RichPairings

09/19/2026

Remember the Tuscan w**e dinner at Ash & Olive - well on a Friday night we were lucky to find a cozy spot AND one of the last few bottles of the Fattoria Amo Vernaccia "Ann" to pair perfectly with the Caesar with anchovies! Also great complement to the "Dancing on the Jetty" pesto, mozzarella, mortadella, straciatella & pistachios pizza - SO weirdly good, highly recommend you go soon to try it out!!

09/18/2026

See new blog post: Recap and Review of our Food Network South Beach W**e & Food Festival experience – 2027 tickets go on sale soon!
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We had a blast at the South Beach W**e & Food Festival ( )

09/17/2026

On the heels of Virginia W**e receiving top scores against many a French w**e in the “Old World, New Roots” blind tasting in Paris and as we approach Virginia W**e Month (October) - the W**e Club/Dinner Hanover Golf Club had perfect timing to showcase 5 unique Virginia w**es with all the perfect pairings! We enjoyed the delightfully crisp bubbly Thibaut-Janisson W**ery Brut NV as our welcome drink (we love having our pre-game tradition without going to the bar!) – then quickly got into the first w**e and plated pairing - Linden Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc was nice on it’s own, but really popped with a bite of the Smoked Oyster Rockefeller. Continuing with Linden w**es, we had the 2022 Claret – very smooth and drinkable but total Love Match with the Mac n Cheese Arancini – ooey gooey goodness! Best w**e of the night came from Lost Mountain Vineyards the 2024 Friends & Family cab-leaning red blend complemented the Steak Chassuer w/Pome Puree (are we in France now?) – whole table loved it. Finale was the most impressive pairing of the night – those who tasted the Apple Cobbler before the w**e found it lacking sweetness – those who tasted the 2020 Linden Petit Manseng first found it too sweet – when we put the bites and sips together – that is a RichPairings dream – well executed Chef Chris and Chip!!

We appreciated all the tasting notes and discussion with Brian Artis with Elite W**es and catching up with and all our fellow w**e lovers!

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09/05/2026

The Caboose Market & Cafe welcomed us in from the torrential rain with paper towels and tasty w**es! Especially loved the Sentidino Albarino and Finca Sobreno Crianza - the Montefalco Grechetto was such a surprise with dinner we had to add 2 more bottles to our go box - happy long weekend kick off🍷🥂😎

08/26/2026

Last night wasn’t just a themed food and w**e pairing dinner – it was a shared experience with a conversational tasting menu! Ash&Olive brought what they learned, cooked, tasted, sipped, and savored from their recent trip to Tuscany and time spent in the kitchen of Master Chef Mariella Lencioni. Not describing every plate and pairing here (see the menu) – we loved each and every one of them – from crisp, citrusy, minerally whites to unexpectedly bold, smooth reds – alongside bright seafood, savory pasta, and melt-in-your-mouth meats – all presented and paired perfectly! We had a sweet ending and thoroughly enjoyed connecting with our table companions on our collective love of Italy & Ashland!!

Congrats to Gregg, Jessica, and team for a most successful sold-out dinner – grazie mille for sharing the best of what you brought back from Italy! Shout out to Harry from Free Run W**e Merchants for covering the w**e’s back stories (and having bottles to purchase on the spot!). Friends of RichPairings know there was a personal passion interconnection when people show up in the pics!!

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08/16/2026

Had a very fine dining experience at Blue Water Cafe + Raw Bar - a Vancouver favorite for 25 years and did not disappoint! Starting with classic cocktails and bread service - Sydney suggested some delicious shared apps of burrata and tartare - we relaxed into conversation and enjoyed the pace. After discussion with Adrien about entree choices we got a beautiful bottle of Meursault "Les Narvaux" 2017 to pair perfectly with Baked Bay Scallops, Octopus, earthy Truffle Pasta, Sablefish, Yukon Arctic Char, and special Halibut Johnstone Strait Halibut with braised lobster mushrooms. Everyone was happy with their entrées and we finished with lime panna cotta & gelato and an assortment of Canadian cheeses - cheers to a great evening 🥂🐟🧀
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08/13/2026

was an outstanding stop for lunch before returning to our Viking ship to end our Alaskan Adventure - Kristen was super friendly and knowledgeable - we met Gerry the owner and can easily recommend this place for the chowder, best fried halibut we ever had and freshest King Crab leg you can get off their boats!
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08/11/2026

RichPairings worthy w**e tasting while on our Alaskan Adventure with Viking on the Orion - James and Carlos did a great job walking us through 5 w**es with cheese pairings!! We hit Italy, Argentina, Spain, France, and California - we enjoyed all and looking forward to the next one! 🍷

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08/11/2026

RichPairings is on an Alaskan Adventure with Viking

Chefs Table is a great food and w**e pairings experience on the Viking Orion with a rotating menu that let's you experience several global menus - Lotus on first night with amuse bouche of Goan Potato Chop paired with nice crisp Chenin Blanc - 1st course was a delicious Singapore softshell crab with a nice acidic Italian Gewurztraminer - palate cleanser Red Lotus granite of lychee & guava - main course was Thai spiced rack of lamb with a mellow South African Syrah - finished with Yuzu green tea cheesecake paired nicely with slightly sweet Italian Moscato - definitely a fun event and worth trying the unique dishes and pairings!
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07/21/2026

has a super nice (and convenient!) tasting room in Downtown Asheville NC, which we discovered while exploring the area. We enjoyed a couple of shared flights with our favs being the Bud bubbly and Skyward Branch blend of Pisgah Cab & Petit Verdot. Shout out to Nicole for the delightful tour - will definitely plan a visit out to the vineyard next trip!