Blame it on Rioja

Lovers of food and wine, both amateur and professional, have no shortage of online ways to feed their yen for gastronomic news, but very few us have the time to filter through all of it to get to the choicest morsels.

That’s why newsletter compilations have become so popular of late.

And few online newsletters can compete with my two favorites, one of which is absolutely free.

ProChef Smart Brief

This is an awesome service provided by the Culinary Institute of America, delivering culinary news from around the English-speaking world, free of charge, to your email inbox five days a week, which, admittedly, is quite a lot.

But just take a look at today’s issue and see how chock-full of tasty tidbits this newsletter can be:

• Which chefs have the greatest empires? New York magazine’s Grub Street blog developed a point system to come up with the 20 biggest chef empires. Gordon Ramsay came out on top, with Alain Ducasse, Wolfgang Puck, Joël Robuchon and Nobu Matsuhisa rounding out the top five. New York magazine/Grub Street blog (9/23)
• Autumn brings a craving for game pies Game pies can be made with rabbit, partridge, pheasant or almost any other furry or feathered creature. A recipe for a rich pie with partridge, rabbit and mushrooms is included. The Times (London) (9/24)
• “Avec Eric” on PBS aims for sophistication Eric Ripert, the chef at Le Bernardin, is starring in a new show called “Avec Eric” on PBS. The show, aimed at sophisticated and educated food lovers, is a mix of cooking show, documentary and ecological tourism. Newsweek (9/24)
• Move over, wine; beer is ready to stand beside cheese Though wine and cheese are still the preferred combination, beer and cheese pairings are gaining ground, even at high-end restaurants. Marc Stroobandt, a master beer sommelier and consultant, says he is seeing “a lot of interest in experimenting” with beer-cheese pairings in the U.S. and Europe. The Wall Street Journal (9/25)

To sign up for ProChef SmartBrief, click here.

Wine Review Weekly

Another essential read, especially for the wine professional, is this one, from  John Gillespie of Wine Opinions. Although it comes with a hefty price tag, $349/year for 52 issues delivered to your email inbox, it highlights major wine reviews from the nation’s largest daily newspapers and syndicated wire services, and boasts a hugely helpful section called “Best from the Blogs,” Gillespie’s handpicked compendium of the week’s best in online wine writing.

Here’s a sampling from this week:

• Baltimore Sun:  Wine writer Michael Dresser picks Tenuta Rapitala Campo Reale Nero d’Avola 2008.  (Link)
• Washington Times:  Wine columnist Paul Lukacs selects Vignaioli di S. Stefano Moscato d’Asti 2008.  (Link)
• Los Angeles Times:  Wine writer Irene Virbila picks Las Colinas del Ebro Garnacha Blanca 2008.  (Link)

• New York Times:  Wine columnist Eric Asimov on red wines from Languedoc.  Top choice in tasting is Le Loup Blanc Minervois 2006, while Chateau de Serame Corbieres 2006 is cited as a value.  (Link)
• Wall Street Journal:  Wine columnists Dorothy Gaiter and John Brecher on the wines of Canada.  Nice comments for Konzelmann Estate Winery Weissburgunder Pinot Blanc Off-Dry White Wine 2006, EastDell Estates Riesling 2008, and Nyarai Cellars Sauvignon Blanc 2008.  (Link)
• Financial Times:  Wine columnist Jancis Robinson profiles wine importer (and crusader for authenticity) Kermit Lynch.   (Link)  

• Vinography:  Wine blogger Alder Yarrow on current releases from Kutch Wines.  (Link)
• Dr. Vino:  Wine blogger Tyler Colman on the controversy surrounding a proposed bridge across the Mosel River.  (Link)
• Bigger Than Your Head:  Wine blogger Fredric Koeppel has nice things to say for Duck Duck Goose Fine Red Wine 2006.  (Link)
• Veritas in Vino:  Wine blogger Alice Feiring offers thoughts on wines samples at the recent Becky Wasserman Selections tasting.  (Link)
• JancisRobinson.com:  Wine blogger Jancis Robinson recommends the 2006vintage Burgundy wines of Domaine Michele & Patrice Rion.  (Link)
• The Pour:  Wine blogger Eric Asimov on the dangers of global warming, with a focus on Burgundy.  (Link)

To sign up for Wine Review Weekly, click here.