Author Archives: Maurice

  1. Perfect Pairings: Wine and Oysters

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    oysters and wineThere is nothing better than sitting in a restaurant with a tray of oysters and a glass of white wine.  White wine and oysters is a classic pairing, unfortunately, so many people are turned off by oysters.  I just don’t get it.  Maybe because I love wine so  much, it makes sense that I love oysters too.  If you remember seeing my posts of top kid friendly restaurants, they all served oysters.

    An oyster is just like a grape.  An oyster is harvested in appellations, with the right growing conditions and over time produces sugars which give it body.  An oyster’s flavor is influenced by its “terroir” or body of water.  Like wine, depending on the species of oyster, where it grows, how long it grows and when harvested will affect its flavor and texture. (more…)

  2. The Wine-Phabet in it’s entirety.

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    After 8 months of coming up with a new wine concept every week, I am finally finished.  It is a sad feeling knowing that the work is done.  Will I start it over again?  No way Jose!  There is only 1 Wine-Phabet and it cannot be re-done.   I hope that you have all enjoyed reading it.  Please share with your friends.  You can now see the entire Wine-Phabet on my home page.  The Whimsical Wine Glossary.

    THE WINE-PHABET: A WHIMSICAL WINE GLOSSARY

     

     

     

  3. Standout Wines of 2012 the best of the rest

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    Standout Wines of 2012

    Selecting the best of anything is a daunting task.  How many times does someone ask you what is your favorite band?  What is your favorite movie?  You always answer, “I don’t have a favorite, I like everything.”  However, when the question is first asked something does pop into your mind.  You immediately dismiss it because although, it is one of your favorites, there are so many others that are not fresh in your mind.  Instead of being pigeonholed, you give the easiest answer, “I don’t have a favorite”. (more…)

  4. Now I Know My Wine-Phabet: Z is for Ambassador Zellerbach

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    In this new series called “Now I know my Wine-phabet”, I will explore letter by letter wine and what I believe are some of the most important and/or influential aspects in the world of wine.  Since I am only choosing one topic per letter, many will be missed.  Hopefully these posts come across as being whimsical and informative.

    You might have thought that Zinfandel would have been an ideal way to end the Wine-Phabet.  Although Zinfandel is great representation of California, I decided to dig deeper and get to the nitty-gritty of California wine history.  James David Zellerbach, better known as Ambassador Zellerbach, is one of the most influential figures in the California wine history. (more…)

  5. Now I Know My Wine-Phabet: Y is for Yecla

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    In this new series called “Now I know my Wine-phabet”, I will explore letter by letter wine and what I believe are some of the most important and/or influential aspects in the world of wine.  Since I am only choosing one topic per letter, many will be missed.  Hopefully these posts come across as being whimsical and informative.

    Yecla is one of the smallest DO’s in Spain.  Most people have never heard of it.  For this reason it makes my Wine-Phabet,  I always root for the under dog.  Talking about roots, Yecla has deep roots.  Although the city of Yecla bares the same name as the region, it was discovered well after wine growing had already been established.   Wine growing dates back to the early Romans, some people believe that the Phoenicians brought many vines to the region. (more…)