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As I have mentioned here before, I like to put wines to the test, finding their limits when pairing with food. Does it go with this? Or that? What could I change in the recipe to make it work? Often it takes two or more bottles of a wine to find its perfect match. The challenge I faced this week was that I had one bottle of the L’Exclus d’Alary...

If you are a fan of wines from Provence or the Southern Rhône Valley, you are on an intimate basis with Grenache Noir. You probably don’t sidle up to the bar and order a “Grenache Noir” like you would a glass of Pinot or Cab, but I assure you that, in Provence and the Southern Rhône Valley, you are drinking wines of which Grenache is a major part. You may also know Grenache Blanc, one of its mutations...

Does drinking good bubbly on New Year’s Day foretell a good year? I tend to think so; but to be sure, we popped open two bottles, two super good bottles of sparkling wine exquisitely crafted by female winemakers in California. 

One winemaker is in the Santa Ynez Valley, near Santa Barbara in the Central Coast American Viticultural Area (AVA), and the other is in the northern part of the Central Valley, due east of San Francisco Bay in the Lodi AVA. Both are outstanding winemakers...

I am a firm believer that wine and food need to be shared to get the optimal pleasure from both. We are so close to getting that back in our lives that I can almost taste it. Literally.

I have been pairing food and wine for myself now for nine months. Sure, Markipedia likes a good meal and...

Escape the COVID doldrums with "Cook, Drink and Learn with Acquiesce," our inaugural (virtual) food and wine tasting on Sunday, November 15th at 2:00 p.m. PST/5:00 p.m. EST.

Please join Susan Tipton, Winemaker and Co-Owner of Acquiesce Winery, David Scott Allen, Editor of Cocoa & Lavender and wine and food writer for Provence WineZine, and me for an hour of food and wine fun (and a few facts!).  

Beginning with a cook-along with David, we will make Mini Croques...

When Alexandra “Alex” Manfull passed away in 2018 at 26 years old, her parents barely understood the condition that took her life. Susan and William “Towny” Manfull’s daughter was living in Washington D.C., pursuing a successful career in finance. She was a runner and reader, a proud graduate of Princeton University and Phillip Exeter Academy. She was bright and kind, and gone too soon. Alex suffered from a disease called PANDAS...

The construct of time is odd these days. Having been indoors (for the most part) since early March, it has been difficult to conceptualize the change of seasons. Calendars don’t seem to make a difference, and clocks and watches don’t really mean much now, either. The thermostat is at a constant and perfect 76°F; is it summer? Winter? I just ...

You might think that I like any wine that comes my way. I can see why you might think that, because mostly what you see here in this column are positive reviews and pairings.

But it’s not true. For one thing, when creating a pairing, I try to choose carefully so that I have something good to offer you. I certainly have control...

A couple of weeks ago, Susan and Towny, along with several other friends, met with me and Mark on Zoom to cook a meal, taste some wine, and dine together — as if nothing about this was unusual. At times, it almost seemed as if we were together in the same room. But, every once in a while, there would be a hiccup in the ...

Cassis is the most beautiful AOC (appellation d'origine contrôlée) in France: the vineyards cling to the slopes of a magical amphitheater that plunges towards the shimmering Mediterranean. The Phocaeans (ancient Greeks from Asia Minor) must have been enchanted with these slopes when they first saw them 2,600 years ago. And they did well to plant them to the vine. The perfect exposure, dry and nutrient-poor soils and the cooling Mediterranean...