Here is a project I’ve worked on during my short time so far in China. I spent some time documenting the ongoing situation in the Sichuan Province as we approached the first anniversary of last year’s earthquake. In addition, here are some photos from…

Yikes, it’s been over a month since my last blog post. I’ve been keeping rather busy with my job, spring yard work, the family and other obligations. Sadly, those distractions have allowed time to slip away from me. That can be a dangerous thing.I used…

A project I’ve worked on during my short time so far in China. I spent some time documenting the ongoing situation in the Sichuan Province as we approach the first anniversary of last year’s devastating earthquake.

I’m going to brag just a little bit here. We have a few wines at our stores that are so rarely found in the United States that if a Sommelier from someplace else saw them, they’d be amazed we had them. We don’t sell much of them except over our website to collectors or wine enthusiasts. But I thought you might be interested to know what little gems of the wine world are available right here in Fredericksburg:

Veuve Fourny Ratafia de Champagne – Almost never seen in the U.S. Ratafia isn’t even really a wine. Most Champagne houses make one but usually sell it on site, or you might be able to find some in Parisian wine shops. It’s a blend of Brandy made from Champagne grapes (usually Pinot Noir and/or Chardonnay) and unfermented juice from these grapes. It’s usually drunk as an aperitif or after dinner drink. Citronelle in DC serves this wine (they get it from the same importer we do).

Dal Maso Gambellara Recioto Classico – Any wine from Gambellara, a small zone in the Veneto region of Italy, is not often seen. This kind even less so. Recioto is a style of dessert wine similar to Sauternes, where a fungus called botrytis attacks the grapes and sucks the moisture out of them. The juice from these grapes is thus very concentrated.

Bodegas Carrau Tannat Amat – This red wine is from Uruguay. Uruguayan wine is just barely coming into the U.S. market, and this one is as fine an example as you’ll find anywhere. Better than California Cabernets that cost two or three times as much. Tannat is a French grape that these days is mostly used for blending, but it has found a happy home in Uruguay, where wines made from this grape are deep and expressive without being too tannic.

We have a few more too but for the sake of space I won’t delve too deep. I will say though that if you’re ever looking for a good gift for a wine enthusiast don’t do what most people do, which is ask to see our California wines. Ask us for our little gems that most people look at and then walk right by.

Here is a great article about decanting wine, what purpose it serves and what it doesn’t do. I don’t agree with some people quoted in the article that any red wine benefits from decanting. I can tell no difference with younger reds that are not meant to be aged. The study at the end seems to confirm this.

Wandering Buddhist temples. Chengdu and Pongzhou, Sichuan Province, China.

Pongzhou, Sichuan, China.

Let’s slow down our frenetic lives and save a few dollars along the way with suggestions from this New York Times article. Be brave!

“MOST people don’t look for adventure in supermarket meat bins. But those cuts with baffling names and alluring prices fascinate me.

Beef chuck deckle, $1.99 a pound! Beef chuck seven-bone steak, $2.69!

The mystery of these cuts’ labels, I learned, was what kept down their price. With the right techniques, a lot of unfamiliar meats in the supermarket can be more delicious than more expensive cuts.”

The author goes on to describe how to prepare each cut, recipes included. Don’t forget that many slow cooked meats are gifts that keep on giving — great bones for soup, broths, and — ta da! — leftovers, noshing! Who needs a daily 30 minute meal/chore when you can cook once and the food can be used with imagination and good taste for the next 3 days?

I know a lot of us don’t cook this way anymore, or at all (you really should work on that!). But aren’t some of your best memories from your mother’s or grandpa’s home — the Sunday morning pot roast aromas, the pies on the counter?

Really. Usually when a recipe says it takes 30 minutes, what they mean is that it will take you 30 minutes to cook it. They don’t count the prep time. This recipe really can be done in 30 minutes. I know because I tried it last Sunday. It’s delicious and kids will like it too if they’re familiar with Chinese food already. You can also substitute other meats for the beef. Use already peeled shrimp and the recipe is even easier.

For the ingredients, I recommend 5 Mile International Foods, an Asian grocery store over by 5 mile fork. They have good oyster sauce and Chinese Broccoli, stuff you can’t find in regular grocery stores. They also have lo mein noodles. In fact, if you’ve never been there you really should check it out. It’s not pretty but they have all sorts of cool stuff. Here’s a link to google maps showing you how to get there. Make a left on Old Plank Road and then a left on Cherry Road. Shortly after you make a right into a little shopping center where you will find the store.

Headed to the countryside recently…many hours in a bus behind a dirty window, occasionally looking out.