Review: 2007 Golan Heights Winery Golan Cabernet Sauvignon
I knew Israel made wine, but like most consumers I’d figured it was that cough syrup called Manischewitz and that was about it. Turns out Manischewitz is made in New York, not Israel. Real Israeli wines are far, far better, but just as kosher. With Passover a week away, interest in kosher wines is at…
Review: Stevens Point Burly Brown Ale
Craft brewery Stevens Point released its latest addition to its lineup this month, Burly Brown, and American Brown Ale. I’ve tried it a few times and, while it’s a perfectly serviceable brew, “Burly” is a bit of a misnomer. There’s a good slug of hops and a strongly nutty character here, but those looking for…
Review: Larvets Original Worm Snax
I’m only including Larvets here as a “bar food” because of the possibility they will come up as a bar bet: Will you eat something that lists “larva” as its first ingredient? Rest assured, these mealworms are long-dead, dried, and utterly flavorless. Even the addition of cheddar cheese flavoring (there are also BBQ and Mexican…
Review: XyliMelts
What’s the worst part of a hangover? The headache? The upset stomach? The hatred toward your fellow man? For some, it’s the dry mouth: No matter how much water you drink, that cottonmouth comes back in minutes, keeping you awake all night and aware of all the other symptoms. Enter XyliMelts, a bizarre solution but…
Tasting Report: Toast of the Town, March 2009
Heading into the Civic Center area of San Francisco rarely means a fun night on the town drinking lots of great wine, but that’s exactly what I had the great pleasure to do this Thursday, courtesy of an invitation from Wine Enthusiast magazine, which put on a fantastic, must-attend event. Held in the classy War…
Review: 1998 Nicolas Feuillatte Palmes d’Or Champagne
I’ve had this bottle in my fridge for months, because opening a $150 bottle of Champagne just for kicks seemed so, I don’t know, so wrong. I drink expensive wine for this blog all the time, but something about Champagne gives one pause before cracking it open willy-nilly. Well finally I had reason to celebrate…
Recipe: Passionate Woman
I like the sound of this cocktail, a $5,000 prize-winner from SF mixologist Victoria D’Amato-Moran, which includes two spirits (Skyy Passion Fruit and X-Rated Fusion) which I have rated highly and enjoy a lot. Passionate Woman 1 bar spoon fresh passion fruit 1 ½ ounces Skyy Infusions Passion Fruit Vodka 1 ounce Aperol 3 ounces…
Review: 2007 Luke Donald Chardonnay
What it is about golfers and chardonnay I’ll never figure out, but here’s a new one, courtesy of Luke Donald (who put out a nice Bordeaux-style blend last summer). Luke Donald’s chardonnay, from the Carneros region, isn’t nearly the success of his Claret, but it has some basic charm. Chardonnay’s textbook characteristics are here: Some…
