Subject: Wine

• Business Class On A Budget

  The Los Diablos Times just chimed in (read: posted an AP release) on the luxurious conditions of John Mark Karr's flight to California. Karr, in case you're allergic to the 24-hour news cycle, is the guy who says he killed six-year old beauty queen (a truly shudder-worthy compound adjective) JonBenet Ramsey. It's said he apparently knows apparently secret details about the murder scene. He'll stay for an indefinite period of time - fathers, lock up your daughters! (No, really. I mean it.) It'll

  August 20, 2006

• Q: What Happened When the Grape Got Stepped On?

  A: It let out a little wine. Non-alcoholics who saw Sideways and wondered what all the fuss was about now have their own shot at tasting fancy grapeage -- First Blush appears to be grape juice made from them thar fancy-like fruits whut the French use for alkyhol. Cabernet and Chardonnay, minus the buzz, "gently flash pasteurized." This was actually sent to Gustavo in the mail rather than me. People know better than to send me something non-alcoholic. (See free crap behind cut.)

  August 10, 2007

• Thursday's Headlines & Surprises: OC Judge Slaps Guv

  Will a murder inmate defeat the Guv? Orange County Superior Court Judge Kazuharo Makino — a quiet, often-expressionless fellow who is married to a court reporter — ruled yesterday that Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger was wrong to deny parole to Delbert “Dale” Chrittenden. The inmate was found guilty of second-degree murder in 1988 and sentenced to 17 years to life in prison. In Makino's view, the Guv abused his discretion by ignoring Chrittenden's post-crime deeds as hailed by the often-

  August 16, 2007

• Wine & Ice Cream Tasting

  When I first heard about the unusual pairing of wine and ice cream, honestly it sounded like a stomach ache waiting to happen. Then again, I'm one of those people who likes to try weird and possibly gross food, so I decided to check it out. The four-course tasting was held at the Wine Gallery in Corona Del Mar, and I have to say it was a little weird, but not gross at all. The pairings were complex and absolutely delicious. I snagged one of the menus, in case any of you have adventurous p

  August 31, 2007

• To Do Tonight - 11/28

  SCIENCE AND THE UNIVERSITY: AN EVOLUTIONARY TALE PART III, 5pm Lecture on science, security and control Crystal Cove Auditorium located at UC Irvine BREAD WORKSHOP, 6:30pm Cooking class. Sur la Table, 832 Avocado Ave., Newport Beach, (949) 640-2330 A VINEYARD IN TUSCANY: A WINE LOVER’S DREAM, 6:30pm Wine, appetizers and guest speaker, Ferenc Mate, who wrote A Vineyard in Tuscany: a Wine Lover's Dream. Latitude 33 Bookshop, 311 Ocean Ave., Laguna Beach, (949) 494-5403 JOHN HEFFRON, 8:30pm F

  November 28, 2007

• To Do Tonight - 02/11

  TRAVELING LIGHTS, 5 p.m. Luminous art by Enrique Chiu. C1D GALLERY, 441 E. 1st St., Long Beach SIERRA CLUB VALENTINES SOCIAL, 6:30 p.m. Music, pizza, sparkling cranberry juice, environmentally-friendly folk. Costa Mesa Community Center, 1845 Park Ave. Costa Mesa S.I.N. MONDAYS, 10 p.m. Service Industry Night with resident DJ Danny Love. Fury, 4221 Dolphin Striker Way Newport Beach WINE TASTING: STAFF FAVORITES, 5 p.m. Taste Five Salt Creek staff wine picks for $15. Salt Creek Wine Company, 3

  February 11, 2008

• To Do Tonight 4/23

  April 23, 2008

• Last Night: First Annual Ambrosia Wine Fest

  July 20, 2008

• Venison Benison

  April 3, 2003

• What President Obama Had For Lunch

  You know what annoys me most at awards shows? The constant yacking about who's wearing what, who was the best dressed, and who was worst. Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn. Obviously, I'm no fashionista; I'm a foodie. And if you're reading this, you are too. So while I did not care who designed Michelle Obama's dress, I did want to know what our new President ate at his Inaugural Luncheon. The Official Inaugural Website has the menu, including a link to the recipes, should you want to

  January 20, 2009

• The C Word

  No, not that one. I'm talking about Champagne. Or, rather, the lack of it. Picture it: Cedar Creek Inn, Brea, Valentine's Day dinner. I was already mentally black-marking the restaurant for informing me just the day before, when confirming the reservation, that there was a "strict two-hour table time limit." My irritation was heightened further when we arrived, bang on time, only to be told there was a 20-minute waiting time. Gee, maybe that strict time limit wasn't so strict after all. (As it t

  February 16, 2009

• Classy Stuff--This Time At Charlie Palmer, Bloomie's

  OK, so Marché Moderne's cooking classes are all booked up - as I noted last week. But if you're quick off the mark you can sign up for one of the "kitchen technique" classes at Charlie Palmer at Bloomingdale's, South Coast Plaza. According to our sources, they're likely to sell out very quickly.Running from April through August, the classes--which have marvelous names such as "Poaching--The Lost Art"--cost $75 per person, but that also includes a three-course meal in the restaurant. Two are bei

  February 26, 2009

• Booze News: Next Vintage Wine Shop's 50 For 50 Events

  I'm not advocating that we all reach for the bottle during these stressful times (if a recent study is to be believed, even one small glass of wine a day can increase a woman's cancer risk), but for those of us who like an occasional top-quality tipple but who balk at the high prices, there's good news.There are a ton of local wine deals and--to repeat that overused word--"experiences" in Orange County right now, and we'll be blogging about as many as we can manage. First, we kick off at the hig

  March 30, 2009

• Booze News: WineStyles Celebrates A Year at Orchard Hills

  Head to the Orchard Hills Village Center in Irvine this Friday, April 3 (5:00pm-10:00pm) and Saturday, April 4 (2:00pm-10:00pm) for WineStyles' first birthday bash.Expect free wine tastings, raffles, gift certificates, complimentary wine-tasting coupons, bottles of wine and accessories--plus live music from guitarist Jerry "Righteous Brother" McFarland. Guests can also join WineStyles' wine club for just $1 in April (instead of the usual $34.99; for that you get two bottles of wine a month).Acco

  April 1, 2009

• Former Capo Unified Superintendent Didn't Report Swanky Spa Getaway

  March 12, 2009

• Red Orchid Restaurant Grand Opening

  October 30, 2008

• California-Wine-History Saga 'Bottle Shock' Isn't Quite Ripe

  August 7, 2008

• Grape Expectations

  July 17, 2008

• Shout Wipes!

  June 12, 2008

• This Hole-in-the-Wall Life

  November 16, 2006

• Silly Ladies

  September 28, 2006

• Melts in Your Mouth, Not in Your Hand

  June 15, 2006

• 'Definitely Not Vintage'

  March 9, 2006

• In Vino Veritastic

  January 19, 2006

• Evenings of Wine and Coke

  July 7, 2005

• Less Whining By More Wining

  April 7, 2005

• Shopping Bagged

  December 2, 2004

• Rare Vintage

  November 4, 2004

• This Week in Frenching

  September 2, 2004

• This Week in High-Class Grubbing

  August 19, 2004

• Tax Shelters, Riding Crops and Grand Marnier

  November 27, 2003

• Kiss My Cassoulet!

  April 3, 2003

• Expensive Tastes

  June 20, 2002

• Whine

  February 28, 2002

• Fellini-esque

  August 30, 2001

• Pacific Rim Job

  August 3, 2000

• Champagne Curiosity

  July 20, 2000

• Angels & Demons, Food & Wine

  For those Dan Brown fans who can't wait till Friday to see Angels & Demons, which surely has to be an improvement on The DaVinci Code, fear not: an advance screening is being held on Thursday night in conjunction with Fleming's Steakhouse in Newport Beach.  Okay, it's $45 per person, but for that you get an appetizer reception of posh nosh and a wine tasting. And not just any old wine tasting, but the "Red Carpet Vintage Release" of the

  May 11, 2009

• Tippling Treats This Weekend (And Beyond)

  Now that Lent is but a distant memory, we can take to the bottle again without fear of recrimination.Tomorrow, Saturday April 25, sees two wine events taking place locally: The first is at WineStyles in Irvine (Portola Parkway) from 4:00pm to 6:00pm, where you can taste up to six wines for just $5. (The same event runs on Thursday, April 30, from 6:00pm to 8:00pm). If you've more cash to splash, there's the "50 for 50" sale at Charlie Palmer's Next Vintage Wine Shop, which I recently blogged abo

  April 24, 2009

• Fresh & Easy Has A Difficult Road Ahead

  Tesco, the UK supermarket behemoth, has just announced record pre-tax annual profits of £3.13bn ($4.5bn), which is surprising, given that the UK is in the middle of a raging recession.What's not surprising--to me, anyway--is that Fresh & Easy, Tesco's US operation, has, at the same time, made a loss of £142mn ($205mn).I recently revisited Fresh & Easy, after a disappointing first trip last year. This time, I was impressed with certain items, such as bags of salad that were outstandingl

  April 23, 2009

• Reminder: 50 for 50 Event at Charlie Palmer on Saturday

  If you're celebrating Memorial Day at home but need some top-class booze to liven up your dinner, head down to South Coast Plaza between 3:00pm and 5:30pm this Saturday, May 23, for the second of four scheduled sales at the Next Vintage Wine Shop, inside the Charlie Palmer restaurant in Bloomingdale's. As I mentioned previously, these events are a chance to get your hands on top wines at half price. The first event in April was a sell-out, and I'm not surprised. Okay, you have to take i

  May 21, 2009

• Stars Of Santa Barbara--And Other Upcoming South Coast Plaza Wine Events

  Charlie Palmer's monthly 50 for 50 sell-off, with bargains aplenty, has come around again. It's this Saturday, June 13, from 3:00pm to 5:00pm, in the Next Vintage Wine Shop.Antonello Ristorante has started a "wine mixer" once a month, featuring eight wines for $30 per person, followed by a sale of wines at retail prices. The next one, showcasing a trio of Napa Valley wineries, takes place on Friday, June 26, from 5:00pm to 7:00pm. Reservations are required: call (714) 751-7153--as is business ca

  June 9, 2009

• Brasserie Pascal Is the Restaurant Pascal Olhats Has Been Waiting to Do

  July 2, 2009

• Top Chef Masters Sneak Preview Party at NapaStyle, Tuesday July 14

  South Coast Plaza's "handcrafted home goods and artisanal foods" store, part of a chain owned by chef Michael Chiarello, will host the event to celebrate his appearance on Bravo's Top Chef Masters the following evening.As well as winning several Emmys for his Food Network shows, Chiarello has written several cookbooks and also owns a family vineyard and Bottega restaurant, both in the Napa Valley.The event, held from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., will include a sneak preview of the episode, a tasting of the

  July 2, 2009

• Recipe: The Winery's Zinfandel Braised Bone-In Prime Beef Short Ribs, Carrot Pearl Couscous and Roasted Asparagus

  Here's a recipe that's more elaborate than others we've featured recently. It's from the Winery Restaurant & Wine Bar in Tustin (where Yvon Goetz is Executive Chef and Partner), so it should come as no surprise that a whole bottle of the drink of the gods is a key ingredient. And if you can get your version to look as good as his, you deserve a second one.Ingredients (serves four) For the short ribs:4 1lb short ribs, bone in1 bottle Zinfandel1 qt veal stock2 tsp vegetable oil1 cup flour

  July 15, 2009

• Cooking for a Cause

  July 16, 2009

• Two Upcoming Wine Events (One Tomorrow)

   First up, Saturday July 25, is the monthly 50 for 50 event at the Next Vintage Wine Shop next to Charlie Palmer at Bloomingdale's, South Coast Plaza. From 3 to 5.30 p.m., around 30 top wines and champagnes will be sold off for half their original price. Expect some stunners among the bargains. There'll also be nibbles to soak up the samples, and sommeliers on hand for advice.Then, next Wednesday, July 29, Sage on the Coast is hosting a Wine Tasting Dinner, where Kathleen Spillane of Domain

  July 24, 2009

• Tasting Party At Laguna Canyon Winery Tonight

  ​The winery, whose tipples were awarded four medals at this year's OC Fair wine competition, holds the event every month. (In September, also look out for the fab-sounding Annual Barrel Tasting Prime Rib Dinner Event).Tonight you'll get to sample the winners (a Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec and two sparklers), as well as Italian grub (sausage and peppers! risotto!), while classical guitarist Payam Larijani will be strumming away in the background, easing your digestion. Entry is $35 per pers

  August 7, 2009

• Free Wine Tastings at Resort at Pelican Hill From Tonight!

  ​It's not often that you'll see "free" and "Pelican Hill" in the same sentence, so grab the chance while you can. From this evening, OC residents can enjoy Vertical Ladder Wine Tastings plus hors d'oeuvres in the resort's Great Room. What on earth is a Vertical Ladder Wine Tasting, you ask? Weeell, it's when different vintages from the same winery are poured (as opposed to horizontal wine tastings, which feature wines from the same vintage but different wineries).On tonight's menu: Planeta Win

  September 10, 2009

• Meet Winemakers of Bodegas M.

  September 24, 2009