Keeping it simple. Grilled chicken leg/thigh w whole roasted carrots and carrot top pesto. Passetoutgrains. The Burgundy Pinot Noir - Gamay blend I'm turning to more and more because it's delicious and versatile and has excellent pedigree usually, like this one from Domaine Georges Lignier.

I love Gamay. The #wine world loves Gamay. Loves it so much, they keep trying to convince the rest of the world they should love it. Much of the rest of the world doesn't love it, or even like it...and that's ok. This blend may help.

I said turning to it more and more, didn't I? I fibbed. I turn to it more when I can find it, but with only 3% of Burgundy planted with Gamay, it's tougher to find. I found one in enough quantity for my wine club a while back but it wasn't easy to find the amount I needed.

Fortunately, there are some really lovable odes to this #redblend coming from CA, OR, the Loire and elsewhere. #winepairing #passetoutgrain #whyieatanddrinkathome

Dinner of pennoni (American sized penne) with grilled sausage, sauteed mushrooms, oven roasted tomatoes, broccoli rabe, mozzarella, Pecorino, red pepper flakes, basil oil. Sangiovese goes nicely with all that, and on the sideboard waiting to be opened was the Donatella Cinelli Colombini Rosso di Montalcino. I liked her wines so much at the Benvenuto Brunello event in NYC last month, I thought the Rosso would be good to drop on my wine club this month. It was a happy meal.

#whyieatanddrinkathome
#wine #winepairing #sangiovese

I heard "Roadrunner" by the Modern Lovers on the radio ("...dont feel so alone, got the radio on, like the roadrunner...") and it made me think of driving through Massachusetts last year checking out wineries (yes, wineries in MA)...likely with the radio on. It reminded me I had some bottles still to try like this one from @blackbirchwines in North Hatfield. So I went to the basement wine racks (sounds less pretentious than wine cellar) and grabbed this Merlot. It was pretty good on opening but with some airtime, came together nicely and was even better on Day 2, still with lively fruit, nice acidity and soft tannins. Served with grilled lamb chops and roasted fennel and potatoes. As Jonathan Richman sang from my radio, about a different type of airtime, "I'm in love with Massachusetts, I'm in love with the radio on."

#notaredsoxloverthough #wine #music #modernlovers #massachusettswine #blackbirchvineyard #whyieatanddrinkathome

I jumped the gun on #cabernetfrancday yesterday but when I make a "protein and green" dinner, its usually a first thought for the #wine to have with it. Marinated boneless leg of lamb in soy, lemon juice, balsamic, porcini powder, wild fennel powder, anchovy paste, olive oil. Grilled alongside broccoli w some olive oil and coriander and mashed celery root with mustard and preserved lemon paste. Kind of a UmamiFest.

The #cabfranc is born and raised in #newjersey at Beneduce Vineyards. Winemaker/owner Mike Beneduce was a finalist last year for Young Farmer of the Year in the US and winegrowing is, after all, agriculture. He makes very good wine for anywhere, not just for Jersey. #winepairing #whyieatanddrinkathome #internationalcabfrancday