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Archive for August, 2009
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Kitchen Renovation Saga Part 11
Posted on August 31, 2009 | No CommentsWow. It’s been over a year since we installed our cabinets. We finally installed counter tops! A hard decision, counter tops. I did not want granite or laminate or concrete. Corian and Silestone did not win me over either. And then we discovered Ecologic. We... -
Jack & The Beanstalk
Posted on August 31, 2009 | No CommentsAn Austrian Pinot before we head for Baden…Prieler Pinot Noir 2005Burgenland, AustriaDried cherry aroma……some black pepper….quite soft on entry…prickly..like a strawberry bush….the tannins still dominant and spiky acidity..softened up the next day…..which bodes well for a future..a terroir Pinot.Points 16.75 The photo is of our flower... -
Hippopotamus Restaurant at the Museum Hotel, Wellington, New Zealand
Posted on August 30, 2009 | No CommentsHave you ever dined alone at dinner?It always feels a little disarming dining without company, and often the biggest barrier is the self-conscious worry about what other people will think about you, the Nigel No Mates in the corner.Presumably this is why room service exists,... -
Farmers Market Photos
Posted on August 29, 2009 | No CommentsThe South of the James Market continues to be a highlight of my week. Faith Farm had fresh ducks (and are taking orders for suckling pig!). Sign up for their email list and get first dibs on fresh chickens and duck. So, we picked up... -
Thymed Potatoes
Posted on August 29, 2009 | No CommentsYou can probably use any kind of fresh herbs that you desire in this recipe. We had picked up some lemon and lime thyme at the Maymont Herbs Galore Festival and they do nicely in this recipe. Thymed Potatoes 4 medium – large red skinned potatoes, scrubbed... -
No Wine, Blame Your Wife
Posted on August 29, 2009 | No CommentsAu Bon Climat Hildegard 2004 Santa Maria Valley, California, U.S.A.Much as I love Jim Clenenden’s wines….some of the bottles have a large punt at the bottom and weigh a lot..and..we once compared them to a normal bottle..3 times heavier if I remember.This Hildegard is in a... -
Quickies
Posted on August 29, 2009 | No CommentsQuickies…..in all parts of life……are a necessity……and every picture tells a story…Ökonomierat Rebholz von Muschelkalk Riesling Spätlese Trocken 2008Pfalz, Germany Loved the 2007…..this is awkward…and needs time….but is classy…16.5 Kirchmayr Grüner VeltlinerFass 5 ‘Strasser Stangl’ 2007Kamptal, AustriaFresh and spicy…dried stones….overnight..it filled out..showed better….opulent and... -
Schoc Chocolates at Ciocco Chocolaterie, Wellington, New Zealand
Posted on August 29, 2009 | No Comments"I’m going to Wellington!" I told Dive Mummy."So you’re going to Schoc?" she’d replied at once.The last time I’d visited Wellington, my Schoc Chocolate tablet souvenirs had been a huge hit. It’s not just the pleasant bitter cocoa of the dark chocolate, or the smooth... -
Antoine Amrani Chocolates
Posted on August 28, 2009 | No CommentsSour cherry, Grand Marnier, coffee and dark chocolate. That was the bon bon that won me over. I’m not sure what the inspiration was for the combination, though I was intrigued because coffee beans come from fruit called coffee cherries. I’ve always wanted to try... -
Memories of Beau Rivage and a Greek Viognier
Posted on August 28, 2009 | No CommentsNo doubt about it…the best Viognier is grown in Condrieu..on the Rhône….I used to stop over at the Beau Rivage Restaurant..on my way to Portugal. They have an extensive selection…the view from the restaurant over the WIDE river….the sun going down..and a top Condrieu..this is... -
The Weta Cave and Cafe Polo, Miramar, Wellington, New Zealand
Posted on August 27, 2009 | No CommentsPrecioussss…… my precioussssIt’s hard to think about New Zealand without remembering the dramatic scenery from The Lord of the Rings. And whilst downtown Wellington is perfectly compact and flat for the tourist on foot, you will need wheels to take in the more dramatic ocean... -
Dixon St Deli, Wellington, New Zealand
Posted on August 26, 2009 | No CommentsYou had me at bacon.Because my trip to Wellington was organised so quickly, I didn’t have much time to do research. Yes, food research. I usually like to spend days or weeks looking online for recommendations, checking out restaurant websites, food blogs and reviews... -
What we talk about when we talk about wine
Posted on August 26, 2009 | No CommentsIn a week, a wine board I like to participate on will celebrate its first birthday. Realizing this, and thinking back over the many online conversations I have had, spanning from Tahiti to Burgundy, by way of Mount Etna, Rioja and Cornas, I thought it... -
Floriditas, Wellington, New Zealand
Posted on August 26, 2009 | No CommentsRolling out chocolate pastry"See, it’s really easy."Emily Kerhva, head baker at Floriditas Bakery, is rolling out chocolate pastry with the casual confidence of a kid with play-doh."The trick is to make sure you always work with it when its cold," she says, folding over her... -
**+ $ Lot 205 Petite Sirah, 2005, CA – Wine Review and Rating
Posted on August 25, 2009 | No CommentsReview: Lot 205 Petite Sirah is from mixed vineyards around California. It shows at 13.5% alcohol. In the glass, it is medium deep ruby red. Nose is deep, and especially funky. Funky in a slightly rotting, helium balloon sort of way. That... -
Wellington on a Plate food festival 2009
Posted on August 25, 2009 | No CommentsHave stomach. Will travel.This is the descriptor on my current blogger profile. Those two sentences could not have been apt for my weekend adventure.How so? I was hosted over the weekend for the first ever Wellington on a Plate food festival.That’s right. Positively Wellington Tourism... -
**+ $ Climbing Cabernet Sauvignon, 2005, Orange, Australia – Wine Review and Rating
Posted on August 25, 2009 | No CommentsReview: Climbing wines are named for the estate vineyards which climb up the sides of Mt. Canobolas, which reaches almost one mile high in the Orange, Australia district. The high-altitude location reduces wine yields which concentrates flavors. The winemaker is Philip Shaw. ... -
**+ $ Cinquante-Cinq Viognier, 2005, Languedoc, Vin de Pays d’Oc – France – Wine Review and Rating
Posted on August 24, 2009 | No CommentsOriginal Review, January, 2007: Cinquante-Cinq Viognier hails from the Languedoc- Roussillon area of southern France, and is referred to as a Vin de Pays d’Oc. The Languedoc is recognized as the largest wine-producing area of the world, and in some years of this decade... -
La Trompette, London
Posted on August 24, 2009 | No CommentsI’m just back from a hectic weekend in London, the purpose of which was to catch up with a few friends, drink a few pints and eat in a fine Michelin starred restaurant (La Trompette). After doing a bit of research online I was pretty... -
Why do YOU cook, Hank Shaw?
Posted on August 24, 2009 | No CommentsHank Shaw is not your typical cook or your typical blogger. He hunts, fishes and gardens and is something of an expert when it comes to seafood. He was a 2009 James Beard Award nominee for his blog Hunter Angler Gardener Cook, but what impresses... -
The Ambeli, Wellington, New Zealand
Posted on August 24, 2009 | No CommentsPan-fried haloumi $17.00with roasted choggia beet salad and mint dressingDo you have anything on the menu that’s local?It’s a question I often ask when travelling overseas, a chance to sample fresh fare from the area in which it was caught or grown.Co-owner and maitre’d of... -
*** $$ Pavilion Cabernet Sauvignon, 2006, Napa Valley, CA – Wine Review and Rating
Posted on August 22, 2009 | No CommentsReview: Winemaker Larry Levin made the Pavilion Cabernet Sauvignon from negotiated fruit from various Napa Valley, CA, vineyards for the 2006 vintage. Larry hails from Icon Estates, where he oversaw such prestigious brands as Franciscan, Mt. Veeder, Robert Mondavi, Estancia, Ravenswood, Quintessa and Ruffino.... -
*** $ The Yellow Cellar Pinotage, 2007, Coastal Region, South Africa – Wine Review and Rating
Posted on August 22, 2009 | No CommentsReview: The Yellow Cellar Pinotage is a sister (brother?) wine to The Yellow Cellar Shiraz, which I reviewed recently and enjoyed quite a bit. Pinotage is a varietal closely associated with South Africa. The grape was created as a combination of pinot noir... -
Some Big Fat Greek Wines
Posted on August 21, 2009 | No CommentsIf you are reading this in the morning..Calimera….later on…Calispera….you see..I did learn something on my Big Fat Greek Holiday. If only wines like those below had been available then…..Another plus point is that the labels are becoming more understandable. Fellow blogger Alex maybe has never... -
Adora Handmade Chocolates, Earlwood
Posted on August 21, 2009 | No CommentsGia truffles – soft hazelnut centre with a milk waferIt’s the last place you’d look for a chocolate shop.Sitting on the side of the road, a lone retailer in a sprawl of suburbia, Adora Handmade Chocolates looks like a fish out of water.And water isn’t... -
*** $ The Yellow Cellar Shiraz, 2006, Coastal Region, South Africa – Wine Review and Rating
Posted on August 21, 2009 | No CommentsReview: The Yellow Cellar Shiraz, 2006, from the Coastal Region of South Africa is a bargain-priced varietal imported by Guardianofthegrape Imports. The grapes saw 12 months of age in second-use oak barrels. The name and label color will confuse many with Yellow... -
New Site Design!
Posted on August 20, 2009 | No CommentsAt long last! The redesign has launched! I hope you like it as much as I do. First and foremost I want to thank my amazingly talented web designer, Cat Batacan and my coding guru Christine Vilar. I highly recommend them both. The photo in...
