Where, when and how you enjoy your regular glass of wine is, of course, a personal choice. Most of us sip the fruit of the vine with dinner, as an aperitif before the meal or even as a cocktail at our favorite watering hole. And while most of you are probably not as wine-obsessed as I am, I suspect you may get bored with the same old wine routine. There’s no question that the adage “too much of a good thing” can certainly apply to even the moderate consumption of wine. So, the challenge is to keep things interesting.

One of the most common complaints I hear from folks is they are tired of sipping the same types of wine day in and day out. Whether it’s cabernet sauvignon with beef, chardonnay with seafood or some other “safe” wine choice, it can certainly be boring to consistently drink the same thing. That’s why I focus on providing information on the variety of wines that are available to you from different vineyards all over the world. But even if you are a consummate wineaux (like me) who has experienced bottles from the greatest wine regions, it’s still exciting to find new ways to enjoy the elixir we all love.

Well, as a decades-old codger who has probably had more wine caress his palate than anyone not named Robert Mondavi, Earnest Gallo or W.C. Fields, I have found a new way to enhance the appreciation of wine – to keep it fresh and make it even more enjoyable. Of course, we all know how important food is to wine and vice-versa. That’s why I always provide you with a complimentary food choice whenever I recommend a particular wine.

But there’s another sensory element that elevates the wine and food experience to a whole other level: music. Whether it’s Vivaldi, Tony Bennett or Hank Williams Jr., I love to pair up my wine and food with a complimentary selection of tunes. I’m sure many of you add music to special dinner occasions at home like birthdays, anniversaries or date nights with your significant other, but probably only on an episodic basis. I’m suggesting you increase the inclusion of music on a regular basis to see if that pleasant auditory element enhances the overall wine and food experience.

Whether we’re eating in or cooking out, there’s always a musical play set with which to match our meals. It doesn’t need to be a special occasion or a five-course dining extravaganza either. And there are a number of ways to select your play list: CD’s, records, the radio or from music streaming services like Spotify, or Pandora. The fun is finding a musical theme that seems to match your evening meal, picnic or brunch. Here are three examples of how you might wish to combine wine, food and music (taken from the Brown family dining archives).

The midweek evening dinner
Food: Oven Roasted whole chicken, green beans with onions and bacon and scalloped potatoes.
Wine: 2019 Bisci Verdicchio di Matelica ($23) -Lovely white from the Marche region of Italy. Crisp and fresh with flavors of ripe green apples. This wine is an excellent choice with chicken.
Music: The Yellow Jackets, Diana Krall, Frank Sinatra, The Bob Thompson Unit, Miles Davis

Picnic on the deck
Food: Hamburgers, hot dogs, red and yellow bell peppers, and onions all grilled; macaroni salad and baked beans
Wine: 2019 Elizabeth Spenser Rose’ of Grenache ($22) – From Mendocino County CA, this pink wine is full of fresh raspberry and strawberry flavors and has the body to stand up to grilled foods such as the menu above.

Music: John Prine, Susan Tedeschi, Emmy Lou Harris, Lake Street Dive, Alison Krauss, Steve Earle, Kathy Mattea

Sunday Supper
Food: Fettucine with porcini mushrooms and Italian sausage in a marinara sauce; green garden salad with tomatoes and onions in a viniagrette dressing

Wine: 2017 Allegrini Palazzo Della Torre ($23) – From the Veneto region in northern Italy, this rich red is spicy and has flavors of blackberries and cola with nuances of vanilla from moderate oak aging. Pairs perfectly with spicy marinara.
Music: The Three Tenors, Andrea Bocelli, Dean Martin, Louis Prima (for kicks and giggles)

So, if you’re looking for a way to rekindle your passion for wine, you might try and add a little music to the experience.

John Brown is also a novelist. His latest book is “Augie’s World” which is a sequel to his debut novel, Augie’s War. You can find out more about his novels at wordsbyjohnbrown.com

I must have been conceived in a pepper patch because I’m obsessed with all types of peppers. From mild bells to near thermonuclear Scotch Bonnets and just about everything in between, I am simply addicted to these little devils, especially ones with a hefty dose of capsaicin. That’s the stuff that makes peppers hot.

I also love the fall! Football season is in full swing, the leaves are painting the mountains with vibrant colors and I’m in the process of fermenting a blend of red grapes that will produce about 70 gallons of homemade wine. With sunny days, cool temperatures and the harvest season upon us, it’s also time to transition from the lighter wine and food choices of summer to more flavorful fare.

Autumn in these parts also means you still have access to the last vestiges of the harvest, including one of my favorite foods-the red bell pepper. While red bells are not at all spicy or hot, they become sweet, smoky and richly flavored when you roast them to the point where the pepper skin is scorched and blackened.

Every autumn for the last several decades, I’ve waited anxiously for locally grown green bell peppers to turn large and red. Then I roast, peel and slice them into strips, cover them with good olive oil, minced garlic and balsamic vinegar and devour them with crusty bread and a glass or two of my homemade wine.

Just last week, I decided to take four of those roasted red bells and stuff them with a mouth-watering concoction of farro, (the low carb barley look-alike grain) bacon and mozzarella cheese along with diced and sauteed onions, yellow bells and one hot banana pepper. You will need a red wine that is both rich and able to compliment these spicy roasted peppers so you might try the ones below.

2017 Handley Anderson Valley Pinot Noir ($22) – From Mendocino County in northern California, this is a ripe, medium-bodied wine that has spicy red and black cherry flavors. Mendocino is one of my favorite pinot noir appellations and the Handley pairs seamlessly with the richness of the stuffed peppers.

2017 Bila Haut Occultum Lapidem ($33) – Occultum Lapidem translated from Latin means “hidden gem” which more than aptly describes this red. From the southern French region of Languedoc- Roussillon, this is a blend of 60% grenache, and 40% syrah. It is full-bodied, but well balanced with plum-like, dark fruit flavors and a peppery finish. An appropriate companion to the “Not Your Mama’s Stuffed Bells.”

Not Your Mama’s Stuffed Bells

Ingredients:

-Four large red bell peppers
-Two cups of chicken stock
-One-half sweet onion
-Two slices of thick cut bacon
-One cup of farro
-Two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
-Two cloves of garlic.
-One cup of shredded mozzarella cheese
-Two tablespoons of chopped parsley
-Four leaves of fresh basil
-One-half yellow bell pepper
-One hot banana pepper (optional)
-One medium sized cooking pot and sauté ‘pan
-One large bowl and one casserole dish
-One large sheet of plastic wrap
-Two paper towel sheets, one sheet of aluminum foil
-One teaspoon each salt and pepper

Preparation

Roast peppers on stove top, oven or grill until peels are scorched
Place roasted peppers in a large bowl and cover with plastic wrap for half hour
Use a small paring knife to remove scorched pepper skins
Cut a circle into the top of each pepper and discard stem
Pour farro into colander and rinse thoroughly in cold water
Bring chicken stock to a boil, add farro
Turn heat to low and cook farro until al dente (approximately 20 minutes)
Dice bacon and sauté until slightly brown in one tablespoon of olive oil
Remove bacon with slotted spoon and place on paper towel
Add remaining olive oil to pan and saute’ diced onion, garlic, yellow and banana peppers
Mix cooked farro, sauteed vegetables, parsley, bacon and cheese to large bowl
Stuff each pepper with mixture, place in casserole and cover with foil
Bake in a 350-degree F oven for 50 minutes, uncover and cook for 10 more minutes
Serve and accompany with a green salad in a vinaigrette dressing

John Brown is also a novelist. His latest book is “Augie’s World” which is a sequel to his debut novel, Augie’s War. You can find out more about his novels at wordsbyjohnbrown.com

This year we really do have a lot for which to be thankful. First and foremost, the insidious pandemic that has haunted us all for the past two years seems to be under control, and we’ll now be able to join our friends and family for Thanksgiving dinner. And if you love food and wine, there’s another good reason to be thankful because we’re about to enter a period full of holiday celebrations that begin next Thursday and continue right through the New Year.

As a matter of fact, we will purchase and consume more good wine and food during the next six weeks than we have for the previous ten months. The only people happier than us will be the business owners of health clubs, diet centers and clothing alteration shops who depend on first quarter sales to survive for the rest of the year.

I know I’ve said this before, but of all the upcoming celebrations, my favorite holiday is Thanksgiving! That’s because the Thanksgiving meal features a wide variety of foods that can accommodate just about any red, white, rose or sparkling wine. And it all starts with the turkey.

Turkey is blessed with meat that has a variety of flavors, colors and textures which present opportunities for us to try with a variety of different wines. And, when you add the dishes that traditionally accompany Thanksgiving dinner, things really get interesting. So today I’m going to present you with a typical Thanksgiving menu accompanied with wines that pair seamlessly with each course. Here goes.

The Aperitif
In our home, the first bottle we uncork for Thanksgiving is a sparkling wine to toast each other and the holiday. My suggestions for your Thanksgiving toast are one of these effervescent sippers: Iron Horse Brut; Segura Viudas Brut Reserva; Gloria Ferrer Blanc de Noir Rose; Nicolas Feuillatte Brut Reserve Champagne; and Pierre Sparr Cremant d’Alsace Brut Reserve.

Thanksgiving Starters
Appetizer goodies such as deviled eggs, smoked salmon, cocktail meatballs, veggies and dip or even bacon wrapped scallops can go with just about any dry and/or slightly sweet wine. My favorite is always Beaujolais Nouveau which is released on the third Thursday of November each year. Beaujolais Nouveau is always fresh and full of bright red fruit flavors. Try the 2021 Georges DuBoeuf Beaujolais Nouveau with your starters. Alternative wines to consider: Trimbach Pinot Gris and d’Arenberg The Hermit Crab (viognier and marsanne) both whites; and Grange Philippe ”Gipsy” Rose’.

Main Course -One
Both the traditional oven-roasted and/or deep-fried turkey do equally well with medium-bodied red or white wines. My favorite white wines for these two cooking methods are ones from Bordeaux which are combinations of sauvignon blanc and semillon. These are crisp and dry whites that have herbal and mineral flavors. Try Chateau Graville Lacoste or Chateau Villa Bel-Air. Italian reds such as Banfi Brunello di Montalcino or the Chianti Classico Riserva from Castello di Bossi also pair well with oven-roasted or fried turkeys.

Main Course – Two
Since many of you will smoke or grill your turkey this Thanksgiving and accompany it with more full-flavored dressings (like cornbread and chorizo), I’m providing you with medium to full-bodied red wine suggestions that will pair better with the “national bird” prepared using these cooking methods. My first choice is Oregon pinot noir. Try the pinot noir from either Domaine Drouhin or St. Innocent. In addition, the zinfandel-based wines from Ridge Vineyards in California are also exceptional accompaniments to smoked or grilled turkey. Two of my favorites are Ridge Geyserville and Ridge Lytton Springs.

Dessert
In our home, Thanksgiving dessert is always pumpkin or pecan pie (or both) with a dollop of whipped crème on top. You won’t go wrong with either of these two accompanying dessert wines: Chateau St. Jean Late Harvest Riesling from Sonoma County or G.D. Vajra Moscato d’Asti from Italy.

Happy Thanksgiving!

John Brown is also a novelist. His latest book is “Augie’s World” which is a sequel to his debut novel, Augie’s War. You can find out more about his novels at wordsbyjohnbrown.com.

I don’t know about you, but I’m a “last minute” kind of person. My modius operandi: why complete a task or fulfill an obligation now when you can wait until the warning lights start flashing red? Procrastination is my middle name. Ask my wife…no don’t do that!

Anyway, it’s almost Christmas and I haven’t yet purchased the first gift. In years past, that was not much of a problem thanks to the plethora of stores at our large indoor shopping mall – that last bastion of gifts for the tardy. But now, with the demise of the mall I‘m in panic mode. Thankfully, most of the gifts I purchase this year will be of the liquid variety, so I’ll just pop into my local wine shop to find that special bottle.

And for those of you who, like me, are looking for that last minute gift of wine, I have a whole cornucopia of vinous suggestions for your consideration. This list should enable you to find just the perfect bottle for that special person regardless of their wine preferences.

Let’s start with Champagne and sparkling wines with which you can toast Christmas and Hannukah as well as, the coming New Year. Then I’ll follow with recommendations for those white and red wine lovers respetctively.

Champagne:
Moet et Chandon White Star Brut, Nicholas Feuillatte “Blue Label” Brut, Paul Bara Brut, Veuve Cliquot (The Widow) Brut, Krug Grande Cuvee Brut, Perrier Jouet Grand Brut and Taittinger Comptes De Champagne Rose.

Sparkling Wine from other regions:
Gusbourne Brut Reserve (England); Mumm Napa Cuvee, Roderer Estate Brut Anderson Valley, Iron Horse Russian Cuvee and Domain Carneros Blanc de Noir (all from California); Pierre Sparr Cremant d’Alsace Brut Reserve (France); Segura Viudas Reserva (Spain); Ruffino Prosecco (Italy); and Gruet Blanc de Noirs (New Mexico).

White Wine:

Kistler Sonoma Mountain Chardonnay, Peter Michael Chardonnay, Chateau Montelena Chardonnay, Hess Select Monterey Chardonnay, Massican White Blend and Wente Riva Ranch Chardonnay ( all from California); Joseph Drouhin Puligny-Monrachet Premier Cru and Moillard Puligny-Montrachet Vieilles Vignes (France); Dr. Loosen Urziger Wurzgarten Mosel Riesling and S.A. Prum Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Spatlese (Germany) Martin Codax Albarino and Ossian Vinedo Ecologico Verdejo (Spain); Bastianich Vespa Bianco and Anselmi San Vincenzo (Italy).

Red Wine:
Chateau Montelena Cabernet, Ridge Vineyards Monte Bello Cabernet, Heitz Martha’s Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Saddleback Cabernet Sauvignon, Groth Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve, Merryvale Profile, Joseph Phelps Insignia, Dominus and Harlan Estate (all from California); Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon (Washington); Chateau La Dominique;, Chateau Lynch Bages, Chateau Brainaire Ducru, Chateau Cos d’Estournel, Chateau Pontet Canet, Chateau Leoville Las Cases and Chateau Beaucastel Chateauneuf du Pape (all from France); Domaine Serene Evanstad Reserve Pinot Noir (Oregon); Altesino Montosoli Brunello di Montalcino and Ornellaia (from Italy).

Here’s wishing you the merriest of Holiday Seasons and a prosperous New Year!

John Brown is also a novelist. His latest book is “Augie’s World” which is a sequel to his debut novel, Augie’s War. You can find out more about his novels at wordsbyjohnbrown.com.

It is the dead of winter and you’re not only sick of the cold, gray and snowy days– you’re weary and listless. You’ve probably tried to amuse yourself and your friends by playing cards, board games and just about anything to make time go faster. You may have even been desperate enough to retrieve that old exercise bike that’s been rusting in the garage for a spin around the TV room.

Well, for those of you who enjoy a glass or two of wine, I’ve got just the restorative tonic to brighten your mood. Why not gather a few friends for wine tasting? And guess what, it’s really pretty simple to do and it’s affordable too, especially if you ask friends to contribute a bottle for the event.

You can taste and evaluate as few as two wines or as many as you wish, but normally a tasting will consist of six or seven wines. You may choose to evaluate a particular wine varietal such as chardonnay or zinfandel, or you may decide to taste wines from a region like the Napa Valley or Bordeaux. You can also just put together a random group of wines and go at it.

The classic tasting begins with lighter-bodied wines (usually whites) and moves to fuller-bodied and dryer red wines. If you’re evaluating sweet wines, you can taste whites at the beginning and reds, such as port, at the end. I usually taste sparkling wines at the beginning of a tasting.

While your main goal in evaluating wine is to judge the taste, you will also want to scrutinize the aroma, and you should use stemware that allows you to observe the color and clarity of the wine in the glass. Be sure to pour tasters about one ounce of each wine so the total amount you sip over the course of the tasting approximates a glass. I’ve been to events where the pours were heavy and, within a short period of time, the tasting devolved into a wine gulping event – and that ain’t pretty.

One of my favorite tastings is designed to get folks out of their wine comfort zone and expose them to bottles they wouldn’t normally try. I conducted just such a tasting before Christmas at Fish Hawk Acres in Buckhannon. Owner Dale Hawkins calls his establishment a “Grocer-Rant” and it is a mecca of epicurean delights, including a superb wine selection, locally farmed vegetables, fresh meats and the best sandwiches I’ve had in West-By-Golly.

The following is an example of how a wine tasting list might be comprised. Incidentally, these are wines which I would also recommend for your sipping pleasure.

Veuve Du Vernay Brut Rose ($15) – This French sparkler is well balanced and fresh with raspberry and bright cherry fruit flavors. Great as an aperitif or try it with brunch-type foods such as omelets, crepes or salads.

2020 Cantina Zaccagnini ($17) Pinot Grigio -From the Abruzzo region of Italy, this wine has a tropical fruit bouquet, flavors of ripe pears and is a refreshing, well-balanced wine. Try it with various antipasti, oysters on the half shell, grilled veggies, or roasted chicken.

2019 Pazo Cillerio Albarino ($22) – From the Galicia region of Spain, this Albarino is influenced by the cool breezes of the Atlantic. Refreshing and clean, the wine is fruit forward with notes of ripe green apples and citrus flavors. Would pair extremely well with delicate seafood dishes like pan sauteed grouper in a lemon butter sauce.

2018 Grayson Cellars Chardonnay ($15) – The 2018 Grayson Chardonnay is rich with a touch of vanilla, but it shows bright, brisk acidity and good minerality with notes of pineapple and apricot. Try this California wine with chicken cordon bleu, pasta with clams or roasted Chilean sea bass.

2018 Sebastiani Pinot Noir (Central Coast) ($18) – The fruit for this 2018 Pinot Noir comes from the Central Coast of California with 60% coming from Santa Rita and 40% coming from Monterey County. The wine is ripe and rich with black cherry and spice flavors. This would be lovely with Salmon on the grill or roast pork tenderloin.

2020 Saint Cosme Cotes du Rhone ($18) This rich red wine from the southern Rhone region of France is full of spice and plum flavors. Try it with beef pot roast, chili or even lasagna.

2019 Fitch Mountain Merlot ($23) – This Dry Creek Valley wine has a silky mouth feel with flavors of chocolate spice, dark berries, coffee, caramel, and cedar. It has impressive length and a lasting, elegant finish. Try this wine with grilled rib eye steak or rack of lamb.

John Brown is also a novelist. His latest book is “Augie’s World” which is a sequel to his debut novel, Augie’s War. You can find out more about his novels at wordsbyjohnbrown.com.