William Pollard Jr | aka: Wild 4 Washington Wine

Satisfying those chocolate cravings. My Instagram followers have seen me post photos ( @williampollardjr ) of my favorite dessert for over a year. Possibly, I've posted the original recipe to Instagram. If you ask, I usually do. After success and failures, I've learned that this dessert does not always deliver desired results. With some effort, I've figured out why, and the remedy. Yes, I've been gently tweaking the recipe. Adjusting ingredients. Modifying and streamlining the process. With mixed results. Confiding with my wife, she gave me a tip that finally nailed this recipe down. I'm happy to share this recipe with modifications. It's truly a lovely dessert. My favorite. Enjoy responsibly. Just out of the oven flourless chocolate torte. Recipe: Flourless Chocolate Torte An easy recipe to follow. You will need an oven, mixer, spring form pan and a double boiler. While you can eat this torte warm, I prefer to let it cool down and refrigera...

A ginger kick, fewer steps and finished on the grill.  Taste? Delicious! This summer I've been experimenting with my oven settings and began using a new Hibachi grill. It's been a lot of fun to use my favorite recipes in new ways. It also occurred to me, there must be a way to simplify some of these recipes. Today, I wanted to share with you an updated version of my go to ribs recipe (this recipe originally appeared on my March 14, 2015 post ). The recipe is based on an Eastern North Carolina ribs recipe, so it is vinegar based. *Note :   In 2013 I was in Raleigh, North Carolina for a media visit with Nomacorc . Of the many takeaways from that visit, I learned how seriously they regard barbecue in North Carolina, east vs. west, vinegar or ketchup, tradition vs. innovation. I went east, with a vinegar sauce based on tradition. Holy Smoke: The Big Book of North Carolina Barbecue is essential reading for anyone interested in the history of barbecue. It is also packed f...

My second experience with Loveblock Pinot Noir. Above the snow capped mountains of Central Otago, on the Bendigo Loop Road, lies a small Pinot Noir vineyard named " Someone's Darling. " Loveblock farms and grows these grapes in accordance with Organic Certification standards, Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand principles and low chemical intervention. Kim and Erica Crawford founded Loveblock wines . They tend to go by their first names when promoting Loveblock to avoid confusion with the well known company they sold and are no longer involved with - Kim Crawford. Loveblock is their return to the New Zealand wine industry. Erica is the founder and CEO and her husband Kim is the winemaker. Riedel stemware to properly show this New Zealand Pinot Noir. Tasting Notes Color : Medium ruby. Nose : Medium minus intensity, red fruit, sour, earthy, raspberry, smoke. Palate : Medium intensity, very dry, medium plus tannin, medium body, smokiness, dried raspberries...

A hearty stew and wine, perfect for this months cold weather. I was pleased with the results from this recipe. The lamb was tender and did not have a strong taste. At first I thought the butcher had made a mistake and that it was beef. Nope, it had a subtle lamb taste and subtle bacon taste. The H3 Merlot paired beautifully. There is room to tweak this recipe, as I did. I cut down the lamb to only 1 Lb. and it was enough for me. And I added a slice of bacon, celery and peas for more flavor and more vegetables. I also bumped up the chicken stock, because I wanted more liquid in my stew. It still thickened up a lot by day two and three. Wine and Food Pairing with the H3 Merlot Thoroughly enjoyed the H3 Merlot by itself. It also matched beautifully with the lamb. Both wine and stew are robust. Flavors were complimentary and contrasty. The wine, as my notes indicate on day one, was a bit savory, which paired well with the savory stew. On day two the wine had more fruit, which r...

Showcasing Prosecco Cocktails for Valentine's Day Today's post is a little different. I was sent samples of Sparkling ICE, Brooklyn Crafted Ginger Beer and a bottle of Santa Margherita Prosecco Superiore , and asked to create some Valentine's Day themed Prosecco cocktail recipes. Prosecco has become widely popular in the United States. Consumers have embraced these affordable and tasty sparkling wines. I often recommend bubbles to my customers, they are suitable for any occasion at home and compliment food well. For Mimosa fans, Prosecco is an excellent choice and works well as the base wine. But you don't have to stick to OJ for your Prosecco cocktails, for an added kick of flavor try the cocktail recipes below. Prosecco is an Italian sparkling white wine made primarily from Glera grapes. Principally grown in the Prosecco region of Italy, which includes Conegliano and Valdobbiadene, north of Venice in the Veneto region. Under European law, only sparkling wines...