Choosing wine is never easy, but it’s always a pleasurable challenge. The mere thought of heading to the local wine shop makes me giddy with anticipation, with so many possibilities looming behind those doors. But finding quality, everyday drinking wines under $20 is difficult, and even harder if you don’t know what to look for. […]
Virginia is home to many international transplants—residents, tourists, students, laborers, and…vitis vinifera grapes. Every person and every grape planted here has been rooted elsewhere, and many have found a home amongst our mountains, valleys, and ever-changing climate. Thomas Jefferson planted upwards of 30 European grape varieties at Monticello in the 1770s, which did not yield […]
Hot weather screams for cold drinks, and in the summertime, nothing wets the whistle faster than chilled white wine. There are plenty of “patio pounders” on the market, meaning an inexpensive bottle of easily quaffable wine that takes little to no effort for the brain to compute, while delivering a much-needed respite from the heat. […]
When faced with the decision of what to drink with dinner (or while cooking dinner), when a white just isn’t enough and a red is too much, rosé bridges the gap of indecision. Possessing a lovely pinkish hue and noticeable tannins, a rosé is extremely food-friendly, while also drinkable on its own. Known around the […]
If rain is Oregon’s best-known cliché, then Pinot Noir is the runner-up. With May celebrating Oregon Wine Month, and the Willamette Valley being one of my favorite wine regions in the world, what better time than now to delve into this sustainable wine mecca? Viticulturally, Oregon is a big state, with five AVAs (American Viticultural […]
Like Italian food, Italian wine has an innate, comforting presence that draws you in and keeps you coming back for more. Regardless of where in Italy it comes from, good Italian wine (and food) speaks to the soul. Once simply cheap jug wine and basket-wrapped bottles of Chianti, Italian wine has morphed into a respectable, […]
Virginia wine began as a collaboration between Thomas Jefferson and the Italian merchant Filipo Mazzei. But between war and pestilience, the dynamic duo wasn’t really able to ever make great wine. They did, however, realize that the name of the game was adapting European varietals to American soil. Virginia wine as we know it today […]
Many of the spring classes offered by PVCC’s Workforce Series will focus specifically on cooking and food. Here’s a look at what you can expect this semester. (Bonus: Many of the classes will be held in the newly renovated Jefferson School City Center!) Jack Hanny, former White House visiting chef and author of Secrets from […]
Whisky’d away Just in time for holiday shopping, Virginia Highland Malt whisky, from the Virginia Distillery Company, arrived in 80 Virginia ABC stores earlier this month. Grab a bottle of this local offering, which the press release notes has “a lovely acacia honey and ginger flavor from the Scottish whisky with the added notes of […]