10 years after...

November 25, 2017

10 years ago this weekend, I got sick. It seemed like flu. Body aches, headache, mild fever. I went to bed.

Monday morning, went to the doctor. She thought it was flu. Prescribed some meds. I went back to bed. Felt worse.

A few days later, I went back to the doctor. My eyes were bright red and scary looking. The doctor thought it was conjunctivitis. I said, I’ve been home for the last week; where would I pick up pink eye? She prescribed an antibiotic eye treatment after taking a culture. I went back to bed, feeling even worse.

Wining through the holidays…

It’s that time of year again. The “holidays”. You throw a party, or you go to a party. For a huge meal. It could be a traditional roast turkey, accompanied by stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie. Or it could be roast goose or duck, or a Honeybaked ham. Or (shudder) a turducken.

Regardless of what you, your friends and family choose to share, it’s going to be a big meal with a lot of different elements, so you’ll want to choose wines that will enhance and not conflict with the flavors found in your meal. You can play it safe and offer Chardonnay or Pinot Noir with your turkey, but how about trying something different to spice up your feast?

The Goddess of Wine tends to favor wines with good acidity to counter the fatty content of many of the tasty accompaniments to a hopefully moist and well-seasoned turkey. Oh, and I tend to lean more towards red wines, so here are some suggestions, all of which are locally available.

Wining thankfully...

Yep, it's that time of year again. Articles abound - what wine to pair with turkey, what recipes to use, what we're thankful for. Christmas music fills the air...etc.

I'm thankful, too. Thankful that I get to play in the wine biz - tasting great wines and delicious foods, hanging with winemakers and writers and enthusiasts, dreaming of the day I can put the day job aside and focus 100% on wine.

Random thoughts as Thanksgiving approaches...

Yep, it's that time of year again. Everyone's writing articles about what wine to pair with turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie. I have drunk everything from Champagne to the deepest, darkest Zinfandel with Thanksgiving dinner, and I have never found anything that doesn't work. So drink what you like!

JD and I are starting the holiday season at Ian Blackburn's 13th annual Night Before Thanksgiving Dinner. This year it will be at Mo-Chica, a new Peruvian restaurant in LA. Ricardo Zarate and Mario Orellana, both formerly of Zu Robata and various other high-end dining establishments, have created authentic Peruvian cuisine. There will be a blog about the evening later in the week.

This year, JD and I decided to go out for dinner for Thanksgiving. We're going to Bistro Provence, a lovely little French restaurant in a shopping center. Next to Starbucks. Chef-owner Miki Zivkovic, previously the chef at Pinot Bistro, is behind this inviting California bistro. With its mustard-yellow walls, dark wood paneling and linen-covered tables, it's a warm, homey environment in which to enjoy some amazing food. The front of the restaurant is so low-key, you can pass it by, but once you go inside, there is no sense that you're anywhere but home. If your home is in France.

Miki also owns Lucas Trattoria (in the same shopping center) and Third and Olive. We've eaten at Bistro Provence and Lucas Trattoria a few times, and we are big fans! One of these days, we'll get to Third and Olive. In the meantime, we're looking forward to the prix fixe meal offered, and thinking about what wines to bring.

Saturday and Sunday, my little theatre - The Eclectic Company Theatre - is hosting an arts and crafts festival to help folks beat the Black Friday/mall shopping blues. Come on down and check out some original art. I'll be pouring wines on Sunday the 29th, so don't be shy!

Wishing all my readers, friends and family a happy, healthy and fun Thanksgiving!