Lifestyles

Perfect combination: Roasted chicken, dry white wine

Just add a baguette and a refreshing, well-balanced dry white wine for a marvelous meal with enticing aromas, unbeatable juicy flavors, tender meat and delicious sauce.  (2009-11-03)

Pittsburgh group evaluates three wines

Tempted by the prospect of experiencing terrific Pommards and Volnays, a longstanding Pittsburgh tasting group recently organized a comparative "blind" tasting. Foil wrapping on all 12 bottles prevented the tasters from forming preconceived judgments.  (2009-10-27)

Producer aims to restore chianti's nobility

Italy's Tuscany region boasts a delicious array of cold-weather dishes that match beautifully with chianti, the region's famous trademark red wine. And who better to speak about chianti than an ambassador? (2009-10-20)

Rich reds pair well with rabbit

The distinctive aromas and flavors blending vinegar, wine and chocolate match well with the following wines. (2009-10-13)

There is much to learn about varieties, complexities of olive oil

Some East and West Coast restaurants already feature olive oil-tasting bars serving flights of vintage dated olive oils. They also offer olive oil-theme menus matched with wines.  (2009-10-06)

Full-flavored wines complement hearty fall soups

When October's cold evenings nip the air with overnight frosts, the time arrives for enjoying hearty harvest soups paired with full-flavored wines.  (2009-09-29)

German traditions thrive at harvest festivals

The Dürkheimer Wurstmarkt has highlighted Germany's wine-harvest celebrations. Against a backdrop of twinkling lights, last week's festival kept traditions alive with the consumption of tons of sausages and riesling wine.  (2009-09-22)

Annual European grape harvests become 'family' reunions

Participating in the harvest encompasses far more than labor. The fun includes catching up on the past year's news, as well as good-natured joking and horseplay in the vines. And, of course, pickers burn tremendous calories. (2009-09-15)

Festival Sud de France designed to promote food, wine, culture

Wine tastings, cooking demonstrations, lectures and winemaker dinners will introduce the region's massive swath of vineyards that begin just west of Avignon before arcing along the Mediterranean Sea to Perpignan. (2009-09-09)

Pair southern Italian peasant dish with red, white wines

Paired with well-balanced white and red wines, this satisfying and flavorful tomato and bread salad with a twist offers a memorable late-summer meal with the added benefit, of course, of clearing the counter. (2009-09-01)

Gewürztraminers enhance summer staple

The best offer effusive, complex fruity aromas with bewitching floral notes of honeysuckle and roses. Then the palate experiences lush fruity flavors of grapefruit, pineapple, peaches, and apricot balanced by spicy ginger nuances, bright acidity and mouthwatering mineral notes. (2009-08-25)

Chilean grower produces carmenère

Say each syllable slowly — car ... men ... air. Then put them together, and just let it roll off the tongue quickly — car-men-air. (2009-08-18)

Red wines complement traditional summer foods

With the good old summertime hitting full stride, August's heat and humidity provide the cue for primetime grilling and barbecue season. (2009-08-11)

Crab celebration pairs wines with divine results

Dave DeSimone joins in on a soft shell crab celebration in Maryland, enjoying accompanying wines, which were presented to complement the pallet. (2009-08-05)

Exotic white wines for August

But as August's sultry "dog days" wreak relentless heat and humidity, enjoying well-chilled, refreshing white wines made from perhaps less-familiar, esoteric grapes can provide respite with intriguing new aromas and flavors. (2009-07-28)

Fruity red wines pair with lean rabbit meat

Each Saturday morning beginning promptly at 9 a.m., local enthusiasts of certified organic and Certified Naturally Grown produce gather at the Farmers@Firehouse market at 2216 Penn Ave. in the Strip District to buy the fresh wares direct from the growers. (2009-07-22)

Try a traditional Mediterranean pairing

Have fun mixing and matching the following cheeses and wines to bring out different notes in each. (2009-07-14)

Bastille Day can be celebrated in Pittsburgh

Pittsburghers can join the fun with celebrations Saturday evening on Ellsworth Avenue in Shadyside and again on Bastille Day itself at the Carnegie Museum in Oakland. (2009-07-07)

Craft beer industry matures with new sub-genres

Fittingly, craft beer producers nationwide select this auspicious season of sun and suds to introduce new brews and roll out old favorites pairing perfectly with warm-weather enjoyment.  (2009-06-30)

Bordeaux region's lesser-known wines offer good quality, value

Earlier this month, the city of Bordeaux's energetic, redevelopment-minded mayor, Alain Juppé, welcomed French President Nicolas Sarkozy, to a "working lunch" at Restaurant La Tupina.  (2009-06-23)