Recently, my husband and I enjoyed a simple, yet romantic, dinner of cheese and crackers, as we had found an excellent cheese counter at a new-to-us grocery store.  Although we typically favor a red wine, it seemed that most varietals would overpower the delicate flavors of our goat cheese, mozzarella, and champignon.  To compliment the cheeses, we decided that a Chenin Blanc would be best. Although it took a little searching to find the right wine (4 stores!), my husband found Dry Creek Vineyard 2006 Dry Chenin Blanc.  Having enjoyed this vineyard's wine several years ago, he was certain that...

This week I’m going to talk a little bit about wine and Dan Aykroyd. Up until recently these two things probably had nothing in common, that is until Dan Aykroyd opened up his own vineyard and decided to give winemaking a try. Last Tuesday, the 24th, I had the opportunity to meet him and sample a bit of his new concoction. Let me go on the record as saying this: I don’t know a lot about wine. I know there is white and red. I like some more than others, and some wines are sweet, others make your eyes pucker. Dan...

Wine Name: 2004 Swirling Dervish Merlot Region: Central Coast of California - Livermore, CA Price Paid: $6 per bottle Description: We had the wine on a weeknight to go along with a dinner selection of French Toast with Apples and Cheese. The eye-catching label was the first impression I had when I opened this bottle. Pouring the wine to our glasses, it had a rich color but not quite as dark as some of the more aged merlots. The wine had a fairly rich body and had hints...