Eat & Drink
This one snuck up on me. My first thought was, this is a wine reaching for the bleachers without the goods to back it up. A Chris Christie trying to be a Giancarlo Stanton. But with aeration, this turned out be a superior Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, one loaded with texture, sinew […]
Most of you know the story of Robert Mondavi’s trip to France’s Loire Valley, where he fell in love with the wines of Pouilly-Fumé. He later decided to christen his own production of Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc as “Fumé Blanc” – and the rest is history. Fifty years later, winemaker […]
Enjoy the mild early autumn weather and dine on the terrace at MarketPlace – the restaurant at the JB Duke Hotel. Executive Sous Chef Waitus Leake recommends this light-but-satisfying meal of Norwegian Steelhead salmon – a personal favorite – paired with rice “grits” from Columbia, South Carolina, and fresh grilled […]
I was telling my wife last night: “I would bet a tidy sum that I could identify a classic Rioja red tasting blindly.” There’s no other wine I know of that shares this fruit profile literally bathed in American oak. And today’s example certainly emphasizes this so very well. It’s […]
Sellerie Blume Counting House Head Bartender Kacey Liebes and Beverage Manager Jennifer Salomé concocted this floral, fruity and slightly savory gin cocktail, finding inspiration in black plums from the Durham Farmers’ Market in combination with a special ingredient: elderflower syrup. “[It] comes from Austria in very limited supply, only once […]
It’s no secret that Phoebe Lawless is a busy woman. Between her beloved Scratch on Orange Street downtown – which she now lovingly calls “Mama Scratch” … we’ll get to that in a second – and her months-old restaurant The Lakewood, she spends most of her time at the latter. […]
Like an ancient Greek scroll of the final exam for advanced quantum physics, wine lists can often be intimidating and unintelligible. Vouvray? Gewürztraminer? If every wine is supposed to have a year, what does “non-vintage” mean?* Even the most adventurous diners can end up feeling like the dunce at the […]
For years we’ve read about Trebbiano being an innocuous grape, devoid of character, the grape of endless Italian “biancos” from all over the country. But, in the right hands, this grape can produce a wine full of flavor and surprises. Today’s example from Masciarelli, in Italy’s Abruzzo region, presents carefully […]
Central Park School for Children (CPSC) kindergarten teaching assistant Liz Clark requires a course of action to get dinner on her South Durham table for her family: Jordan High School student Aidan, 14; CPSC student Avari, 11; and husband, Cary, who works at medical nonprofit International Society on Thrombosis and […]
Many of you are familiar with the bargain rosé produced by Mulderbosch Vineyards of South Africa. But among their other releases is a fascinating red that always receives lavish praise whenever I serve it to friends. Built on a Bordeaux model blend, “Faithful Hound” is sometimes criticized for being made […]
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