A Sparkling Budget Choice

By Robert Paul - Jaillance Cremant de Bordeaux Cuvee de l’Abbaye is a festive bubbly that’s also light and pretty. But, best of all, it’s a budget buy. The term “Cremant” is used because this French sparking wine is not from the Champagne region and therefore that regional label may not be used to describe it. And it’s not made with the usual champagne grapes either. Instead it is vinified from Semillon grapes....

Gourmet Highway: Love, Bubbles and Ballet

By Doc Lawrence - February is that month set aside to celebrate love with Valentine’s Day positioned right in the middle. I think of red roses, chocolates, Champagne and most often an intimate dinner. There are a few highly original items that add to the joy and romance of Valentine’s Day. Some of the greatest love stories-The Black Swan, Romeo and Juliet, Giselle- are told through dance, highlighted by iconic pairings of...

A Sip & A Taste of South Africa

By Carol-Ann Warr and Kaye Warr - The South African wine industry is one of the oldest in the world and one of the newest. The first vines were planted by Dutch settlers to fight scurvy in the Cape at the southern tip of Africa in the 17th Century. It is said that Napoleon in exile soothed his troubled soul with the help of the legendary dessert wines from this region. Winemaking thrived in South Africa until Apartheid forced...

Gourmet Highway: Florida at 500

By Doc Lawrence - I’ve dreamed of meeting a king or queen someday. Soon, there will be an opportunity, one that doesn’t require leaving Florida. Spain’s King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia, according to insiders, will be in Florida early next year to take part in the ceremonies honoring the 500th anniversary of Florida’s discovery by Spain’s legendary explorer, Juan Ponce de Leon. These intrepid Spanish explorers...

Entangled with Entwine

By Robert Paul - Given the far-reaching vine-like tendrils sent forth from the Food Network starting with food and lifestyle programming and progressing to product endorsements, books by their top tier chefs and designers, special events staged around the nation, products for home and table and much more, it came as no surprise to us wine writers and oenophiles that the Food Network has come out with a wine. The label says...

What Everyday Wine Drinkers Want

By Robert Paul - What most wine drinkers want is the best value available for the taste they want to savor. All oenophiles have favorite affordable “house wines,” ones that  are always in the inventory for a casual lunch, a more formal dinner, or just for happy-hour sipping. My favorites have no claim to fame in terms of experts’ ranking, but they are house wine labels that I’ve assembled over many years of tasting...