Food & Wine July 2022

2021 ROCCA DI MONTEGROSSI TOSCANA ROSATO ($25) Though darker in hue than Provençal versions, this organically farmed Tuscan rosé from winemaker Marco Ricasoli-Firidolfi is one of the most refreshing, lively, expressive bottles to be had in everyone’s favorite summer wine category. I drank it in Tuscany this spring and plan to drink it all summer long here at home. 2019 CHATEAU MONTELENA ESTATE ZINFANDEL ($45) One of the remarkable “class of 1972” wineries in Napa Valley, Chateau Montelena celebrated its 50th anniversary this year. They’re still going strong, as this spicy, surprisingly subtle red made clear when I tasted it at the over-the-top, gold-themed birthday party they threw for 700 guests at the winery in May. 2020 CLOS SOLÈNE HARMONIE ($88) Earlier this year, I ran a deep-dive seminar into Paso Robles wines at a…

Summit of Innovation THE OTHER DAY, I pulled out a copy of the March 1978 issue of Playboy magazine for a meeting with some of my new bosses to share the story of how and when this brand was born. The 18-page special insert of The International Review of Food & Wine heralded the launch of a new magazine (the founders shortened the title in 1981), and the document still holds up as a mirror of the times, including smart writing by James Beard and Jacques Pépin and a mock-serious canned-tuna taste test. The founders of Food & Wine recognized an emerging audience of gourmands and delivered an innovative magazine that met the moment. Forty-four years later, we’re still obsessed with innovation, a common thread in our reporting and recipe development. Once a year,…

I VIVIDLY REMEMBER my first Miami Vice. The time was high summer, the place was Martell’s Tiki Bar, on the boardwalk in Point Pleasant, New Jersey. I had recently turned 21 and was just starting to explore the world of cocktails. The setting called for a frozen drink, but I couldn’t decide between the piña colada and the strawberry daiquiri. Seeing me stuck at a crossroads, the waiter recommended, “Why not have both?” Puzzled, I told him I didn’t want to order two drinks. He pointed me to the Miami Vice, a drink combining the piña colada and the strawberry daiquiri and topped with dark rum. I gave it a try. Bands of white and red swirled around each other in the icy cup, making the palms of my hands…

NEW DEVELOPMENTS in the grilling world have largely centered around accessories—spring-loaded tongs, digital probe thermometers, silicone brushes—until now. Engineers and chefs are putting their heads together to create better grills for smarter cooking, offering unmatched innovation for every level of cookout. OFYR Featuring a 39-inch cast-iron cooking ring balanced over a corten steel fire bowl, the OFYR is at once a firepit, plancha, grill, and conversation piece. Griddle fresh tortillas, caramelize onions and beans, sear shrimp, or set a saucepan to simmer on the cooking ring, or set a grate over the center and cook directly over the coals. (From $2,995, westontable.com) DYNA-GLO PREMIER If meal prep is the name of the game, look no further than the Dyna-Glo Premier Series gas grill. The four-burner model preheats in a snap and holds temperatures accurately.…

THE BOUNTIFUL HEALTH BENEFITS of consuming fermented foods have been well documented in recent years—and have fueled a global market valued at $58 billion. But the newest trend in fermented foods is not in eating them, but applying them: The skin-care world is tapping into the power of fermentation to create potent products designed to treat from the outside in, combining not-so-modern fermented ingredients with gold-standard beauty staples to create cutting-edge skin-care products that promise to smooth fine lines, mitigate the impact of environmental damage (think pollution, blue light, and UV-generated free radicals), and improve the skin barrier. Here’s how it works: Just as the ancient process of fermentation promotes the growth of beneficial bacteria, known as probiotics, and increases the nutritional profile of certain foods, studies indicate it also increases…

OPENING A BOKKSU BOX, a monthly mailing of Japanese snacks, is like cracking open a treasure chest for food-lovers: Under the bright orange lid is a hand-picked assortment of edible goodies made by Japanese artisans. You might sample a zesty Yuzu Sake Candy from Daimonji Ame Honpo, a 100-year-old candymaker in Kyoto; or Dondon Yaki, a peppery, tangy, crunchy senbei (rice cracker) named after the sound of the beating taiko drum; or a White Strawberry, a chocolate-infused freeze-dried strawberry, made exclusively for Bokksu. The contents are different every time but always represent the diversity and ingenuity of Japan’s independent food businesses. Although subscription boxes have proliferated in recent years, Bokksu stands out from the rest: With more than 40,000 boxes being shipped to 100 different countries per month, their subscriber…