Hey foodies and... um, wine-ies (wine-o's?): Want to spend a cold winter's weekend eating, drinking and living large in the lap of luxury? If so, you might want to cruise up I-79 to Stonewall Resort and take in the festivities known as the Cast Iron Cook-off this weekend.

This third annual Cast Iron Cook-off is an opportunity to not only sup on gourmet delights and sip a vast array of great wines, it's also a chance for you to pick up a few culinary pointers from some of this state and region's most accomplished chefs who will be competing for the grand prize (What else? A commemorative cast iron skillet). Here's a rundown of what you can expect at the event:

Friday, Jan. 25 6:30 p.m.: Dinner reception with several wines and hors d'oeuvres that feature Stonewall Resort Executive Chef Dale Hawkins's New Appalachian Cuisine.

Saturday, Jan. 269:30 am until 2 pm.: Cast Iron Cook-off Teams spend 1 1/2 hours preparing and then one hour in actual competition. Start times are staggered, so cook-off competitors and their guests can observe other teams when they are not competing. Interspersed with all these activities are wine and food tastings along with an event where you can actually have your cast-iron ware appraised.
6 p.m.: Sparkling wine reception with entertainment provided by Colleen Anderson in concert.
7 p.m.: Dinner features a 5-course gourmet meal with accompanying wines. An awards ceremony will celebrate the day's work and include the presenting of The West Virginia Pioneer Award.

Sunday, January 27A true country breakfast with your favorite goodies completes the weekend.

If you're interested in attending, contact Stonewall Resort (304-269-7400) for rates and packages.

In my hedonist’s mind, almost everything has a relationship to food and wine. In the summertime, my thoughts turn to cool refreshing white wines such as Sauvignon Blanc, Prosecco and Pinot Grigio, or spicy reds like Zinfandel, Syrah or Pinot Noir.

As far as food is concerned, to yours truly summertime means grilled foods or barbecue. Barbecue, though, means different things to different people. For some, it’s a verb as in: “I’m going to barbecue some hamburgers.” For others, barbecue is a noun and refers to a type of cooked pork or beef rib meat that is immersed in various sauces, chopped and served on a bun. Since I love to grill out, barbecue means a style of cooking to me. You’ll find just about every kind of food on my grill, including (but not limited to) pork, chicken, beef, lamb, fish, vegetables and sometimes even fruit.

In my estimation, barbecuing also requires a grill that uses “real” charcoal. Gas grills – no matter how fancy – simply do not measure up. The biggest problem with them is they don’t heat evenly, and it’s very difficult to add wood chips such as apple, mesquite or hickory to the fire. Using these chips or chunks adds a wonderful flavor dimension to grilled foods.

Plus, there is something compelling and almost ritualistic about setting charcoal on fire, and then using the coals to sear animal flesh or things that grow. I’m not sure I want know why this practice is so appealing to me - but it is. So, in the interest of making barbecue believers of you, I’m going to share a simple recipe for barbecued pork ribs that is easy to prepare and delicious to eat. I prefer to use baby back ribs that have been trimmed of excessive fat and scored with a fork.

Whether you use large slab ribs or baby backs, this recipe begins with a dry rub. What’s a dry rub? Well, first of all, let me assure you it does not require a masseuse. However, it does involve a massage – of the ribs with spices -that is. One of my favorite dry rubs consists of one tablespoon each of cumin, chili powder, kosher salt, coarsely ground black pepper, brown sugar and cayenne pepper (optional for those faint of heart). Stir this mixture and then rub it onto both sides of the ribs. If time permits, let the ribs sit in the refrigerator for a few hours allowing them to absorb the flavors.

At this point, I often grab a handful of hickory or apple wood chips (available at some grocery stores and home improvement stores such as Lowe’s and Home Depot) and immerse them in warm water and allow them to soak for at least half an hour. This is optional, but I think really gives the meat a great smoky flavor.

Now, fire up the charcoal and when the coals turn white/gray, move them to each corner of the grill, leaving space in the middle for the ribs to cook indirectly. Then add the wood chips to the charcoal. I have a large oblong, kettle-type grill which allows me to put about three slabs of ribs on the grill side by side. Make sure that the air vents on the grill are closed to about one-eighth of an inch. In this manner, you’ll be able to keep the temperature relatively cool – approximately 275 to 300 degrees F. Check the vents regularly to adjust the heat if necessary and turn the ribs once during grilling. It usually takes between 1 to 1 ½ hours to slow cook the ribs.

Once off the grill, I cut the ribs into bite-size pieces and then either serve them as is or immerse them in a tangy sauce.

WineBoy Recommends

Here’s one of my favorite barbecue sauces:

Combine:
- a cup of ketchup
- a half -cup of white vinegar
- a 12-ounce beer
- two ounces of orange juice
- a tablespoon each of molasses and brown sugar
- (optional) a teaspoon of cayenne.
Bring the mixture to a boil and then allow it to thicken for about half an hour.

Wines for your barbecue? All of these retail from between $12 and $20 a bottle:

- Zardetto Prosecco (a sparkler from northern Italy)
- Renwood Old Vines Zinfandel
- San Angelo Pinot Grigio
- Alan Scott New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc
- Argyle Pinot Noir
- Longview Shiraz

The latest edition of "WineBoy," our 5-minute Web show on the art and craft of wine appreciation, features part one of two programs on deciphering wine labels. Host John Brown first takes a look at what you can learn from a close look at California wine labels. A future program will take a gander at European wine labels, an entirely different read. Click here to view the program.

Is it Real or is it Really Vito’s Thunder Mountain Chablis? New Yorker Magazine’s Patrick Radden Keefe in his “Reporter at Large” column recently explored the rarified world of collecting ancient bottles of wine (read article here). Specifically, Radden focused on bottles purchased at auction by multi-millionaire Bill Koch which were purported to be from Thomas Jefferson’s private collection and dated from the late 1700s. The column reads like a mystery novel and attempts to shed some light on the murky and imprecise science of verifying the true age of older wines, some of which are purchased at auction for hundreds of thousands of dollars. In this particular case, Mr. Koch goes to great lengths to prove (or disprove) the age of the wines he supposedly purchased from Jefferson’s stash.

In addition to real-life intrigue, the piece has a cast of characters that reads like a who’s who of the wine world, including Robert Parker, Michael Broadbent, Serena Sutcliffe and a whole host of other wine personages that only the wine-obsessed would recognize. Check it out.

Falcor Update Lawyers and winery owners Mike Bee and Jim Peterson have a place for Napa Valley visitors to sip their stable of premium wines. Their new 11,000-square foot winery complex will have the capacity to produce 45,000 gallons of wine, or about 20,000 cases, according to Ryan Bee (son of Mike) who is the assistant wine maker and general manager. Ray Coursen, owner of Elyse Winery, is the winemaker.

Falcor produces a line of wines in small quantities from 200 to 500 cases for each varietal at prices from around $20 to $50 a bottle. Current releases include two Chardonnays and a Sangiovese, Zinfandel, Syrah and Cabernet Franc sourced from top Napa Valley Vineyards. Most of the wines are available at fine wine shops and a select few grocery stores such as Kroger’s Ashton Place.

The Yellow Brick BankI had the pleasant occasion to dine at Shepherdstown’s Yellow Brick Bank recently and, while the food is still as good as ever, the wine list has improved dramatically. The list is not particularly long, but it is definitely well-selected and very eclectic with offerings from around the wine world.

From Italian producer Alois Lageder’s excellent 2005 Pinot Grigio to the spicy, dark cherry flavors of the 2006 Wild Earth Pinot Noir from New Zealand’s Central Otago region, the list is chock full of delicious wines. Call for reservations at 304-876-2208.

Map of Rioja region of Spain from www.cellartours.com I have always been a fan of Rioja (pronounced Ree-OH-hah). It's a famous wine region in north-central Spain that produces red wine in a style similar to the more famous reds of Bordeaux. The connection with Bordeaux grew out of a vine disease which devastated those world-renowned French vineyards in the 1800's. Faced with having to completely replant their vineyards, many Bordelais ventured over the Pyrenees Mountains into Spain to grow grapes and make wine unaffected by the blight.

Settling in Rioja, the French passed along their wine-making techniques to the Spanish. While the grape varieties comprising Bordeaux red are completely different from the main Rioja grape (tempranillo), the Spanish vintners began adopting many of French viticultural practices, including using oak barrels to finish their wines. Today, the Rioja wine makers use French and American oak extensively to soften and age their wines.

The 2003 Monticello Crianza was aged in oak for 18 months. The government requirement for a wine to be called Crianza (which loosely translated means “age-ing of wine") is that it must be aged in oak for at least one year. The Monticello is round and richly flavored with hints of ripe cherries and anise, along with a toasty oak component which adds complexity to the wine. It is an excellent value, too! Pair it with cheeses such manchego or asiago or have it with grilled and marinated flank steak.

If you haven’t uncorked a bottle of Rioja red lately or ever , I highly recommend this wine for your sipping pleasure.