This week I received a request from a Los Angeles police detective for a bottle of the 2004 Dover Canyon Zinfandel Reserve. I was asked to courier it overnight to New York City, where experts would examine it. Oh yeah? I thought. Fine. Take that, copper. Tonight our Dover Canyon ...

... with wine. Always use a good wine for cooking—alcohol evaporates during simmering, leaving only the flavor of wine in your sauce. Wines labeled "cooking wine," or old wines that have turned acetic will give disappointing results. Cooking with wine is easier than most people realize. We use wine ... . It doesn't take a lot of wine to flavor a dish. Begin with a few tablespoons, let it simmer...

For those who celebrate Easter with a feast, wine is incredible with any meal that has traditionally been served on this holiday. Easter is known for rack of lamb or a huge baked, spiral cut ham. Some enjoy a hefty afternoon brunch. If you are having friends over to eat or just want to enjoy the meal with your companion, may I suggest the wine...

Friday Night, October 20, 5 to 7 pm. Wine club members are invited to join us for a casual Q&A with Dan Panico, a private tasting of the fall reserve releases, and endless lambsicles, prepared with our special Terricherry peppercorn, sea salt, and lavender rub. Wine club members only. Two guests and one significanto per member. No cost. Limited to 60 people, so please make reservations as soon...

... to put in your hotel fridge for Saturday sustenance. But if you are planning to spend the day wine...

"Let’s keep the party down to about 20 people. Any more than that is just unmanageable." Clearly Dan had forgotten how many people he’d already invited. My confirmed head count, quietly kept in a spreadsheet on my laptop, was already 51. I shrugged. "Sure," I said. "Whatever you say, honey." ...

For as long as Art and Lei Norman had lived in their home, a tall oak on the property had one large dead limb protruding from its crown. They called it ‘the buzzard tree’ because a flock of turkey buzzards gathered on the naked limb each morning and evening. And ...

Finally, with a twinkle in his eye, Alex pulled out another cheese and began to slowly unwrap it. "I always save this for last," he said. "This is the most unusual cheese you will probably ever taste." And indeed, we all agreed that it was mind-blowing.

The game of Queen’s Choice Chess was invented at Dover Canyon on a nasty winter night—rain and wind were gusting against the windows, high winds were tearing through the trees and our windmill protested with wailing groans. We invented this game to keep us warm on stormy winter nights, along ...

This summer I picked up two 4-oz. packages of lox in the store, for $3.50 each. And then I saw Atlantic salmon filets for $5.00 a pound. But salmon is a rich food, and Dan was tired of eating it barbecued, sauteed and steamed. Somewhere in my scattered memory bank, ...