Mano a Vino

“Wine & Chocolate Wine Trail Weekend”, February 9 & 10

Garden State Wine Growers

Smooth, rich wine meets creamy, soul-satisfying chocolate for a romantic weekend on the verge of Valentine's Day. Join the participating wineries of the Garden State Wine Growers Association on February 9 & 10 from 12 noon to 5:00 pm to find out why when pairing wines with chocolate, your best bet is to match lighter, more elegant flavored chocolates with lighter-bodied wines; likewise, the stronger the chocolate, the more full-bodied the wine should be. Event Details

Magnolia's - Upper Montclair

For over 12 years my friend John Finkel has operated the fine wine store in Upper Montclair called Magnolia's.

Through their excellent selection of special wines, frequent participation in Montclair fund-rasing events and a great wine of the month club, Magnolia's has a loyal following.

New Wine Store in Lyndhurst

Leigh Haydon has opened a new wine shop in Lyndhurst.

Stopped by this past Saturday to check it out.

The store concentrates on Italian and California wines, but has good offerings from Spain, France and around the world. Saw several favorites and a few new gems.

OTBN 2-24-2007

Open that Bottle Night is just a few weeks away.

Created six years ago by Dorothy Gaiter and John Brecher, who write the Wall Street Journal wine column "Tastings", OTBN gives us an occasion to open a special bottle of wine that may otherwise sit too long.

New Jersey Wines

NJ wine production has grown over the years but the state has not yet gained great recognition as a source of fine wines. That is starting to change.

Garden State Wine Growers Association has been instrumental in the growth and sponsored a Wine Festival at Waterloo Village which we attended. Their next event, if you are interested in New Jersey Wines is a Wine Trail Weekend in July.  Alba Vineyard, one of the largest NJ vineyards, is sponsoring an event First Annual Festival of Wine on June 3rd and 4th.