If you only know Seghesio for its Zinfandel wines, summer is the perfect time to try its Vermentino.
2018 Seghesio Family Vineyards Vermentino
I’ve long been a fan of Seghesio Family Vineyards’ Zinfandel wines, so elegant and concentrated in deep berry flavors with often a back note of cocoa.
In 2008, it started planting more Italian white varietals in its Russian River vineyards, including Vermentino, a grape that traditionally grows near the Ligurian Sea.
I had a chance to try a sample bottle of the 2018 release ($24), which garnered 90 points from Wine Enthusiast.
This incredible Sauvignon Blanc not only is a sparkling wine, but comes in a can — thanks to Maker.
I had to chuckle when a friend told me that since mid-March her husband has been having a glass of wine nearly every night. And the man doesn’t normally even drink!
But that’s what the anxiety of a pandemic will do to you, especially when you’re holed up at home for days, weeks, er, months on end.
Recent studies have shown that we are indeed consuming more alcohol now.
I may not be enjoying any multiple wine pairings at restaurants right now, but I’m definitely sipping some interesting glasses at home at least a few times a week. Hey, it’s research, right? And I can relax, knowing I don’t have to drive anywhere afterward, either. Here’s what has tickled my taste buds of late:
Maker Canned Wines
If you typically turn up your nose at wines in a can, you are missing out. Because Maker’s canned wines are not only carefree fun, but serious enough to command attention, too.
When shelter-in-place first took hold, I took it to heart, cooking all my meals at home from pantry and freezer ingredients, and from grocery deliveries, so I wouldn’t have to venture out needlessly. But wanting to support my local restaurants, I also bought gift cards and donated to GoFundMe campaigns.
As restrictions have lessened, though, I’ve felt more at ease about getting food to-go. I prefer to pick it up myself rather than going through third-party delivery apps that tack on an extra charge to restaurants. Plus, after listening to a highly informative “The Tim Ferris Show” podcast with guest Nick Kokonas, co-owner of Alinea restaurant in Chicago, I also realized I now needed to use those gift cards pronto. Kokonas, who owned a derivatives trading firm for a decade, explained that while the revenue from gift cards help restaurants in the short-term, they remain a debt on their books. Indeed, the worst-case scenario would be for every well-meaning patron who bought a gift card to descend upon that restaurant the first week it reopened to use them when the establishment had no revenue coming in.
So I’m making a point to use those gift cards I purchased in March for food to-go now, and to even order more beyond the card’s amount to give the establishment an extra boost.
Here’s where I’ve picked-up food in recent weeks, paying my own tab.
There is Meatless Monday. And there is Meatball Monday at some establishments.
But for the ultimate highbrow-lowbrow experience, there is Burgers & Burgundies on Monday nights at Selby’s in Redwood City.
Bacchus Management Group, which operates Selby’s, had featured Burgers & Burgundies for years at its Michelin-stared Spruce in San Francisco. Although discontinued there, the tradition has been brought over to Selby’s.
Last week, I had a chance to try this irresistible combo when I was invited in as a guest of the restaurant.
The three burgundies offered by the glass last Monday night.Enjoy one glass of burgundy — or a flight.
The burger-wine combo can be enjoyed either in the dining room or at the bar. Think of it as a more low-key dining option at the posh restaurant when you don’t want to linger for hours over a multitude of courses.
As the name implies, this new cookbook, of which I received a review copy, offers up an entire year’s worth of recipes. Yes, one for each and every day.
The recipes are arranged from January to December, with everything from soups to salads to mains to desserts. The delights include “Saffron and Clementine Cake” in February, “Salmon with Juniper-Gin Butter” in April, “Squash Pasta with Orange, Maple, and Sage” in September, and “Spiced Chestnut and Apple Pie” in November.
I know it’s October, but when it came time to try my first recipe from the book, I leaped ahead unapologetically to January. Hey, you would, too, for a taste of “Marbled Red Wine and Chocolate Bundt Cake.”
(Prestel) by Berlin-based food writer 
(Prestel), which won a James Beard Award.