Welcome to the inaugural
issue of Two Blondes & a
Bottle™, a monthly newsletter
focused on our great passion—
wine! Let us state (envision us
shaking our heads emphatically):
we are not wine snobs! We are two women who love to drink wine and have come to realize how intimidated or clueless many people are about this beverage. As a result, we commit every waking moment (outside of those spent earning a living to support our wine habits), to share our knowledge and experiences so others can come to appreciate and enjoy wine in their lives.

That being said, let’s start off with Two Blondes Promise #1: we will never take
wine too seriously! After all, when you boil it all down, it’s just grape juice for God’s sake! So rest assured that this newsletter will always be light-hearted, yet full of tips for enjoying the simple pleasure of wine. We won’t bore you with details of every fragrance that wine connoisseurs can detect with their highly trained noses, or highlight wines that are so rare you’ll need a private investigator to find them.  And knowing that you’re pressed for time, this newsletter will only feature wines that earned the blondes’ toast of approval. 

As the pairing of food with wine can dramatically enhance the taste of both elements of any meal (not to mention prevent one from becoming too tipsy!), we’ll regularly feature our favorite recipes and recommended wine pairings. We’ll also point out events, restaurants and travel centered on the juice of the vine.

We sincerely hope you enjoy our publication. We welcome your feedback!

Laurence & Melissa

Restaurant Wine Drinking

This column shares insight into the often mysterious rituals of wine drinking. If you’re like most people, you only drink wine socially (side note: we are determined to convert you to wine lovers like us who will use any occasion to crack open a bottle—carpe diem!). If you’ve ever been asked to select wine for your table and your stomach has turned to knots, have no fear—two blondes are here to help!

1.  Selection
Knowing that the simple rule of thumb (white with poultry or fish, red with beef or pork) will only get you so far, here’s the best advice: go with what you know or ask for a recommendation. Unless wine is your full time job, chances are you are not intimately familiar with the wines on the menu. There is no shame in asking an expert for advice. In fact, you can actually do it in a way that makes you look quite sophisticated (I am looking for a red wine that all of us will enjoy with our entrée selections. Do you have any personal favorites to recommend?) A good sommelier (the restaurant’s on-site wine expert) or server will point out a few considerations in different price ranges.

2.  Presentation
The server will return and present the bottle to you. Check the wine maker’s name, grape (merlot versus chardonnay), and vintage (year the grapes were picked) to ensure it is the bottle you selected. Why? They are human and every once in a while, they make a mistake when fetching the bottle.

3.  Cork
The server will uncork the bottle and place the cork in front of you. Look to see if the cork has mold or is shriveled which indicates the wine was not store properly or has been contaminated, which is referred to as a “corked” bottle. After years of being considered a meaningless and silly practice, smelling the cork is now back in favor. However, unless you know what corked wine smells like, simply leave the cork on the table without sniffing it.

4.  Taste
Next the server will pour a small sip into your glass to sample the wine. This is to determine the wine is acceptable. Pick up the glass by the stem (you will warm the wine if you hold it by the cup of the glass), examine the color (we’ll go into color and taste detail in an upcoming issue), stick your nose into the glass and smell it, swirl it to infuse oxygen into the wine, now taste it.

It is NOT acceptable to send back the wine if it does not meet your personal preference (you prefer only cabs, yet you ordered a pinot and this one tastes like a pinot). The only time you should send back wine is if it is corked and undrinkable. Let the server know the wine is acceptable and enjoy!

return to top

White Hall Lane Sauvignon Blanc 2002
Napa Valley, California
$15.99

This is an outstanding buy from a highly regarded Napa Valley winery that we have visited on multiple occasions. This white wine is great for sipping with or without food, so it is perfect for a holiday cocktail party. You’ll detect a pear scent and a light texture that feels silky on the tongue. Very refreshing and easy to drink. Great with cheese and fruit. If you’re new to wine, this wine will make your initial foray a rewarding one. If you try it, send us your comments. Cheers!

return to top

Littleneck Clams in Spicy Broth

2 dozen littleneck clams
1 bottle beer (I recommend a lager such as Philly’s Yeungling)
¼ pound spicy sausage (garlic, Kielbasa, chorizo)
1 tablespoon olive oil
Fresh, chopped cilantro
Lots of chopped garlic
2 bay leafs or a few shakes of chopped bay leaf

This quick and easy recipe is big on flavor and will warm your soul on a cold winter evening. It can be served as a first course at a dinner party or as an easy family meal. Don’t forget to pick up a loaf of fresh bread to savor every last drop of the broth. Delicious!

Remove the casing from the sausage and discard.  Crumble the sausage with a fork. Warm olive oil in a large, deep pan that has a tight lid. Add crumbled sausage and brown. Pour in beer, scraping sides of pan. Add garlic and cilantro. Stir the broth. Add clams. Add water as needed to create enough broth to steam the clams. Place lid on pan and cook until clams open.  Serve in bowls. A dry Riesling provides the perfect balance to the kick of the broth. Bon appétit!

return to top

Wineries often host tastings and fun events to attract visitors. Check the Web site of a local winery for details. Even if the local wine isn’t world class, a visit to the winery is often fun. You’re also likely to learn a few things about wine.

For those of you in the Philadelphia/Wilmington, DE area, our favorites are Va La Vineyards and Chadds Ford Winery. It’s worth the few extra dollars for the reserve tasting at Chadds Ford. Va La has some amazing local cheeses (try the honey one!) made by a local Amish farmer. 

return to top