Wondering what wine to have with tonight's dinner? Or maybe you would like to choose dinner based on that wine you have been yearning to try.
Try out Natalie Maclean's interactive food and wine matching tool. You can search by food or by wine. It is fun and easy to use. Wine and Food Matcher
In the valley below the hilltown of Boonton, NJ lies a great wine store called Liquor Outlet Wine Cellars.
Ok I admit I am waxing poetic, but tooling my Saturn Sky up the steep drive into Boonton I couldn't help but reminisce of rides into Panzano, a hilltown in Tuscany, in our Alfa Romeo.
Boonton is a charming with many cafes and pubs. That's Panzano on the right. Boonton is below.
Liquor Outlet Wine Cellars is away from Main Street in a warehouse and factory area on Myrtle Avenue, close to Interstate Route 287. It stood out as a bright oasis.
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.
There is a growing numer of wines that are produced by smart wine marketers.
These have no particular vineyard as their source but are the product of what are called Negociants in France. Wine makers who buy grapes, vinifie and bottle and sell under their own name. The result, very often, is good inexpensive wine with very colorful labels.
Recently I tried a pair of Chardonnays.
There are many opportunities and resources for learning about wine in our area.
Here are some listings of the ones we like.
This Saturday we dined at home with friends. The menu was inspired by Rose Gray and Ruth Rogers' book Italian Easy, recipes from London River Cafe. A great cookbook that we use often.
The wine was from Amanti Vino.
On a spur of the moment impulse, Diana suggested dinner at Epernay Friday night. We dine at Epernay at least twice a year, tasting the fall and spring menu changes. This dinner was the best we have ever had at Epernay and we will be returning again soon, at least for the special Australian Wagyu (Kobe) Beef dinner they are serving on February the 19th.
Epernay has become a staple of the Montclair restaurant scene where the owners, charming host Courtney Papera and talented Chef Mark Papera serve up delicious classic French bistro cuisine with attentive service in a bright comfortable setting.
Dined at Table 8 with friends last night, at last. From the moment I stepped in the door I loved the place. Demetri has created a truly wonderful restaurant.
We ate early before attending a show at Montclair State, Kasser Theater.
A primary mission of Mano a Vino is the promotion of women in wine.
Here is an event you may enjoy by the NJ Chapter of Women for Winesense
Also take a look at our Wine by Women section, coming soon articles on Susan Sokol Blosser, Christine Hanna, Beth Nickel, Rosemary Cakebread and Kimberlee Nicholls.
Seems like we are always driving in NJ, never know when you might need to stop for a bottle of vino.
Here's a handy guide of some of the better places to try.
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