Last night husband Martin and I were feeling a bit restless – nothing that an ale at the Verdugo couldn’t fix. The Verdugo is our (somewhat) local bar. It has an awesome selection of craft beers on tap, and really, is there anything as good as a good beer on draught? Beer geeks LOVE this place – it has Pliny the Elder, Craftsman, Sour Beers, Belgians, stouts, meads – you name it – on tap. Dudes love the place because the bartenders are pretty, and there is a flat screen t.v. at the bar, where if you ask nicely, they will turn on the ball game. Chicks love the place because, er, the beer is so fine? Also, if you happen to have unenlightened friends who don’t appreciate fine beer, there is a full bar.
So last night perusing the beer list, we both fixed on Aprihop by Dogfish Head. We requested a small taste (they will let you do that!) and we both ordered a pint. Dogfish is an interesting brewery. It’s in Delaware and there was an entertaining article about it in the New Yorker a couple of years ago. Unbeknownst to us, Bryant Goulding, Dogfish’s West Coast Regional Sales Manager was sitting a few seats down, and we got to chat him up about the beer and brewery.
There is no better way to celebrate a special event than with a glass of sparkling wine. All across the world people turn to sparkling wine in moments of great celebration, be it holidays, birthdays, or any momentous occasion. The French have Champagne, which is named after the region in which it is made. The Spanish have cava, which is named after the natural caves in which the wine ferments. Anywhere else we call wine that bubbles sparkling wine. Italy's version is Prosecco or what I like to call the wine of sheer joy.
Which foods pair best with rosés? The question is almost beside the point. Rosés are made for warm summer evenings, dinners outdoors with friends and laughter. Serve dishes that fit with that kind of setting and you're on the right road.
You heard me. This wine, which is made from the muscat grape in a
frizzante-style (mildly bubbly) in the Piedmont region of Italy, is one you should get
to know. Even though I drink a lot of wine – from sparkling
to port – it's easy to forget about Moscato. Mostly because I don't
often get the opportunity to drink it. I'm the only person I know who
loves dessert wine, so it's hard to justify opening a bottle to drink
all by myself. I have, it's just not something one should make a habit
of. Usually I have to quench my cravings for this delicate, fizzy
confection when I'm out to dinner. While everyone else digs into the
chocolate cake or bread pudding, I satisfy my sweet tooth by sipping.
All the pleasure, none of the fat. 
They say the eyes are the window to a person's soul, but I disagree. I'm pretty sure it's the hair. Seriously.