Castello delle Regine is in Umbria Italy. Umbria is due north of Rome and sits in the middle section of Italy, it is appreciated for its landscapes, traditions, history, artistic legacy and influence on high culture. The estate’s 1000 acres included 200 acres of vineyards and 100 acres for cattle called Chianina. Chianina is an Italian…
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Chris and I are planning a trip to Portugal and Bordeaux next summer. Our trip starts in Portugal on a cruise. The cruise stops at many ports and finishes the cruise in London England. One of the ports we stop at is Bordeaux and that is where Chris and I will depart. After we had…
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I try my best to pair food and wine. At the end of the day there are no set rules. If someone tells you there is, they are wrong. What matters “does the food and wine work with each other”? For example, salty foods will make your red wine more sour or astringent (dry…
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I enjoy wines from Knights Valley, which is its own American Viticulture Area (AVA) and is one of Sonoma Counties first five that resides on the Sonoma side of the Mayacamas mountains. The elevation is higher than the ground floors and the temperatures are higher during the day, while nights are cooler. The 2001 Anakota…
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1918 1st Ave Anoka, MN 55303 (855) 748-5962 cork-anoka.com Neighborhood: Northern Suburbs, Historical Downtown Anoka Cuisine: New American, Beer & Wine Cost: $$$ = $50 and less – Higher priced Four Forks = Defines excellence in local dining. Worth the investment Hours: Monday – Friday, 7:00AM – 2:00PM Breakfast & Lunch Thursday & Friday, 4:00PM – 9:00PM Fine dining Saturday, 12:00PM –…
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Petite Verdot is a variety of red wine grape, principally used in classic Bordeaux blends. It ripens later than the other varieties in Bordeaux and is often too late, so it fell out of favor in its home region. When it does ripen, it is added in small amounts to add tannin, color and flavor…
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Our Son Nick is a big Pinot Noir fan. His birthday was a couple of months ago and Chris and I bought him eight bottles of Pinot’s for his gift from the local Costco. We bought Nick bottles from various wineries and regions in the US (California and Oregon). Recently, the kids stopped by for…
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I recently had the night to myself. A dear friend of ours is fighting cancer and she asked Chris to come down and make dinner. When Chris called and told me her plans, I would never complain. You have to be there for your friends when they need you. In addition to some of Chris’s…
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I discovered Continuum some time ago while watching one of the ending video blogs from Gary Vanerchuck. During the two-part video blog, Tim Mondavi (Son of Robert Mondavi) and Tim’s daughter Carissa joined Gary for a tasting and interview. It was entertaining and once it ended I knew I had to try the wine. I…
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Sometimes you do not feel like drinking a red wine, even when its cold outside! For me, I recently had one of those nights. I did not want a light crisp Sauvignon Blanc or a sweet white wine; rather I was looking for a creamy style Chardonnay. I recalled attending a tasting at Bremer Family…
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I have to tip my hat to our friend Melania. Mel and Keith gave me this bottle for my birthday. Chris and I enjoyed it the other day and after Chris found the same wine at our local Costco for $14.99 per bottle; we were pleasantly surprised. For that price you cannot go wrong. …
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Our friends Pete and Martinique were flying in recently on a Friday around dinner time and were planning to stay at our house Saturday night for my big birthday celebration. Martinique had not been to Minnesota wanted to stay downtown on Friday. We originally planned on having dinner with them and then we planned on…
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