When getting your barbeque grill, think of it as an investment rather then just another item for your outdoor entertainment. You should expect this item to become a large part of your outdoor festivities for many years to come. But like any other investments, proper maintenance and care is needed to ensure that your barbeque grill will work for you for the long term. While some maintenance and cleaning is specific to the type of barbeque grill…

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A fairytale wine-tasting adventure awaits the wine connosieur touring the Loire Valley as wine-tasting can be enjoyed together with visits to many spectacular historic chateaux sprinkled throughout the area.

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The sun was out and the air balmy. Such a day reminds me of Rome, and I had an overwhelming desire to drop everything and hop on a plane. But this fantasy was not to be. Real life meant that I had wines to taste and a column to write. The wines…

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Summer is upon us, which means that it is time to begin grilling and preparing awesome Bar-Be-Cue parties. The only problem is, you have not bought your Bar-Be-Cue grill yet. When buying your first grill, you will find that you have a large array of choices available to you. It may seem overwhelming at first due to the almost endless amount of possibilities and options available. The best way to decide on what type of grill is right for you is by educating yourself about them.

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Wine collecting is becoming quite the popular hobby. Those who can afford it have taken a strong liking to not only tasting great wines, but creating a collection of some of their favorites as well. Drinking wine was once only done by royalty but these days all kinds of Americans are pouring themselves a glass of their favorite red or white. But what to do when your bottle collection starts growing out of control?

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Chianti Classico is the first Italian region to join an international alliance dedicated to protecting the exclusivity and originality of wine regions.

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Top English sparkling wine producer Nyetimber has become the first estate to adopt a specialist insurance policy covering its wine ‘from grape to glass’.

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Paso Robles may be about to get sliced up like pizza — but two different groups want to make the slices in different places. A group of Paso Robles-area vintners and growers are submitting petitions that, if approved by federal regulators, will create…

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Want to give a gift that keeps on giving month after month? A wine of the month gift club membership will do just that. Learn how this wine gift makes a lasting impression with the recipient while being easy to purchase…

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Mick Fleetwood – founder and drummer of rock band Fleetwood Mac - has gone on a tour of discount stores to promote his own wine brand.

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US wine exports went up by 30% in the last year, and have increased more than 100% in the last 10 years.

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In the past few years, the popularity of cocktails increased dramatically. More and more types were invented; some of the most exotic fruit juices were mixed with powerful alcohol and the mixing of drinks quickly transformed into some kind of art.

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It’s not easy to write authoritatively about a cheese that varies as much as Saint-Nectaire. What will you encounter if you buy a piece of this French cow’s milk cheese, an AOC (name-controlled) classic? Will you have a smooth, moist and creamy raw-milk…

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California vintners sure must like Petite Sirah. In 2005, The Chronicle received 35 of them to taste. Last year that increased to 65, and this year we received 99 wines. Prices are rising too. Three-quarters of the bottles were $20 or more, topping out at $…

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Europe’s first major trial of a natural cork closure which claims to stop cork taint in wine, got underway this week in Bordeaux.

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The first mention of a cocktail was somewhere around 1800. Ever since then, the cocktail has gone through various changes and today bartenders use all kinds of ingredients to serve the most fascinating mixtures. Online there is a wide range of cocktail recipes, with or without alcohol, satisfying the tastes and preferences of every Internet user.

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Today’s Budget tax hikes on sparkling and still wine may mean reduced choice for the consumer, the UK wine lobby says.

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Spain’s Ribera del Duero region is set to receive upgraded status to Denominacion de Origen Calificada (DOCa) in 2008.

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For 1,000 years Catholic pilgrims have made long treks from all over Europe to the city of Santiago de Compostela near the Atlantic coast of northwestern Spain. The remains of Saint Iago — the apostle Saint James — are said to lie in the crypt under the…

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The wine industry could lose a generation of customers if it doesn’t get better at capturing the attention of younger drinkers, according to a survey commissioned by Vinexpo.

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Coffee is one of the most popular drinks around, followed by soft drinks and tea. Just think about it: when you wake up in the morning, just to get you up and running, you have a cup of coffee. At lunch break, after youve had your meal, you serve another cup of coffee, not to mention the other ones you already had back at the office while working, without even realizing it. When you ask someone out, its most likely that you ask him or her out for a coffee.

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Sales of woodchips to winemakers in Bordeaux have increased by as much as 200%.

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France’s top wine producers are putting their weight behind screwcap closures.

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There are 1000s of choices available to you when you are purchasing your first grill. It may seem overwhelming, but knowing the difference it each type of grill will help you may an easier decision.

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A Sausalito businessman set fire to a huge warehouse on Mare Island in 2005 to cover up a scheme in which he sold wine that vintners and collectors had paid him to store, federal prosecutors charged Monday as they wrapped up an investigation into a blaze that…

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Soybean is one of the natures wonderful nutritional gifts. It is one of the very few plants that provide a high quality of protein with minimum saturated fat. Soybean contains all the three macronutrients required for good nutrition, as well as fiber vitamins, minerals. Soybean protein provides all the essential amino acids in the amounts needed for human health. Almost 40 per cent of the calories from soybeans are derived from protein, making soybeans higher in protein…

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As people, we all make mistakes. It is human nature to do so, and cannot be prevented each and every time. When it comes to barbequing, this rule is no different. We often make mistakes that we do not even realize until we taste our food, or something potentially dangerous happens.

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Burgundy’s Henri Jayer and Domaine Leroy. The Rhone’s Domaine du Pegau. Names to make a French wine lover drool. Thank Martine Saunier for putting them on your table — or perhaps the table of your dreams, since these wines are as scarce as they are…

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If wine is not served at the right temperature it could severely hinder the taste and experience of the drink. When wine however is served at the right temperature the wine gains a balance and a taste that is unmatched. Perfect is the way that wine should be and most often times our wine is not perfect. In fact to often its far from it and many people really never know the difference.

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Coffee is surely one of many peoples everyday delights. For some, its just another drink or stimulant. Others disagree with coffee drinking as they consider it to be addictive. But for coffee lovers, every cup is a delight. There are many connoisseurs that enjoy grinding coffee themselves and know all about the coffee culture and its varieties, as well as the best ways of brewing that leave its aroma intact and unlock its best features.

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