If you think you’re tired of pumpkin recipes this fall stop right there! Pumpkin doesn’t have to just go onto sweet things (though I am a sucker for pumpkin pancakes and pumpkin muffins). We’ve had some delicious meals this fall by simply roasting up pumpkins on the smoker. Try using pumpkin in savory dishes like these raviolis. The things you can do with a pumpkin and a smoker are just glorious. They work similar to how you would roast any fall or winter squash in the oven. You can cut it up into halves or quarters, or you can cube them, and then roast them in the smoker vs. oven on a lower h ..read more

After my brief time in Croatia I headed to a region in Northeast Italy I had never been before — Friuli–Venezia Giulia (Friuli for short).  Friuli’s tourist board describes this land best in this description: Alps and the Adriatic symbolize the two extremes of a multi-faceted and changing landscape, Italian, Slavic and Germanic cultures meet in a sort of melting pot of traditions, languages and religions. You can feel this, see this, and taste this when you visit Friuli. I’ve had many of the wines, seen pictures, and read about it, but spending nearly a week traveling through this region ..read more

I had the pleasure of being one of the judges at the 2016 Cascadia Wine Competition, held at the historic Columbia Gorge Hotel in Hood River, Oregon. I’m always excited to be part of events like this to taste new wines I may have otherwise overlooked. It’s also a great opportunity to meet new folks in the industry. [feast_advanced_jump_to] It’s not always easy judging with other people who can often have vastly different palates, levels of experiences, and wine preferences. I’ve been a part of panels and judging situations where opinions were very different and one judge’s preferences may hav ..read more

I have some exciting news to share. I’ve been published in Wine Enthusiast Magazine! My piece, which can be found in the “Last Drop” section of the print magazine and online, is about a topic I’m all too familiar with — Traveling to wine country with my 5-year old twin boys. Now, without giving too much away (stop what you’re doing and read the full story!), I will share this: One of the best (and probably the only useful) words of advice I received when I was pregnant with twins (and I received A LOT of advice) was, “These kids are coming into YOUR lives, not the other way around.” “These k ..read more

I must confess something. Gewürztraminer is something I’ve never had any interest in. I’d even go so far to say it was my least favorite wine ever (whether a stand alone wine, or blended in with other grapes). Key word = “was” My problem with many of the Gewürztraminers I’ve had over the years is their tendency to be oily, sweet, and über floral. I’m talking potpourri floral. Like the fake stuff you’d buy at the dollar store, or what you might find in your friends bathroom back in the 80’s as an air freshener. Those are the worst offenders. And I’ve had so many examples that are too sweet and ..read more

The second in a series on the difference between Champagne and other Sparkling Wines of the world. Make sure to start here, then head back to find out more about sparkling wines of the world, styles of sparkling wine, and where they are produced throughout the world. Are you ready to pop some bubbly?! [feast_advanced_jump_to] Champagne vs. Sparkling Wine In part I of our Champagne Series we defined what exactly Champagne is and how it is produced. In this post I hope to explain the different styles of Champagne and sparkling wine, and introduce you to sparkling wine made in oth ..read more

Learning how to pair Wine and Food doesn’t need to be scary or intimidating. By understanding just a few key tips, you can learn how to pair wine and food like a pro, simply by learning some of the basics. [feast_advanced_jump_to] As a food and wine writer and author of Fire + Wine cookbook, I’m often asked advice on pairing wine and food. And while I love to geek out beyond the fundamentals in some of my classes and events and delve into the subject, I decided to keep this simple and focus on the basics. So this post is dedicated to my friends and family who don’t have time to come to o ..read more

Smoked Butternut Squash Soup topped with smoked bacon and fried sage is the perfect fall soup. Butternut squash is roasted in the smoker and then blended for this comforting dish, but can easily be roasted in the oven too. You’re going to absolutely love this smoked soup! [feast_advanced_jump_to] I firmly believe that anything you can cook in the oven or on the stovetop you can do in a smoker, and it will be so much better (not to mention more fun!). This goes for roasting vegetables. Traditional butternut squash soup starts with roasted butternut squash in the oven, then pureeing it into a c ..read more

“Dad taught me about passion. I want to keep that alive and spread that passion that he had.” Passionate is how Page Knudsen Cowles, Partner and Managing Director of Knudsen Vineyards, describes her late father, Cal Knudsen, founder of Knudsen Vineyards — one of the Willamette Valley’s most known and treasured vineyards. Cal Knudsen was among the first pioneers to plant vineyards in Oregon in the early 1970’s, and the first in the state to plant at a large scale (large by Oregon that is, while most were planting 2-3 acres at a time, Cal was planting 20-30). Though the name Knudsen has become ..read more

GAIA Winery, located on the east coast of Santorini, overlooking the sea, is the home to excellent wines made from indigenous Greek grape varieties. It’s also the home to quite possibly the oldest vineyard in the world. In this video and transcript Yiannis Paraskevopoulos, oenologist and owner of GAIA Wines, explains the uniqueness of vineyards in Santorini and why he believes them to be the oldest living vineyards in the world. Background On my last day in Santorini, several years ago our group was lead by Yiannis Paraskevopoulos, oenologist and owner of GAIA Wines, on a tour of what he beli ..read more