We’re Loving these 3 Red Wines Right Now: Broadside, Vigna Petrussa, and Dough

Wine is intended to be enjoyed, and frankly that’s our main criteria for recommending them. If we enjoy them, then you might too.

Three red wines that we are enjoying right now are very different from each, and from very different regions, but we hope that each will give you the same reaction: Delight.

Our current picks are the Broadside 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon from Paso Robles in California, Italy’s Vigna Petrussa Schioppettino di Prepotto, and Oregon’s Dough 2019 Pinot Noir.

Enjoy!

 

Broadside 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon, Paso Robles

The Broadside 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon is from Paso Robles and the sub AVA of the San Juan Creek and Margarita Ranch. It is made up of 82% Cabernet, 12% Merlot, and 6% Malbec. The wine was aged 18 months in a combination of French and American oak barrels, and has a lot of deep jammy flavors that include dark chocolate and cinnamon.

Award-winning winemaker Adam LaZarre has created a hearty Cab, very much what you would expect from the Central Coast. It is perfect for pairing with meats and poultry, or roasted vegetables. Of course, you can pair it with nothing and just enjoy it alone. Which we can recommend.

Find it at https://broadsidewine.com/

 

Vigna Petrussa Schioppettino di Prepotto

 

This Italian wine by Vigna Petrussa gets its name from the Italian word “schioppare,” which means to burst, since their description implies that the grapes burst in your mouth when you eat them. Schioppettino is an indigenous and sometimes overlooked grape in the North-Eastern corner of Italy, from the region of Friuli Venezia Giulia. Fortunately, second generation winemaker Hilde Petrussa has played a key role in the rediscovery and renaissance of this rare heirloom varietal.

We were actually quite surprised by this Italian wine because sometimes we find them to be a bit overly subtle. This Vigna Petrussa vintage does continue the trend of being gentle, but it is also robust enough to really deliver real flavor and nuance, as well as presenting some delightful aromas and fruit. The wine is aged for 36 months in barrels, then for another six months in the bottle. Some reviewers rankings have it has high as 90 points, which is good news.

One interesting part of the story is that Sheila Donahue of VeroVino Craft imports this wine into the United States, and is very supportive of women owned wineries like those of Hilde Petrussa’s Vigna Petrussa. Sheila started in the wine industry as a sommelier but now searches for and imports hidden gems around the world, gaining quite a bit of positive recognition in the process.

Find it at https://www.verovinogusto.com

Dough 2019 Oregon Pinot Noir

 

The winemaker for Dough is Heidi Bridenhagen, who has fermented this 100% Pinot Noir varietal in stainless steel. Oregon of course brings a unique kind of terroir and topography to its wines, often quite different from those in California or Italy. The Dough Pinot Noir is what many would consider to be a classic wine from Oregon with cherry and red fruits, as well as a bit of chocolate. We found it to be a light and casual drinking wine, one which we believe people will quite enjoy, especially during early in the day. That time frame doesn’t mean however that you can’t have it with a nice pasta with garlic butter sauce, or to start off a lovely evening with a friend(s).

Interestingly enough, the vineyard itself proposes that you chill it, which we suppose you might want to do if it’s an extremely hot day, but otherwise, Why?

Wine enthusiast gave it 85 points, but if up to us we would give it 87.

Find it at https://doughwines.com/

 

 

Zavor’s Noir Cookware Collection bring Design and Function to the Kitchen

Zavor recently announced new pieces for their first line of cast aluminum cookware – The Noir Cookware Collection. It gives even more design opportunities for the home kitchen, or as a great gift for the passionate cook.

The Noir line’s pieces are made of cast aluminum, one of the best and most popular materials for cookware. The cast aluminum provides excellent heat conductivity that is better than that of stainless steel and has a lighter weight than cast iron. Zavor’s Noir Cookware Collection sports a black finish with a Whitford Fusion Ti nonstick ceramic coating, and is designed to be both durable and to retain heat while looking quite nice on display or in use.

Despite the name “Noir“, the collection also includes color options. These consist of customizable color selections for the removable and replaceable black pan & skillet handles and silicone pot grips. They can be swapped out for others in colors like red, butternut squash orange, royal blue, purple, sky blue, and mint green.

Says a Zavor spokeperson, “Since one of the more unique features of the cookware is the removable handles, we thought it would add another aesthetic element to offer the handles in colors. It gives user’s an opportunity to match their kitchens, their cooking, the season, or even use them to identify allergy or diet-specific cookware.”

The removable handles allow skillets and pans to be placed in the dishwasher much more comfortably and provide a more compact storage solution. Another benefit is that when the handles are removed, the skillets, pots and pans in this collection are oven safe up to 535°F. From a performance standpoint, the pieces in the collection have interiors coated with a smooth ceramic layer, which helps to make them easy to clean, and a smooth 430 stainless steel base that is compatible with all cooktops ranging from gas to induction.

 

The Noir Cast Aluminum Cookware Collection includes

  • 8” skillet
  • 10” skillet
  • 12” skillet
  • 11” grill pan
  • 4.5 qt sauté pan
  • 6 qt sauté pan
  • 5 qt Dutch oven
  • 7 qt Dutch oven
  • a skillet set with 8” and 10” skillets
  • a skillet set with 10” and 12” skillets
  • a 7 piece cookware set ($229.95) including a 12” skillet, 4.5 qt sauté pan, 5 qt Dutch oven, and 1.5 qt saucepan.

For more about the Zavor Noir Cookware Collection visit: www.zavoramerica.com.

 

GIFT GUIDE: Get Her a Pair of handmade Lip Earrings by Female Alchemy

In our opinion the perfect gift should always be unique and conversation worthy. That simple critiera fits the description of the artistic Lip Hoops earrings that are part of the Female Alchemy jewelry collection by Miami ceramicist Tatiana Cardona, in collaboration with New York jeweler Konstantinos I. Leoussis.

This collection is an homage to female empowerment, imagination, ideals and art, thoughts and words, and runs the gamut from necklaces to rings. What this means is if you were looking for a gift that truly celebrates Her, then a jewelry collection that celebrates Women is the ideal fit.

Tatiana says, “My work started off as an ode to the female artists that paved the way for the rest of us. With time it has since evolved into the embodiment of the fun, creative, lively feminine spirit. Lips carry our words out into the world, and help us articulate the messages we wish to send. My vessels carry their own message of the power in female energy.”

We think that these are fantastic pieces that you are going to want to wear as much as possible, especially while knowing that to the sharp observer there is more to them than meets the eye. The earrings are designed as a pair of lips with the hoop formed from the somewhat erotic and provocative tongue. The Lip Hoops come in either sterling silver or 18 karat gold plate finishes.

Says Konstantinos I. Leoussis, founder of KIL N.Y.C, “The pieces were hand carved from wax, and I also used softer wax to sculpt in a similar manner to Tatiana. I cast them, and all of it is done here in New York City with recycled metal. The Lip Hoop design is inspired by one of Tatiana’s first collections, from a piece that I fell in love with. We both had a really similar idea in mind, and combined them to create something that could be worn daily and makes a statement.”

For Tatiana, the lip motif is inspired by the feminist movement of the 1960s and 70s, when red lipstick stood as a symbol of protest. Of course in our modern day and age, the feminist movement of the 1960s and 70s has evolved into the women’s rights movement of the current millennium. Which means that this collection might not just be a form of celebration, it might also be a form of protest. As the designer puts an edgy and contemporary motif on her creations, she believes they will not be just wearable, but also heirlooms.

The public reaction to the Lip Hoops in particular has been extremely positive. According to Konstantinos, “They have been our best sellers. Several of my friends have supported our work and wear them which is really fun and they fuel a lot of my passion.”

Good for Mother’s Day gifts, birthday gifts, anniversary gifts, holiday gifts, and 5th dates. You can find more of the Female Alchemy Jewelry collection at:
https://www.femalealchemy.com/collections/jewelry

About Female Alchemy

Each piece in the female alchemy collection is handmade by Miami-based ceramicist, Tatiana Cardona. As an artist, she strives to create lively, empowering functional art, to brighten up one’s home. The lip motif is inspired by the feminist movement of the 1960’s and 70’s, when red lipstick stood as a symbol of protest. Cardona’s work has since evolved into a positive and fun way to promote femininity in the sacred and ancient medium of ceramics.

About KIL N.Y.C.

Inspired by a life of travel and antiquities, jeweler, Konstantinos Leoussis created KIL N.Y.C. in 2018, to showcase his love of old-world techniques and motifs. KIL N.Y.C. puts an edgy and modern spin on sentimental jewelry, creating styles that are both easily wearable and instant heirlooms.

 

TASTE AWARDS Unveil new 30 Second Trailer for Televised Awards Show

Now in its 13th year, the annual TASTE AWARDS has announced that it will be televised across the United States in April and May 2022, and it has just released its newest 30 second television promo spot for the awards show.

This star-studded television special will be broadcast exclusively on select public television stations nationwide. Celebrity award presenters for this broadcast include Tyler Florence, Joanne Weir, Darley Newman, Michelle Harris, Kim Estes, Lorna Maseko, Andrea Feczko, Nikki Dinki, Chef Jernard Wells, Chef JJ Johnson, Kitchen Chat, and more.

The 13th Annual TASTE AWARDS ceremony has been produced in a pre-recorded virtual format for broadcast (check local public television listings for dates and times) and will also be viewable on the PBS Video app.

The annual TASTE AWARDS are the premier awards celebrating the year’s best in Food, Fashion, Health, Travel, and Lifestyle programs in Film, Television, Online & Streaming Video, Podcasts, Radio and Photography.