http://rogerspark.com/rp/a_good_pour Rogers Park's exclusive food and wine blog by neighborhood writer and Photographer Carol Ludwick. en carol.ludwick@comcast.net Copyright 2010 2010-02-05T19:33:01+00:00 http://rogerspark.com/rp/a_good_pour/comments/goldilocks_was_on_to_something/ http://rogerspark.com/rp/a_good_pour/comments/goldilocks_was_on_to_something/#When:19:33:01Z How the right serving time and temperature can elevate your wine tasting experience. 2010-02-05T19:33:01+00:00 http://rogerspark.com/rp/a_good_pour/comments/add_a_little_sparkle_to_your_life/ http://rogerspark.com/rp/a_good_pour/comments/add_a_little_sparkle_to_your_life/#When:20:30:28Z Let sparkling wine add some fizz to your cocktail hour. Special occasions not required! 2009-12-18T20:30:28+00:00 http://rogerspark.com/rp/a_good_pour/comments/an_old_flame_warms_up_a_fall_favorite/ http://rogerspark.com/rp/a_good_pour/comments/an_old_flame_warms_up_a_fall_favorite/#When:23:29:07Z Re-discovering the appeal of a bold, rich chardonnay. 2009-10-22T23:29:07+00:00 http://rogerspark.com/rp/a_good_pour/comments/the_soul_of_a_vineyard/ http://rogerspark.com/rp/a_good_pour/comments/the_soul_of_a_vineyard/#When:01:24:26Z The day my love affair with wine and winemaking took root. 2009-09-15T01:24:26+00:00 http://rogerspark.com/rp/a_good_pour/comments/make_premium_california_wine_with_your_friends_and_neighbors/ http://rogerspark.com/rp/a_good_pour/comments/make_premium_california_wine_with_your_friends_and_neighbors/#When:15:55:45Z Crushpad Winery in San Francisco brings together award winning winemakers, grapes sourced from California and Bordeaux’s top vineyards and people who want to learn about winemaking and be involved in the process. I like to say that winemaking is part artistry and alchemy. This year they’ve put together Community Crush, Chicago, which gives us the opportunity to be part of that process from grape to glass! 2009-07-17T15:55:45+00:00 http://rogerspark.com/rp/a_good_pour/comments/misunderstood_merlot/ http://rogerspark.com/rp/a_good_pour/comments/misunderstood_merlot/#When:18:22:16Z What do I mean by misunderstood? Well, it started before the main character in the movie Sideways nearly spit his disdain for Merlot. It was a cheap shot, but sadly, it rang true for some wine drinkers and sent up red flags for others. Why? Because Merlot’s popularity had turned against her. In the late 1980’s and 90’s, Americans, many new to drinking red wines, lapped up Merlot since it was palate friendly and didn’t barrage them with too much tannin before they were ready. This increase in demand drove an explosion of planting, even in areas that were not conducive to the grape. The central valley in California is a good example where the climate is too warm and the soils too fertile for Merlot. She can produce overly generous yields and that dilutes her flavor and quality. 2009-05-29T18:22:16+00:00 http://rogerspark.com/rp/a_good_pour/comments/exploring_rums_golden_side/ http://rogerspark.com/rp/a_good_pour/comments/exploring_rums_golden_side/#When:17:09:03Z Close your eyes. Listen to the palm fronds swishing in the gentle breeze, punctuated by the occasional call of a nearby seagull. Sink your toes into the toasty sand and taste the faint trace of salt dancing in the air over the turquoise waters. If you’re like me, dear neighbors, all you need is a sailboat to get to your happy place, but for now, we’re going to be perched on a Caribbean beach about to enjoy one the area’s signature delights. You may be surprised that we’re not being served rum punch, typically made with light rum and fruit juices, but today our focus is going to be on the golden and premium varieties, the less widely known but richly complex branch of the rum family. 2009-04-30T17:09:03+00:00 http://rogerspark.com/rp/a_good_pour/comments/pinot_noirwhy_all_the_fuss/ http://rogerspark.com/rp/a_good_pour/comments/pinot_noirwhy_all_the_fuss/#When:15:51:28Z Impressionable, finicky, skittish beauty seeks patient, tender, skillful hands and a Goldilocks environment in which to flourish-not too hot, not too cold. Sound too high maintenance? Well, luckily for us, many intrepid winemakers think she’s worth the trouble and fear not, dear neighbors, she is... 2009-03-07T15:51:28+00:00 http://rogerspark.com/rp/a_good_pour/comments/warm_up_your_valentine_with_armagnac/ http://rogerspark.com/rp/a_good_pour/comments/warm_up_your_valentine_with_armagnac/#When:11:27:43Z It’s a safe bet to say that those of us nestled up along Chicago’s coastline are getting a bit weary of the sci-fi like temperatures encasing us here on Planet Rogers Park. Even regaling out-of-towners with the record breakers is getting old.  There’s only so many times my mother-in-law in Phoenix is going to be impressed with my pluckiness at venturing out when it’s -10 degrees. 2009-02-08T11:27:43+00:00