For decades, the Bay Area has been a world class destination for wine enthusiasts, drawing millions of visitors to Napa, Sonoma, and even the burgeoning Livermore Valley. But on July 17, a group of Nikkei winemakers tried something new — hosting a wine tasting event at a sake brewery in an industrial park in southeastern […]
THE GOCHISO GOURMET: Are you seeing red?
March 16, 2017 by Leave a Comment
No, it’s not because I’m an angry person by nature. Actually, it’s almost the opposite; I’m usually a Type B personality. Though I do enjoy seeing red — in my wine glass, that is. But because I reside in the 50th, where we typically experience just two seasons, a very hot summer running from October […]
THE GOCHISO GOURMET: The wines of summer
September 15, 2016 by Leave a Comment
As I’ve mentioned before, the seasons are a little different here in the 50th. There is no one season where April’s showers brings May’s flowers — the 50th rains constantly, especially in my neck of the woods in Kaneohe, Hawai‘i. There are no changing of the leaves after summer, nor is there any reason to […]
THE GOCHISO GOURMET: Tiny Bubbles …
December 18, 2014 by Leave a Comment
“In the wine … Make me happy … Make me feel fine …” Since we’re well into the holiday season, what better beverage to celebrate with than Champagne? From a well-aged tête de cuvé like Cristal or Dom Perignon to the minerality of a Blanc de Blanc to the richness of a Blanc de Noir […]
THE GOCHISO GOURMET: Kenzo Estate
November 20, 2014 by Leave a Comment
The story started many years ago, in fact it started with the most popular video game of its time. Remember “Street Fighter?” That video game of the ‘80s well before X-Box or Play Station this or that. When Capcom went public in 1990, that gave the company founder Kenzo Tsujimoto the capital to purchase 3,800 […]
THE GOCHISO GOURMET: Bridging the Gap in Piedmont
July 25, 2013 by Leave a Comment
No, I’m not referring to that quaint residential city surrounded by Oakland. I’m referring to that Northwestern province in Italy where the Nebbiolo grape is king, producing spectacular Barolo and Barbaresco wines. About six years ago, I was fortunate to attend a wine dinner featuring Alfie Cavallotto and his wines from the Piedmont. Since Piedmontese […]
THE GOCHISO GOURMET: Let that wine breathe
April 18, 2013 by Leave a Comment
So you finally received that new shipment of Cabernet Sauvignon from your favorite winery (2010). You’ve been waiting six months for the shipment to arrive, and now that it’s in your hands, you want to sample it, although you should put it in the cellar to let it age. But since we can never tell […]
THE GOCHISO GOURMET: A decade of wala’au
January 1, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Wala’au is the Hawaiian term for speaking, as in having a simple conversation, which is what I’ve been doing for the past 10 years with you in Nichi Bei Land, originally through the Nichi Bei Times and recently through the Nichi Bei Weekly. I make no pretense of it, my column will never win a […]
THE GOCHISO GOURMET: Gadgets for the wine lovers and chefs in your life
November 15, 2012 by Leave a Comment
For the wino in your life, may I suggest several wine gadgets: The Durand corkscrew It’s a little pricey at $125. OK, make that very pricey, but it combines the best of a standard corkscrew and Ah-So bladed cork extractor. It isn’t needed for every bottle of wine, but it shines with older bottles of […]
THE GOCHISO GOURMET: The Five Kings of Champagne
October 18, 2012 by Leave a Comment
During the first week of September, Food & Wine magazine, Chef Roy Yamaguchi and Chef Alan Wong hosted the second annual Hawai‘i Food & Wine Festival at multiple locations in Honolulu. The four-day event featured numerous dinners, cocktail seminars and educational tours highlighting locally grown products. Since Food & Wine magazine was one of the […]
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