The Wine List

For the month of September the challenge was to discover the perfect food-friendly, tasty, refreshing Chardonnay. I was hoping to find a wine light enough for hot days yet robust enough for the rich foods that seamlessly meld with…

As the weather heats up, our bodies begin to crave foods that hydrate us. So it makes sense that warm weather produces some of our most delicious, hydrating fruits. Citrus fruits, tropical fruits, peaches, nectarines, plums, grapes and…

When you hear words like “organic” or “biodynamic,” you might jump to conclusions about cost or quality. Trust me, I have had the same reservations. It’s been nine years since I ran the first all organic/biodynamic wine by-the-glass program…

I once heard “when roses bloom, it’s time to drink rosé.” I think about this every spring, and I feel a tug to drink the pretty pink stuff, especially since spring has warmed the ground and the heat of summer is right around the corner.…

Firing up the grill at our house means there is a holiday to celebrate with friends and family — and more food and drinks than should be consumed. On the kitchen counter, both red and white wines would be open, on the porch would be coolers…

Every spring, I have the urge to spring clean my house and my diet. When the comfort foods and holiday spreads of winter no longer sound appealing, I am drawn to lighter, cleaner fare. This is actually perfect because the first vegetables…

During the final weeks of winter, I deplete our pantry’s jars from last year’s garden. This winter we still have fruit butters, heirloom tomato salsa, pickled vegetables, hot sauce and several jars of tomatoes. This is a good thing for me,…

If you browse the web for wine and chocolate pairing ideas, you will get a wide variety of suggestions and opinions. To explore how well chocolate pairs with wine, first you should recognize a bad pairing versus a good pairing. For example,…

Living with a chef whose creative inspiration comes from our heirloom garden, I realize our everyday meals might be a bit different than yours. But what I bet we have in common is the urge to indulge in robust dishes that are warm and stick…

The Les Bourgeois Vineyards Collector’s Series celebrates the marriage of art and winemaking. The winery’s annual art competition showcases the work of three selected Missouri artists on the labels of special wines created by LBV…

Looking for an everyday wine to take you through the easy-livin’ summer season? Stock up on Rioja wines from sunny Spain. Rioja, a region along the Ebro River in northern Spain, produces an eclectic assortment of food-friendly wines,…

It’s time to raise a toast to dear old Dad. What better wine to serve than a selection from “the father of American wine,” Robert Mondavi? Mondavi, who died in 2008, spent a lifetime creating California wines that could compete with…

Raise a toast to the arrival of spring with the light, tasty bubbles of Prosecco. The Italian sparkling wine is a worthy addition to your table this season, as much at home with lighter patio fare as it is with more formal dinner parties.…

The calendar says spring is just around the corner, but anything is possible in the fickle month of March. Whether your menu plans call for one last fling with a hearty soup or a spring bash to welcome the vernal equinox, there’s a heady…

Some couples are so in sync, it’s obvious they were made for each other. In Missouri wine country, a match between the Show-Me State’s two most popular red wines has many vintners singing odes to their coupling with a collection of creative…

Weddings, like all joyful events, call for bubbles. Make your festive occasions sparkle with cava, Spain’s gift to fizz lovers. Cava is Spanish sparkling wine. Fermented in the same traditional champenoise method as Champagne, this…

Daddy always said, “Nothing good happens after midnight.” Clearly, my father knew nothing of the magic of wine blends. (Daddy was a Crown Royal guy.) The latest release from Ménage à Trois, a dark red blend named Midnight, should send that…

Add some sunny California tradition to your Thanksgiving repast this month — it doesn’t get any more traditional than offerings from the oldest winemaking family in the Golden State. Mirassou Chardonnay and Pinot Noir bring…

Add a vineyard experience to your daytrip plans with a visit to Missouri wine country. Nearly half of Missouri’s 128 wineries are organized into 10 regional wine trails. Find the route tailor-made for your tastes.

Cozy up with some classic reds this month from the coastal mountains of California, above the fogline where the sun shines almost all the time. Most of the grapes grown by Fogline Vineyards sit atop the peaks of Sonoma County at…