Richard Wing – One of a Kind

Richard Wing passed away On October 8, at age 89. Richard was a great chef and a great person. Self described as a “humble Chinese cook” that said a lot about the man. In fact, he was one of the greatest chefs of his time and his French style cuisine with a Chinese influence was truly unique. For over 40 years his Imperial Dynasty restaurant, located in the unlikely town of Hanford in California’s Central Valley mid-way between Bakersfield and Fresno, attracted diners from all over the world.

Enjoy Summertime’s Sippable Sherries

Sherries from Spain are wonderful, unduplicated by others (even though many have tried), and make great summertime sipping and they are extremely food-friendly. If you haven’t had a glass of Spanish Sherry lately, now is the time to get reacquainted.

Spain also makes some excellent sweet Sherries. These dessert wines certainly deserve some attention, but for summertime fun, it’s dry Sherry that really fits the bill.

The best summer Sherry choices are those that are thirst quenching, all by themselves, as well as being compatible with light summer fare. Sherries are a perfect match with cold baked ham, cold sausages, hard cheeses, crusty breads and Mediterranean olives.

Barbecuing and Entertaining Wine Choices

Temperatures, water bills, and electricity consumption are all on the upward rise. Hopefully with some cooler nights ahead, we will be able to enjoy the outdoor season while we can. While  in the barbecue and entertaining modes, let us explore some wines that just might be a cool change of pace for you. Give these […]

A Selection of Reasonably-priced, Premium Wines

A Selection of Reasonably-priced, Premium Wines

Following is an eclectic selection of diverse wines from Argentina, California and New Zealand, including Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Malbec, Pinot Noir, Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon and a red meritage wine. They are highly recommended to outstanding, showing good richness, complexity and balance — premium wines offered at reasonable price points. Six are Best Buys. The wines were tasted with contributing editor, Ron Brown.

Bargain Wines/Best Buys

Following is a selection of 11 inexpensive wines, which were purchased at $3.99 each. We did a search of comparative pricing and found that some can sell for as much as $7-10 and one was even found online on a business auction site with an entry bid of $15. Three other wines tasted were priced slightly higher, ranging from $5-8. All the wines tasted are nice, everyday quaffers, mostly designed for drinking now, although a couple could benefit from a little aging.

Champagne — The Wine of Kings

Few wines captivate us to the extent that Champagne does.  Champagne is not just a wine; it’s also a state of mind.  Enjoying the luxury of Champagne is what made Dom Perignon exclaim at his first sip, “Come quickly, I am drinking the stars.” Legend has it that Marilyn Monroe once took a bath in […]