Spritzers are festive yet economical. By adding seltzer and juice, you stretch the number of people a bottle of wine serves.
When I was a child, we always had wine on the table, no matter how simple the meal. The wine had no special identity; it was just 'the wine,' from the cellar cask. The rules were general: white with the first course, red with the main course.
I like cast iron coated with enamel for longevity and forgiveness if I happen to take my eyes off the prize while pouring Chianti.
I'd learned some things. I knew you weren't supposed to hold a good wine at the top - the paper bag falls off.
I like to pour my wines for people. I watch their eyes, I can see what they'll like. Most people say they don't like dry wine because they haven't had a dry wine that's clean and fruity, instead of a big, oaky thing.
I have this beautiful antique silver wine decanter that I bought at an auction. I always pour wine from that.
Go fetch to me a pint o' wine, An' fill it in a silver tassie.
Wine lovers have known for centuries that decanting wine before serving it often improves its flavor. Whatever the dominant process, the traditional decanter is a rather pathetic tool to accomplish it. A few years ago, I found I could get much better results by using an ordinary kitchen blender.
