A Taste of the Rhone

Drinks magazine is a quarterly that I've had the opportunity to write for the past several years. Part of the content is general, part is customized for the wine store that distributes it - and there are several across the country that do. There is no newstand distrbution. Below is my story on Rhone wines in the Fall 2012 issue.

Sommelier Journal: Cruse & Gimblett Gravels

There are two new articles of mine in the July 15 issue of Sommelier Journal. The first is an interview with Emmanuel Cruse of Chateau d'Issan, who is head of both the Commanderie du Bontemps and the Grand Conseil du Vin de Bordeaux. The second is a profile of the Gimblett Gravels growing region in New Zealand - until 150 years ago a natural fish farm as the bed of a flowing river. The opening page of each is below, but for more information, please go to www.sommelierjournal.com.

'Brandywine Book of Seasons' a Page-Turner

Leslie Kedash, our designer for the Brandywine Book of the Seasons, Ella and I spent Wednesday and Thursday checking out the page proofs for color and clarity as they flew off the presses at Offset Impressions in Reading. Next week - the cover printing and a final trip to the bindery. Available in late September in bookstores and gift shops.

On Press - Brandywine Book of the Seasons

The Brandywine Region, whose centerpiece is the lovely and bucolic Brandywine River, encompasses northern Delaware and much of Chester County, Pennsylvania. It is a region rich in history, natural beauty and a wealth of interesting and creative people who grow produce, shape artisan foods, make fine wines, open restaurants that serve truly great locally based foods, raise horses, paint and sculpt, and in general make the Brandywine a great place to live or visit. The Brandywine Book of the Seasons opens the door to this region and its people who share with us their stories and their foods through a wealth of recipes, both plain and fancy. The book goes to press tomorrow - August 22. Wish us a speedy run. Books available in September.

Do You Know the Way to Santa Fe?

This spring, Ella and I spent several great days in Santa Fe. In addition to being a few pounds heavier and several dollars lighter, the trip and others before provided information for my "Destination: Santa Fe" article which appears in the September issue of Wine Enthusiast. Above, one of the murals in Cafe Pasquale.

This September - Brandywine Book of the Seasons

This September, Ella and I will publish a new book - The Brandywine Book of the Seasons. It's a cookbook with a story, or, rather, several stories, for it combines tales and 45 recipes from some of the best chefs in our area of southeastern Pennsylvania and northern Delaware as well as those of our friends who make wine, bake bread, herd sheep, age cheeses, grow vegetables and are dyed-in-the-linen foodies. The book is in living color with dozens of Ella's best shots, printed on 140 pages of quality stock - a perfect holiday gift for families and friends. Beginning October 1, the books can be ordered in bookstores and online via Partners East distributors, or you can drop us a line at londonbritain@msn.com for more information. We believe you can tell a book by its cover - and here's ours: