Posts Written OnDecember 2005

As his namesake, Ben Roethlisberger, is preparing for tomorrow’s win-and-you’re-in game against the Detroit Lions, LENNDEVOURS’ own Ben, Ben Roethlistbeagle is resting up too. As he sleeps, Nena and I prepare for our first mini-dinner party in our new casa. A simple, but classic menu of grilled strip steaks, homemade twice-baked potatoes and green beens wrapped in bacon await our friends Liz and John. To drink? More on that tomorrow…when the Steelers dominate the Lions as the blaze their way into the playoffs.

Last summer, Osprey’s Dominion Vineyards was named New York’s “Winery of the Year” at the 2005 New York Food and Wine Classic by winning seven medals, including two double golds, one gold, two silvers and two bronzes. Winemaker Adam Suprenant, a graduate of the much ballyhooed U.C. Davis enology program, was and is proud of the accomplishment, but he’s certainly not resting on his laurels. Wines from the 2001 vintage (and a 2004 rosé) earned the winery all those medals, but the winery’s first three 2002 releases, a cabernet franc, a reserve merlot and a 2002 edition of the “Flight”…

Can a computer tell if a wine is good or bad? A professor from Carnegie Mellon University (where I went to graduate school) seems to think it’s possible. He’s focusing on yeast and its behavior and hopes to" "…help vintners avoid "stuck batches" – batches that spoil and are thrown away when fermentation stalls, leaving too much sugar. Biegler hopes to make winemaking more efficient, consistent and, ultimately, profitable. Similar computerized systems are routinely used at chemical plants, oil refineries and pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities, he said." Obviously, one can debate the merits of "consistent" wine…but this kind of scientific investigation…

If you do, head over to Dr. Vino’s blog, named one of the seven best by Food & Wine Magazine, and take his 2005 Year End Wine Quiz. If you win, you could one of a handful of great prizes, including a case of wine. So, if you like wine (and I know you do) take the quiz and show off your knowledge…you just might wine some vino from Dr. Vino.

Tom of FERMENTATION recently made a call for Top 10 Lists and I knew I had at least one in me as I look back on 2005. In fact, I’m sure I have more than one…but for now I present my Top 10 Must-Try Long Island Wines of 2005. While some of these certainly would qualify for a "best" list as well, this list is more accurately defined as the wines I’d insist any wine lover taste (if possible) when they come to Long Island for the first time.10. Bedell Cellars 2001 Reserve Merlot. One of our region’s top merlot…

In early October, an earthquake devastated Northern Pakistan. More than 70,000 people died in the tragedy and another 100,000 were injured. You might remember the efforts of the Food (and wine) Blogging Community last February to help those affected by the tsunami in Sout East Asia and East Africa. This year, the blogging community, led by Chez Pim, presents the second Menu For Hope II. Pm has organized this quite differently this year. It’s an raffle of course and all the money raised will go to Unicef, specifically for the earthquake region. Between changing email addresses since the last Menu…