Wine Wednesday in Tampa Bay!

Gattinara at SideBern's

Gattinara at SideBern’s

I enjoy checking out the “local” wine scene in cities that I visit and being a St. Petersburg, FL native, I am delighted that I have two hometown “wine stories” to dish about.

SideBern’s on West Morrison in Tampa (which is technically not my hometown but it is close geographically) has an exceptional wine list.  I am a huge Bern’s Steak House fan but could not get a last minute reservation so decided to try its sister restaurant which serves Modern American Cuisine. The two restaurants are completely different so there is no need to compare them but I am very glad that I dined at SideBern’s.  We took the Italian wine route and ordered a Gattinara (Travaglini 2006) that was tremendous and was quite a good deal for a Nebbiolo.  I had it decanted and it went wonderfully well with everyone’s various dishes at the table:  steak, cheese plate, vegetables, gnudi.  The only “bummer” was that SideBern’s had run out of my beloved Piedmontese white truffles before we got there (shucks on the truffle timing)!

Wine lovers should visit this restaurant. www.sideberns.com/

I know that I am over a decade behind everyone else who has hopped on the Rollin’ Oats bandwagon but better late than never.  What a gem! I have only visited the St. Pete location (28th Street & MLK Drive) but am guessing that the Tampa location is just as great.  I was thrilled to be in a healthful market that also has an excellent range of domestic and international wines.  The wine staff is knowledgeable and approachable so I suggest engaging someone to assist you with exploring the variety of grapes. The fact that I could find a well-priced Rhone Valley blend, an Irish cheddar, organic cashews AND my favorite Polish beer (Żywiec) in less than 2 minutes was a major bonus!  The Żywiec perfectly complemented the yummy veggie chili nachos that I had for lunch at the market’s “Oats Café”.

I am looking forward to enjoying the new Rollin’ Oats rooftop space and expansion in 2014!  Rooftop in St. Pete = awesome!      www.rollinoats.com

 

Please note that I was not compensated by SideBern’s or Rollin’ Oats for this post.  My hope is to simply spread the delicious love!

Wine Wednesday!

I love wine.  Red, white and rosé (in that order). I keep it simple at home: wine fridge, decanter, aerator and the occasional use of an airtight wine stopper.

About a year ago at a wine tasting room in Napa Valley, I discovered a multi-functional gadget that looked like a stopper but claimed to aerate, filter, pour and re-cork as well.  I gave it a whirl and eureka! The Haley’s Corker is an effective and durable tool invented  by J.E. Haley in the USA.

Haley's Corker

Haley’s Corker

If your local wine shop does not carry Haley’s Corker, you can purchase it online. Check it out – I am sure that you will love it!  www.winecorker.org

Please note that I was not compensated by Haley’s Corker for this post.  My hope is to simply spread the gadget invention love! 

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