Brian Cain

MORE BARGAINS 2024

Time to put away the More Bargains 2022/3 and move on to 2024

Brian Cain
MORE BARGAINS 2024
Brian Cain

More Great Wines II

We are getting too old to be hoarding wine. Time to drink them!

Brian Cain
More Great Wines II
Brian Cain

Dead or Alive 2024

Sometimes we salt away special bottles to open for a very special occasion or for a vertical wine tasting or some other event that never comes to pass and all of a sudden, we realize that we have way too many old bottles to drink before we/they die

Brian Cain
Dead or Alive 2024
Brian Cain

Dead or Alive II

For 2024, I’ll continue digging up old wines from the cellar before both Alice and I are subterranean ourselves

Brian Cain
Dead or Alive II
Brian Cain

More Great Wines

Every now and then one encounters a wine that says to you that this might be a one time experience to fully enjoy.

Brian Cain
More Great Wines
Brian Cain

MORE BARGAINS 2022/3

These days it is impossible to find bad wine and very easy to find great wine under $10

Brian Cain
MORE BARGAINS 2022/3
Brian Cain

DEAD or ALIVE?

Sometimes it isn’t even useful to rate wines that are very old. Often the only thing that matters is whether it is dead or alive.

Brian Cain
DEAD or ALIVE?
Brian Cain

Vinifera, Hybrids or Native Grapes? Rude Tasters Dive into, "What Makes a Good Wine?"

Is it possible to make a great wine out of Native or Hybrid Grapes? What about growing Vinifera in an area that is hotter or colder than the best regions of Europe?

Brian Cain
Vinifera, Hybrids or Native Grapes?   Rude Tasters Dive into, "What Makes a Good Wine?"
Brian Cain

Hot Costco Deals

Though by the time you read this, it may be too late, my guess is that if like the Bordeaux 4-pack, it is popular, you’ll see more of this case sale from Portugal next year and probably more and more similar deals in the future.

Brian Cain
Hot Costco Deals
Brian Cain

On a roll with Small Seafood

This is the second time this week we ran across a fish that we have not had before. Always worth a try.

Brian Cain
On a roll with Small Seafood
Brian CainGarden

Presto! E A S Y Garden Pesto

This is an update from a blog I originally posted in 2017 because after all these years (since 1960) I finally got my grandmother’s stuffed artichoke recipe from my cousin at a recent family reunion. Pesto always brings fond memories

Brian CainGarden
Presto! E A S Y Garden Pesto
Brian Cain

Rude's Compares Some Great Cabs from Washington and Napa

When do you finally get around to breaking out some of your squirreled away favorite bottles with good friends? What better reason than a Rude Tasters meeting?

Brian Cain
Rude's Compares Some Great Cabs from Washington and Napa
Brian Cain

ANN ARBOR: A Few Reasons it is Considered the Most Desirable Place to Live in Michigan

Besides family, medical proximity and a condo perfect for our needs, there are lots of other reasons why people flock to this town.

Brian Cain
ANN ARBOR: A Few Reasons it is Considered the Most Desirable Place to Live in Michigan
Brian Cain

EUREKA! Head-on Shrimp; Part III

Finally, after 35 years, I think I stumbled upon the secret of great shrimp broth for making shrimp risotto.

Brian Cain
EUREKA!  Head-on Shrimp; Part III
Brian Cain

The Door Peninsula Seems to be Going Backwards

On the west side of Lake Michigan, you get great sunrises, but no visible sunsets. On our latest trip around the lake we spent a day in the Door Peninsula of Wisconsin to see what has transpired since our last visit ten years ago.

Brian Cain
The Door Peninsula Seems to be Going Backwards
Brian Cain

Pinot Grigio at the Sailing Club

It’s hard to beat Grand Haven in the summer with a good glass of cold Pinot Grigio in you hand.

Brian Cain
Pinot Grigio at the Sailing Club
Brian Cain

Right Bank Bordeaux Focus

Every one of the 2015 Bordeaux red wines that we tasted were remarkably good. I’ve also included some clarification regarding frequently used phrases that may not make sense to many readers.

Brian Cain
Right Bank Bordeaux Focus
Brian Cain

CHAMBOURCIN and CHANCELLOR

There was a time when all of the emerging fine wine areas of the Midwest blended Chambourcin and Chancellor to produce an unexpected balance and richness no one had previously thought possible in cold climate America.

Brian Cain
CHAMBOURCIN and CHANCELLOR
Brian Cain

Arizona Wine Country Update

This much snow at the Mexican border? As you go south, you also gain altitude reaching a very pleasant verdant area that for all the world looks and feels like the Sonoma County I remember from 45 years ago.

Brian Cain
Arizona Wine Country Update
Brian Cain

Head-On Shrimp; Part 2

I’s been almost six months since we discovered how much we now prefer head on shrimp (see Head on Shrimp, a new discovery 9-21-2022). Today was our first encounter with head on Argentina reds.

Brian Cain
Head-On Shrimp; Part 2
Brian Cain

AWS 2022 National Tasting Project goes to Sicily

We got a bit of a history lesson from Ciro Pironi and then enjoyed some wines which exemplified the style, class and tradition of Sicily

Brian Cain
AWS 2022 National Tasting Project goes to Sicily
Brian Cain

Here's a Couple of Delicious wet, sloppy and yummy Pasta Recipies

As a guy who loves sloppy wet pasta, these dishes really made my soul sing!

Brian Cain
Here's a Couple of Delicious wet, sloppy and yummy Pasta Recipies
Brian Cain

HOME WINEMAKING: A Lazyman's Recipe For A Wine That Makes Itself

It occurred to me the other day that many who read my blog might be home winemakers or would like to become one. So, I dusted off my old recipe and added it to my blog.

Brian Cain
       HOME WINEMAKING:            A Lazyman's Recipe For A Wine That Makes Itself