DiningHilton Head Dining
Where to Buy
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- Written by By Chris Widnell
List Of Wine/Liquor Stores
Note: There are two cost considerations. First, the position in the price range where a wine belongs, and here I’m defining Low End as below $15, Intermediate as $15 to $25, Mid Range as $25 to $55, and High End as over $55. The second concerns price differences for the same wine between stores.
The cost of the same bottle can vary considerably (e.g., from $23 in one store to $30 in another), and, in a single store, one wine can be a bargain, and another relatively expensive. I’ve used the terms Below Average, Average, and Above Average to give a reasonably fair picture, overall, of what the consumer can expect to pay at each store.
Wine Times 4
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- Written by By Chris Widnell
Bar’s innovative system allows greater selection to sample.
It seems distinctly futuristic: The customer approaches a machine, inserts a card, studies a row of attached bottles, puts a glass under a spout, and pushes a button; the wine is delivered to the glass and the customer returns to a table to enjoy it.
This is not a scene from a science fiction movie — it’s happening at Wine Times 4 in the Village at Wexford.
Several restaurants on the island have their own wine bar, offering a range of wines by the glass. However, they typically offer wines priced in the low to mid range because wine has a limited lifespan in an opened bottle, and nobody wants to watch expensive bottles turn to vinegar.
Seal of Approval
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- Written by By Ruth Ragland
Certified sommelier Chris Tassone lends his expertise to celebration.
Islander Chris Tassone brings many years of dedication to his post as chairman of the Wine and Food Festival public tasting on March 14. He’s been associated with the festival for more than a decade.
“I was called by Ann-Marie (Adams, executive director of the Hilton Head Area Hospitality Association) and she asked if I would like to help out,” he said. “Before I knew it I was chairman of the event.”
“I’m the loose-ends guy — whatever she needs help with,” said Tassone, who helps orchestrate locations of tents and admission stands, and rallies volunteers.
Grapes & Wines
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- Written by By Chris Widnell
It’s not just about location, location, location. Several factors influence grapes and the wines made from them.
Grapes in a wine are a bit like genes in a human being. They can establish potential, but how a wine ends up is also determined by the soil and climate where the grapes are grown and the decisions made by the winemaker. These include: how ripe the grapes are when picked; how long the grapes stay with the skins after crushing; and how completely the sugar in the juice is converted to alcohol. Typically, the riper the grapes, the higher the alcohol and the less complete the fermentation, the sweeter the wine.
A skilled winemaker, by manipulating the ripeness of the grapes and the details of the winemaking, can end up with wines from two quite different red or white grapes tasting almost the same. This is partly why, over the last few decades, many wines from around the world have become increasingly similar in taste, apparently catering to an “international palate.”
This reduces one of the pleasures of wine — the remarkable variety that can emerge from different grapes grown and processed in different parts of the world. The French concept of “terroir,” a word with no simple translation, describes the complex effect the location where they are grown has on the grapes. It’s clearly part of the story, but certainly doesn’t explain everything.
Family Features
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The Season for GIVING
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- Written by Materials courtesy Family Features
Throw a Holiday Party for Charity.
As the holidays draw near and families look forward to spending time together, get creative with the recipes you make and the parties you host. Celebrity event designer Preston Bailey, who has planned events for such notables as Donald Trump, Oprah Winfrey and Catherine Zeta-Jones, has partnered with Uncle Ben’s to encourage people to consider a charitable approach to holiday entertaining this year.
“I am urging my guests to give back to a cause that is dear to my heart this holiday season,” said Bailey, author of three entertaining books. “For me, it’s the fight against hunger. In lieu of traditional hostess gifts, I’m suggesting on my party invitations that guests make a charitable donation to Feeding America.”
The Incredible Cranberry
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- Written by cranberryinstitute.org
A little fruit with big benefits
Commonly associated with Thanksgiving Dinner, cranberries and cranberry sauce offer much more than serving as a colorful accompaniment to turkey and stuffing.
According to a variety of health professionals and sources, such as the Cranberry Institute (cranberryinstitute.org), maintaining a lower risk of chronic disease is closely related to maintaining a diet high in fruits and vegetables.
Cuisine: Taste of the Season
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- Written by By Laura Aguiar
Celebrity Chef Marvin Woods will bring his charm and talent to Hilton Head Island.
Q: What are the best things about Southern cuisine?
A: I don’t really think you can talk about American food or cuisine without talking about its Southern roots. There’s a lot of history and melding of ethnic groups. I don’t think it’s a type of cuisine that you can be pigeon-holed into.
Q: Your career started in New York, but your first book is about Lowcountry cuisine. How did that come about?
A: I applied for a position in a Manhattan restaurant and the owner was from Beaufort. I got the job but I didn’t know much about the Lowcountry or the cuisine. The owner gave me early-printed cookbooks and history books on the Lowcountry and I was blown away by all the information! I thought other people would be excited as well.
Let the Feasting Begin
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- Written by By Laura Aguiar
Hilton Head Island–Bluffton Chamber to serve up its 19th culinary event at Sea Pines Country Club.
When it comes to holiday gatherings, it’s all about the food. Taste of the Season has become one of the area’s premier events for foodies and for those just looking for a deliciously good time.
The 19th annual Taste of the Season hosted by the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton Chamber of Commerce from 6 to 9 p.m. Nov. 14 is the unofficial kickoff to holiday feasting for the Lowcountry.
It is a festive sampling of the myriad restaurant options from Hilton Head Island, Bluffton and Hardeeville.
Not one, but two celebrity guest chefs will mingle with merry-makers at this year’s event. Lowcountry resident Nathalie Dupree launched the New Southern Cooking movement. She has authored 10 cookbooks and hosted several cooking shows on PBS, The Learning Channel and The Food Network. Dupree is also the winner of two James Beard Awards.
