There’s a lot that I love about Sweet Bar Bakery: their commitment to locally sourced, fair trade, and cage-free ingredients; that they know the difference between a latte and a cortado; that you can usually get a seat without too much of a hassle on a weekday. But I’m befuddled by how their baked goods,
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I hope it’s been a pleasant Saturday for you so far, readers. This is just a quick note to let you know that I’ll be participating in the Finger Lakes Wine Alliance’s launch of their 2013 Reislings in a short 3 hours from now, from 7 to 9 PM EST, which is 4 to 6
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Borsao 2011 Grenache Borja, Spain   Grenache wines are hit or miss with me. I adore Spanish wines, but Tempranillo has a special place in my heart. Grenache can sometimes be too dry for my palate and not as lively as its Spanish cousin. But when it hits, it’s a memorably layered wine. This is
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La Ronescina Pinot Grigio Collio, Italy This white wine smells mildly of cantaloupe, but no other scents jump out at me.  That’s probably because it’s extra chilled, which dulls the aroma — my bad. It tastes dry at first, but a sweetness swells up in the middle of the glass. The notes are vanilla with
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St. Somewhere Petit Verdot 2010 Paso Robles, CA I was recently introduced to the petit verdot varietal at the Virginia wine tasting I attended at the Angus Barn in June. I was impressed with its versatility in those VA blends, but mostly, I enjoyed finding a petit varietal that wasn’t too tart for my palate.
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Pinot Evil Pinot Noir Dry Sparkling Rosé France [insert photo lost during last week’s hard drive failure. Le sigh] For a dry rosé, this is pretty darn sweet, or rather, it’s a nice blend of sweet and dry.  The flavor is strawberry galore and mostly makes me think of strawberry frozen yogurt. In fact, its
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Screw Kappa Napa (S/K/N) Sauvignon Blanc 2007 Napa Valley, CA First, I just have to say that I love the brand name Screw Kappa Napa. It’s so much fun to say and seems wittier than it is, really, kind of like my nom de plume. Plus, the label has a pretty raised pattern that you
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Les Caves Joseph Bordeaux Rouge 2007 France This Bordeaux smells peppery and tingles my nose. It is dry and tart, with a berry flavor of deep, dark cherries. There’s an extra layer to it that’s like molasses but not sweet  . . . rum notes? The wine is very drinkable, especially the more you drink
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