Once upon a time, you’d pour a bubbly – from France, Spain or parts beyond - and folks would exclaim, “Oh goodie, Champagne!” Now, when any anonymous bubbly flows, folks respond, “Oh goodie, ...
If you never know what wine to serve when hosting a dinner party, you aren't alone. Lots of students tell us they spend a lot of time and money on building an amazing meal with layers of flavor and ...
5 Wines and What We’re Eating with Them this Summer
The days of showing up with a six pack of Bud Light and a half-eaten box of pizza are over. As we age, there’s a new obligation to bring something exciting. Something sophisticated. Something that ...
Last week, a co-worker came to me after one of our wine classes and asked if I thought appellations really matter. Apparently, it was a topic of discussion during class and there had been good points ...
Warm weather has finally arrived in Chicago, and we’re ready for it! At The Chopping Block, we celebrate the season with new wines to pair with new classes, or to bring home for all your warm weather ...
I was talking with some of my fellow bloggers the other day, and I said something very stupid. We were discussing our May blogs and I said, “I think I'll do a blog about oak,” as though that were a ...
Spain hit Chicago’s fine dining scene well after France, Italy, even Mexico! Now, the flavors of Spain are favorites in the city and suburbs, from casual tapas to elegant Paella, from sparkling Cava ...
I had never even heard of Malbec when I started working at The Chopping Block, but I could tell that whatever it was, people sure seemed to like it. In fact, as I've learned more, it strikes me as ...
My birthday was last month, which means I got a lot of Facebook notifications from people I rarely speak to wishing me a “Happy Birthday.” Some of them went so far as to say, “Happy Birthday, ...
