Posts Written OnFebruary 04, 2005

I’ll admit it. I’m a wine nerd and an Internet nerd. So, it should come as no surprise that I surf winery websites just about every day. I focus largely on New York State most of the time, but I do branch out into California, Virgina and even South America. I should also mention that I’m a word nerd. I have a graduate degree in writing, so I may notice things like this moreso than someone else would… but: Does the phrase "award-winning wines" mean a damn thing to anyone anymore? I’m willing to bet that at least 99% of…

Tomorrow is the first specifically wine-related event that Nena and I have ever hosted — Long Island Pink Wines for Valentine’s Day. A week early you say? That’s because my Dan’s Papers column for Valentine’s Day weekend is due Monday. Yes, the day after the Super Bowl, which is why I’ll be writing it Sunday morning. We’ll be tasting 14 wines from 12 Long Island wineries and one winery from the Finger Lakes wine region (with ties to Long Island). Wineries represented include: Atwater Vineyards (Finger Lakes) Bedell Cellars Castello di Borghese Galluccio Family Wines Laurel Lake Vineyards Macari Vineyards…

(This column originally appeared in the 2/4 edition of Dan’s Papers) When Juice Goes Un-Fermented Do you know what verjus is? Probably not, but don’t be embarrassed, not many people do. Verjus, literally translated as “green juice” and pronounced “vair-ZHOO,” is the fresh, unfermented juice of half-ripe fruit, most often grapes. Quite common in Old World wine regions, particularly France, this versatile juice has as many culinary uses as there are grapes in a vineyard. Want a bright, fresh wine alternative without the alcohol? Drink verjus. It’s crisp, fruity and refreshing on its own or mixed with sparkling water and…