Category Archives: New Products

A Visit to Merced, Part II: Hi-Fi Wine and Vista Ranch

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Visit Hi-Fi Wine to discover a unique tasting room devoted to boutique wines.
Visit Hi-Fi Wine to discover a unique tasting room devoted to boutique wines.

Merced, CA — During the pandemic, while the rest of us were binging Netflix and trying to keep sourdough starters alive, Tracy Proietti was dreaming up her ideal wine shop, Hi-Fi Wine.

In 2019, the former lawyer and middle school language arts teacher moved from Baltimore where she lived in a historic building above a wine shop. With time on her hands when life shut down during Covid, she and her mother, her business partner, set about creating this inviting wine bar and shop.

Opened in May 2022, the light-filled, cozy community gathering spot was designed to be a place where wine was eminently approachable.

Lawyer-turned wine shop owner Tracy Proietti.
Lawyer-turned wine shop owner Tracy Proietti.

A restored hi-fi that has a variety of LPs to play is the focal point that gave the establishment its name — for good reason.

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Say Hello To My New Little Friend: Chili Crisp Mochi Muffin

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Third Culture Bakery's new Chili Crisp Mochi Muffins.
Third Culture Bakery’s new Chili Crisp Mochi Muffins.

What’s soft, chewy, and irresistibly delicious with just the right kick of heat?

New chili crisp mochi muffins from everyone’s favorite mochi muffin bakery, Third Culture Bakery.

Best yet, its mochi muffins are not only available at its Berkeley and Walnut Creek locations, but also now through nationwide shipping.

Partners in business and in life, Chef Sam Butarbutar and Wenter Shyu founded Third Culture Bakery in 2016 to create baked goods that reflect their Indonesian and Taiwanese heritages.

Their newest chili crisp flavor mochi muffin is a collaboration with Oakland Chef Stacy Tang, formerly of Taiwan Bento, to commemorate the Lunar New Year.

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Spiceology Broadens Your Kitchen Curriculum

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Spiceology's Raspberry Chipotle adds sweet heat to a chocolate mochi donut.
Spiceology’s Raspberry Chipotle adds sweet heat to a chocolate mochi donut.

They look like jars from a chemistry set. But have no fear; the only explosions these will set off are ones of thunderous flavor.

Get to know Spiceology, a Spokane company that sells more than 300 spice blends.

It was founded in 2013 by food blogger Heather Scholten and Chef Pete Taylor.

The spices are available in single jars of varying sizes or in select variety collections. I had a chance to try the latter when the company sent me a sample of its “Ultimate Rub Collection” ($64.95) that features 12 mini jars of its best-selling blends.

It includes some really creative ones such as Raspberry Chipotle, a mix of brown sugar, chipotle, raspberry, paprika, cumin, mustard, and salt that is sweet, woodsy, and has a good kick of heat.

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February Sips

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A Pinot Noir to savor.
A Pinot Noir to savor.

2021 B. Wise Vineyards Lucky Well Vineyard Pinot Noir

When Brion Wise spotted the former Sonoma cattle ranch property in the 1990s with a dirt road, and no easements, buildings or infrastructure to speak of, he didn’t hightail it out of there; he had found his paradise.

An engineer who grew up on a farm in rural Washington, founded his B. Wise Vineyards there, planting the vineyards in 2002 and constructing a home for himself and his wife Ronda West Wise.

The winery specializes in single-vineyard wines, each made by a different veteran winemaker.

I had a chance to try a sample of its 2021 Lucky Well Vineyard Russian River Pinot Noir ($75). It’s made from grapes from the Lucky Well vineyard near Occidental that gets its share of breezes off the Pacific Ocean.

It’s an inky plum-garnet color with the fragrance of summer berries, and the taste of cherries and boysenberries with a hint of cinnamon, mint, and brambly earth.

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New Harvest Seasons Family Reserve Picual Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

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A Spanish olive oil that boasts a lovely green color and a peppery finish.
A Spanish olive oil that boasts a lovely green color and a peppery finish.

It’s striking green in color, with green almond and tomato leaf notes, and a peppery arugula-like finish.

Seasons Family Reserve Picual Extra-Virgin Olive Oil is newly bottled from its October 2024 harvest.

I had a chance to try a sample of this oil pressed from Picual olives, harvested from a single estate in Andalusia, Spain.

While founders Tim Balshi and Soraya Aguilar import olive oil and vinegar from around the world, the single estate olive oils come from the centuries-old olive groves on Aguilar’s family estate in southern Spain.

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