches a Wine Column for Chow Bella

    This week we introduce a new, occasional wine column by one of the best-known Arizona winemakers, Sam Pillsbury. Welcome to Spillsbury. When managing editor Amy Silverman asked me to write for Chow Bella and New Times, I had to stop and think how that was going to work. I think that will evolve. I ... More >>

  • Blogs

    April 1, 2013

    11 Great Wine Bars in Metro Phoenix

    In a time that doesn't seem too long ago, Americans approached wine with a sense of dread. Stumbling over French names, listening to the intimidating patter of the sommelier (who had what looked like an ashtray hanging from his neck), smelling the cork, sipping and giving a nod of approval -- the wh ... More >>

  • Blogs

    March 27, 2013

    A Basketful of Wine Recommendations for Easter

    Easter means brunch and wine. Left: Luciano Frascarelli Jermann of Taggia and a Pinot Grigio recommended by Sarah Falconer, wine sommelier of Del Frisco's Grille/td> We love drinking wine at Easter time. And we're not talking about communion wine. Easter is a holiday known for its amazingly diverse ... More >>

  • Blogs

    March 13, 2013

    Rancho Pinot and Maya's Farm Team Up for Lunar Lamb Fest on March 26

    Anyone's who's lived here for more than two seconds knows that this is the best time to be in the Valley, and that has little to do with the weather. (Okay, maybe it has a lot to do with the weather.) But what we look forward to are the season-long celebrations -- from endless festivals to art sho ... More >>

  • Blogs

    March 13, 2013

    Arizona WIne at Devoured 2013

    Pavle Milic knows his way around a bottle of Arizona wine, so when he graciously offered to give us the rundown on the local wine showcased last weekend at Devoured, we jumped at the chance. Full disclosure: As co-owner of FnB in Scottsdale, Milic serves AZ wine and he's in the process of making his ... More >>

  • Blogs

    February 27, 2013

    You "Must" Try These Beer/Wine Hybrids

    To look at it from afar, it would seem that the rivalry between beer drinkers and wine drinkers is as heated as the stink between, say, the Hatfields and the McCoys, or Duke and UNC. Oenophiles turn up their noses at the uncultured rubes chugging what they see as swill; beer-lovers snicker at the ou ... More >>

  • Blogs

    January 23, 2013

    Matthew Weston of the Royal Palms in Phoenix Talks Dessert Wines

    If the thought of dessert wine brings up memories of pre-legal hangovers or cooking sherry, it's time to give dessert wines another chance. Dessert wines can be a sophisticated addition to any menu. We interviewed Matthew Weston, sommelier and beverage manager for the Royal Palms resort for some in ... More >>

  • Blogs

    January 17, 2013

    Carefree Station, North, and Other Phoenix Area Restaurants Update Wine Lists for the New Year

    It's always time for wine, but a new year means it's time for something new. Restaurants around the Valley often update their wine lists to reflect menu changes, a new culinary influence or simply a change to what is available seasonally. Changes might go unnoticed, so we wanted to suggest that you ... More >>

  • Blogs

    January 14, 2013

    The Herb Box and Gertrude's at DBG Beta Test WineQuest Mobile, a New iPhone App For Selecting Wine

    Unless you're a wine wonk like Mark Tarbell, Peter Kasperski, Amy Binkley or Dave Johnson, you probably find reading a multi-page wine list and making a smart selection intimidating. Too many wines to choose from and way too much terminology and lore to master. So you take a shot in the dark, shell ... More >>

  • Blogs

    January 9, 2013

    Find Your Inner Wine Connoisseur at the Wigwam's Affordable Wine Dinner

    2013 brings a wide array of wine related feasts, but you've got to a love a wine dinner that features Frog's Leap Winery, a special guest speaker, caviar and Twinkies, yep -- Twinkies! (Well, a pastry chef's approximation, anyway.) The Wigwam's four-course wine dinner on January 25th is affordable ... More >>

  • Blogs

    December 12, 2012

    Four Wines Under $6

    Feeling thrifty? Good, because this week we explore wines under $6-$7. You know, the ones no one really boasts about buying....but admit it, you do. These bottles cost less than an entire glass of wine a nice wine bar, so you pick one up at the grocer's in hopes you'll be pleasantly surprised. Whet ... More >>

  • Blogs

    December 7, 2012

    Chow Bella's Gift Guide for the Wine Lover

    What? Not done with your holiday shopping? Yeah, neither are we. But we've been making lists -- and checking them twice -- and we've got some suggestions for the nice people on your list. Today, Chow Bella's Gift Guide for the wine lover. See also: - Chow Bella's Gift Guide for the Beer Lover - Cho ... More >>

  • Blogs

    November 14, 2012

    2012 Beaujolais Nouveau Debuts and Celebrates 30th Anniversary November 15

    It's here.... Beaujolais Nouveau refers to the first wine of the new harvest and ushers in the new vintage year (in terms of wine). It debuts for sale the third Thursday of November, and it's a pretty big deal in France. In fact, in France you can go to jail if you sell Beaujolais Nouveau before m ... More >>

  • Blogs

    November 7, 2012

    My Wine Cellar & Bistro Hosting 2nd Annual Wine Festival

    If you enjoy wine tastings on a giant scale, you'll want to attend My Wine Cellar & Bistro's second annual wine festival. Happening November 18, the festival will feature 20 wine samples poured by four wine distributors, as well as live outdoor music. See also: - Best Place to Sniff a Cork - 5 Wa ... More >>

  • Blogs

    October 17, 2012

    Wine By the Pint? Talking to Four Seasons' Sommelier Shaun Adams

    In November, the Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale is opening up a new restaurant called Proof - an American Canteen. See also: - Five Ways Not to Buy Wine - Lifting the Wine-List Veil at Citizen Public House The resort's sommelier, Shaun Adams, took some time to explain what will be available at ... More >>

  • Blogs

    October 11, 2012

    Five Ways to Enjoy Wine Outdoors in Arizona

    Welcome to Vine Geeks, with your hostess on all things wine, Kate Crowley. Crowley is not a sommelier, but learned to pour a glass of wine properly at ten years of age -- because it is an important life skill to master early. See also: - 10 Favorite Metro Phoenix Wine Bars - Wine Tasting 101. L ... More >>

  • Blogs

    August 30, 2012

    Arizona Stronghold Wins Five Gold Medals in International Wine Competitions; Double Gold Earns Invite to Grand Tasting Tour, Which Kicks Off Today at Arizona Biltmore

    See also: Arizona Stronghold: Local Wines See also: Blind Tasting at FnB Proves AZ Blush Wines Hold Their Own Against World's Great Rosés Pavle Milic , the wine maven who committed to an Arizona-only wine list at FnB has been saying it for, what, nearly three years now? Arizona wines deserve your ... More >>

  • Blogs

    August 24, 2012

    AZ Hops & Vines in Sonoita Grows Arizona's First Commercial Hops Crop

    See also: Ten Favorite Arizona Summer Festivals and Adventures for Food, Wine and Beer Lovers Nowadays, the rolling grasslands of Sonoita and Elgin are better known for wineries than big cattle ranches. But apparently, grapes aren't destined to be the only gold in them thar hills. Shannon Austin ... More >>

  • Blogs

    August 8, 2012

    Pavle Prepares to Harvest the Grapes and Reveals the Blend

    In this occasional series, Pavle Milic will spill about his current mission to learn how wine is made -- literally from the Southern Arizona ground up. Today: preparing for the harvest. See also: Pavle Milic's Quest to Make Wine: A Quixotic Exploit? See also: Pavle Prunes the Vines -- and Keeps an ... More >>

  • Blogs

    July 31, 2012

    Pavle Milic of FnB Presents War of the Roses and a Hog, a Blind Rosé Tasting and Pork-fest Held on August 24th

    See also: AZ Wines Impress at FnB's Arizona Judgment Two summers ago, FnB co-owner and resident wine guru Pavle Milic set local wine wonks swirling when he created Arizona Judgment, a blind tasting of wines, judged by a panel of local and national wine experts, to determine if Arizona's juice could ... More >>

  • Blogs

    July 26, 2012

    Wine Somm Dave Johnson Takes Managerial Position at Davanti Enoteca and Ponders the Demise of the Sommelier

    See also: Chef Pete DeRuvo to Head Kitchen at New Davanti Enoteca Add another familiar name to the talented line-up who'll be working at Davanti Enoteca, slated to open in early August. Wine sommelier Dave Johnson -- best known for his stints at Atlas Bistro and the defunct Sol y Sombra -- will be ... More >>

  • Blogs

    July 20, 2012

    Beckett's Table Makes Wine Spectator's World's Best Wine Lists

    See also: Beckett's Table Resurrects the Grownups Table for Summer: Three Courses Wine for $39 Many may be familiar with chef Justin Beckett's seasonal American food at his restaurant, Beckett's Table, in east Phoenix, but fewer may know about the establishment's stellar wine selection -- until n ... More >>

  • Blogs

    June 13, 2012

    Masters of Wine: The Test

    Welcome to Vine Geeks, where Brian Reeder and Pavle Milic of AZ Wine Merchants take the drinking game quite seriously. Pay attention -- you might just learn something. This past week, a record 98 students took the test to obtain their Masters of Wine, trying to join the mere 298 worldwide who curr ... More >>

  • Blogs

    June 8, 2012

    Three Things to Eat, Drink, and Bake this Weekend

    This weekend, we're trading in our pint glasses for stems of red and white. We'll be making a trip to Cave Creek for a couple of glasses of wine and a plate of grilled duck or we'll be hittin' the road for a not-to-be-missed wine festival in the pines and we'll also be whipping up a beautiful batch ... More >>

  • Blogs

    June 6, 2012

    Summertime Wines: Sangrias, Sparklings, and Sunshine.

    All right, it's summertime (at least to this Oregon native it is). When I open my car door and could fire pottery in the heat blast I'm met with, I know we've arrived. I suppose oppressive heat and blistering sunshine are not the ideal conditions for drinking a big, earthy, tannic red wine (for so ... More >>

  • Blogs

    June 5, 2012

    Ten Favorite Arizona Summer Festivals and Adventures for Food, Wine, and Beer Lovers

    Summer travel season is here -- so we've made you a list of food and drink adventures. It might be stretching it a bit to call them all day trips -- if you do attempt them, be sure to bring along a designated driver! Cheesemaking Class at The Fossil Creek Creamery, Pine -- Just north of Payson ( ... More >>

  • Blogs

    May 30, 2012

    To Decant or Not To Decant

    Welcome to Vine Geeks, where Brian Reeder and Pavle Milic of AZ Wine Merchants take the drinking game quite seriously. Pay attention -- you might just learn something. You may have heard of this 'decanting' business. In fact, you may have seen it at a restaurant and wondered why someone was pourin ... More >>

  • Blogs

    May 23, 2012

    Wine Regions 101: Sonoita/Elgin

    Welcome to Vine Geeks, where Brian Reeder and Pavle Milic of AZ Wine Merchants take the drinking game quite seriously. Pay attention -- you might just learn something. One of the consistent columns I'll be writing as the resident 'vine geek' will be about different wine regions around the state, n ... More >>

  • Blogs

    May 16, 2012

    Lifting the Wine-List Veil at Citizen Public House

    Welcome to Vine Geeks, where Brian Reeder and Pavle Milic of AZ Wine Merchants take the drinking game quite seriously. Pay attention -- you might just learn something. Today, Brian heads over to Citizen Public House to uncork the secrets of the restaurant wine list. In all likelihood, a restaurant ... More >>

  • Blogs

    May 11, 2012

    Pavle Milic's Quest to Make Wine: A Quixotic Exploit?

    Earlier this spring, we launched Vine Geeks -- in which AZ Wine Merchants' Brian Reeder and Pavle Milic share advice, news and a little levity from the world of wine. Today, we bring you Romancing the Grape. In this occasional series, Milic will spill about his current mission to learn how wine is ... More >>

  • Blogs

    May 9, 2012

    Five Ways Not to Buy Wine

    Vine Geek Brian Reeder co-owns AZ Wine Merchants in Scottsdale. Wine is subjective. Every wine is different. It all depends on your taste. Price doesn't equal quality. It's all the same anyway. Just drink what you like. Blah. Blah. Blah. We've all heard the nomenclatures. The bullshit lines that e ... More >>

  • Blogs

    May 2, 2012

    Meet the Vine Geek (Part Two)

    On Tuesday, you met Brian Reeder, co-owner of AZ Wine Merchants and one of our new wine columnists. Today, his story continues. When we left off, Pavle Milic (in the photo above, from left, it's Reeder and Milic) had opened a little restaurant in Scottsdale and Brian had decided resort life at the M ... More >>

  • Blogs

    December 7, 2011

    Chocolate and Wine: A Sexy Pairing

    ​Something great happens when sexy forces combine. Brangelina took on an army of children, the Sports Illustrated models became a calendar institution, and don't make us explain what happened when Kama met Sutra. Like it or not, sexiness is a powerful thing. When it comes to food, there's nothing ... More >>

  • Blogs

    October 24, 2011

    Blueberry Pinot Noir, Green Apple Riesling, White Chocolate Ale and Other Sips of the Kokopelli Wine Festival

    "Going once....going twice...sold!" Kokopelli winemaker Dennis Minchella auctions off one of the 1,000,000th bottles.​We spent more time (okay, all of our time) sipping at grapes rather than crushing them over the weekend at the 10th Annual Kokopelli Krush, a wine festival put on by Kok ... More >>

  • Blogs

    August 17, 2011

    Fight for the Ol' White: What to Expect from Aged White Wine

    Judi Bagnato​To age white wine or not to age white wine? It's not so much a question of whether it can be done. Because it can be. Aged that is. But is it any good? It goes without saying that wine is an incredibly personal experience with varying expectations and varying palates. So what ... More >>

  • Blogs

    July 29, 2011

    Beckett's Table Rosé Wine List Out to Break Stereotypes

    Nicole Whittington​Rosé gives a perception of sweetness, but its cotton candy color can be deceiving. Beckett's Table just added an additional section to their wine list featuring all rosé wines, most of which are Provençal in style. This dryer style, characteristic of the Southern Franc ... More >>

  • Blogs

    May 25, 2011

    Up-and-Coming Wines: Trendy Blends and Rebounding Regions

    UNCORK THE ISSUE: Trend-spotting wines is a talent that eludes us, so we instead pick the brains of the most in-the-know wine gurus (see last week's mention of The Scholium Project Wines). This week, we ask Wine Goddesses Katherine Conrad and Erin Giarda of Arcadia Fine Wine for the answers in broad ... More >>

  • Blogs

    May 18, 2011

    Are Women Better Winemakers?

    UNCORK THE ISSUE: "Are women better winemakers than men?" was our question of the night during AZ Wine Co. Winemaking Ladies tasting last Thursday. On the tasting menu at the South store were wines crafted by famed female winemakers Heidi Peterson Barrett, Celia Welch and Kathryn Hall. SPILL THE JU ... More >>

  • Blogs

    May 4, 2011

    Riedel's Cab Sav Glass Gives Starbucks' Trienta Cup a Run for Its Money... Glass Matters, Pt. II

    The man behind some of the largest and most interestingly shaped wine glasses known to oenophiles, Georg Riedel, graced Miele Gallery with his presence and his Vinum XL glasses for a comparative tasting: 3 glasses 3 wines 1 Fiji water = New appreciation for glassware.

  • Blogs

    April 20, 2011

    Why Arizona Wine Isn't a Non Sequitur

    Growing grapes and making wine in Arizona? Is that even possible? Better question: Is that even drinkable? If you've been around the block to Sonoita, Willcox and the Verde Valley, you know that the answer to both of those questions is an overwhelming affirmative... but if you're like us, we're stil ... More >>

  • Blogs

    April 4, 2011

    Pairing a Wine for Meatless Monday

    Carol Blonder​ Need to pair some wine with your meatless Monday dish? Not so difficult, you think -- enter a wine store and read the tags with pairing recommendations and flavor descriptions and pick out a bottle. Or chat with the salesperson and let them be your guide. Sounds like a simple ... More >>

  • Blogs

    March 30, 2011

    Burgers on the Grill... What Wine Do I Serve?

    With spring in the air and the near-perfect weather in Phoenix, it's time to fire up the grill and make some burgers. We asked Pavle Milic, FnB co-owner and wine director, to pair up Martha's best burgers with wines that make them shine.

  • Blogs

    March 23, 2011

    Imbibe: Ariz. Wine Tasting at My Wine Cellar & Tempe Festival of the Arts

    Arizona wines will be jumping off the racks at My Wine Cellar in Ahwatukee tonight as My Wine Helper founder Jim Wiskerchen hosts a $10 tasting of four homegrown wines today from 6 to 7:30 p.m. for $10 - $5 of which can be applied to the purchase of a bottle to take home with you.

  • Blogs

    March 9, 2011

    This Weekend: Devoured Phx Culinary Classic

    Last year, Kai's table at Devoured was the most beautiful display of all.​Over the last few years, the Valley of the Sun has become the Valley of the Culinary Festivals. A handful of must-visit food- and wine-tasting events is now a sprawling season of eating, from East Valley to West. ... More >>

  • Blogs

    March 3, 2011

    David Johnson Pours Big Bad Reds and Spills Stories at Avalon

    Wine dinners with Sommelier David Johnson always feel more like an eccentric dinner party with an array of characters you never knew you wanted to meet but suddenly can't believe you didn't know. Johnson is the most popular guy in school: No, not the quarterback who got all the girls, but the gregar ... More >>

  • Blogs

    February 18, 2011

    Pavle Milic Pours His Heart Out at Ignite Phoenix 9

    Photo courtesy of virtualwayfarer via FlickrIgnite Phoenix 9 happened a week ago, and we at Chow Bella are still aflame about the food-related topics discussed.  As food writers and lovers of fermented liquids, we were most excited about the presentations of Maureen Basenberg, founder of the A ... More >>

  • Blogs

    February 9, 2011

    Wine, Winemakers and Winos: What You Missed at the Paso Robles Winemaker Dinner

    Where there is wine and winemakers, you can be damn sure there will be winos, which is why we hit the trifecta at the Paso Robles winemaker dinner at Petite Maison this Monday. The winemakers of Paso Robles showcased their signature Rhône varietal blends with a five-course meal Chef James Porter s ... More >>

  • Blogs

    January 25, 2011

    Noca's Italian Wine Dinner and Mexican Pizzas in Today's Eater's Digest

    www.acouplecooks.com​Hungry for your early morning serving of food news, with no preservatives or additives?Noca's Italian Wine DinnerLeave it to Noca to take their January 27th wine dinner to a whole new level of awesome. Not only will the wine be shipped straight to Noca from Italy, the g ... More >>

  • Blogs

    December 30, 2010

    2010 Redux: Bottom of the Barrel

    Erica O'Neil Wink, a flirty little wine that exceeds its three buck price point. Which other bargain wines made the cut?In the spirit of tying up loose ends, we're recapping some of our favorite food-related finds of the year. We've already recapped the Best Books, Battle of the Dishes, Jus ... More >>

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