Ghirardelli, a San Francisco icon, is the perfect host, and its bayside Ghirardelli Square is the perfect setting for a festival celebrating all things chocolate. Experience the gluttony and homage to all things chocolate. For 20 years, Ghirardelli Chocolate Company has hosted an annual chocolate festival outside its factory at Ghirardelli Square near Fisherman’s Wharf…
Tag: #wine
100th Post – Sonoma, CA’s Martinelli Winery: Making me a believer in Zinfandel
Welcome to The Culinary Diplomat’s 100th post! Thank you to all of our readers – whether followers, casual readers, or a friend of myself or one of our Ambassadors (guest bloggers) clicking on a Facebook link once in a blue moon. Please keep sharing your comments, stories, and feedback about the blog. Do you have…
The Rhine Wine Cruise
The best adventures are those born of the unexpected. That absolutely came to pass when a group of us took a day cruise up the Rhine (Rhein) river in search of an authentic Rheingau winery experience. After a great experience at the Rheingau Wine Festival in Wiesbaden, my friends decided we would make it a full…
The Rheingau Wine Festival
Germany loves its festivals. During summer months, you can’t throw a rock without hitting a new festival. And a German wine festival is a sight to behold. Or, rather, an extravaganza for all of the senses to behold. If you’re looking for happy people, interesting if not great music, refined festival cuisine, and every nuance…
The CD entertains: The wine(ry) picnic and the perfect cheese board
Have you ever felt intimidated about pairing food with wine? Whether you’re planning a winery picnic or hosting a wine tasting or casual gathering at home, The CD shares our favorites, from the orthodox to the non-orthodox. Goldfish crackers with rose? Cambozola Bleu with red, white, or rose? Must we always eat cheese? Absolutely not….
Tunisian wine: A surprising discovery
Tunisian wine? Such a thing exists? Across the spectrum of Tunisian food and drink, it was the quality, availability, and affordability of Tunisian wine that surprised most. How does it compare to other wines around the world? Those of you familiar with the Arab and Muslim worlds may expect alcohol to be difficult, or at least, expensive –…
Why Champagne is champagne, Part II: Demystifying from vine to label
In my last post, I dissected the cultural icon that is champagne. Not all sparkling wines are created equal. For many of us, champagne is a bit of an enigma, elitist even. The terminology may seem a bit foreign. Like an exclusive club created it like a secret handshake: a means to determine who really…
Why Champagne is champagne, Part I
Champagne. Is any other beverage so widely equated with “the good life,” social status celebrations, and special events around the world? “Champagne” has become so well-known in popular culture and yet so misunderstood. The term has become so synonymous with sparkling wine that it is easy to forget that it is really a brand, a…
Two days in Bordeaux
If you have been looking to plan – or just dreamed about – a trip that includes hops around Europe or France, make sure to add Bordeaux to your bucket list. Wine is only a starting point. Whether or not you are an oenophile (wine lover), Bordeaux has a lot to offer visitors. A cosmopolitan…
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