Red White Boston

Champagne for Breakfast. But Only If You're King.

2010-07-13T07:07:00.000-07:00

Favorite tidbit about France before Bastille Day (July 14, 1789):

The King's breakfast before he went hunting consisted of four chops, a chicken, six eggs poached in meat juice, a cut of ham and a bottle and a half of Champagne.

Favorite tidbit about France after Bastille Day:

The Fête de la Fédération (July 14, 1790) was the most prominent of a series of events to celebrate the new state of France. People feasted for four days, drank way too much wine, and ran naked through the streets to mark their freedom.

Ah, France. What's not to love?

Here are a few ways close to home for you to get in the Bastille Day spirit.

WHAT: Bastille Day Tasting
WHERE: BRIX on Broad, 105 Broad Street, Boston
WHEN: Wednesday, July 14 from 5 to 7 p.m.
COST: $0

WHAT: Une Nuit à Paris (with GREAT music!)
WHERE: The Beehive, 541 Tremont Street, Boston
WHEN: Wednesday, July 14 from 5:30 p.m. to 2 a.m.
COST: $20

WHAT: All-Day French-Themed Celebration
WHERE: Petit Robert (Kenmore Square, South End, Needham) and Chez Jacky (Brighton)
WHEN: Wednesday, July 14 from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.
COST: See menu.

DAILY TIDBIT:

For decades, the Oregon wine industry has been peopled by Francophone winemakers and winery owners. Now, just within the past two years, the tables have turned. Evening Land Vineyards, for example, an Ameri-French operation with a French winemaker and wineries and vineyards in Oregon and California, expanded into Burgundy in 2008. Also, Oregon vintner Scott Wright made his first wines in France in 2008. Wright imports wines from Burgundy in addition to producing his own Scott Paul Wines in Carlton. (Source: The Oregonian)

Keeping It Fresh: Wine + Creativity

2010-07-12T07:04:00.000-07:00

Is it hard to write about wine every day in the Boston area?

Hmmm.

It is almost as hard as it is to drink wine every day.

In other words, not very.

That's because -- no matter how hot it is outside or how routine our day-to-day lives seem to get -- Boston restaurateurs (and their marketing minds) have always got their thinking caps on.

They get creative. They throw curveballs. And, if they really want to get us going, it won't cost us the world.

Here are a few of the more unique ideas to cross our desk lately. Click through. Check them out. Notice what sparks your interest.

Then go and toast creativity -- theirs and your own.

WHAT: Sweep Out the Wine Cellar event
WHERE: Troquet, 140 Boylston Street, Boston

WHAT: Sicilian Wine Barbeque
WHERE: Rialto, 1 Bennett Street, Harvard Square

WHAT: Late Night Eats, until 1:30 a.m., between $5 and $7
WHERE: Eastern Standard, 528 Commonwealth Avenue, Kenmore Square

WHAT: Backyard BBQ Wines + Dinner
WHERE: Ashmont Grill, 555 Talbot Avenue, Dorchester

WHAT: Cape Cod Restaurant Week
WHAT: Sandwich Restaurant Week

WHAT: Bastille Day Dinner with live French & jazz music
WHERE: Chloe American Bistro, 23 Main Street, Hudson

DAILY TIDBIT:

The scope of the subject of wine is never ending, so many other subjects lie within its boundaries... It embraces botany, chemistry, agriculture, carpentry, economics -- any number of sciences whose names I do not even know. It leads you up paths of knowledge and by-ways of experience you would never glimpse without it.

-- Hugh Johnson

Recommendation for the Weekend: Rosé, for Good Reason

2010-07-09T07:00:00.000-07:00

Today's email is not about an event or a contest or a new place to go.

It's just a recommendation, plain and simple.

A recommendation, that is, to drink some rosé wine.

Why?

Rosés had fallen out of favor there for a while but now they're back.

Big Time.

And they're especially nice for summertime drinking.

They're almost always served with a little chill to them.

They're dry, fruity, and they pair with a variety of foods.

They're made from any number of grapes, such as Pinot Noir, Zinfandel, Sangiovese and Syrah, though some are more esoteric. From northern Italy, for example, you'll find a rosatto (synonymous with rosé) made from the Refosco grape, known for producing spicy reds and dark fruit flavors.

Doesn't that sound interesting?

Drinking rosé this weekend is like taming time.

It's a little retro.

But this time around, your taste history will be rewritten.

DAILY TIDBIT:

Never be afraid to try something new. Remember that a lone amateur built the Ark. A large group of professionals built the Titanic. -- Dave Barry

Wanderlust, with Wine, After Hours at the Gardner Museum

2010-07-08T06:00:00.000-07:00

We're always on the look out for events that bridge something we don't know a lot about (e.g. jazz, race car drivers, hedge funds) with that thing we love (DRINKS) more than almost anything else.

Which is why we're giving you a heads-up on this one a full week in advance.

Next Thursday, the Gardner Museum brings the don't-know, such as music from DJ Coralcola, sketching, and talks in the galleries.

And they also bring the do-know, namely cocktails, snacks, and a café menu of both sweet and savory items.

It's called After Hours, and it is one very cool -- literally -- way to spend an evening doing something you don't normally do.

All while doing something you do normally do, like eating and drinking.

The eating: "courtside bites" that cost one little buck each.

The drinking: museum-inspired cocktails like the Madame Gautreau, named for John Singer Sargent's painting, Madame Gautreau Drinking a Toast (1882-83), currently part of the Gardner's collection. The cocktail is a blend of sparkling wine, grapefruit and pineapple juice, and a splash of grenadine.

Don't-know + Do-know = 1 Very fun night out.

WHAT: "After Hours" with music, contests, specialty cocktails and $1 courtside bites
WHERE: Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, 280 The Fenway, Boston
WHEN: Thursday, July 15 from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m.
COST: $12, $5 for students, $0 for members

DAILY TIDBIT:

Learning never exhausts the mind. -- Leonardo da Vinci

Multiply Your Wine Times Ten, at The Capital Grille

2010-07-07T09:50:00.000-07:00

Remember when you were a kid and more was ALWAYS better?

More sprinkles on your ice cream.

More fireflies caught in the jar.

More long, free summer days one after another after another.

Then somewhere along the way we got all... responsible.

We scaled back on the sprinkles. We decided just one or two fireflies (if any) was fine. And the string of free summer days has become severely truncated.

Sheesh.

Fortunately the opportunity presents itself every now and again to exercise the more-is-better extravagance once again.

This time it's even about the wine.

The Capital Grille in Chestnut Hill is in the midst of their Master Wine Tasting Event where, for $25, they'll serve you ten (10) different wines.

That is officially too many.

Then again, so were the sprinkles on your ice cream and you could never get enough of those either.

Let more be better.

Again.

WHAT: Master Wine Tasting Event featuring ten wines from California, Italy and New Zealand
WHERE: The Capital Grille, 250 Boylston Street, Chestnut Hill
WHEN: Now through July 25
COST: $25 for ten wines

DAILY TIDBIT:

There's something to be said about a glass half full. About knowing when to say when. I think it's a floating line. A barometer of need and desire. It's entirely up to the individual. And it depends on what's being poured.

-- Dr. Meredith Grey, in Grey's Anatomy

ooking Forward to Mid-Week Wednesday. It's Wine Night in Boston.

2010-07-06T09:52:00.000-07:00

Not sure what it is about Wednesday nights in Boston this summer.

But restaurants all over town are making it very easy for you to get over the hump.

Here are a few with wine-focused specialties going on for mid-week Wednesdays.

Pick one (or more).

Then plan your route.

And go.

WHAT: Wine-y Wednesdays
WHERE: Gargoyles on the Square, 219 Elm Street, Somerville
WHEN: All evening long.
COST: $15 for three wines off the list, $5 more for snack plate to match.

WHAT: Wine Wednesdays. Focus this week on the Loire Valley.
WHERE: Sel de la Terre Back Bay, 774 Boylston Street, Boston
WHEN: 7 p.m.
COST: $44 for four courses.

WHAT: Wine Wednesdays
WHERE: Rialto, 1 Bennett Street, Cambridge
WHEN: 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
COST: $0 for tasting from one bottle of red and one bottle of white.

WHAT: Burgers & Burgundy
WHERE: The Bristol Lounge, 200 Boylston Street, Boston
WHEN: All evening long.
COST: $30 for two half-glasses of Burgundy-ish wines and one Bristol burger

DAILY TIDBIT:

A fine beer may be judged with only one sip, but it's better to be thoroughly sure.

-- Czech Proverb

Celebrate the Fourth by Toasting Massachusetts (and Its Wine)

2010-07-02T09:55:00.000-07:00

You've probably heard that every United State produces its own wine.

We're not just talking the usual suspects, like California or New York or Virginia.

We're also talking New Mexico, Florida, Michigan and Vermont. Even Hawaii's gotten in on the act.

So this week-end, pour a glass of something patriotically significant to you.

Or -- if you're stuck because your local shop doesn't happen to carry, say, wine from your home state of Missouri -- pour something significantly local.

Look for bottles from these Massachusetts-based wineries. (These are just a few. There are plenty of others -- see the Daily Tidbit for more info.)

And declare your independence from the norm.

WINERY: Travessia
MILES FROM BOSTON: 59

WINERY: Westport Rivers
MILES FROM BOSTON: 57

WINERY: Truro
MILES FROM BOSTON: 109

WINERY: Running Brook
MILES FROM BOSTON: 57

WINERY: Nashoba Valley
MILES FROM BOSTON: 42

DAILY TIDBIT:

For a full list of wineries -- including those that also produce beers, spirits, and fruit-based wines from apples, plums, and others -- check out the Massachusetts Wine & Cheese Trails brochure, offered by the MA Dept of Agricultural Resources.

Wine Beer Spirits on Sale, Now Through the Week-End

2010-07-01T09:57:00.000-07:00

America has a pretty intense yes-no history with alcohol.

YES, we produce some damn fine beers, wines, and spirits.

But NO, sales on these products -- especially when it comes time to celebrate the country's birthday, for pete's sake -- should not be limited to any one category.

YES, shops all over Boston want you to buy wine for the holiday weekend.

But NO, you should not have to pay too much for it.

That, at least, is the philosophy of some shops around town today and for the next few days.

TODAY, for example, at Blanchard's in Jamaica Plain, wine, beer and spirits are on sale plus they'll be BBQing some good ole American hot dogs and hamburgers just for kicks.

And from now through Saturday, every wine -- every single wine -- on the shelves at Panzano Provviste e Vino in Southborough is on sale.

Time to stock up, even if your stock will go back down after this weekend.

God bless America.

WHAT: Wine, Beer & Spirits on Sale, Plus BBQ
WHERE: Blanchard's Wine & Spirits, 741 Centre Street, Jamaica Plain
WHEN: TODAY from 4 to 7 p.m.
COST: $0. Hot dogs and hamburgers available too.

WHAT: Storewide Summer Wine Sale
WHERE: Panzano Provviste e Vino, 154 Turnpike Road, Southborough
WHEN: Now through Saturday, July 3
DETAILS: Every wine in the store is on sale. Save 15% on 3+ bottles, 20% on 6+ bottles.

DAILY TIDBIT:

"A man will be eloquent if you give him good wine." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Stories and Wines from Women of the Vine, Free Event FRIDAY

2010-06-23T01:59:00.000-07:00

What we love most about wine are the STORIES.

Every bottle, every glass, every sip tells its own.

Which makes Friday evening's event especially appealing.

It starts with the stories -- of women winemakers, or "women of the vine."

It continues with tastes of the wine -- limited production and terroir-focused.

And it finishes with memorable impressions -- of the stories, the wines, and the award-winning women behind them.

Oh, and it's free too.

SEE YOU THERE.

WHAT: Tasting and Book Signing with Deborah Brenner, author of Women of the Vine
WHERE: Tatnuck Bookseller, 18 Lyman Street, Westborough
WHEN: Friday, June 25 from 6 to 8 p.m.
COST: $0

DAILY TIDBIT:

Women of the Vine is the first book written about women in wine that talks about the women themselves and not merely about their wine and the wine industry. It enters into their homes and their cellars.

This is not a book just for women, but for all people who desire to pursue their dreams, take chances, and create the life they want to live. It is not about ratings, scores, competition, techniques, or tasting notes. It is about the true pleasure of wine and what it means to so many of us.

-- From the Introduction to Women of the Vine

It's Summer and the Wine is Flowing: What To Do This Week-End

2010-06-10T16:35:00.000-07:00

Summer is here and the wine is flowing.

Today's email is a run-down of what's-up-where around town this week-end.

But it's far from an exhaustive list.

Which means you are bound to find more wine to-do's in your own neck of the woods.

(Find something, or know of something, you want to share? Please drop us a line.)

Go on. Find a few. Or make your own.

Just get out, breathe the air, and let it flow.

WHAT: Latin Music Fest with bands, dancers, outdoor grill and cocktails
WHERE: The Fireplace, 1634 Beacon Street, Brookline
WHEN: Saturday and Sunday, June 12 and 13 from 11:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., rain or shine
COST: $20 entrance fee in advance. Free food.

WHAT: Italian wine tasting with Importer Extraordinaire Jeannie Rogers
WHERE: Formaggio Kitchen, 244 Huron Avenue, Cambridge
WHEN: TODAY, June 11 at 5:30 p.m.
COST: $0

WHAT: Wine, Chocolate and Film
WHERE: The Wine Bottega, 341 Hanover Street, Boston
WHEN: Saturday, June 12 from 2 to 4 p.m.
COST: $10, includes a ticket to the documentary film Fresh, a wine tasting, and a chocolate tasting with Taza chocolate factory of Somerville.

DAILY TIDBIT:

From now until Father's Day, Blanchards Wine & Spirits is offering 25% off all non-sale wines in their locked display case. (Offer is valid in the West Roxbury, Jamaica Plain and Revere stores until June 12.) Go on. Splurge on something Dad will love. With any luck, he'll open it right then and share it with you!

Food and Wine Tasting Series at The Belfry Inne and Bistro

2010-06-01T02:40:00.000-07:00

Food and wine pairings are a many-splendored thing.

They're also a complete bugger.

Take as many flavors as you can pull out of a wine, then multiply that by as many flavors as you can pull out of a dish, and you've got close to the number of possible combinations of food-wine pairings.

Sheesh.

Good thing someone's thought this through.

Many someones, actually, have put pen to paper when it comes to getting a handle on what to drink with what you eat.

What they all agree on?

Take it one bite, and one sip, at a time.

Just like the folks at The Belfry Inne and Bistro in Sandwich are doing with their food and wine tasting series, every Wednesday evening from 6 to 7 p.m.

This week's focus is on Australian reds and the foods that love them.

You sip. You bite. You decide what works, what doesn't.

And then you go back for more.

WHAT: Food and Wine Tasting Series
WHERE: The Belfry Inne and Bistro, 8 Jarves Street, Sandwich
WHEN: Wednesdays from 6 to 7 p.m.
COST: $18

DAILY TIDBIT:

Virgin America airline has partnered with Wine Library TV's Gary Vaynerchuk on a new in-flight wine and food menu. Their first offerings? The 2002 Arrowood Sonoma County Merlot with a fruit and cheese plate and the 2008 Turnbull Sauvignon Blanc with a tropical fruit appetizer or the poached pear with hazlenut crisp cake.

The Hottest Party Cocktail Right Now

2010-05-24T04:23:00.000-07:00

This past weekend got you thinking about summer party season?

Us too.

Which is why you should know what the hottest party cocktail is right now.

Wait for it.

It's punch.

Yep. Punch.

Here's why: these days it's more about the conversation going on outside the glass than it is about what inside the glass.

With punch, there's no theater. It's there when you get there. All you do is put some in your glass, and then move on to more important things.

Like who you'll talk to next.

DAILY TIDBIT:

CHAMPAGNE PUNCH, courtesy of AllRecipes.com
Yields 35 four-ounce servings.

In a large punch bowl, combine the following:

One can frozen cranberry juice concentrate, one can frozen pink lemonade concentrate, one can frozen limeade concentrate, one bottle chilled white wine, one liter chilled carbonated water, and two bottles chilled sparkling wine. Garnish with one sliced lemon and 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves.

Dessert Pairings, with Beer, at Finale

2010-05-21T06:09:00.000-07:00

Lots of drinks go with dessert.

Like Port. Or Sauternes. Or sweet Sherry.

And then there's beer.

Beer?

Don't knock it till you try it.

Try it, in fact, on Monday evening at Finale in Coolidge Corner.

Try it -- beer with dessert, that is -- five different times in a very special, very unique tasting.

Pastry chef Nicole Coady puts up her five signature desserts.

You sip a different top-notch beer with each one.

Hard to believe that beer is an excellent match with dessert?

The proof is in the pudding.

WHAT: Beer & Dessert Tasting
WHERE: Finale Desserterie & Bakery (Coolidge Corner), 1306 Beacon Street, Brookline
WHEN: Monday, May 24 from 6:30 to 8 p.m.
COST: $19.99 per person

DAILY TIDBIT:

"After eating chocolate you feel godlike, as though you can conquer enemies, lead armies, entice lovers."

-- Emily Luchetti

Wine + Music, Free Concert + Free Tasting

2010-05-20T06:07:00.000-07:00

Sure, sometimes a sip of wine makes your mouth sing.

But a whole evening dedicated to the relationship between wine and music?

Call it an experiment. A very sensory one.

Tomorrow night at the Community Music Center of Boston, you'll hear instrumental music from Brazil (think 7-string guitar, flute, and mandolin) and you'll taste wines -- chosen specifically to pair with the music -- from Portugal.

Not sure what that means?

Neither are we, frankly.

But both our ears and our palates really want to know.

The event is free.

So, too, will your senses be once it's over.

WHAT: Wine and Music Concert (Wines chosen by CSW Jo-Ann Ross)
WHERE: Community Music Center of Boston, 34 Warren Avenue, South End
WHEN: Thursday, May 20 from 7 to 8 p.m.
COST: $0

DAILY TIDBIT:

"Music is the wine that fills the cup of silence." -- Robert Fripp

80 Cocktails at Clio

2010-05-19T06:04:00.000-07:00

Welcome to mid-week Wednesday.

It's a good time to check in: what's been exceptional so far this week, and what opportunities you still have for weekday exceptionality.

Need some inspiration?

Stop by Clio for dinner.

There are two reasons for this:

1. Their mid-week market menu, prix fixe. Three courses, Weeknights only. Fresh and seasonal. $49.

2. Their new drinks menu, including eighty -- 80 -- cocktails.

Drink outside the box.

Exceptionality awaits.

WHAT: Mid-Week Inspiration from Prix Fixe and Drinks Menu
WHEN: Mondays through Thursdays from 5:30 to 10 p.m.
WHERE: Clio, 370 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston
MORE INFO: Click here.

DAILY TIDBIT:

"Spend the afternoon. You can't take it with you." -- Annie Dillard

Yankee Homecoming Wine Tasting, 100+ Wines and Ipswich Ale

2010-05-18T06:01:00.000-07:00

For 53 years now -- more or less -- folks up in Newburyport have been organizing Yankee Homecoming. The program has evolved into a summer-long festival with everything from a Motown dance party to fireworks to an open house at the Plum Island Clam Plant.

And then there is the wine tasting, which happens this Saturday night from 6 to 10 p.m.

Just as Yankee Homecoming itself has been getting better and better each year, so too has the wine tasting.

This year's improvement?

A tasting of Ipswich Ale by the Mercury Brewing Company, which so happens has been named one the world's ten best beers by Wine Spectator magazine.

That's in addition to the 100 wines (put up by Leary's Fine Wines & Spirits).

And cheeses and hors d'oeuvres from local chefs and restaurants.

Time for a homecoming, Newburyport-style.

WHAT: Wine Tasting Extravaganza for the Yankee Homecoming Festival
WHEN: Saturday, May 22 from 6 to 10 p.m.
WHERE: Nicholson Hall, Newburyport
COST: $40. Tickets can be purchased online or at Leary's Fine Wines & Spirits.

DAILY TIDBIT:

Ipswich Ale was the first offering by the Ipswich Brewing Company when it was founded in 1991 by Paul Sylva and Jim Beauvais. Today the brewers, who expanded and are now known as Mercury Brewing Company, produce 47 different beers and 19 soft drinks.

Treasure Map to Wine, at Half Price, for the Spring Wine Fest. Limited Offer!

2010-05-17T06:19:00.000-07:00

Don't you wish you had a cheat sheet to the wine world?

Some sort of map - like you're on a treasure hunt - where X marks the spot of the perfect wine for you.

Sign me up! You think. Where do I get it?

At Cyclorama, the Boston Center for the Arts on Saturday night. It's what they'll hand you when you walk in the door there on Saturday night for the Spring Wine Fest.

And -- if you are one of the first 50 people to click through and purchase your ticket to the Wine Fest -- you'll get it at HALF PRICE. $29, specifically, for the regular price of $59.

Which brings us back to that treasure map.

They call it a passport and - get this - the Boston Event Guide will have arranged the whole space in front of you geographically so that it jives with the passport slash treasure map in your hand.

All that's left is for you to find your own X.

That's the hard part.

"Hard," though, is a relative term because you've got to taste the wines in order to know which is perfect for you.

Poor you.

WHAT: Spring Wine Fest, sponsored by the Boston Event Guide
WHERE: Cyclorama, Boston Center for the Arts, 539 Tremont Street, Boston
WHEN: Saturday, May 22 from 1 to 5 p.m.
COST: $29 for the first 50 purchasers (normally $59)

DAILY TIDBIT:

Hurry! This offer is good for the daytime event using code RWB before Wednesday, May 19 at Midnight. Hurry, space is limited and this will sell out fast!!

Find Wine at the SoWa Art Walk This Weekend

2010-05-14T06:16:00.000-07:00

Yep, the annual SoWa (South of Washington Street) Art Walk is this weekend, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

Which means you will get your springtime fix of artists and galleries both traditional and very much un-.

Yep, SoWa Sundays launch this weekend too, except just this once they should call it SoWa Sat-Sun because it'll be happening both days in their new permanent site on Thayer Street.

Which means you will get your springtime fix of local veg et al at the SoWa Food & Produce Market, a mainstay of Sundays in the South End.

And yep, you'll be able to drink. That is, you'll be able to sip your springtime fix of season-perfect non-fussy wines at BRIX -- the chix there will be opening their doors to quench your thirst in a special tasting on Saturday afternoon.

Which means all your fixes will have been, well, fixed. Especially once you see the list of participating South End restaurants.

That, clearly, makes your weekend plans done done and done.

At least for the daylight hours.

WHAT: Afternoon Tasting of springtime wines to coincide with the SoWa Art Walk
WHERE: BRIX Wine Shop, 1284 Washington Street, Boston
WHEN: Saturday, May 14 from 2 to 5 p.m.
COST: $0

DAILY TIDBIT:

"I don't follow recipes. I interact with them." -- John Thorne in Mouth Wide Open

Wine Dinners (and Lady Gaga) Up for Auction at WGBH. Clock's Ticking!

2010-05-13T06:13:00.000-07:00

It's true that the wine lots at the WGBH auction don't go up for a few days yet.

(We'll keep you posted on the details. Stay tuned.)

But right now on WGBH.org you can find auction lots that will interest you anyway.

Whether "what interests you" is a 2011 Volvo C30.

Or an Amtrak trip to Washington, with a two-night stay and a Pops concert.

Or loge tickets to Lady Gaga at the TD Garden.

And then there are the wine-related options, such as:

2010 Nantucket Wine Festival stay
Wine dinner for six at the Hungry I
Five-course wine dinner for six at La Morra
Five-course wine dinner for six at Upstairs on the Square
Etc Etc Etc

Check out the full list of options in the Chef's Tasting/Wine Dinners category.

And be sure to check out everything else too (restaurants, travel, art, fitness...).

There's A LOT. But the clock is ticking on time left to bid.

Best get on it.

WHAT: WGBH Auction Online
WHEN: NOW through Saturday, May 22
CATEGORIES OF INTEREST: You name it! See Wine Dinners and Restaurants for starters.

DAILY TIDBIT:

Though it isn't technically about wine, you may want to know about an event happening this Sunday at 2 p.m. at the Yiddish Book Center in Amherst. Jayne Cohen, author of Jewish Holiday Cooking: A Food Lover's Treasury of Classics and Improvisations, will talk about Jewish food in the New World since the early 20th century.

Pinot Noir Like You've Never Seen It Before, Tonight at Fresh

2010-05-12T05:57:00.000-07:00

It's perfectly understandable that you would attend tonight's event at Fresh simply for the skin care.

(That's what Fresh is, after all. Located right there on Newbury Street between Clarendon and Dartmouth, Fresh sells its own high-end fragrances, soaps, skin- and haircare products.)

It is, however, NOT perfectly understandable that you would attend tonight's event and skip the wine.

But what's wine doing in a skincare shop on Newbury Street, you ask.

Good question.

Here are two very good answers:

1. Tonight's event highlights Fresh's line called... wait for it... Citron de Vigne. The scent of the soaps, perfume, and lotions of Citron de Vigne is meant to evoke the Pinot Noir grape of the Champagne region of France which -- understandably -- so inspired Fresh's creative director.

2. You simply can't have a launch of Pinot Noir-inspired products without serving Pinot Noir. That's where Jo-Ann Ross comes in. She'll be the one pouring the wines (from Champagne, of course, and Burgundy) and sharing her love and passion for what makes Pinot Noir so intriguing.

In other words, it's an evening dedicated to Pinot Noir, both its essence and its flavor.

So go for the skin care. Stay for the wine.

Or vice versa.

WHAT: Citron de Vigne Wine Class
WHERE: Fresh, 127 Newbury Street, Boston
WHEN: TONIGHT from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
COST: $0
RSVP: Click here.

DAILY TIDBIT:

Fresh aren't the only ones to put wine and perfume together. Tom Ford's Black Orchid fragrance from 2006 contains Cognac oil, playing off what's luxurious and exotic. Citron de Vigne is said to be more subtle, but that's for you to decide!

Fine Wine Auction This Thursday. Free to Look.

2010-05-11T07:30:00.000-07:00

Part of the appeal of a wine auction is that it's just so gritty.

The bottles could be 100 years old. They could have been through the war (literally). They could have yellowed labels, or curled foil, or they could even be in pristine condition after some 40 years of solitary confinement in a cave in Burgundy.

Every bottle has a story. And every bidder at an auction has one too.

It's fun to watch these stories unfold. Which are bidding in order to complete a vertical? Which are bidding just to say they have a Petrus? Which are bidding because they actually intend to drink the wine?

Those are the ones to look out for.

Be one.

A watcher, that is, or -- better -- a bidder.

Because there are more deals to be had at wine auctions than you'd guess at first.

It just takes a little homework, and a little timing.

Just show up. This Thursday at 6.

Drinks after.

WHAT: Skinner and Lower Falls Wine Co. Fine Wines Auction
WHEN: Thursday, May 13 at 6 p.m.
WHERE: 63 Park Plaza, Boston
COST: $0 to attend or bid.

NOTE: Online preview is available, as is absentee bidding and online bidding

DAILY TIDBIT:

Here's another use for leftover red wine: use it in a caramel sauce. Make the caramel by bringing granulated sugar and water to a boil over medium heat. Then remove from heat, add the red wine, and cook again for a few more minutes. (Full, easy recipe is here.) Lasts a month! At least, it would if only it weren't so good drizzled over fruit sorbets, or as a dip for dark chocolate, or or or.

Hidden Gem for Wine (and Food) Lovers, on Marlborough Street

2010-05-10T02:16:00.000-07:00

So maybe you have heard about the Alliance Française, or the French Library, of Boston.

Its building sits, stately yet minding its own business, on the corner of Marlborough and Berkeley. What happens inside, for the most part, are French language classes -- for kids, teenagers, adults, all ages, all skill levels.

And then there are the wine tastings. And the cooking demonstrations. Both à la française.

This week there happens to be both. Quelle chance!

First the wine. For three Tuesday nights, starting tomorrow, award-winning sommelier (and notably unpretentious) Bertil Jean-Chronberg leads a class called "French Wine Demystified."

By that he means demystifying the wine itself, and pronouncing those funky French names.

(Like Merseault: mur so. Not so hard after all.)

Then on Saturday afternoon, bestselling author Elizabeth Bard offers both a talk about Lunch in Paris: A Love Story with Recipes and a baking demonstration.

It's all very French. Very helpful. Very delicious.

And very fun.

WHAT: French Wine Demystified (3-week session) + author talk and baking demonstration
WHEN: Wine class on Tuesdays, May 11, 18 and 25 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
WHEN: Author talk and baking demonstration on Saturday, May 15 from 2 to 4 p.m.
WHERE: Alliance Française (the French Library) of Boston, 53 Marlborough Street
COST: $60 per class for wine ($150 for the series), $15 for author/baking
RSVP: Call 617.912.0400

DAILY TIDBIT:

It's not only wine that sings
Olive oil sings too
It lives in us with its ripe light

--- Pablo Neruda, "Ode to Olive Oil"

The Friday Night Tango, Malbecs and Mojitos Too, at diseno bos

2010-05-07T02:09:00.000-07:00

Friday night.

Long week.

Need to blow off some steam.

Tonight, do it Latin style in an unexpected place with some unexpected company.

diseño bos in the South End is a home accessories shop dedicated to the warmth, richness and texture of life in South America.

Tonight they're opening a show by Argentine painters and -- true to the nature of diseño bos' owner's previous career in food, wine and hospitality -- they're serving up Malbecs and Mojitos just to be sure the mood fits the atmosphere.

As if you don't immediately feel the love the moment you step through diseño bos' door. But you'll see that for yourself.

Party starts at 6 p.m. It costs nothing to attend, and the discount of 20% extends to home accessories and furniture floor models.

Get your weekend off to the right style of start.

WHAT: Five-Course Dinner with Austrian Wine
WHERE: diseño bos, 409 Harrison Avenue, Boston
WHEN: TONIGHT from 6 to 8 p.m.
COST: $0

DAILY TIDBIT:

A Mojito is a traditional Cuban highball cocktail made of five ingredients -- white rum, sugar, lime, sparkling water and mint. Ernest Hemingway in particular had a thing for them and probably helped to their introduction to Key West.

Eleven Wines, Six Courses, Great Price: Austria TONIGHT at UpStairs

2010-05-06T02:07:00.000-07:00

Wine from Austria -- Austria -- just does not come our way very often.

Partly that's because Austria does not produce a huge amount of wine.

Partly it's because Austria has had a hard time finding a toehold in the American market.

And partly it's because the Austrian wine industry is still -- still -- recovering from the diethylene glycol scandal (don't ask) in 1985.

It's time to move on, people.

There is a veritable PARADE of young (and handsome, thank you very much) winemakers making waves in Austria these days and -- get this -- four of the best of them will be at UpStairs on the Square in Cambridge tonight.

Six courses. And eleven -- eleven (11) -- wines. For one bargain price (just $65).

Some of the grapes may have crossed your palate, like Gruner Veltliner and Zweigelt.

But some of them -- like Traminer and Gelber Muscateller -- are as unknown as, well, most wines from Austria.

Check out the full menu here.

Then RSVP, and prepare to get yourself up to speed.

WHAT: Five-Course Dinner with Austrian Wine
WHERE: UpStairs on the Square, 91 Winthrop Street, Cambridge
WHEN: TONIGHT at 6:30 p.m.
COST: $65
RSVP: Call 617.864.1933

Eric Asimov, chief wine critic at the New York Times, describes Austrian wines as "focused" and "utterly distinctive." Plus upwards of 70% of Austria's wine production in consumed inside Austria. In other words, here's your chance to taste more Austrian wines in one night than most people taste in a lifetime!

South African Wines at Blue Ginger in Wellesley

2010-05-03T02:05:00.000-07:00

Lots of buzz about South Africa these days and no, it does not all have to do with the World Cup.

It has to do with a country's wine business coming into its own. Not an easy task, especially not when said country is burdened by a lengthy history of questionable vine-planting decisions, especially when it comes to the reds.

Perhaps that's why Ming Tsai and Blue Ginger have partnered with Mulderbosch Vineyards out of Stellenbosch to put on a four-course wine dinner tomorrow night.

Mulderbosch is best known for their WHITES, as in Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay.

And Ming, being Ming-who-takes-wine-pairing-very-seriously, crafted his menu for the night to highlight the affinity of Asian flavors with these prime South African offerings.

Check out the menu. The food ingredients mirror those flavors and aromas that make high-quality South African wines so distinct.

Then sign up for the dinner.

And see what all the buzz is about.

WHAT: Wine DInner with Mulderbosch Vineyards
WHERE: Blue Ginger, 583 Washington Street, Wellesley
WHEN: Tuesday, May 4 at 6:30 p.m.
COST: $100
RSVP: Call 781.283.5790

DAILY TIDBIT:

"The US market is a very trendy one and people always look for something new, either a new varietal to sell or from a new growing region. South America has been covered and Spain is pushing hard as well, but I feel that the buyers and people here wants South Africa to do better and to be the next big thing."

-- Colyn Truter, Rietvallei Wine Estate, in an article posted April 29, 2010

The Human Side of Wine, at a Discount, This Week-End at Andover Liquors

2010-04-30T02:04:00.000-07:00

Plenty of wine shops around town give lip service to caring about their customers.

We want to get to know you, they say.

Look how unpretentious we are, they say.

We feel the pain of your budget crunch, they say.

But then they offer faceless communications that are difficult to understand and "sales" that don't save much of anything.

Enter Andover Liquors, for two big reasons that counteract all of the above:

1. Their brand new blog, with entries on topics like the importance of adventure in beer tasting; coveting whiskey; and scary sulfites. Spend just a few minutes on it, and your faith in Real People who write it and live it will be reaffirmed.

2. Their Cash and Carry wine sale that's happening this week-end, May 1 and May 2 only. This one hits you in the sweet spot that is your wallet. Pay cash for any wine and get 21% off. Use a credit or debit card and get 17% off. You get the discount whether you're buying a case or a bottle.

A wine store that gives you a significant discount AND communicates with you on a Real Person level?!

That's worth noting.

WHAT: New Blog and Cash and Carry Wine Sale
WHEN: Saturday and Sunday, May 1 and 2
WHERE: Andover Liquors, 209 North Main Street (Route 28), Shawsheen Plaza, Andover
DISCOUNTS: 21% if paying in cash, 17% if paying with a card

DAILY TIDBIT:

The first written reference to Champagne was English, not French. In 1676, Etherege wrote in praise of "sparkling Champagne" which, as he wrote,

Quickly recovers
Poor laughing lovers,
Makes us frolic and gay,
and drowns all our sorrows.

When One Wine Changes Your Life: Giampiero Bea at The Wine Bottega

2010-04-29T02:01:00.000-07:00

Every once in a long while, something happens that spins your world.

You catch a fly ball at Fenway.

A child comes into your life.

You witness an extraordinary act of kindness.

Something like that happens, the clouds part, and the way forward is clear.

For Kerri Platt, that something that spun her world were the wines of Giampiero Bea.

"They're why I'm doing what I'm doing today," Platt says, which happens to be owning The Wine Bottega in the North End, which happens to be where Bea himself will be visiting on Monday evening.

Will Bea's wines spin your world too?

You'll never know unless you try (for free, by the way).

But given Bea's track record for world-spinning, we doubt you'll emerge unscathed.

WHAT: Very special tasting and visit by Giampiero Bea
WHERE: The Wine Bottega, 341 Hanover Street, Boston
WHEN: Monday, May 3 from 5 to 6:45 p.m.
COST: $0

DAILY TIDBIT:

The Paolo Bea Winery is located in the hilltop village of Montefalco in the Umbria region of Italy. It traces its history back to the 16th century. Much of the harvesting is still done by hand, the farming is organic, and the wines are unfiltered. As a result, the wines are exceptionally expressive.

Mid-Week Grand Tasting, at Blanchards

2010-04-28T02:00:00.000-07:00

Love it when a local shop throws a wrench into the usual run of things.

Take Blanchards in West Roxbury.

They've decided to have a grand tasting, which is not so unusual.

The unusual thing is that they've decided to do it TONIGHT.

Mid-week.

On your way home.

Tasting -- think Shafer, Caymus, etc -- is free.

Purchases are not, but they are 20% off regular price.

Sounds like it's time to follow suit and throw a wrench into your own usual run of Wednesday-evening things.

WHAT: Grand Wine Tasting
WHERE: Blanchards, 418 LaGrange Street, West Roxbury
WHEN: TONIGHT from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.
COST: $0

DAILY TIDBIT:

"American consumers' right to order wine from out-of-state producers and have it shipped to their homes is again under siege, this time in the form of a bill introduced in the US House of Representatives that could end direct shipping of wine, beer and spirits in America and prevent the filing of lawsuits that have previously been successful in overturning discriminatory state laws regarding direct shipping."

-- Linda Murphy, writing on JancisRobinson.com, April 21, 2010

How 96-Point Wines Are a Value at BOKX 109 This Friday

2010-04-27T01:58:00.000-07:00

Walk into the Newton Vineyard wine dinner at BOKX 109 on Friday night and they'll hand you a glass (or two, if you ask nicely) of the 2008 Red Label Chardonnay.

Retail price: $20/bottle.

While you're getting settled, catch a server (or two, or three, it won't be hard) and indulge in the passed apps of poached oyster shooters, lobster & ricotta cavatelli, and wing confit.

Once you're seated, they'll place your first unfiltered wine of the night in front of you -- the 2007 Chardonnay -- to pair with the seared Petrale sole with spring peas and morel cream.

Retail price for the wine: $45/bottle.

Then comes the second course with another unfiltered wine -- this time it's the 2005 Merlot -- along with BBQ'd pork belly with Boston baked beans and sweet corn nage.

Retail price for the wine: $45/bottle.

Next up is Newton Vineyard's iconic Bordeaux blend, called The Puzzle (2005) at $78/bottle retail. It's matched up with Long Island duck served two ways -- smoked breast and confit thigh -- with melted leeks & lentil fondue in a red wine and shallot jus.

For dessert you'll drift back to the unfiltered wines with the 2006 Cab and a dark chocolate tart with drunken berries and toasted meringue.

Retail price for the wine: $40/bottle.

Is a $95 five-course wine dinner worth the price?

Here's what you'd pay otherwise, course by course (and this doesn't even include the food):
$20
$45

$45
$78
$40

You do the math.

Then pick up the phone and make your reservations.

WHAT: Newton Vineyard Wine Dinner, hosted by Dr. Su Hua Newton
WHERE: BOKX 109 American Prime, inside Hotel Indigo, 399 Grove Street, Newton
WHEN: Friday, April 30 at 6:30 p.m.
COST: $95/person + tax and gratuity

DAILY TIDBIT:

"The 2005 The Puzzle plays it closer to the vest than the 2004. It is a beautifully textured, pure wine, but obviously needs time. It won't be bottled for at least another year. The wine has a deep ruby/purple color and notes of subtle smoke intermixed with underbrush, black currant, cherry, licorice, and lavender. It is medium to full-bodied, has good acidity, and prominent tannins. Based on the way the wine was tasting when I was at Newton, this wine will need 4-5 years of bottle age [WHICH BRINGS US TO RIGHT NOW] and should drink well for at least two-plus decades."
-- Robert Parker

Four Cocktails for $30. A Whole Meal Too.

2010-04-26T01:55:00.000-07:00

Say you're out having a cocktail or two after work.

Before you know it, you've racked up a tab of almost $30, and that's just for one round for you and your buddy.

Cocktails these days can run on average between $12 and $15.

Ouch.

That's the pain that makes tonight's Classic Cocktails dinner at the Ashmont Grill such a bargain.

Four courses of food -- which is normal for Ashmont Grill's Monday Night Club.

For $30 -- which is also normal (for them, if no one else).

And a classic cocktail paired with each course.

Still for $30.

RSVPs are a very good idea.

WHAT: Monday Night Wine Club: Classic Cocktails
WHERE: Ashmont Grill, 555 Talbot Avenue, Dorchester
WHEN: TONIGHT, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
RSVP: Call 617.825.4300
COST: $30

DAILY TIDBIT:

"One martini is all right. Two are too many, and three are not enough."

-- James Thurber

Riesling 101 Tonight, Waltham

2010-04-23T01:53:00.000-07:00

Riesling, it needs to be said, needs a little help in the PR department.

Way too sweet, some say.

Smells like a gas station, others say.

Can't understand German wine labels, still others say.

And then they move on to something else in the wine aisle.

Yet the reality is this: some of the best Rieslings are bone dry and not sweet at all, the smell of petrol is characteristic of Riesling for good reason, and more and more Riesling comes from outside Germany though even the Germans are getting better at the easy-to-read label thing.

Get it all straightened out, and taste some very nice Rieslings, tonight at D&L Liquorsin Waltham.

It won't cost you a thing.

And you'll be doing Riesling a big, big favor.

WHAT: Riesling Tasting: Sweet to Bone Dry
WHERE: D&L Liquors, 850 Lexington Street, Waltham
WHEN: Friday, April 23 from 4 to 8 p.m.
COST: $0

DAILY TIDBIT:

"The exciting thing is that Riesling, though not native to New York, has a natural affinity to the region and can be used to make very good wine -- wine that's different from Rieslings made in Germany, the Alsace and Australia. We have lots of empirical evidence that this is true."
-- Anna Katherine Mansfield

Neal Rosenthal, in Person, at BRIX on Broad Tonight

2010-04-22T01:51:00.000-07:00

You're stumped.

You're standing in the wine aisle, facing 100 labels from Aligote to Zinfandel, and you simply don't know which to choose.

What to do? What to DO...?!?

Here's a tip:

Turn a few of those labels around.

Because that's where you'll usually find the name of the importer of the wine, and remembering the names of a few reliable, reputable importers is a lot easier than remembering labels from Aligote to Zinfandel.

Importers to Massachusetts that you'll want to tuck away in your memory (or in an iPhone note, whichever works for you) include Kermit Lynch, Oz Wine Company, and Becky Wasserman.

Then there is Neal Rosenthal.

When it comes to importers, Rosenthal and his portfolio are pretty much atop the heap.

Tonight, BRIX on Broadhas him all to themselves.

And to you, that is, for their walk-in Alive After Five tasting. The focus of the tasting was originally supposed to be a winemaker from Tuscany, whom Rosenthal represents. Since that winemaker got stuck behind the ash curtain, Rosenthal himself is filling in.

He's that kind of importer. And his wines are those kind of wines.

We suggest you get there early.

WHAT: Tasting from Neal Rosenthal's Portfolio, hosted by Rosenthal himself
WHERE: BRIX on Broad, 105 Broad Street, Boston
WHEN: Thursday, April 22 from 5 to 7 p.m.
COST: $0

DAILY TIDBIT:

"I think [the concept of terroir in wine] has been treated as an elitist game, when I think it really is tied more closely to the natural world. There is this strong anti-intellectual bent here in the United States. That is something that is unfortunate. I think it serves us very poorly. Being smart about something, getting the details right, should be applauded rather than denigrated. In this case, terroir is just another way of trying to understand the natural world."
-- Neal Rosenthal

Newton Vineyard (and Their 96-Point Wine) at BOKX 109

2010-04-21T01:49:00.000-07:00

This one's got FEISTY written all over it.

On the one hand, we love to hate Robert Parker and his 100-point rating system.

On the other hand, we do take notice when he scores a wine above the 95-point threshold (such as the 96 points he gave Newton Vineyard's 2005 Unfiltered Chardonnay).

Then there's the whole unfiltered-wine trend.

On the one hand, a little refining could go a long way.

On the other hand, we love the purity and the nakedness of it. (At the wine dinner on April 30 at BOKX 109, you can try Newton Vineyard's unfiltered Chard, Merlot, and Cab. Check out the full menu here.)

And then, just in case there wasn't enough contention in the mix, there's the issue of big-ticket events, "big ticket" meaning $50 and above.

On the one hand, there just isn't that much extra cash floating around our wallets these days.

On the other hand, if you're going to make a night of it, a 5-course meal plus wine pairings for each at BOKX 109 is a very good choice to spend it.

Sheesh.

Why don't you tell us what you think? One lucky winner, chosen randomly, will win two tickets for the price of one for the Newton Vineyard Wine Dinner at BOKX 109.

Send us an emailbefore this Friday at noon with your answer to these questions:

1. Do you value Robert Parker's rating system? Yes or no.
2. Do you like unfiltered wines? Yes or no.
3. Is $95 for a 5-course wine dinner worth it? Yes or no.

Pick a side. Put yourself in the mix. It just might get you a seat at one very feisty dinner party.

WHAT: Newton Vineyard Wine Dinner, hosted by Dr. Su Hua Newton
WHERE: BOKX 109 American Prime, inside Hotel Indigo, 399 Grove Street, Newton
WHEN: Friday, April 30 at 6:30 p.m.
COST: $95/person + tax and gratuity

DAILY TIDBIT:

"Wine makes daily living easier, less hurried, with fewer tensions and more tolerance."

-- Benjamin Franklin

The Best Way to Be Out to Lunch: Wine Specials at Smith & Wollensky

2010-04-20T01:47:00.000-07:00

Lots of special occasions to note this week, and Earth Day on Thursday is just one of them.

Tomorrow, FYI, is Administrative Professionals Day.

And whether you're doing the administrating or you're on the receiving end of it, you are officially encouraged to mark the occasion.

With lunch, say.

Especially when lunch includes a special deal on some very special bottles of wine.

Smith & Wollensky, for example, is opening their doors for lunch tomorrow -- something they do not normally do -- and they're opening their wine list as well to these two featured wines:

2003 Westport Rivers Brut "RJR" at $10 by the glass or $39 by the bottle, and

J. Lohr Cypress Vineyards (Chard, Cab, Sauvignon Blanc and Merlot) at $8 a glass or $39 a bottle.

Our advice?

Start with the Westport Rivers sparkler, because what's a special occasion without a flute and a toast?

Then move on to J. Lohr with your meal, whether that's the tenderloin steak sandwich or an entree salad or or or.

Then kick back. It's your day, after all.

WHAT: Administrative Professionals Day Lunch
WHEN: Wednesday, April 21 from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
WHERE: Smith & Wollensky, 101 Arlington Street, Boston

MORE INFO: Click here.

DAILY TIDBIT:

Q. What does wine do to you at lunch --

A. -- and what does the absence of wine do to you?

William F. Buckley, Jr., being interviewed in the Claremont Review of Books

Earth Week (and Biodynamic Wines) All Next Week at Bambara

2010-04-16T01:44:00.000-07:00

Earth Day turns 40 this year.

That's a big birthday.

But instead of getting all extravagant about it, Bambara Restaurantis reigning it in.

They'll be serving dishes composed of ingredients that come from very close -- to the ground, that is, and to Boston in general.

Such as Island Creekoysters from Duxbury, along with a mignonette made with wine from Westport Rivers.

And English peas from Verrill Farmin Concord.

And a main course of Berkshire pork shank.

Check out the full menu here. It's a little bit like a Massachusetts food tour, organic-style.

But notice the two bits that are right up top:

1. That this earth-friendly menu is available ALL WEEK, from Monday, April 19 to Saturday, April 24.

2. That wine pairings -- all from sustainable sources -- are a mere ten bucks extra.

Peace out.

WHAT: Earth Week Menu
WHERE: Bambara Restaurant, 25 Edwin H. Land Blvd., Cambridge
WHEN: Monday, April 19 to Saturday, April 24
COST: $45 per person, $55 paired with sustainable wine

DAILY TIDBIT:

"I'm like old wine. They don't bring me out very often, but I'm well preserved."

-- Rose Kennedy

Slow Food Founder Carlo Petrini, Sunday in Boston

2010-04-15T01:42:00.000-07:00

Boston hosts more than its fair share of big-deal speakers.

But for those of us who care about the sources of our food and drink, Carlo Petrini is one of the biggest deals of all.

Petrini was the one who in 1989 protested the first McDonald's to open near Rome's ancient Spanish Steps with no more than a bowl of macaroni in his hands and a fierce opposition to fast food in his heart.

That's when Slow Food and Slow Food Internationalwas born.

100,000 members in 132 countries later, Petrini and his iconic bowl of macaroni continue to inspire a resistance to fast food, fast life, and the disappearance of local food traditions.

This Sunday afternoon, he'll be inspiring 500 or so Bostonians in person.

Most of those seats are taken so here's what could be your last chance.

Petrini's talk is free and open to the public. He'll also be signing books alongside Woody Tasch, author of the similarly-spirited Slow Money.

Go. Be inspired. And never see a bowl of macaroni the same way again.

WHAT: Talk and Book Signing by Carlo Petrini
WHERE: Science Center Lecture Hall B, Harvard University, 1 Oxford Street, Cambridge
WHEN: Sunday, April 18 from 2 to 4 p.m.
COST: $0 but you must RSVP here

DAILY TIDBIT:

Edible Bostonmagazine, edited by the incomparable Ilene Bezahler, is the local publication that connects "consumers with local growers, retailers, chefs, and food artisans, enabling those relationships to grow and thrive in a mutually beneficial, healthful, and economically viable way." Check it out here.

Celebrate Local Food on Earth Day, Drinks to Match

2010-04-14T01:40:00.000-07:00

This is the best option we've seen yet for celebrating Earth Day, coming up on Thursday, April 22.

It's called Earth Dinner, it encourages folks to dine together on local food on Earth Day, it's sponsored by Chef's Collaborative, and there are more restaurants participating from Massachusetts than from any other state in the country. (Yep, that includes California. Check out the full list here.)

What especially caught our eye is that JJ Gonson, a personal chef at the helm of Cuisine En Locale, is also participating.

This is where it gets interesting.

Because when JJ participates, JJ PARTICIPATES.

In regards to Earth Dinner, that means 10+ courses of local food spread over a three-hour period.

It means the entrance fee of $60 covers it all -- the Earth Dinner plus the donation to Chef's Collaborative -- even though the actual value of the meal is more than twice that much.

Best of all, seeing that JJ is a highly sensible person, she's opened the BYO door, whatever Your Own means to you.

White wine? Bring it. Champagne? You bet. Apple juice? No problem.

Cuisine en Local is an equal-opportunity beverage supporter.

Good thing the planet, local food, and Earth Dinner are on their support list too.

WHAT: Cuisine En Locale's Earth Dinner
WHERE: We don't know yet. Seriously. Location details will be sent the day before to confirmed guests.
WHEN: Thursday, April 22 at 6:30 p.m.
COST: $60
RSVP: Contact JJ Gonson directly at 617.285.0167

DAILY TIDBIT:

Here's a resource to get you thinking about drinking local on Earth Day too. The Massachusetts Farm-Winery & Growers Associationhas put together a wine and cheese trail that features 21 wineries and 11 artisan cheesemakers, all in our fair state. Check it out.

RWB Contest and Special Discount on Limited-Availability Pinot Noir

2010-04-13T01:37:00.000-07:00

Calling all Pinot Noir lovers!

And Oregon wine lovers...

And Grill 23 lovers...

And people who love special access especially at a discounted price...

And all -- or even some -- of the above!

Tomorrow night at Grill 23, Bauer Wine & Spiritsis hosting a very special wine dinner featuring limited-availability wines from renown Anne Amie Vineyardsin Oregon's Willamette Valley.

Two of the wines, the last two of the dinner, are normally available only at the winery. A few of the others will be available in limited quantity only at Bauer Wines.

How does knowing this help you?

Red White Boston is offering a special $20 discount for the dinner to the first four of our readers who drop us an emaillisting the three things you love about Oregon Pinot Noir.

And voila!

You have yourself a seat at the dinner -- check out the full menu here-- for less than everyone else paid, and with the inside track on wines almost no one else can get their hands on.

Three things to love about Pinot Noir from Oregon. Send us an emailabout it.

Contest opens NOW.

WHAT: Anne Amie Oregon Wine Dinner
WHERE: Grill 23, 161 Berkeley Street, Boston
WHEN: TOMORROW, Wednesday, April 14. Reception at 7, dinner at 7:30 p.m.
COST: Normally $95, special discount of $20 to winners of this RWB contest

DAILY TIDBIT:

Anne Amie Vineyards are all Salmon Safeand LIVEcertified, with low yields and minimal treatments. The good folks in Oregon think about these things quite a lot and trust us, it's a good thing for the fish AND for the grapes.

Running Along the Charles + Wachusett Beer Afterward

2010-04-12T01:35:00.000-07:00

Let's say you've just finished a 5-mile run along the Charles.

(Which you can do with ease and lots of company on Monday evenings, thanks to the creative folks over at Social Boston Sports. It doesn't even have to be 5 miles. It could just as easily be 3 or even 7.)

Then you're thirsty.

And someone -- namely McGreevy's on Boylston Street -- offers you a pint of Wachusettbrew plus a few snacks.

For free.

Sound good?

Let's see. Exercise, plus socializing, plus fresh air, plus a pint of local brew afterward.

Sounds good indeed.

WHAT: Community Runs sponsored by Social Boston Sports
WHEN: Monday nights starting at 6:30 p.m.
WHERE: Runs leave from McGreevy's, 911 Boylston Street, Back Bay
AFTERWARD: Free pint of Wachusett and apps
MORE INFO: Click here.

DAILY TIDBIT:

Confucius once said that plain rice to eat, water to drink, and one's arm as pillow were quite enough for earthly happiness. Confucius was a wise and gentle soul... But he never tasted Champagne.
-- Ernst Hornickel

Marriage of Wine and Cheese TONIGHT at T.W. Food

2010-04-06T01:33:00.000-07:00

It is nearly impossible to walk out of a dinner at T.W. Food and not be thinking how much you like the place.

Maybe it's their neighborhood vibe. Small, comfortable, familiar, friendly, open.

Maybe it's the obvious dedication of the staff, which is also small (husband = chef, wife = wine and front of house), comfortable, familiar, friendly and open.

Maybe -- just maybe -- it's what you eat and drink while you're there. Both the menu and the wine list are focused and exceptionally well-edited and once a week, like tonight, they home in on the food and beverages of a particular region.

Tonight it's the Loire, specifically the cheese and wine of that lovely region of France.

True to form, the menu and the pairings cover more than the usual suspects of grapes and ingredients.

Sure there's Chenin Blanc, but there's also Cot. And sure there's Cabernet Franc, but there's also Gamay.

As for the food?

A Loire cheese is part of each option -- see for yourself -- and you can bet whatever options you choose will be spot on.

Call ASAP for reservations. That small dining room fills up quick.

WHAT: Tuesday Night Wine Series: Marriage of Wine and Cheese of the Loire Valley
WHERE: T.W. Food, 377 Walden Street, Cambridge
WHEN: Tonight from 5 to 10 p.m.
COST: $49 for four courses and four wines
RSVP: Call 617.864.4745

DAILY TIDBIT:

Since 1980, France's per capital consumption of wine has dropped 53%, from 91 liters annually to 43.

Mon Dieu.

Drink Wine, Make Friends, Get Out and About

2010-04-05T01:31:00.000-07:00

The thing about wine is its social-ability.

Whether you're out and about or sipping at home, you're almost always sharing the bottle or the glass or the experience with someone.

That's the best way.

The good news is that your options for the sharing part are limitless, especially here in Boston.

Here are a few of our favorite wine-oriented groups around town and their upcoming events.

Take your pick, or go all in. The possibilities -- for sharing, for new wines -- are endless.

WHO: Boston Wine Meetup Group
NEXT EVENT: Blind tasting at The Wine Bottega on Wednesday, April 21 at 6:30 p.m.

WHO: Cambridge Women's Wine Meetup Group
NEXT EVENT: Central Bottle Wine + Provisions on Thursday, April 22 at 6 p.m.

WHO: Salem Wine Women
FACEBOOK WALL: Click here.

WHO: WGBH Foodie Community
MORE INFO: Click here.

WHO: Boston Uncorked
SIGN UP: Click here.

DAILY TIDBIT:

Con pan y vino se anda el camino.

[With bread and wine you can walk your road.]

Spanish Proverb

Win Tickets (It's Easy) to Taste of Elegance at BU

2010-04-02T01:28:00.000-07:00

This is like the easy part of an Easter egg hunt.

We've got six tickets -- worth $40 each -- to Tuesday night's Taste of Elegance event at Boston University. And we want to give them away to Red White Boston readers for free.

Here's all you've got to do to get yours:

Before noon today, send us an email of 50 words or less describing your favorite pork dish of all time. And then tell us what wine you'd like to drink with it.

That's it.

First six respondents get one ticket each.

Couldn't be easier.

Plus you're getting your senses ready for Tuesday night. See below for more details.

If you don't hear back from us by 1 p.m., that means the six tickets have been given away to other readers. If you still want to go though, give a call to 617.353.9852 by 5 p.m.

WHAT: Taste of Elegance
WHERE: Boston University, Fuller Building, 808 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston
WHEN: Tuesday, April 6 from 6 to 9 p.m.
COST: Normally $40. Call 617.353.9852 by 5 p.m. today if you're not one of our 6 winners.

DAILY TIDBIT:

Here's what Taste of Elegance is all about: pork.

Here's who will be there: chefs from 13 of Boston's best restaurants. They are La Morra, Tremont 647, Top of the Hub, Catering on the Charles, The Fireplace, Gargoyles on the Square, Sel de la Terre, Rialto, Pigalle, Sweet, Eastern Standard, Lineage, and 51 Lincoln.

Here's what they'll be doing: putting up their best pork dish.

Here's what you'll be doing: digging in, listening to the live music, sipping two glasses of wine, and voting for "best dish" and "crowd favorite."

Gluten Free Menu + Flight of Beers at Tryst, Arlington

2010-04-01T01:24:00.000-07:00

A few months ago we ran an email about the gluten-free menu at Om Restaurant & Loungein Cambridge. It's an important topic but not, let's face it, terribly sexy.

At least that's what we thought at first.

Turns out that a whole contingent of Red White Boston readers -- more than we'd ever have expected -- wrote to say how glad they were for the information.

Well gosh, we were happy to oblige.

And here we go again: Tryst restaurant in Arlington announced yesterday that they've crafted their own gluten-free menu.

As in, grilled lamb porterhouse chops.

Cider-braised pork shoulder.

Orange polenta cake with pistachios and Prosecco spuma.

Check out the full offerings here, and then zip over to the cocktail menu too, because what good is cider-braised pork shoulder without a decent beverage alongside?

No need to risk it, especially not when gluten-free applies to the drinks too.

WHAT: New gluten-free menu available
WHERE: Tryst, 689 Massachusetts Avenue, Arlington
WHEN: Now!
FULL MENU: Click here.

Beer can be gluten-free too. Look for the following labels: Bard's Tale Beer, Ramapo Valley Brewery, New France Beers, Green's (UK-based), and O'Brien Premium Lager.

Wines from Spain in the Spotlight

2010-03-31T01:22:00.000-07:00

Latin flavors are in the air this week, from walk-around free tastings to sit-down wine dinners to free salsa lessons and 50-cent tapas.

Here's the what-where-when. All you have to do is be the who.

WHAT: Grapes of Spain tasting
WHERE: Wine Not Boutique, 170 Main Street, Nashua, NH
WHEN: Tonight from 5 to 7 p.m.
COST: $0

WHAT: Salsa Thursdays, with free salsa lesson and 50-cent tapas at the bar
WHERE: Masa Southwest Bar & Grill, 350 Cambridge Road, Woburn
WHEN: Thursdays starting at 8 p.m.
MORE INFO: Call 781.938.8886

WHAT: Spanish Wine Dinner to Benefit Habitat for Humanity
WHERE: Bocado Tapas Wine Bar, 82 Winter Street, Worcester
WHEN: Monday, April 5 from 6 to 9:30 p.m.
COST & RSVP: $75, rsvp@nichehospitality.com

WHAT: Prickly Pear White Sangria
WHERE: Masa, 439 Tremont Street, Boston
WHEN: Now!
WHAT IT IS: White wine marinated with strawberries, honeydew melon, fresh limes, lemons and oranges. Spiked with bourbon and brandy.

DAILY TIDBIT:

"Good communication is as stimulating as black coffee, and just as hard to sleep after."

--- Anne Morrow

Classic Cocktails TONIGHT at Estragon

2010-03-30T01:20:00.000-07:00

No promises that Damn the Weather cocktail will be on the menu tonight at Estragon's Classic Cocktail Challenge.

Bar man Eric Cross is making his way, after all, through 100 or so old school beverages, weather-inspired and otherwise.

That covers a lot of real estate, from turn-of-the-century to Prohibition and beyond.

Tonight's Cocktail Challenge, plus the resurgence of organizations like LUPEC (Ladies United for the Preservation of Endangered Cocktails), are proof positive that classic cocktails will never go out of style.

It isn't just that the cocktails themselves are eternally appealing.

It's also that the style is throw-back. Retro. Mad Men-ish.

It's that beverages of choice go in phases, and the tide of cocktails is on the rise.

And Estragon has a hundred or so ways to prove it.

WHAT: Classic Cocktail Challenge
WHERE: Estragon, 700 Harrison Avenue, Boston
WHEN: Tonight and every Tuesday until the 100 cocktails are up
MORE INFO: Call 617.266.0443

DAILY TIDBIT:

Damn the Weather cocktail:

2 ounces gin

1/2 ounce orange juice
1/4 ounce sweet vermouth
1/4 ounce orange curacao

Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Strain into a cocktail glass.

Single Malts + Belgian Beer, Two Nights This Week at Morton's

2010-03-25T01:18:00.000-07:00

Single-malt Scotch from Scotland. Traditional craft beers from Belgium.

It's practically National Drink Week at Morton's The Steakhouse.

No one's calling it that, but look at their calendar and you'll see why.

Wednesday, March 31: Tasting of The Glenlivet 12 Year Old, 15 Year Old, 16 Year Old and 18 Year Old Scotches.

Thursday, April 1: Tasting of Chimay Premier, Chimay Grand Cru, Chimay Cinq Cents, Chouffe Houblon IPA, Duvel and Duvel Green.

Each night Morton's will be putting up all kinds of hors d'oeuvres to pair with the beverages.

Each night a very helpful expert on the drink will be on hand to lead you through the tasting.

And each night's tasting runs from 6 to 7:30, which is that sweet spot of the evening after work but before you settle in for dinner.

Spend it with the Scots, or the Belgians, and walk away knowing a whole lot more about their National Drinks.

WHAT: The Glenlivet tasting this Wednesday, Belgian beer tasting this Thursday
WHERE: Morton's The Steakhouse, 2 Seaport Lane, Boston
COST: $49 for Scotch, $30 for beer
RSVP: Required. Call 617.526.0410

DAILY TIDBIT:

The Glenlivet distillery is known in some circles as "The single malt that started it all." And in addition to the beers listed above, Thursday's tasting will also include a Trappist beer, one of only seven in the world brewed by monks in an abbey or church.

Eat Drink Man Woman, Tonight in Cambridge

2010-03-24T01:12:00.000-07:00

Fifteen years ago, Ang Lee wrote and directed an Oscar-nominated film called Eat Drink Man Woman.

The story, set in Taipei, revolves around elaborate Sunday dinners put on by a master chef and his three daughters.

(Okay, really it revolves around their love lives but what's a good food story without a little love?)

It isn't a film you see around all that much but it's being screened tonight in Cambridge and you are invited. You are also invited to munch on dumplings throughout the movie (which is another activity you don't see around all that much.)

Drinks afterward -- beer? Gewurztraminer? baijiu?? -- are completely up to you.

WHAT: Screening of Eat Drink Man Woman, hosted by foodat24framespersecond
WHEN: Tonight at 7 p.m.
WHERE: 52 Oxford Street, Cambridge
COST: $0 though donations are welcome and appreciated

DAILY TIDBIT:

The film tonight will be introduced by Jen Lin-Liu, founder of the Black Sesame Kitchencooking school in Beijing and author of Serve the People: A Stir-Fried Journey Through China.

Sauvignon Blanc Three Ways, at Tastings

2010-03-23T03:16:00.000-07:00

Sauvignon Blanc looks innocent enough, with its pale yellow color and maybe a tinge of green here and there.

But then you put your nose in the glass. One sniff, and you know you're dealing with no rookie.

It's Sauvignon Blanc's aromas, maybe even more than its flavors, that are destined to express themselves come hell or high water.

Or, for that matter, a difference in terroir.

It isn't often that someone lines up three Sauvignon Blancs for you from three vastly different places, giving you the opportunity to smell (and see, and taste) the various personalities of this potent grape from around the world.

Tonight Tastings Wine Bar & Bistro in Foxborough is doing that for you.

They call it their Tuesday Tasting. It'll cost you $15 up front, but you'll get it right back when you stay for dinner.

Which you will definitely want to do.

Because the other thing Sauvignon Blanc is, is friendly to many of the foods on Tasting's exceptionally creative (and exceptionally local) menu.

WHAT: Tuesday Tasting: Sauvignon Blanc from California, New Zealand, and France
WHERE: Tastings Wine Bar & Bistro, 201 Patriot Place, Foxborough
WHEN: Tuesday, March 23 from 6 to 8 p.m.
COST: $15, which is credited toward your dinner

DAILY SIP:

The most salient characteristic of sauvignon blanc is its distinctive, penetrating aroma, which can evoke scents of grapefruit, lime, green melon, gooseberry, passion fruit, freshly mown grass, and bell pepper. Grown in cooler climates and in fertile soils promoting excessive vine growth, herbaceous smells and flavors can dominate the character of the wine, while in warmer regions, the melon, citrus and passion fruit aromas and flavors emerge. (Source: DrinkWine.com)

Spring Fling in Salem: Wine Food Beer Music, This Saturday

2010-03-22T03:13:00.000-07:00

Check out the list of folks involved in Saturday's Spring Fling in Salem, and you start to get a sense of what the event will be like.

Pamplemousse, whose owner used to produce big-ticket music events. She also carries a very thoughtful selection of boutique wines and local and European craft beers.

Magic Hat Brewing Company, based in South Burlington, Vermont, who post info on their website (and to their 32,000+ Facebook fans) about things like creating your own beer dinner at home and inspiring democracy through the power of music.

A&J King Artisan Bakers, who think making bread is more about technique and tradition than any ole recipe. (Check out the Daily Sip, below.)

The Upper Crust Pizzeria. We know you know who they are, but for the moment just remember their beer and wine list they developed to pair with their specific pizzas.

Start to notice a pattern? Or a few?

Top products.

Created with intention.

And all on display -- meaning, for consumption -- at the Spring Fling happening in Salem this Saturday.

Get ready to dig in.

WHAT: Spring Fling: A Celebration of Art, Food, Wine, Beer & Music
WHERE: Old Town Hall, Derby Square, Salem
WHEN: Saturday, March 27 from 6 to 9 p.m.

COST: $25. Click here to purchase.

DAILY SIP:

There's nothing like the smell of freshly baked Italian ciabatta. There's nothing like the crackle of the crust of a French baguette. There's nothing like pulling apart the layers of a hand-make croissant. There's nothing like a real sourdough flecked with roasted garlic, or the sheer joy of biting into a caramelized morning bun, still warm from the oven. And there's nothing like a small, artisan bakery to pull that off. -- A&J King Artisan Bakers, Salem

Events This Week-End at Venues We've Never Mentioned Before

2010-03-19T03:10:00.000-07:00

Call it the Red White Boston version of spring cleaning.

It's what happened this week, right around the time the sun started shining again, as we looked ahead in our calendar of bookings.

Suddenly there were events, and venues, and parties, and openings, and all sorts of fun beverage-related things sprouting up around town.

There's nothing new there exactly. But here's the thing: most of them were happening at places we've never been to before, or have (almost) never mentioned in these emails.

Which is why we're including them here today. And if you've got another something to add while we're at it? Just let us know.

Out with the old. In with the new.

Indeed.

WHAT: Weekly beer and wine & cheese tastings
WHERE: Menotomy Beer & Wine, 80 Broadway, Arlington
WHEN: Friday, March 19 (beer) and Saturday, March 20 (wine), both from 4 to 7 p.m.
COST: $0

WHAT: Weekly craft beer tasting: Coastal Extreme Brewing Company
WHERE: Bermans Fine Wines and Spirits, 55 Massachusetts Avenue, Lexington
WHEN: Friday, March 19 from 5 to 7 p.m.
COST: $0

WHAT: Post-Diluvian Grand Tasting, featuring wines from Oz Pacific and Charles River
WHERE: Andover Liquors, 209 North Main Street, Andover
WHEN: Saturday, March 20 from 2 to 6 p.m.
COST: $0

WHAT: Tasting of 2006 Joseph Phelps Insignia
WHERE: Lower Falls Wine Co., 2366 Washington Street, Newton Lower Falls
WHEN: Saturday, March 20 from noon to 4 p.m.
COST: $0 or $25 contribution to Haitian Relief / Partners in Health in order to additionally taste Insignia from 1994, 2002, 2005

WHAT: Monday Night Wine Club: Charles Smith's Modernist Project
WHERE: Ashmont Grill, 555 Talbot Avenue, Dorchester
WHEN: Monday, March 22 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
COST: $30 for four courses and four wines

Our Friends in Beer: Harpoon Beer Dinner at Finz, Salem

2010-03-18T03:05:00.000-07:00

There's a theory floating around that it's actually beer that pairs better with cheese than wine does.

The folks floating that theory know a lot about beer's nuances, like what adds to a beer's aroma or how to set off a beer's meaty, nut-like flavors or how malt impacts the decibel level of a beer's character.

They'd be the same folks who put together beer dinners, like the one happening next week at Finz on Pickering Wharf in Salem.

In this case, it's our friends from Harpoon.

And the menu for their beer dinner reads like a how-to of beer and food pairing.

Belgian Pale Ale with lobster potato skins.

IPA with beer brat corn dog.

Island Creek Oyster Stout with (naturally) oysters.

Imperial Red with Korean BBQ ribs.

UFO Raspberry with chocolate waffles and -- get this -- UFO raspberry-flavored ice cream.

By the end of this dinner, you'll be thinking there's a lot more than beer that pairs well with cheese.

WHAT: Harpoon Beer Dinner
WHERE: Finz Seafood & Grill, 76 Wharf Street, Pickering Wharf, Salem
WHEN: Tuesday, March 23 at 6:30 p.m.

COST: $34.99 plus tax + tip

DAILY TIDBIT:

"A wine landscape is an urban landscape." That's what they say about wine in Germany, because historically vines were an integral part of every German town, for reasons of both commerce and culture.

Irish Moonshine: A Stellar Reason to Raise Your Glass Today

2010-03-17T03:54:00.000-07:00

The Irish call their moonshine poitín.

And here's how they've been making it for centuries:

In remote rural areas away from the reach, or at least the vision, of the law. (Because distilling poitín has been illegal since 1661.)

On land boundaries, lying between one owner's property and another, so that the issue of ownership could be disputed. (Just in case some local garda came wandering past.)

On windy days so that the smoke from burning fuel would be dispersed and not draw attention.

And by widows, to give them a source of income.

There are lots of other media outlets where you'll find listings of ways to celebrate St. Patrick's Day all over Boston.

We'd rather give you a story and a reason wherever you are to raise your glass -- of Guinness, whiskey or, if you're really lucky, poitín -- to the perseverance and ingenuity of the Irish.

Sláinte.

DAILY TIDBIT:

Click here to hear a segment of Red White Boston's own Cathy Huyghe talking about the food and drink of Ireland with Brian O'Donovan, host of WGBH's Celtic Sojourn radio program.

Noodle Bar to Open at Blue Ginger

2010-03-16T01:52:00.000-07:00

Here are three things we love about Ming Tsai:

1. He comes out of the kitchen (sometimes) at Blue Ginger in Wellesley and sits at his own bar for a drink.

2. He learned to cook in a whole new way when his own children developed food allergies.

3. He talks to people -- regular people, famous people -- but keeps coming back to us regular folks.

Which is why, perhaps, he's decided to open a noodle bar for lunchtime service in the lounge of Blue Ginger, effective March 30. He'll do his own spin on regular-folks food like classic Ramen and stir-fried noodles but they'll be that much better.

Think Spicy Pork Miso Ramen.

And Garlic Miso Ramen.

And Yakisoba Stir Fried Noodles.

Mmmhm.

As for what to drink?

Check out Ming's own suggestions for wine, beer and cocktails to pair with his food.

Whether you have something with your noodle lunch (and why wouldn't you?), or if you come back for dinner and have it then, you will never be at a loss for just the right drink.

WHAT: Noodle Bar opens at Blue Ginger
WHEN: March 30
WHERE: Blue Ginger, 583 Washington Street (Route 16), Wellesley
WHAT TIME: Noodle Bar will be open from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

DAILY TIDBIT:

If you're at a tasting of red and white wines, and you know you're going to be tasting a lot of high-acid Rieslings (like those from Germany or New Zealand), drink the reds first. Otherwise the acidity from the Rieslings, if you drink those first, will send the tartness of the red wines through the roof.

Women's History Month, with Drinks, Around Boston

2010-03-15T04:57:00.000-07:00

The first things to know are that March is Women's History Month and March 2010 is the thirtieth year there's been nationwide recognition of it.

The next thing to know, of course, is how exactly to participate, celebrate, and raise a glass. Or two. Or twelve. (We're talking the whole month, after all.)

Here are a few of our favorite ideas.

Cin-cin.

WHAT: Mix up a Ladies' Cocktail, courtesy of LUPEC Boston and The Savoy Cocktail Book
HOW: Stir the following in a mixing glass with ice, then strain into a chilled cocktail shaker.
1.75 oz bourbon
0.25 oz anisette
0.5 oz pastis
2 dashes angostura bitters
1 pineapple spear

WHAT: Incorporating Patterns: New Work by Lola Baltzell, Karen Kemp & Maureen O'Connor
WHERE: Atlantic Works Gallery, 80 Border Street, Top Floor, East Boston
WHEN: Third Thursday Reception this Thursday, March 18 from 6 to 9 p.m.

WHAT: Tour the Boston Women's Heritage Trail
WHERE: Take your pick of neighborhood walks: North End, Beacon Hill, Back Bay, Chinatown, South End, Downtown

WHAT: Ladies Who Launch series resumes with guest speaker Swanee Hunt
WHERE: No. 9 Park, 9 Park Street, Boston
WHEN: Thursday, April 1 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.COST: $75. Call 617.742.9991 to RSVP.

DAILY TIDBIT:

According to the Adams Wine Handbook, women make up 52% of the adult population and purchase 57% of the wine consumed in the United States. They represent a huge market with great purchasing power that until recently has been overlooked. Women tend to be less influenced by wine ratings, as they tend to judge the entire product. Although wine quality is important to women, so are the label design, the bottle shape and the philosophy of the winery.

Boston Bartenders on the Rise, This Sunday at Green Street

2010-03-12T04:51:00.000-08:00

Maybe it's the name of their drinks.

Loose Translation.

Saving Daylight.

William of Orange.

Peralta.

Or maybe it's the chemistry of mixing things like homemade "golden" vermouth with Plymouth Gin, or Scorpion Mezcal with Allspice Dram, or Punt E Mes with Aperol.

Or maybe it's the showmanship (and showwomanship) of it all, these bartenders and their cocktails.

Whatever it is, it is sexy. And this Sunday, it's on display at Green Street in Central Square.

Boston Bartenders on the Rise and DrinkBoston are bringing together four of the city's most talented emerging bartenders to mix their specialty cocktails and mingle with the crowd.

Four bartenders. Four cocktails. Passed apps. And a whole lot of things sexy.

Grab your front-row seat. Reservations strongly recommended.

WHAT: Boston Bartenders on the Rise, featuring Emily Stanley of Green Street, Bob McCoy ofEastern Standard, Evan Harrison of Deep Ellum, and Carrie Cole of Craigie on Main
WHEN: Sunday, March 14 at 7 p.m.
WHERE: Green Street Grill, 280 Green Street, Cambridge
COST: $40
RSVP: Call 617.876.1655

DAILY TIDBIT:

"One revolution is like one cocktail. It just gets you organized for the next." -- Will Rogers

RWB Discount to New World-Old World Showdown at WGBH

2010-03-11T04:48:00.000-08:00

The only way to really GET the difference between an Old World wine and a New World wine is to taste them side by side, one after the other. Twodifferent wines, two different continents, but the same grape.

The problem is that, enjoyable and helpful as those opportunities are, they simply don't come along too often.

The brand new WGBH Foodie community is setting out to change all that.

Next Friday evening, March 19, they're setting up the Atrium of their beautiful studios in Brighton for a bit of a New World-Old World showdown. And you are invited to join in on a little friendly competition.

At a discount, no less. (Tickets normally cost $25 but they're $20 for RWB readers.)

First you'll taste Sauvignon Blanc from the Old World. Fifteen minuteslater you'll taste Sauvignon Blanc from the New World. Then you'll vote for your favorite.

Next you'll taste Riesling from the Old World. Fifteen minutes later you'll taste Riesling from the New World. Then you'll vote for yourfavorite.

They'll repeat the process with red wines too (Pinot Noir and Syrah). Theypour. You taste. We debate. You vote. Everyone wins.

It will be lively and fun and by the end of it you will -- finally! --recognize the difference between New World and Old World wines.

It's the perfect way to end your workweek.

WHAT: New World-Old World Showdown Wine Tasting
WHERE: In the Atrium of the WGBH Studios, 1 Guest Street, Brighton
WHEN: Friday, March 19 from 6 to 8:30 p.m.
COST: Normally $25 but $20 for RWB readers.
PURCHASE TICKETS: Click here.

DAILY TIDBIT:

The "warm-up" to this New World-Old World showdown will be a sparkling wine reception from 6 to 6:30 p.m. The "cool down" is a jazz performance starting at 9 p.m.

Corks & Forks at Shubie's: Focus on Greece

2010-03-10T04:46:00.000-08:00

Maybe you've have had dolmas and fatoush salad.

But what about Asirtiko Athiri?

Or Boutari Nemea?

Or Naussa Grande Reserva?

They would be the three Greek wines being poured tomorrow night at Shubie's in Marblehead.

And this would be the menu to go along with them:

Humus with pistachio oil
Dolmas with beef, pine nuts and currants, drizzled with fig syrup
Lavash with tuna tartare, olives, capers, pistachios and yogurt sauce
Falafel fried chicken with humus sauce
Fatoush salad with chopped vegetables and feta
Candied pecans

Unusual?

You bet.

That's why it's worth it.

WHAT: Corks & Forks Series, Focus on Greece
WHERE: Shubie's Marketplace, 16 Atlantic Avenue, Marblehead
WHEN: Thursday, March 11 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
COST: $35. No RSVP required.

DAILY TIDBIT:

The average age of a French oak tree harvested for use in wine barrels is 170 years.

Spring Wine Fest 2010, Two-for-One Special This Week Only

2010-03-09T04:43:00.000-08:00

So, yes, May 22 is a ways away.

But here's a very good reason to think about it now: saving 50% off your ticket to the Boston Event Guide's Spring Wine Fest that's happening that day.

The Wine Fest happens in two parts: an afternoon tasting from 1 to 5 p.m., and an evening tasting from 6 to 10 p.m.

Either way, that's four hours of festivity -- including wines, foods, and a whole lot of socializing -- for you and another very good friend for $39 (afternoon tasting) or $49 (evening tasting) all in.

Chances are pretty good that, even two months from now, you will still think that's one heck of a deal.

Except this offer won't be available two months from now.

It ends this Friday, March 12.

Get on it. Then take your good sweet time choosing your lucky buddy.

WHAT: Spring Wine Fest 2010, sponsored by the Boston Event Guide
WHEN: Saturday, May 22 from 1 to 5 p.m. and 6 to 10 p.m.
WHERE: Cyclorama at the Boston Center for the Arts, 539 Tremont Street, Boston
COST: $39 for two tickets to afternoon session, $49 for two tickets to evening session
SPECIAL NOTE: Offer ends this Friday, March 12.

DAILY TIDBIT:

A substance called Mother of Vinegar helps turn wine to vinegar the same way a sourdough starter helps turn flour and water into bread.

Taste of the South End TOMORROW

2010-03-08T04:39:00.000-08:00

To know the South End is to love the South End.

(Especially if you're a food-and-wine kind of person. Or a design kind of person. Or a fashion kind of person. Or or or.)

Tomorrow night, for a mere two and a half hours, the who's who of the food-and-wine South End comes to you.

On a plate, as it were.

Taste of the South End kicks off at 7 p.m. By 7:01 p.m. you, your appetite, and some 40+ restaurants -- not to mention a whole lot of other hungry folks -- will be jockeying for position at the Cyclorama at the Boston Center for the Arts.

Not that this is a bad thing by any stretch. Not with restaurants like Hamersley's, Toro, and Tremont 647 offering up their fare to all comers.

It's just that it will be a lot of ground to cover in two and a half hours.

Best to keep it simple.

Know. Love. Eat.

Then love some more.

WHAT: Taste of the South End, a Benefit for AIDS Action Committee
WHEN: Tuesday, March 9. VIP admission from 6 to 7 p.m. General admission from 7 to 9:30.
WHERE: Boston Center for the Arts, 539 Tremont Street, Boston
COST: VIP admission $150, General admission $95
MORE INFO: Click here.

DAILY TIDBIT:

"Here's looking at you, kid."

-- Humphrey Bogart, with a glass of Champagne, toasting Ingrid Bergman in Casablanca.

Minds Matter Soiree + Berkshire Mountain Distillers = RWB Discount

2010-03-05T04:34:00.000-08:00

Fun fact of the day: Berkshire Mountain Distillers is the first legal distillery in the Berkshires since Prohibition.

More fun fact of the day: they're the liquor sponsor for the second annual Minds Matter Soireehappening this week-end, which means they'll be serving up their hand-crafted vodka, gin and rum cocktails at their open bar, alongside beer from Sam Adams and Narragansett.

Most fun fact of the day: they're offering a $20 discount to the Soiree for Red White Boston readers, who will still be contributing to Mind Matters' goal of pairing volunteer adults with inner-city Boston public high school students to help them prepare for and apply to college.

That's the deal.

Buy a ticket (at a discount).

Drink vodka etc (made with Berkshire spring water).

Help a kid get to college.

All while you Soiree the night away.

WHAT: Second Annual Minds Matter Soiree, co-sponsored by Berkshire Mountain Distillers
WHAT ELSE: Open bar, food, live music, dancing, silent auction
WHERE: Artists for the Humanities Center, 100 W 2nd St., Boston
WHEN: Saturday, March 6 from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m.
COST: $115 minus $20 for Red White Boston readers
MORE INFO: Click here.

DAILY TIDBIT:

Check out the How2Heroes video about Berkshire Mountain Distillers, their distillery, and the manufacture of their products.

Restaurant Week Tips for Wine Folks

2010-03-04T04:31:00.000-08:00

We're already hearing that Restaurant Week reservations are booked up in certain locations unless, of course, you wanted to have your $20.10 lunch at 10:45 a.m.

And we're hearing about restaurants offering Restaurant Week menus and prices all month long. That's an up side of a down economy -- a buyer's market for food lovers.

But what we hear more than anything is, Where should I go?

A few suggestions are below. You'll see why.

WHERE: Gaslight Brasserie, 560 Harrison Avenue, Boston
WHY: The price of dinner includes a glass of wine.

WHERE: ROCCA Kitchen & Bar, 500 Harrison Avenue, Boston
WHY: $30.10 wines, $20.10 pitchers of cocktails.

WHERE: Buona Vita, 450 Massachusetts Avenue, Arlington
WHY: 20% off wine by the bottle, a different selection each day.

WHERE: Aquitane French Bistro, 569 Tremont Street, Boston
WHY: Optional wine pairings, $18.

WHERE: Beacon Hill Bistro, 25 Charles Street, Boston
WHY: Dessert wine pairing, $20.10. Optional wine pairing, $19.

The official run-down of Restaurant Week in Boston goes like this:

WHEN: March 14 to 19 and March 21 to 26

HOW MUCH: 2-course lunch for $15.10, 3-course lunch for $22.10, 3-course dinner for $33.10

WHO'S IN: 216+ restaurants. Check out the full list.

WHAT ELSE: The folks behind Restaurant Week have teamed up with vendors to offer special packages on theater tickets and hotels. So you can really make a night of it, from soup to nuts.

Watch Videos, Win Wine Dinner, Taste Malbec

2010-03-03T04:28:00.000-08:00

Here's what you do.

1. Watch this video of Gary V. talking about Malbecs from the Old World. (He talks about lipstick, cranberries, raspberry jam sandwiches, and the Patriots too.)

2. Watch this video of a producer of Malbecs from the Old World talking about coming to Boston for his tasting this week-end.

3. Grab your ticket for the tasting on Saturday evening at the Bulthaup Design Studio, so you can taste what they're talking about. Bonus: use the code RWBCAHORS for a special discount for Red White Boston readers.

3. Tell us, in 50 words or less, why you'd like to try Old World Malbecs. The best answer winsone of only twelve seats at dinner with the winemaker at Sel de la Terre in the Back Bay after the tasting. The winner's dinner will be free.

4. Want to grab a seat at that table anyway and take no risk? Good for you. Let us know that too and we'll add your RSVP.

Watch videos. Taste Malbec. Win dinner.

Done done and done.

WHAT: Discount to Old World Malbec Tasting
WHEN: Saturday, March 6 from 5 to 7 p.m.
WHERE: Bulthaup Design Studio, 200 Boylston Street, Boston
COST: Normally $25, $20 for RWB readers with the code RWBCAHORS
RSVP: Click here.

DAILY TIDBIT:

Philippe Lejeune, the Old World producer in the video, has a cool history with Boston. Back in the day, when he was a young engineering intern, he came from France to work at Teradyne in North Reading, MA. He promptly invented a systems solution for semiconductors -- right -- then patented it and eventually built two companies, including Galaxy Semiconductors where he is still CEO. He bought Chateau Chambert in 2006 and has been making wine ever since alongside Stephane Derenoncourt, one of the most in-demand consulting winemakers in the world today.

The Very Best, and Very Affordable, Way to Spend a Long Lunch, Smith & Wollensky

2010-03-02T04:25:00.000-08:00

Imagine, come lunchtime one day this week, hanging up the Gone Fishin' sign at your cubicle.

Imagine traisping over to the castle that is Smith & Wollensky in the Back Bay.

Imagine sinking into the luxe seat at your special table and settling in for the spread -- and we do mean spread -- of lunch plus of t-e-n (10) tastes of wine.

Luxe seat. Luxe locale. Luxe spread.

Not a luxe price.

How non-luxe?

How's ten dollars for those ten tastes of wine sound?

Pretty crazy if you ask us, but we'll leave the figuring up to the Smith & Wollensky accountants.

In the meantime, all you need to do is figure out what you're going to eat alongside those ten tastes of wine.

Oh, and make a reservation. Pronto. Because Smith & Wollensky's Wine Week is already underway, it only lasts until Friday, March 5, and it's only available for lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Ten wines. Ten bucks. Plus lunch.

Gone Fishin', indeed.

WHAT: Wine Week
WHERE: Smith & Wollensky, 101 Arlington Street, Boston
WHEN: Now through Friday, March 5 from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
COST: $10 for ten wines. Price of lunch is additional.
RSVP: Highly recommended. Call 617.423.1112 or reserve online.

DAILY TIDBIT:

Here's a bit of advice for tasting ten wines in one sitting, according to the folks who judge wine competitions and taste 75 to 100 wines a day. Their secret? They spit. That is, they look, smell, taste, and evaluate the wine, and then they spit it out.

If spitting out your wine isn't really your idea of a happy lunchtime experience, but you still should try and get some work done in the afternoon anyway, remember to sip leisurely (take your time, savor each taste, maybe take a break between whites and reds), eat as you drink, stay hydrated, and go into it with a strategy. That is, consider the list of wines being poured, decide which you'd really like to focus on (the Pinot Noirs, say), and spend more time (and more sips) on those.