Always

If you are wine lover (or if you are against unnecessary government regulation) and live in Maryland now is the time to help out your fellow citizens and write your state congressman about Senate Bill 616 and House Bill 1260. If these measures are passed wine junkies like myself will have access to some of the best wines the world has to offer. Right now Marylanders have access to the best wines the state run distributors have to offer. Maryland is one of the many states that still do not allow direct shipment of wine to the consumer.

Free the Grapes will do all the work for you. Just click on the Maryland link, scroll down, punch in your name & address, click Send Message and "Free the Grapes" will send an e-mail to your state senator and representatives on your behalf.

Posted by Brian Levay at 10:00 PM | Permalink

I've been struggling with what to call my wife's addiction to the Food Network. To call it anything less than an addiction would be an understatement because changing the channel while the Food Network is on in our house is a sin. We have now gotten to the point where Food Network repeats are becoming a part of our TV viewing repertoire.

After reading Eric's Thoughts on High-Profile Cooking I now have the proper phrase needed to describe this addiction: Food-Porn. In the medical profession when something is labeled it usually has a treatment. I'm not sure there is a treatment for this one.

Note: The one bright-side to this whole thing is that we have had some fabulous meals, snacks, and drinks! Except for dinner tonight which was Hamburger Helper and Scrambled Eggs....ever see that on the Food Network?

Posted by Brian Levay at 10:00 PM | Permalink

Anyone that knows me should know my semi-facination with wine. I'll sadly admit a nice sized chunk of my income goes to the drink of the gods.

Wine drinking has its own culture and like with any cultured organization you have to know the rules to not look like an idiot in the eyes of everyone else. I surely made some silly mistakes in the early years of my wine education.

Now, in an attempt to educate everyone else I give you HOW TO ORDER WINE WITHOUT LOOKING LIKE AN ASSHOLE!. If you regularly lift a cork to your nose to smell the freshness of a wine and/or spin your wine like you're trying to start the whirlpool of all whirlpools then you have to read this piece.

Posted by Brian Levay at 12:00 PM | Permalink