Mouthing Off

Organized roughly from least to most intense—from mild Hefeweizen all the way to robustly sweet and bitter Imperial Stout—this chart gives a general sense of beer style so you can train yourself to be a better taster. Dave McLean also rates hops flavor from one dot (peppery or citrusy) to five (full of “green” tastes, like pine needles) and malt flavor from last to most toasty.

 

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Photo © Martin Morrell

Piedmont, in northern Italy, is known for two things: wine and truffles. Traditionally, when people make pilgrimages to Piedmont, that’s why they come. They visit the vineyards and the wineries, they drink Barolo and Barbaresco, they eat pasta buried under snowdrifts of white truffle shavings and they laugh as they listen to that eerie whistling sound a bank account makes as it deflates, which is what happens when they pay for all those truffles. Here, wineries not to miss.

Giacomo Borgogno e Figli
At Borgogno, one of Piedmont’s oldest wineries (founded in 1761), a shop sells current bottles of its elegant Barolos, plus vintages going back to the 1960s. Cellar tours are just five euros. Via Gioberti 1, Barolo; borgogno.com.

Boroli
After tasting Boroli’s impressive Barolos and Barberas (make sure to try the single-vineyard Fagiani Barbera), travelers can eat at owner Achille Boroli’s nearby Michelin-starred restaurant, Locanda del Pilone. Fraz. Madonna di Como 34, Alba; boroli.it.

Michele Chiarlo
In 2011, this top producer opened the gorgeous Palas Cerequio resort adjacent to the renowned Cerequio vineyard. Guests can try excellent wines from the region, as well as Chiarlo’s own bottlings, in the on-site tasting room. Palas Cerequio, Borgata Cerequio, La Morra; palascerequio.com.

Elvio Cogno
Stop by this hilltop winery (tastings by appointment) for superb single-cru Barolos and a remarkable Barbera made from vines planted in the 1800s. Località Ravera 2, Novello; elviocogno.com.

Ceretto
Every wine made by this producer outside the town of Alba is impressive. So is the estate itself, which has a translucent, hemispherical tasting room that extends out over the vines, and a colorful chapel designed by artists Sol LeWitt and David Tremlett. Località San Cassiano 34, Alba; ceretto.com.

Fontanafredda
Unusual for top European wineries, the tasting room and shop here are open daily with no appointment necessary. Visitors can also take nature walks on the estate, originally a hunting retreat for King Vittoro Emanuele II. Via Alba 15, Serralunga d’Alba; fontanafredda.it.

Related: Bold Beers in the Land of Barolo

Gaz Regan Courtesy of Mbooth

Over the weekend, the Manhattan Cocktail Classic came to town, starting with a grand gala at the New York Public Library on Friday and continuing through Monday night at the Andaz Hotel with specialized seminars, spirit-sponsored suites and a gallery full of tasting tables. With the alcohol flowing so freely, it's only natural to witness some odd behavior and walk away with TMI. Here, a few oddball experiences and tips. >

'wichcraft's tuna sandwich with lemon confit. Photo courtesy of 'wichcraft.

Chef-humanitarian Tom Colicchio (who recently co-produced the excellent anti-hunger documentary A Place at the Table) did NYC office workers an honorable service a decade ago when he opened 'wichcraft with chef Sisha Ortuzar. Now with 17 locations in New York, Las Vegas and San Francisco, the cheffy sandwich chain celebrates its 10th anniversary all month with videos about signature condiments like lemon confit posted daily on wichcraftnyc.com. READ MORE>

The gooey filling for these juicy burgers was inspired by the Mexican dip chile
con queso, made with melted cheese and roasted chiles. © Tina Rupp

Food & Wine's senior recipe developer, Grace Parisi, is a Test Kitchen superstar. In this series, she shares some of her favorite recipes to make right now.

One of my favorite trashy (not really trashy but just not that healthy) treats is queso fundido—a sinful melted cheese and roasted chile concoction. As if it's not dangerous enough as is, I like to stuff it between two burger patties and pop it on the grill until the cheese is all ooey and gooey. Make sure you have plenty of napkins and have not scheduled blood work for a few weeks. SEE RECIPE »

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Photo © Stephanie Meyer

I adore curing, pickling and fermenting foods. However, most cured fish recipes like gravlax are tricky because they require weighting down the fish to expel moisture. For me, that ruins the texture. My stellar version uses salt and sugar to draw out the liquid from the fish, so the texture and flavor is superb. This gravlax works equally well on bagels or toasted and buttered brioche; as a sliced, plated appetizer; cubed and toothpicked as hors d’oeuvres, or however you like to use herb-cured fish. With all the fresh wild salmon coming into the market this month, there’s no better time to make this dish. SEE RECIPE »

See More of Andrew Zimmern’s Kitchen Adventures

© Jasmin Sun

F&W food editors apply their incredible cooking knowledge to explaining what to do with a variety of interesting ingredients.

I’ve been grilling this best-ever Jamaican Jerk Chicken regularly since we first published the recipe almost 20 years ago. I often serve it with Jamaican Rice and Peas and Crab Curry Rundown, for an all-Jamaican summer feast.

The rest of the year, I get my Jamaican fix at Miss Lily’s, a great little corner spot in Soho that’s also home to a record store, a radio station and New York City’s maverick Juice Master, Melvin. The restaurant’s consulting chef has cleverly figured out how to bottle all that Jamaican goodness in a new line of marinades and sauces. The jerk marinade is chunky, fresh tasting and fiery, as it should be, packed with scallion, allspice and Scotch bonnet peppers—a one-stop flavor fix for marinating chicken, pork, shrimp, lamb, and my favorite, goat. If you’re not sure you’re into jerk, you’ll love the more familiar BBQ sauces—I like the super Rass Hot BBQ sauce, with its habanero kick, but there’s a milder version, too, for beginners.

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Donna's Strawberry Sky © Craig Cavallo / Serious Eats

Bartenders who love in-season strawberries for their bright, floral flavor and gorgeous color, are now debuting complex spring cocktails with contrasting ingredients like chilies, egg whites and vinegar. At Donna in Brooklyn’s Williamsburg, bar manager Jeremy Oertel pairs the springy fruit with tequila and serrano peppers in the Strawberry Sky. MORE >

Illustration © Alex Nabaum

I don’t understand why Cabernet Franc is less popular than its offspring, Cabernet Sauvignon—I love its herbal, tea-leaf scent, its lighter body and its vivid acidity. It grows well in a wide range of places, like France’s Loire Valley, northern Italy and Tuscany, California, Chile, even New York’s Finger Lakes. Here are three to try.

2010 Russiz Superiore Collio Cabernet Franc ($26) Friuli, in Italy, makes aromatic, medium-bodied, herbal Cabernet Francs. This one is a great example.

2010 Lang & Reed North Coast Cabernet Franc ($24) Bright berry flavors are the hallmark of this red from California Cabernet Franc specialist John Skupny.

2008 Arcanum Toscana ($100) A layered, complex Cab Franc blend from the vast Tenuta di Arceno estate in Tuscany; it more than rivals super-Tuscan bottlings of the same price.

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Photo © Stephanie Meyer

Family meal night across America just got easier, and so did entertaining on a budget. Don’t wait for August to make ratatouille; paired with roast chicken pieces, it’s a classic combination that even your kids will devour. If you care to, this dish works equally well with turkey quarters on the grill: Use the same marinade, but roast using indirect heat over wood coal for about 80 to 90 minutes for dark quarters, and 70 minutes for turkey breast. SEE RECIPE »

See More of Andrew Zimmern’s Kitchen Adventures