Chenin Blanc

By the nose, this could pass for a New Zealand sauv blanc, with strong grapefruit and grassy notes. On the palate, there's a jolt of brisk lemon flavor and acidity. The finish is vibrant and focused.

This South African beauty is the rare Southern Hemisphere sauvignon blanc that's rich enough to hold up to grilled tuna, swordfish or even salmon. Yet it remains brisk enough to marry well with a vinaigrette-laden salad or light chicken dish.

If you come across the Springfield "Special Cuvee" Sauvignon Blanc, it might be an even better value at $22.

Full Story: Baseball and wine create great double play - Minneapolis Star Tribune

From under the table, the teacher pulls a bottle of Merlot and pours it into the jar, filling space between sand.

The students laugh, and the teacher begins her lesson: "Recognize how this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the most important things -- your family, your children, your health, your faith, your friends, your passion.

The students laugh, and the teacher begins her lesson: "Recognize how this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the most important things -- your family, your children, your health, your faith, your friends, your passion. "The pebbles are things that may matter -- your job, house, car, dog. You know, if you lost all that -- and only the golf balls remained -- your life would still be full.

Full Story: Uncorked: Lessons for wine, and life - Greensboro News & Record

A former line cook, veteran political reporter, and fisherman, Hank Shaw is a freelance food writer who runs the website Hunter Angler Gardener Cook , which chronicles Shaw's search for what he calls the Forgotten Feast: The seasonal foods “mostly wild” we once delighted in, but are now curiosities at best. Game, wild mushrooms, seafood, and wild plants all have a place in modern cooking, and Shaw spends his days exploring their possibilities on the plate.

Gastronomica . He hunts, fishes, forages, and gardens in Northern California with his girlfriend—and photographer— Holly A. Heyser .

This risotto is the essence of the seaside, and can be made with any number of shellfish. I use Manila clams (which you can get small), mussels, and either tiny bay shrimp or the boreal pink shrimp that live off both coasts of Canada. You also could use bay scallops, crayfish, bits of crab or lobster, limpets, periwinkles, or really any other shellfish you feel like using.

Full Story: Recipe: Beachcomber's Risotto - Atlantic Online (blog)

Sesame-Crusted Diver Scallop, with udon noodles, shiitake mushrooms, carrots, jalapeno, cashews and a lemongrass-ginger broth; paired with a 2008 Balletine Chenin Blanc.

Peas and Carrots, with carrot and goat cheese agnolotti, spring peas, morel mushrooms, Parmigiano-Reggiano and white truffle oil; paired with a 2006 Ballentine Petite Sirah.

Slow-Braised Veal Cheek, with orange-scented polenta, fava beans, ramps and red wine veal jus; paired with a 2005 Ballentine Merlot.

Full Story: Satterfield's hosts Ballentine Vineyards dinner - The Birmingham News - al.com (blog)

At Annexkloof, Hugo Basson is seriously thinking about abandoning whites. This is in spite of the fact that chenin blanc is the calling card for the Paardeberg, recently renamed the Partyberg by locals, after former Rustenberg winemaker Adi Badenhorst moved to Kalmoesfontein. "At least with reds, if you can't sell them, they go up in price while older chenins and sauvignon blancs are impossible to move," he notes mournfully.

Basson bottled his 2009 sauvignon blanc on Friday and by Tuesday it was for sale, unlabelled, for R25 a bottle. A year on the lees has transformed the sometimes simple and grassy cultivar into a complex mélange of tropical fruits with a racy citrus zing. R20 more secures his blend of chenin, chardonnay and sauvignon blanc from the 2008 vintage that has rich honey notes with an attractive floral bouquet; a wine for gastronomy.

The day before, I'd enjoyed another chenin blend at a concert, this time from neighbouring appellation Wellington, complemented by gewürztraminer, chardonnay and viognier. It costs R20 more again, but this wine is flying off the shelves at Woolies. The secret? It's the Parlotones' white called Push me to the Floor. The name is something of a misnomer, as Capetonians who chose it as their free bottle at the Parlotones charity concert at Kirstenbosch were swaying like alien invaders in a light southeaster, holding candles in plastic cups aloft, for the last few numbers of the show.

Full Story: Sidebar: A tale of two chenins - Times LIVE