Ringraziamento Italiano
As T-Day draws nigh, emails run about 50/50 between requests for recommendations with various holiday food and inquiries into what's going to be on the table on Thursday at Vine HQ when the extended family gathers. Yep. The SPinC and I are hosting again this year.As in years past, we tried to find something a little unique to regale the 'rents with, and after some brainstorming, we came up with the idea of Italian-themed Thanksgiving. And after consulting with some of my nearest and dearest in the wine biz, we've got some pairings to nuzzle up next to the vittles. So...here's how it's (hopefully) going to play out. I hope folks are hungry:Antipasta: Va

Seven Hills Winery
The state of Washington's been pretty good to me lately. Not long after putting together my reviews for Maryhill Winery, I got a request from Emily Gordon at J.A.M. Public Relations, who was good enough to offer me the opportunity to sample the new vintages from Seven Hills Winery, one of the older wineries in the Walla Walla vinicultural area in Washington State. Now, by "older," I mean 1988 -- but still... Seven Hills native operation focuses largely on the major Bordeaux varietals -- Cabernet Sauvignon & Merlot especially -- but they've also included some other interesting blends and varietals. Winemakers Casey and Vicky McClellan also source grapes from select areas all

Ohio River Valley Barrel Tasting Tour
A little something for you to do after you recover from your tryptophan haze on Thanksgiving weekend. This release from our friends at Kinkead Ridge. The event is on Saturday, November 28th:Five Southern Ohio wineries have teamed up for the "Annual Ohio River Valley Barrel Tasting Tour." The winemakers at Harmony Hill Vineyards & Estate Winery (Bethel), Kinkead Ridge Estate Winery (Ripley), Burnet Ridge Winery (Cincinnati), Henke Winery (Cincinnati) and Woodstone Creek Winery (Cincinnati) will open their cellars to feature barrel sampling of unreleased vintages. Currently released award winning wines will also be available at the tasting counters for those inter

The Alphabet Soup Project -- "A"
When you write a column like this one, it's easy to fall into a rut. Therefore, interspersed among my normal columns, I've decided to initiate the Alphabet Soup Project -- where I wander letter by letter...and see what we come up with. So, to begin: A is for...alternatives. I like to break out of the usual mold of around-the-house varietals from time to time just to see what else is out there, especially when it comes to Italian wines, since they grow so many varietals that aren't really seen commonly on this side of the Pond -- or really anywhere else, for that matter. Those crazy Italians grow something in the neighborhood of 500 varietals of grapes that can

From the Mailbag -- peanut butter
Hello, everyone...In the interest of keeping the vine growing, I thought I'd post and answer some of the reader questions that I get from time to time, rather than waiting to do a separate mailbag column. So, to start us off, something from Vine reader Lynn A.:So what is the best wine to accompany peanut butter?(Creamy, not crunchy!)An interesting question, to be sure. Peanut butter...hmm...When I'm considering a wine pairing, the first thing I think about are what the major flavor characteristic are of a particular food. In this case, peanut butter would give you creamy and salty. What are the complementary flavor typ