DNN Blog

Red Wine with Fish

You know you’ve heard it…you’ve probably even lived it.  It’s the ultimate food and wine pairing cliché, chanted like a mantra by those who know just-a-little about wine.  Or food.  Or the pairing thereof.  So, here goes – and please don’t even think about taking this out of context or daring to quote me on this…it’s “white with fish, red wine with meat.” Now, as far as clichés go, this is not the worst.  There is some very good reasoning behind this line, and it is very...

Philip the Bold, Duke of Burgundy, was one of the most powerful men in France from 1388 until his death in 1404. Philip managed to keep Burgundy independent from France and doubled the size of his dukedom by marrying the Margaret III, Countess of Flanders. Philip was an excellent capitalist and under his rule the wines of Burgundy became quite fashionable and expensive. Philip the Bold is said to have selected the clone of Pinot Noir that became the mainstay of Burgundy’s red wines and is credited...

Behind Every Bottle, There's a Story: Flying Cigars

Chateauneuf-du-Pape in the Southern Rhône is one of the oldest and most prestigious wine growing regions in France. The famous red wine of Chateauneuf-du-Pape is made from a chorus of grapes, with Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvedre making up the bulk of the blend. A total of 13 grapes, known as the “Chateauneuf 13” are allowed in the blend.

The town name, roughly translated as “New Castle of the Pope”, refers to a time in the fourteenth...