by Ron Kapon
Two of life’s most satisfying libations- a great glass of wine and a freshly brewed cup of coffee. One of my pet peeves is the poor quality, or improperly made, coffee I have endured over 45 years of eating in restaurants. I remember the quality and freshness of the food and the selection and pricing of the wine service. The last impression I have of the restaurant is the coffee service, good or bad. Coffee and wine tasting terminology are very similar. Estate coffee is sold in whole bean form as opposed to supermarket brands sold in cans or jars. Flavor, acidity and body are the three fundamental tasting terms. Flavor is the total impression of aroma (the odor or fragrance of the brewed coffee); acidity is the brisk, snappy quality that makes it refreshing; body is the weight of...
by Ron Kapon
Approximately 46% of all California milk goes into making California cheese. One out of every six pounds of cheese produced in the Unites States comes from California. Nearly 90% of the cheeses produced in California are Mozzarella, Cheddar or Monterey Jack. The rest are “specialty” cheeses like Brie and Camembert. California is the leading dairy state, surpassing Wisconsin in 1993 in milk production. They are also number one in ice cream production. They are number two in cheese and butter production. Per capita cheese consumption rose nationally fro 26 pounds per person to more than 29 pounds between 1993 and 2000, and is projected to reach 37 pounds by 2009. From 1970 to 1997, milk consumption was down 22%, while cheese use was up 143%. The European tradition of the “chees...
by Ron Kapon
Walk into your favorite wine shop and head for the kosher section. Look for the wines labeled “Product of Israel”. But first, let us look behind and beyond labels for a bit of history. According to Genesis, as soon as Noah emerged from his ark he planted a vineyard. Wine was made in Israel (Palestine) over 2,000 years before the vine ever reached Europe. When the Romans conquered the area, the Jews were dispersed along with their wine industry. During the Arab conquest all vineyards were uprooted because of the Moslem prohibition against alcohol. From 1882-1892 Baron Edmond de Rothschild (co-owner of Chateau Lafite) sent vines from the Rhone and Midi and built two wineries, in the French style. The weather in Palestine was thought to match that of the south of France. Th...
by Ron Kapon
Tequila comes in several varieties and may be referred to in some circles as Montezuma's Legacy, but the fact of the matter is that it was crafted and refined by the Spanish. Like Mexican culture itself, Tequila is the result of a creative encounter between two worlds although it is likely that Mexicans would not be inclined to refer to it as creative as much as confrontational, an imposition and, reluctantly, a conquering. The ancient indigenous peoples of this romantic country drank the fermented juice of the agave in the same way that Europeans drank beer or wine. In colonial times, the Spanish came, they saw, and they introduced the distillation process to obtain the liquor now known as Tequila. It may be referred to in some circles as Montezuma's Legacy, but the fact of the matter ...
by Jamie Foster
From the February 2004 VinSenses Newsletter All About the Bubbles Early on, when we used dish detergent instead of Mr. Bubbles for our bubble baths, I realized that not all bubbles are created equal. In the world of sparkling wine, the same holds true, all bubbles are not created equal. There is more than one way to get the bubble in the bottle. One of the by-products of winemaking is carbon dioxide. When the carbon dioxide is not released, bubbles form under pressure in the wine producing sparkling wine. The most popular sparkling wine, Champagne, is produced using the Traditional Method. Sugar and yeast are added to the base wine and the wine undergoes a second fermentation in the bottle. The wine is aged on the lees, dead yeast, and then the lees are removed thro...
by Marlene Rossman
The climate is awesome, the scenery is great and the wines cannot be beat. And the wines are plentiful and available everywhere. The local category killer "pharmacy and health/beauty aids" chain, has a better selection of wine than some upscale wine shops in New York. From the huge supermarkets to the little corner bodegas, great wine is there for your drinking pleasure. California is the state where Two Buck Chuck became a household word and drink. Long story to short: A wine marketing pro who knew that there was a surplus of grapes got together with Trader Joe’s chain of quirky supermarkets and hatched the idea of selling passable wine for TWO bucks. Now, little old ladies (from Pasadena and elsewhere) are wheeling out cases of Two Buck Chuck (real name of brand; Charle...
