Wednesday, February 9, 2011
All you need is wine......
February 9, 2011
A (Wobbly) Day In The Life
A professional imbiber reveals all--be sure you actually want to read it.
book coverMany people consume alcohol, but very few do it professionally. Dan Dunn is one of those expert imbibers--and after reading his new book, Living Loaded, you probably won't want to follow his career path. You might not even uncork a wine bottle for a week.
Dunn embraces his job perhaps with too much enthusiasm. He's a liquor columnist for Playboy magazine, so expect several tales of sex, salvation and discovery of foolproof hangover cures. The author recounts five-day benders, successfully faking knowledge at a wine tasting and everything eye-popping and gut wrenching in between. In all, Living Loaded is an honest look at what it truly means to drink for a living--and it's as hilarious as it is frightening.
But the book's true strength comes in its recipes. Each chapter is preceded by a cocktail recipe crafted by a different top mixologist--and ostensibly created to be the appropriate drink to sip while reading the tales that follow. We admit it: Reading has never been this much fun.
To be clear, however, Living Loaded should not be approached as a self-help guide; it's more like a self-destruction guide. But the book is incredibly funny (where else will you find wine-and-porn pairings?), not to mention entertaining. The farther and harder Dunn falls, the more you laugh--and even learn a little about life and love...or, rather, what not to do in order to preserve both. Which probably starts with not reading Living Loaded at all. But then again, it'd be a shame to miss out on this many laughs.
You can buy Living Loaded here, but if you've read Living Loaded, tell us what you thought of the book here.
A (Wobbly) Day In The Life
A professional imbiber reveals all--be sure you actually want to read it.
book coverMany people consume alcohol, but very few do it professionally. Dan Dunn is one of those expert imbibers--and after reading his new book, Living Loaded, you probably won't want to follow his career path. You might not even uncork a wine bottle for a week.
Dunn embraces his job perhaps with too much enthusiasm. He's a liquor columnist for Playboy magazine, so expect several tales of sex, salvation and discovery of foolproof hangover cures. The author recounts five-day benders, successfully faking knowledge at a wine tasting and everything eye-popping and gut wrenching in between. In all, Living Loaded is an honest look at what it truly means to drink for a living--and it's as hilarious as it is frightening.
But the book's true strength comes in its recipes. Each chapter is preceded by a cocktail recipe crafted by a different top mixologist--and ostensibly created to be the appropriate drink to sip while reading the tales that follow. We admit it: Reading has never been this much fun.
To be clear, however, Living Loaded should not be approached as a self-help guide; it's more like a self-destruction guide. But the book is incredibly funny (where else will you find wine-and-porn pairings?), not to mention entertaining. The farther and harder Dunn falls, the more you laugh--and even learn a little about life and love...or, rather, what not to do in order to preserve both. Which probably starts with not reading Living Loaded at all. But then again, it'd be a shame to miss out on this many laughs.
You can buy Living Loaded here, but if you've read Living Loaded, tell us what you thought of the book here.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Chocolate fever
February 8, 2011
Pairing 101: Wine & Chocolate
It's (supposedly) an aphrodisiac and it goes with wine--if you make the right picks.
pairingsWith Valentine's Day coming up, the rush is on to grab some flowers, Champagne, strawberries and chocolate. If your better half is truly serious about wine and chocolate, however, pairing the two takes just a tad more thought than a Hershey bar and a bottle of four-dollar red wine (though that's a start). With that, here's our quick guide to pairing wine and chocolate.
Step 1: Stick to normal pairing rules
You don't drink Sauvignon Blanc with steak, do you? Or drink Napa Cabernet with whitefish? Light with light, heavy with heavy.
Step 2: Start with the wine you already like
If you like drinking Merlot, get a Merlot. If you like Champagne, get Champagne. Don't overcomplicate things by buying a wine you're not certain you'll like, but that someone suggested might pair well with chocolate. Go with what you know.
Step 3: Find the chocolate
Go back to Step 1: Don't pair a light, milk chocolate with a heavy wine or a 90% cacao chocolate with Vinho Verde. So think about your wine choice and how rich and powerful it is, then make your chocolate choice. White chocolate pairs nicely with Champagne, as does very light milk chocolate. If you like Pinot Noir, get a slightly darker chocolate. Merlot, darker still. Cabernet, super dark and rich. At the most decadent end of the spectrum, pair a nice Port with dark chocolate truffles.
Or, just get some good advice in the wine or chocolate shop. And if you have a pairing you know to work particularly well, share it with us here.
from : The Daily Sip
Pairing 101: Wine & Chocolate
It's (supposedly) an aphrodisiac and it goes with wine--if you make the right picks.
pairingsWith Valentine's Day coming up, the rush is on to grab some flowers, Champagne, strawberries and chocolate. If your better half is truly serious about wine and chocolate, however, pairing the two takes just a tad more thought than a Hershey bar and a bottle of four-dollar red wine (though that's a start). With that, here's our quick guide to pairing wine and chocolate.
Step 1: Stick to normal pairing rules
You don't drink Sauvignon Blanc with steak, do you? Or drink Napa Cabernet with whitefish? Light with light, heavy with heavy.
Step 2: Start with the wine you already like
If you like drinking Merlot, get a Merlot. If you like Champagne, get Champagne. Don't overcomplicate things by buying a wine you're not certain you'll like, but that someone suggested might pair well with chocolate. Go with what you know.
Step 3: Find the chocolate
Go back to Step 1: Don't pair a light, milk chocolate with a heavy wine or a 90% cacao chocolate with Vinho Verde. So think about your wine choice and how rich and powerful it is, then make your chocolate choice. White chocolate pairs nicely with Champagne, as does very light milk chocolate. If you like Pinot Noir, get a slightly darker chocolate. Merlot, darker still. Cabernet, super dark and rich. At the most decadent end of the spectrum, pair a nice Port with dark chocolate truffles.
Or, just get some good advice in the wine or chocolate shop. And if you have a pairing you know to work particularly well, share it with us here.
from : The Daily Sip
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