“Look, Aunty Helen, the legal drinking age in France is sixteen! I can come wine tasting with you!” Daniel, my eldest great nephew, was exuberantly holding the results of his Google in front of my face, with triumph in his eyes. During the course of our vacation in the Ardèche, I had been introducing him…
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Paralithodes camtschaticus is most commonly known as Alaskan King Crab, or more simply as King Crab. But I prefer to call it by its lesser known but equally correct name — Stalin’s Crab. That’s because the real KING in the crab clan is Menippe mercenaria, the Florida Stone Crab. Somebody in the species naming department…
I’m what you might call an itinerant gourmand so it’s probably no surprise that I often plan my trips around restaurants, bars, bakeries, markets, and of course wineries. If I can find all these things – plus natural beauty – in one destination it’s safe to assume that I’ll return again and again. Mendocino is…
Summer is here and the invitations are already arriving. I’m talking about the casual summer parties we all get invited to. The whole idea behind these parties is they’re supposed to be simple. So they’re usually potluck parties and they’re usually outdoors. This combination does make the host’s job easier because a good bit of…
I’m not a big drinker. Seriously, in spite of my great love of complex, beautifully crafted wine, I only imbibe in social situations. This is why I have such a yummy collection of favorites to share on special occasions. What better way to present my latest Santa Barbara discovery, Hilliard Bruce, than at the birthday…
I love a good palindrome. You know, a word or phrase that reads the same forward and backward. “Able was I ere I saw Elba” is a classic example. My new favorite? AVAVA. Technically it stands for Anderson Valley American Viticultural Area, but to me it stands for great wine paired with farm fresh food,…
I recently found myself driving north on California’s iconic Highway 1, on my way once again, to the Mendocino Coast. This time the Brewery Gulch Inn. I’ve been to the Mendocino Coast enough times to know how beautiful and unpredictable it can be. Days start off crisp and cool even in the summer. By midday…
