However, there is some truth to the old adage. When one of my favorite producers from the Veneto in Northern Italy—Montresor—hosted a recent dinner focused on regional food from that region in San Francisco, I wondered if it was really important to zero in on these synergies. As American consumers we tend to drink a wide range of wines with all kinds of food.

So I have to admit that the dinner was brilliant. We cooked regional foods from the Veneto in an intimate setting—guided by local Italian chefs—and the pairings were fantastic. Traditional Venetian chicchetti (small bites) like Sarde in Soar—sardines in a sweet and sour sauce—were fantastic with Montresor’s Lugana single-vinyard “Gran Guardia” 2009 and their delcious Valpolicella (perhaps the most affordable red from the Veneto) was also served.

So perhaps we need to rethink our pairing strategy here? Cin cin,

Liza the Wine Chick

Here’s the segment live in all its foodie deliciousness.

So here’s a cheat sheet on some delicious things to try when visiting Istanbul or Turkish restaurants all over the world.

High-end Istanbul:

Kempinski Palace has views to die for, outstanding meze, fresh fish and a great baklava-focused dessert bar. Mikla on top of the Marmara Pera hotel has amazing views.

Affordable Istanbul:

Kivais a great new meze house in the hip Beyoglu neighborhood. Ciyahas fantastic meze and meats on the Asian side of the city. The street it is on has amazing food and spice shopping.

Few Turkish wines are seen in the States and it is a shame.  Indigenous grapes like Kalecik Karasi (a spicy red) and Narince (a beautiful, mineral white that works beautifully with seafood). The country is home to hundreds of local varietals and also produces wines from international varietals like Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay.

Also don’t miss the chance to try raki, a local anise-flavored spirit on its own with snacks or in a cocktail (the Kempinski made a great one with melon).

Places to try Turkish food and wine in SF:

Dunyafor great meze and lamb on Polk.

Troyain the Inner Richmond for meze and more complicated dishes.

Bursain West Portal for divine meze.

You can listen to the program by clicking here.

Gene was celebrating the 16th anniversary of his show and we got a chance to talk about Sicily and molecular cocktails: two of my favorite subjects. I regaled him with stories of my recent trip to Sicily and adventures on and around Etna (we actually got to climb the volano itself, see below):

I also shared some of my favorite places in SF to get these wines: such as the  great, dry sparkling Nerello Macalese I had at Bar Bambino. I will share more about Sicilian wines and my experiences with molecular cocktails in Chicago in future updates. Happy Memorial Day Weekend, Liza the Wine Chick

I will let you know about my favorite wines in the next couple of posts, but wanted to first fill you in on a classic hotel and its new sibling. The Orient Express properties in Taormina, perched on a cliff that endures as a classic destination, are a treat. The Timeo, in the center of Taormina, is a delight with a rooftop bar and 1950s music (think classic Frank and Dean Martin). The newly opened (by a couple of weeks) Sant’Andrea is more of a beach destination with divine views.

Taormina is a beauty of a town, better visited in spring than with the hordes of tourists in summer. All the better to enjoy a classic Negroni on the roof of the Timeo with a view of the town below. Salute,

Seek out wineries that go above and beyond the norm to provide a great tasting experience and you will enjoy the experience even more. Darioush winery, also on the Silverado Trail, also has one.

They are also great for the holidays because you can put them in punch bowls and have your guests gather round. You can also get your friends in on the action by having them help you shake and muddle (as I did with dubious results on this segment of View from the Bay).

So please take a look at my Examiner.com column for a couple fun holiday recipes.

Stores that once sneered at me for seeking out wines under $10 are stacking them out on the floor. Most wine shops are now featuring prominent value sections, often chosen by wine geeky employees. Restaurants are offering half-off nights, ladies nights and two for ones. Take advantage of these deals. If you have a little money saved it’s even a great time to collect, as prices on classified Bordeaux are way down. One only wonders when, if ever, Napa may follow suit.

We filmed it at K&L, which is one of my favorite wine shops in the City. They  had some great wine on the floor, including some very well priced Malbecs and Torrontés from Argentina and a couple of Nero d’Avolas from Sicily. These were stacked out in the middle of the store in the staff picks section. I always love to see curious and wine savvy sales staff getting invested in sharing their favorite wines and have a hand in what’s on the floor.

Nick and I among the wines at K&L.

So Nick played the part of the curious newbie drinker perfectly. He told me he had had an Etude Pinot Noir the other night and enjoyed it. So I walked him over to the Pinot section and pointed out a couple of other great wines he might want to try–like the Hitching Post Cork Dancer–as well as some Oregon Pinots, like Domaine Serene, that might be similar in style.

We also talked about the concepts of second labels as more affordable versions of a winery’s production. I showed Nick Beyond from Buitenverwachten, which is a great everyday Sauvignon Blanc priced around $10. We also touched on Prosecco and Cava being great Champagne alternatives and did an interview with co-owner Clyde Beffa about the different wines he direct imports for the store.

So here’s to great retailers.

Cheers,

Liza the Wine Chick

 Makeup for this segment provided by Shawnté Vargas of Benefit.

The Business of Wine is composed of more than 140 entries from a multitude of experts of different backgrounds in the wine business. Importers, journalists and educators came together to try to forge the industry’s first serious ode to the business of wine. It has chapters that address hence thus forth infrequently discussed concepts such as the role of importers, distributors and cult wines. It also tackles topics like the trend towards higher alcohol levels in wine and the value of ratings and scores. It was edited by Geralyn and Jack Brostrom and was published by Greenwood Press. Other contributors include educator Doug Frost, Jamie Ritchie of Sotheby’s and winemaker João Portugal Ramos.

These are often topics that remained less than well redefined in the shadows and it’s exciting to see a wine industry book take them all on head on. I wrote the chapter on how to best market to the on-premise sector, which has become somewhat of a specialty of mine over the years. The bulk of the book is well written and focused on really useful information many in the industry will use to better navigate the business. What’s more those who read my blog here and my posts on the Examiner.com readers can get 20 percent off the cover price of $65 by going to this link on the Greenwood site for the next week by using code F238. Happy reading!

Cheers,

Liza the Wine Chick

View from the Bay host Spencer Christian and Liza the Wine Chick at the ABC studios.

I was also thrilled to share tips on how to find great and affordable, everyday wines. This has always been my passion, even when I had an expense account, and seems particularly apropos now. Not only was I able to introduce viewers to a handful of great, value wines, I also shared down-to-earth tips on how to be a savvy shopper. I have always supported shopping in independent wine stores and forging relationships with the passionate folks who work there. Half my selections were from Chile, which even surprised me. However this country continues to emerge as a wine-producing star, even though it has gotten bogged down in a price ghetto. I also shared favorites from Sicily, Australia and South Africa.

Spencer, one of the program’s hosts, is quite a wine geek and his passion made the whole experience even more fun. So here are my under $10 picks, which isn’t an easy category to sort through, even in this economy:

Secreto Sauvignon Blanc 2007                             $8.99
Sebeka Cabernet-Pinotage Blend 2007             $8.99
Viu Manent Malbec 2008                                        $5.99
Feudo Arancio Nero d’Avola 2006                        $8.99
Casillero del Diablo Carmenere 2007                $9.99
Rolling Cabernet-Merlot 2005                               $9.99

My retail partner, the Jug Shop, on Pacific Avenue will be carrying them all for at least the next week in a special “Liza the Wine Chick’s View from the Bay” section. The View from the Bay is also featuring all my savvy wine shopping tips on their site. Please do check them out and let me know if they are of use in your search for great wines.

I will also be speaking tomorrow on the great, local wine and travel show A Matter of Taste tomorrow with the fabulous Rachel and David Cane from 11:45am to noon approximately Pacific Time. We were all recently running around the wilds of Argentina together and will have lots to share about finding great wines.

Cheers,

Liza the Wine Chick