Home » Articles posted by Rick Griffin

  • Valentine Vino

    Valentine Vino

    So Valentine’s Day is rapidly approaching and you need a Valentine vino to compliment the chocolates and roses, something that’s not too expensive, something to win points in the romance department. Think red! I’m playing it safe and going with one of my favorite wines reviewed last year -  Apothic Red, a full bodied red blend of Zinfandel, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. It has an intense dark fruit flavor with hints of mocha and vanilla. At $14 a bottle, [...]

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  • Green Wine is Good Wine

    Green Wine is Good Wine

    Each year an increasing number of wineries are discovering that sustainability practices not only protect natural resources, they produce better wines. Yes, green wine is good wine. To achieve Sustainability In Practice (SIP) Certification, winemakers must meet a number of rigorous standards regarding soil & water conservation, water quality, air quality, fruit quality, safe pest management, energy efficiency and social responsibility, just to name a few. Wine makers achieving certification are allowed to use the SIP Certified seal in their [...]

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  • The Art of Finding Great Value Wines – 5 simple tips

    The Art of Finding Great Value Wines – 5 simple tips

            Wine doesn’t have to be expensive to to be good. In fact, there are many quality wines for under $10, but there is an art to finding these gems. Though taking a chance on an inexpensive bottle of wine is hardly a risky undertaking, following these simple guidelines will help you with the art of finding great value wines.   Research! The internet is full of awesome resources for wine lovers. One of my favorite sites [...]

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  • This Wine is the Cat’s Meow

    This Wine is the Cat’s Meow

    Lately I’ve been trying to eat a healthier diet. I remain a carnivore, but I’m including more chicken and fish in my diet and and less red meat. I generally prefer red wine, and while there are many reds that pair very well with foul and seafood, my new diet is giving me a good excuse to experience more whites. I found a simple recipe for pan seared scallops on the Food Network’s website and decided to pair it with [...]

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  • Sparkling Wines for Festive Times

    Sparkling Wines for Festive Times

    Holiday meals at my house are kind of like a pot-luck dinner at a Sunday school picnic. Everybody prepares their favorite dish and brings enough for the whole gang share. Planning a wine for a variety of festive flavors can present a challenge, but a simple solution is to serve an extremely versatile sparkling rosé. Sparkling rosés are ideal for meals that run the gamut. Rather than overpowering some items on your plate with a robust red, a rosé offers [...]

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  • A Wino’s Guide to Holiday Wines

    A Wino’s Guide to Holiday Wines

    Choosing, gifting, and drinking wines for the holidays? Of course you are! Here is your “wino” guide for picking the perfect wine for all of the festivities. Holiday Office Party You don’t have to skimp on quality when buying in quantity for the

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  • Popping the Cork (wine review)

    Popping the Cork (wine review)

    It’s #WineWednesday and nothing says celebration like the sound of a Champagne cork popping. So this week as I celebrated both of my parent’s birthdays and the second anniversary of Midlife Road Trip’s #NUTS (Not-so Usual Therapy Session), I popped the cork of two Bafefoot Bubbly Champagnes. Most of the guys at the celebration seemed to prefer the crisp Brut Cuvée with hints of green apple, while the gals absolutely loved the sweeter Pink Moscato with its fruity aromas and [...]

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  • Beer Brats with Kickoff Kraut

    Beer Brats with Kickoff Kraut

    Tailgating season is in full swing and Beer Brats with Kickoff Kraut are a great way to pimp your party! Ingredients: beer brats, beer, sauerkraut, red pepper relish (hot or sweet depending on your liking) caraway seeds and rye buns.     Kickoff Kraut 1.  Add about 1 pound of drained sauerkraut to a large saucepan over medium to medium-high heat. 2.  Pour in approximately 3/4 of an amber beer – drink the rest:) 3.  Stir in approximately 4 oz of [...]

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  • What to wear for Halloween

    What to wear for Halloween

    What to wear, what to wear? Rick & Sandi stopped by Penny Dreadful Productions in Duluth, Georgia to try on a few outfits for halloween

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  • Midlife Road Trip among Top 10 Travel Experts on Twitter

    Midlife Road Trip among Top 10 Travel Experts on Twitter

    Midlife Road Trip co-hosts Rick Griffin and Sandi McKenna were each included in Thompson Reuters list of the Top 10 Travel Experts on Twitter!  There seems to be  some benefit to a twitter addiction.

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  • Breaking Out the Good Stuff~ Aurielle Cabernet Sauvignon

    Breaking Out the Good Stuff~ Aurielle Cabernet Sauvignon

    It’s a old adage that wine gets better with age. I recently received a bottle of the 2008 Aurielle Cabernet Sauvignon, a higher end Napa Valley wine  that if cellared for a few years will totally ROCK! The perfect pairing with your Sunday Dinner! I have neither the patience nor discipline to wait for a wine to peak so I uncorked the bottle and poured it into a decanter. Just letting the wine breathe for about 20 minutes was a [...]

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  • New York Wine Expo

    New York Wine Expo

    Here’s a GREAT event for all of our wine loving friends. Let us know if you’re going, we’d love to meet you. March 2-4, THE 5TH ANNUAL NEW YORK WINE EXPO IS YOUR PASSPORT TO A GLOBAL WINE ADVENTURE Renowned Industry Experts Lead Multi-Level Seminar Series New York, NY      As Galileo once stated “Wine is sunlight, held together by water.”   Add a little sunlight to your weekend and treat yourself to a first class trip around the world of [...]

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  • Nothing Says “Happy Valentine’s Day” like a Footlong! ♥

    Nothing Says “Happy Valentine’s Day” like a Footlong! ♥

    ♥ Happy Valentine’s Day ♥

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  • FANATICS

    FANATICS

    straight-jacket optional, sense of humor required #NUTS Welcome to our Therapy Group! This Week’s Theme: *FANATICS* straight-jacket optional, sense of humor required We believe the Midlife Road Trip is the perfect therapy for a midlife crisis so each week we host a super fun online therapy session. You’re invited to join the conversation for some lively chat about a fun new topic each Tuesday from 3:30-4:30 EST. Just follow #NUTS on Twitter (or use this TweetGrid) and answer the questions [...]

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  • January 27 is Port Day!

    January 27 is Port Day!

    January 27 is Port Day! As a recent a fan of white ports, I’m celebrating with a bottle of Krohn Lagrima Fine White Port. It retails around $18 a bottle and has an alcohol content of 20%. Though  this wine pairs well with chocolate and fruity desserts,  I’m going to pair it with a strong blue cheese. I like the contrast of the sweetness of the wine and the saltiness of the blue  cheese. I prefer white ports chilled but [...]

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