Nothing says a New Year like some bubbly. Here are three I like that are inexpensive and tasty. Bring out the bubbles… Côté Mas Jean-Claude Cremant de Limoux Brut is a fruity sparkling from France which you can pick up for around $10. It has a bit of sweetness, mixed with citrus. I would not take too much notice of the “Brut” (dry) on the label. For something very different, the Côté Mas Crémant de Limoux Rosé (also a sparkling) is delicious. It’s very light and filled with strawberry and raspberry notes. Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio is a standard in restaurants. When people ask me about an easy to fine, inexpensive white wine in a restaurant, it’s a go-to. That’s why I was happy to try their sparkling, I quickly agreed. The Santa Margherita Prosecco Superiore is also one you can count on, whether it’s at home. It has a bit of apple sweetness, and floral notes, that make it easy drinking. Straight up or in cocktails… With the Santa Margherita Prose...

It’s time for holiday shopping and entertaining. Here’s a few things which have come across my door that I think you’ll enjoy. The perfect food basket… Last year, Murray’s Cheese NYC sent me their Most Valuable Player basket to check out. This year, I got La Dolce Vita and it was fantastic.  What a great selection of meats, cheeses, and accompaniments it is. There’s enough to serve at least eight, making it well worth the $120. I also love that the cheeses are each different, from spreadable to aged. Included in Murray’s Cheese NYC La Dolce Vita is: • Fontina Fontal Cheese (a favorite of everyone) • La Tur Creamy Cheese • Pecorino Calabrese Sheep Cheese • Gorgonzola • Murray's Sopressata Salami • Murray's Speck (similar to prosciutto) • Castelvetrano Olives • Sandimiri Crostini Bread On a personal note, it was the first time I’ve had a true (and delicious) Italian salami since leaving New York! Check these chips for a cause...

It’s Halloween week, which means it’s time for parties – and partying. Here’s a few things you’ll want to check out. Let’s Get Monster Smashed… It’s the perfect title for this book: Let’s Get Monster Smashed, Horror Movie Drinks for a Killer Time . It’s put together by Jon and Marc Chait, and the book is as colorful as the drinks. It all starts with a great breakdown of liquors and liqueurs, everything from vodka to Lillet Blanc. You’ll also find a section listing all the tools you will need to make these deliciously monstrous drinks, as well as “Satanic Syrups” you need to know how to make. I highly recommend adding this book to your bar. Here’s a few of my favorites: Monkey Brain (peach brandy, cream liqueur and grenadine), to drink during Faces of Death; Pazuzu’s Puke (brandy, dark rum, milk, vanilla sugar, green food coloring and corn flakes), to go with a night watching The Exorcist; and Big Fishbowl Punch (white rum, blue curacao, lemon lime soda and shark gummies), ...

I had a lot of sampling to do this month and actually had to leave some for next month. It’s harvest season for wine, plus there are some great new spirits out there. Here are some of the things I loved this month. A very special scotch from Glenfiddich… What do you get when you blend together 20 single malt whiskies? Something especially delicious. Glenfiddich Project XX is a treat for any scotch lover. It’s full of vanilla and oak, with a bit of apple, and a cinnamon finish. Try these wines… I’ll never forget when I was in Burgundy, France, and we headed to Chablis to taste some of its namesake wine. It was the first time I had tasted true Chablis and I fell in love with the wine. The William Fevr Chablis brought that memory back. It’s buttery, but not heavy, has a touch of vanilla and a bit of lemon. When I saw the “sweet” on the label of Aime Sweet Moscato , I saved it for dessert. That wasn’t necessary as this wine is less sweet than most moscatos. It’s...

I’m known for the fact that I like variety. I eat and drink different things every day, at every meal. There’s only two things you can always count on: I’ll have some form of yogurt each day, and I’ll always celebrate National Tequila Day. The reason for the latter goes beyond my obvious love of spirits. July 24 th also happens to be my birthday. My latest tequila… Given these two facts colliding on one day, I usually receive quite a bit of tequila just before today. This year, three arrived, and they are all quite special. Casamigos Tequila is the brand created by George Clooney and Rande Gerber. The two celebrities were not looking for a money-making scheme. Instead, they were looking for a great tequila to drink while the friends vacationed in Mexico. They say some people have the power to turn everything they touch into gold and these two are proof. Their little project was recently sold for nearly a billion dollars to spirits giant Diageo. According...

It feels like summer has been here forever already, but it’s only the start. This heat makes me think of comfortable clothing, cool drinks, and barbecue. Comfortable Pants for a Good Cause… I will be wearing these One Tribe Elephant Harem Pants a lot this summer. They are cool and comfortable. At first, I was looking at them to just wear over my bathing suit, but I got so many compliments on them I’ll be wearing them out. As if the comfort isn’t enough, there are other reasons to purchase from One Tribe . Products are made in Thailand by local workers paid a fair wage. Also, for every pair of elephant pants sold, the company makes a donation to the Elephant National Park in Chang Mai, where they rescue endangered animals. The Best Burgers in the Country… In the 2017 Harris Poll, Five Guys dethroned In-N-Out as America’s Favorite Burger Chain. It’s the burger that’s the star here and that comes from Schweid & Sons , a family run ground beef company now in its ...

My friends are used to me putting together some unique tasting parties, but I certainly got strange looks when I invited them to a selection of seven different wines, pierogis, and Buffalo chicken wings. It always starts with the wine… The 2014 Montes Alpha Carrmenere may have a deep, dark color, but that doesn’t mean it’s powerful. The green pepper, cassis, and vanilla notes makes it an easy to drink red. If you are looking for what you would expect to be a more typical red for your meal, an excellent representative of Sonoma is the 2014 Ferrari-Carano Siena . You’ll get more of the black pepper, dark fruit, and even a bit of tobacco in this one. A favorite with two red drinking friends is the 2010 Yarra Yering Dry Red Wine No 10 . This Australian blend goes for around $100, but if you’re splurging on the steak, you might as well go for the wine. I spent some wonderful quality time with the De Bortoli family when I was in Australian and I have followed (and...

You know the saying, “When it rains, it pours?” Well, that’s the way it is around here when it comes to sampling. I went a few weeks without receiving anything, then it all starting “pouring” in. I’m going to try to get to everything ASAP. In the meantime, it’s always good to start with pasta…   Delicious & Healthy Gluten-Free Pasta… Explore Cuisine sent me two boxes of their gluten-free, vegan pasta , Black Bean Spaghetti and Chickpea Fusilli. I’ve never had anything like that before and was anxious to try them.  Of course, it’s always important to get an opinion where it counts, so I invited some friends to dinner – one of whom is gluten-free. The consensus was all positive for these pastas. I served the Black Bean Spaghetti with a marinara sauce. This pasta has a whopping 25 grams of protein so it’s also a nutritional powerhouse. I thought it was a little sticky, but I was the only one. It was suggested that maybe the marinara was too heavy and a simple o...