The Chopping Block Cooking & Wine Blog

We Fell in Love with Pinot Noir, but Will the Sideways Affair Last?

It’s almost impossible to pinpoint the start of a major cultural shift. What work of art begins the Italian Renaissance, for instance, or on what day did the Jazz Age start? But there’s no doubt that ...

Vegan Wines and How to Spot Them

With current health trends, a lot of people are looking for any and every way to cut their caloric intake. Many have joined the lifestyle of veganism and if not completely, some have opted for ...

You Can Do that to Wine?

People ask me all the time: What can I do with a wine that’s going bad? And I say, Freeze it. Or: The wine my family prefers is too dry, and I say, Add fruit juice to yours. When warm wine is served ...

Get Touchy-Feely with Wine Texture

Slipping into a silky robe on a hot summer day is a feeling we can all dream of during Chicago’s icy blast. Now we’re bundling up in wool scarves and coats. But how would we feel about a wool scarf ...

The Good and Bad News about Wine

After college graduation, I moved to New York City, where a classmate offered a patch of her studio apartment to me until I found my own crib. At her door, she greeted me, “I have good news and bad ...

Mary's Aha! Moment in Wine

Sometimes in life, one moment changes everything. For me, it was the moment I "got" wine. It was 40 years ago, but I remember it like yesterday. I was lucky enough to be included in a wine tasting ...

Wine for BBQ

For international entertainment without needing a passport, try a world cuisine barbeque with wine.

Explore the World of Wine in our New Tasting Series

Back when I shifted my career from sommelier to educator and marketer, my first project was to create a database of every wine product sold in Chicagoland. When I reached 10,000 entries, the client ...

Toast to Summer with our New Wines

Together with The Chopping Block's staff, I’ve recently sniffed, slurped and spit wares from Chicagoland’s finest wine purveyors to bring you our new wine list! As always, we focus on small ...

What Makes Italian Wine So Good?

Italy is still our favorite wine import, outpacing second place France in both dollars and volume, according to Wine Business Monthly, April 2021. So, what makes Italian wine so good?

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We Fell in Love with Pinot Noir, but Will the Sideways Affair Last?

Vegan Wines and How to Spot Them

You Can Do that to Wine?

Get Touchy-Feely with Wine Texture

The Good and Bad News about Wine

Mary's Aha! Moment in Wine

Wine for BBQ

Explore the World of Wine in our New Tasting Series

Toast to Summer with our New Wines

What Makes Italian Wine So Good?

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