Category Archives: Wine

The Timelessness of Chicken Normandy

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Chicken braised in hard apple cider and creme fraiche -- a dish with a spiritual history.
Chicken braised in hard apple cider and creme fraiche — a dish with a spiritual history.

Tender, juicy chicken simmered in a creamy sauce flavored with hard apple cider is as comforting as it gets.

But did you know it’s also a spiritual dish?

Yes, “Chicken Normandy” is a classic that has been enjoyed for centuries at the Abbey of Saint-Wandrille, founded in the 7th century as one of the first Benedictine abbeys in Normandy. It epitomizes this lush coastal region of northern France by making use of the bounty of local dairy farms, apple orchards, and the monks’ own brewed cider.

It’s a dish usually served as Sunday supper, following the monks’ traditional performance of melodic Gregorian chanting.

So writes noted cookbook author and food writer Jody Eddy in her book, “Elysian Kitchens” ( W.W. Norton & Company, 2024), of which I received a review copy.

This fascinating cookbook delves into the food served in monasteries, temples, mosques, and synagogues around the world. It’s filled with 100 recipes along with beautiful photographs of these cloistered sanctuaries of which few are ever granted such an intimate view.

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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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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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Holiday Sips, Part I

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A holiday-ready 2018 Piazza Del Dotto Estate Cabernet Sauvignon.
A holiday-ready 2018 Piazza Del Dotto Estate Cabernet Sauvignon.

2018 Piazza Del Dotto Estate Family Reserve Oakville Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

If you’re opting for prime rib or roast duck instead of turkey at the Thanksgiving table, a bottle of 2018 Piazza Del Dotto Estate Family Reserve Oakville Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon would make for a splendid partner.

Family-owned for more than three decades, this winery with operations in St. Helena and Napa focuses on small-production Cabernet made from estate-grown grapes. These particular grapes come from the Oakville AVA, known for producing wines of powerful yet smooth textures.

This wine, of which I received a sample, is no exception. Deep purple garnet in the glass, it exudes notes of black cherries, currants, graphite and cedar with a touch of anise, and sage. It has firm tannins, making it a robust wine able to stand up to showy centerpiece meat dishes.

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A Pasta That’s Elementary and A Wine That’s Elemental

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An easy and nourishing vegetarian pasta dish with the buttery taste of pine nuts.
An easy and nourishing vegetarian pasta dish with the buttery taste of pine nuts.

One can never have too many simple, no-brainer pasta recipes to fall back on during a hectic weeknight. Nor one that goes so perfectly with a freshing wine that’s breaking new ground in packaging.

“Penne with Broccoli, Pine Nuts & Ricotta” is ideal for those times when you have leftover ricotta from baking a sweet treat.

This quick and nourishing vegetarian pasta dish is from the cookbook, “The Mediterranean Cook” (Smith Street Books), of which I received a review copy.

It was written by Meni Valle, an Australian cookbook author of Greek heritage who’s an expert on Mediterranean cuisine.

Arranged by the seasons, the no-fuss recipes include “Watermelon & Feta Salad with Flaked almonds, Honey Vinaigrette & Mint” and “Pumpkin & Feta Piet” in spring-summer; and “Green Minestrone” and “Roasted Eggplant with Cannellini Beans” in autumn-winter.

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