WineFoodChat

2011 James Beard Award Winners Announced

2011-05-10T19:33:39Z

The coveted 2011 James Beard Award winners have been announced. Please check here for all award winners in each category and links to many of their sites. Congratulations to all winners, you deserve your award.

2011 James Beard Award Nominees Announced!

2011-05-10T12:16:34Z

It’s here -- the nominees have been announced for this year’s most anticipated awards from the James Beard Foundation. From here it is off to New York for... The following are the award categories and nominees for all awards (award category descriptions are per the James Beard Foundation)...

And a Happy St. Patrick’s Day to Ya!

2011-03-17T23:15:29Z

Guess you can say I have just a bit of the old Irish in me and I love it! It is on my mother’s side, my grandfather to be exact, of the Stanley Clan from County Cavan on his father's side, while his mother was half-Irish and British and told she was from County Cork. My grandfather was the perfect Irish gentleman, very...

James Beard Semi-Finalists Announced: Restaurants and Chefs

2011-02-17T23:59:02Z

Every year the food world waits in anticipation for the top in class awards in the field -- the James Beard Foundation Awards. To many this is the Oscars for those that serve in this field. Every year the crème de la crème are chosen and the first leg of the competition has begun, the semi-finalists for the coveted Restaurant and Chefs Awards. The list of semi-finalists announced today on February 17, 2011 will face off...

Have a Happy St. Valentine’s Day!

2011-02-14T23:46:18Z

It also goes without saying that Champagne and sparkling wines are bought even if people never drink it much and if you are on any kind of diet -- forget about it. There will be plenty of chocolates in big heart shaped boxes. Big bouquets of flowers or a single red rose should do the trick too, along with a lot of balloons and cards that say "I Love You". Oh, and did I forget engagement rings? There...

Two Great Teams for Super Bowl – Wine and Food

2011-02-06T23:08:14Z

Here it is that time of the year again when some people (well most people) here is the United States put on crazy hats, face paint (ready for battle), pull out old college sweat shirts they have not worn in well along time, eat potato chips and dip, have lots of beer (or wine), eat chili with hot dogs and hamburgers. It is a time to gather around with family, friends, and neighbors and share in a lot of shouting and arguing around the new 60-inch high definition television they bought just for this event. What is this day that many call holy?? The Super Bowl (or to some the halftime show)!

Released Results: 2011 Winemaker Challenge International Wine Competition

2011-01-31T03:54:34Z

Just Released: 2011 Winemaker Challenge International Wine Competition Awards. Competition was held in San Diego, California January 29-30, 2011. Wine of the year is...

February 2011 – Wine and Food Events Near You

2011-01-26T10:23:09Z

What are you doing this weekend? Perhaps your answer will be --- going to a wine and food festival! These events are filled with people just like us that love wine and food. Whether it is to support a charity or cause, learn about wine or food, see a celebrity chef, meet winemakers, be part of the community, have some fun, be entertained, tastings from various restaurants and wineries under one roof, one thing is for sure, there is probably a special wine and food event happening near you right now...

Martin Luther King Jr. Day – Dreams Can Come True

2011-01-20T10:37:05Z

Today is a day for dreams, a day to celebrate, a day to remember. Today was not supposed to happen, a man of great courage and foresight was taken from the world by hate. It was not uncommon in the 1960s as it was a time of turbulence and a time that we were coming of age as a country. Assassination was used as a vehicle to end debate, a cowards way to stop progress and our country's most respected and privileged right, freedom of speech...

2011 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition Winners

2011-01-10T22:28:21Z

The results are in for the annual San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition for 2011. This competition seeks out various varietals and blends from throughout the United States. Judges are one lucky group of people too, they taste from thousands of submissions (5050 entries from 23 states to be exact for 2011 surpassing entries of prior years) making it still the largest American wine competition in the world.

Happy 2011!

2011-01-01T20:19:36Z

Welcome to 2011, I hope you all survived New Year' Eve! What is my New Year’s Resolution?...

To a Happy New Year’s Eve!

2011-01-06T00:48:26Z

All I know is that many people call New Year's Eve amateur night. Why? Because it is the only time that many dress to kill, go to parties (one after the other sometimes), pay to go to a community or hotel party that is usually sponsored by some rock station for singles to go wild and crazy (well, what is wrong with that?), dance until they drop, drink until they pray to the porcelain god, and make antacid manufactures very happy for increased sales for the start of the new year. Sounds fun right? Guess we...

Merry Christmas and All That Jazz!

2011-01-06T00:50:54Z

From Thanksgiving through New Year’s Day, a magical thing happens; we are filled with joy, happiness, and good tidings. People are friendlier to one another (at least when they are not shopping!), drinking hot buttered rum and biting into perfectly decorated gingerbread cookies. It is also a time that brings us great wine and food to add to the festivities.

Happy Hanukkah!

2011-01-06T00:52:04Z

I wanted to wish all my readers that celebrate over the next eight nights -- Happy Hanukkah or Festival of Lights! Hanukkah 2010 runs from sundown December 1st through December 9th. It's a time of joy, wine, family, storytelling, hospitality, candles, and lots of food, fried food in particular -- you just got to love this holiday!

Happy Thanksgiving to All!

2011-01-06T00:53:28Z

Brine or not to brine? Pinot, chardonnay, rose, or perhaps you feel daring and try a Beaujolais with that turkey?? These are just some of the dilemmas and questions we face on this holiday and are written and talked about, sometimes over and over again. Today though is more important than that...

Another Look at “First Sip” Wine Event Happening Now..

2011-01-06T00:54:40Z

There are plenty of wine and food events this month all equally enjoyable. However, one that I feel close to is a wine event happening today and tomorrow in Lodi, California (Lodi/Woodbridge Appellation) called First Sip. Why of all the wine events happening do I chose this to single out? Well, it was 12 months ago that I wrote my first series of articles on WineFoodChat, just two months after establishing this website, and guess what? It was on this event. There are so many wine appellations in California it will make your heads spin. Outside of the ones most are familiar with, many more have some up and coming wines that can compete with the best of them anywhere

Time for Tricks or Treats — Happy Halloween!

2011-01-06T00:55:50Z

It is that time of year again when we feel a bit devilish and the witches among us come out (well perhaps for some it is a year round attitude!). It is also a time to enjoy all that is sweet in life -- candy.My preference is plenty of chocolate candy and with a nice strong bodied Cabernet thank you very much!

Michelin Guide 2011: San Francisco Star Ratings

2011-01-06T00:42:15Z

San Francisco Michelin Guide is out and among the 519 restaurants selected are those that received the coveted star ratings. As this is my hometown and eat out often, I am happy to see many of our favorites on the list. It also includes the Bay Area and Napa/Sonoma region as well. I have listed the restaurants receiving stars, some for the first time by area, price, star rating and provided links to their websites as i find this useful for menu information and to give you a feel for the place.

Wine Enthusiast’s Wine Star Award Winners are..

2011-01-06T00:44:12Z

The Wine Enthusiast's annual coveted Wine Star Award recipient's have been announced. Many in the industry classify winning this award to an Academy Award. Not sure if I would go that far, but it is indeed an honor to win for those representing the wine industry throughout the world. 2010 Wine Star Awards winners are:

Will Return to the Table Soon

2011-01-06T00:45:49Z

Just wanted to post this to let you know that I will be writing only a few if any articles over the next 4-8 weeks. We are going through what many families do when an elder father or mother needs skilled nursing care and all the issues that go along with that. Also wanted to write an article this month about something very personal, my experience with breast cancer several years ago as this is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. My hope is that I can get these out...

Wine and Food of Formula 1: 15th Race – Singapore Grand Prix

2011-01-09T03:22:53Z

This is the fifteenth in the series of nineteen articles on the 2010 Formula One Racing season about the Singapore Grand Prix. Not only recaps of last F1 race, but news and opinion of this race along with a bit of Singapore's culture, travel, its wining and dining, nightlife, things to do, and more..

To Darth Vader (oh, I Mean Facebook): You Have Problems – Part 1!

2011-01-05T20:10:51Z

There is a lot of aggravation with Facebook about security issues and their unfriendly environment of ambiguous and vague rules and regulations imposed on their users. The Facebook team is an elusive bunch of characters and quite frankly provides little for a user to express concerns on their platform. This is why I am using my website.

Wine and Food of Formula 1: 14th Race – Italian Grand Prix, Monza, Italy

2011-09-10T23:43:11Z

The race is held in Monza, a small town in Northern Italy in the Lombardy (Lombardia) region. It is one of the last of the original racing circuits and is the fastest. It has had some of racing history’s worst and deadliest accidents in the 60s and has been changed over the years to be less hazardous, but no less difficult. It is also among the most beautiful for spectators. Being the home of Ferrari, the Italians come from all over the country to route their team on. There is always an abundance of the color red and Ferrari flags; there is no mistaking where you are. It is one of the most well attended of the races as well. Lake Como is a short distance away and Milan is only 10 miles away. There is always plenty to do, eat, and drink in this area. Monaco is also within an easy drive, so you can have a bit of France too.

9/11 A Day to Never Forget

2011-01-06T01:37:29Z

I know it is hard to remember 9/11 because it hurts us all deeply. This is not a bad thing though as we cannot go through life ignoring that day and trying to make it go away. Remembering what happened on this day and how we all felt serves as a wake up call that we should never let our defenses down, not even for one minute. All I can say is that I hope that we are never attacked again. If terrorists try they will be facing, once again, a fierce and proud people that rally around one another like family and will not be bullied into submission. There is no wrath as strong as our country when united against a common enemy, in this case terrorists.

Shout Out and Thank You — WineFoodChat is One Year Old!

2011-01-06T01:41:35Z

Your loyalty means a great deal and you are deeply appreciated. YOU are why I have this passion to write and want to say thank you for the fun ride over the last twelve months. I hope in time there will be an opportunity for us to meet, we would all have a blast!