When people cook for you, to me, it’s an expression of love. So when one of my friends said she was making roasted lamb, sweet potatoes, delicate crispy kale and turkey bacon wrapped jalapeño poppers for dinner — another friend and I grabbed bottles of bubbles and wine then took the trek to her house. …
Last week I went to a fabulous tasting at Zachy’s DC with Sophia Bergqvist from Quinta De La Rosa — with food from Perfect Little Bites! Since 1906, Quinta De La Rosa has been a family owned business located on the banks of the River Douro (Portugal). The property was a christening present given to …
Initially, I was supposed to take my Certified Specialist of Wine (CSW) exam (check out my first post, “Just Start Already”). Went on vacation to South Africa and got behind in class/studies. Never caught up. I decided to postpone it. I knew I couldn’t pass without seriously studying. Was that the best decision? For me, …
OmG! I’ve waited a long time to experience Maydan. It has won numerous awards (one is Bon Appetit’s No. 2 Best New Restaurant in America, 2018). People actually stand in line before it opens. Maydan means “gathering place” or “square” often in the middle of a city.” This is a perfect definition because most of …
I forgot to post my visit to the new Whole Foods in DC. I’m a sucker for an enomatic machine!! You fill a card with money and you can try different wines by the glass – it’s like Dave & Busters for adults! $25 got me a lot of pours. It’s also a great way …
On Sunday I checked out a really cool, intimate conversation at Dio Wine Bar called “Where Gender and Wine Intersect” with Rachel Signer (Editor and Publisher of Pipette Magazine). There were some really important questions that were asked and answered by Rachel. I won’t get into specifics because I feel that I am not the …
This past weekend, my friends and I enjoyed afternoon tea at The Watergate Hotel (yes, that hotel). Traditionally served around 4 p.m., afternoon tea has been around since 1840 (started by Anna, the seventh Duchess of Bedford). You are served different types of tea with small delicate sandwiches, scones and sweets. They bring a glass …
During the Wine Bloggers Conference on Friday night, there’s a thing called “Mystery Excursions.” You get a random, color ticket from the conference registration desk and at 5:15pm meet in the hotel lobby. The cool thing is you don’t know where you are going! Once the groups were gathered by ticket color, we were loaded …
After the wine class at Maxwell DC, we went to dinner at Tiger Fork. Finally!! The fried, crispy Chili Tofu with crab was the perfect starter. The cocktail was an Old Fashioned but not your usual OF — it was made with Baijiu (a white liquor made with sorghum, wheat, rice, sticky rice and corn) …
Part two of our tour with Force Majeure takes us to the top of some serious uninhabited land in an area called North Fork. The area is named North Fork because the “North Fork of the Walla Walla River runs along the bottom of the canyon.” Since our large coach bus can’t make it up …
To arrive in Walla Walla from Seattle for the Wine Bloggers Conference, we decided to take a 45-minute Commuter flight on AlaskaHorizon (Bombardier Q400). I’m talking the kind of small plane that you have to walk on the tarmac to get to. The kind of plane with small, black propellers (gulp). Then upon landing (thank …
This Wednesday, I take off for my first Wine Bloggers Conference (WBC) being held in Walla Walla, Washington. WBC is a jam packed, 3-day schedule where wine bloggers from around the world get together for wine education and to taste wine from the host city. One of the sessions is Live Red and White Wine …
Monday night I got to witness a panel of four bad ass Women in Wine – Elizabeth Parker, Williams Corner Wine; Ashli Johnson, Old Westminster Winery; Michelle Lim Warner, DCanter Wines; and Vanessa Cominsky, St Anselm DC. This event was held at DCanter Wines and moderated by Ashley and Dianka from Winona DC. The guests …
Founded in 2002, one of the African American Vintners Association’s (AAVA) purposes is to “develop a sense of community among members of the organization through friendly and informal networking and social functions.” This purpose allowed me to have a wonderful time on Sunday at the AAVA tasting held at City Winery. I had been following …
“Come quickly, I am tasting the stars” – I know Dom Pérignon (a Benedictine monk from the famous Champagne House Dom Pérignon) said this but wow this is how I felt the other day. I was so happy to attend the tasting at Zachys DC (I sleep there now, in the warehouse) to try these …
