Food & Wine Pairing

Food & Wine Pairing Tool

Best Wine to Pair With Honey Baked Ham

I never knew that The HoneyBaked Ham Company had the monopoly on honey-baked hams for many years until spiral cutter inventor Harry Hoenselaar’s patent finally ran out in 1981. At that point other companies, such as Smithfield, joined the game. These other companies used cutters based on the same principle as Hoenselaar’s, creating one continuous slice around the bone. However, Hoenselaar wasn’t only known for the cutter, but he also devised a secret marinade, smoked each ham for hours over assorted hardwood chip types, then sealed the ham with his sweet, signature glaze, resulting in a crunchy, crackly wrapper. The Honey Baked Ham Company started in 1957 as one store in Detroit and has grown to over 400 stores run by his children and grandchildren.

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The Wine List - March 2014

by Loren Sonkin

The Wine List is a monthly feature by IntoWine contributor Loren Sonkin where he provides a list of seasonal wine recommendations designed to ensure your wine cabinet is sufficiently stocked with fantastic and unique wines.

They tell me that Spring begins on March 21^st. After this brutal winter, it can’t come soon enough. Of course, some of you live in warmer parts, but that still begs the question, what wines should I be buying now? Here are some suggestions.

Spring brings a plethora of early vegetables, and my favorite among them is asparagus. This is traditionally a tough food to match with wine. Asparagus contains a chemical called methyl mercaptan which can make wine taste green or vegetal. First, a lot of times it depends on the preparation. Sauces will impact how well the wine matches the food, but if you like your asparagus, fresh and simple, perhaps steamed or roasted, don’t give up. I tend to choose a crisp, slightly green white wine such as Gruner Veltliner or, perhaps, an Albarino. Traditionally, these come from Austria and northwest Spain, respectively, but there are new world versions that are great as well.

New Kid In Town - Cerridwen Pinot Noir

by Brad Prescott

There's talk on the street; it sounds so familiar
Great expectations, everybody's watching you
People you meet, they all seem to know you
Even your old friends treat you like you're something new

- New Kid in Town, The Eagles

There's a new kid in town when it comes to Sonoma Pinot Noir and her name is Deborah Bennett.

Have A Drink On Me - AC/DC Wine Comes to Market

by Brad Prescott

It goes without saying that AC/DC is not the first name you think of when it comes to wine.

Top Fifty (51) Sparkling Wines to Try Before You Quit Drinking (a non-dump bucket list if you will!)

by Loren Sonkin

To make this list I tried to include wines and styles from around the world. Quality was of the utmost importance, but pricing and availability were factors as well. As we lift our glasses this holiday season, there are lots of great sparkling wines to fill them. No need to turn to industrial flavored wines. Some of these wines can be found for under $15. Others are well over $100. There are some wines that are so rare that their stratospheric pricing is based on scarceness and not the quality of the wine in the bottle. Although those wines may in fact be delicious, they are not included on this list. This list includes wines that are for drinking.

Food & Wine Pairing