In Hawaii, on the eleventh day of June, we celebrate Hawaii’s greatest monarch, King Kamehameha I, with a lei ceremony, hula, Floral Parade, and other cultural events. On the eve of this celebration, I find it appropriate to offer a few musings regarding Hawaii’s history and heritage, paired with a tasty beverage produced by the State’s only large commercial winemaker. Wait, Hawaii has a winemaker?!? You bet. A tropical paradise, made even better. I suspect the wine will have some tropical notes of pineapple on the nose and palate…
Read moreBYOB and the Great Pairing Conundrum
Here in Hawaii, we love to eat. A lot, frequently, and with friends. To facilitate a modicum of fiscal responsibility in my culinary enterprises, I often search for that magical acronym jotted on Yelp pages and restaurant windows: BYOB. Don't concern yourself with the typical 400 percent markup for alcoholic beverages. Just bring your own.
Brilliant.
One problem. With BYOB, there is no sommelier to offer recommendations; you are on your own. Most wouldn’t find tremendous difficulty pairing their bœuf bourguignon or spaghetti alla puttanesca with a tasty vinous beverage. But for the more adventurous, where do you begin when attempting to pair sashimi, papoutsakia, or Evil Jungle Prince Thai Curry?
Read moreCostco Corner: a penny saved is a penny put toward the next bottle...
Enter Costco, the welcomed paradox of low cost and high quality that has Hawaii residents scrambling for a cart at every operating hour of the Costco day. When is the best time to traverse Costco’s fabled value-packed aisles? I have no idea; morning and night, weekdays and weekends, it always appears an endless sea of frantic slapdashery. Fight the bevy of busy patrons, however, and you can be rewarded with excellent value, everyday wines.
Read moreVeritas Wine Club: Tournament of Rosés
The Tchin Tchin Bar, located in Honolulu’s Chinatown District, is at it again with another brilliant monthly tasting lineup for its Veritas Wine Club. This month’s theme is a refreshing reminder that summer is fast approaching. Huzzah!
Read moreSpecial Edition: A Royal Hawaiian Mother’s Day
In a special Mother’s Day edition, we pay tribute to the love, support, and generosity unconditionally poured out by mothers everywhere. It's just what moms do, naturally and gracefully. Although we benefit on a regular basis, these gestures and sacrifices are too often met with little appreciation. But not today! On this day, we celebrate and honor you, mom, for all the ways in which you love, care and provide for us. Cheers to you!
Read moreBirthday Musings: The Great Birthday Roast
The second part of the Great Birthday Bash was borne out of a coincidence of timing. This month’s wine club, typically convening the last weekend of each month, was bestowed a birthday theme. Patrons were asked to select a wine (or food) that would embody the core characteristics and personality traits of this esteemed author. Okay, it seemed like a good idea at the time, but it was quickly discovered that any potentially positive character trait I may possess was going to be conveniently omitted from the discussion. Cheer up, I was told, “we simply wouldn’t bother at all if we didn’t like you.” Sigh. It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...
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