| Mozart Great Piano Concertos v. 2 - Mozart is perhaps the most outstanding composer of all time. This is an excellent CD - very relaxing and enjoyable to listen to. A quirky wine such as as Mourvedre or a single-vineyard Pinot Noir would be perfect as you relax listening to the quirky composer himself. |
Beethoven Piano Concertos - The Beethoven Piano Concertos are outstanding. We also believe Beethoven's personal story of triumph over tragedy is both interesting and compelling. We can all learn something from the great artists of yesterday. While listening to this disc set, we recommend a classic Cabernet Sauvignon - perhaps from the Sonoma Valley. A vintage of 1997 or 1998 would marry well with the music. |
Here's an interesting column on the connection between music and wine. Not necessarily classical music, but we have to confess - sometimes we listen to other things as well. Enjoy Christina Kelly's column and also some of the wines and music she recommends. Especially the Beaux Freres 2001 Pinot Noir. with Diana Krall. |
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Browse here to find some of our favorite music. Wine recommendations are also included in some cases. Then prepare to sit back, relax, and enjoy - either alone or with friends!
The next set of links go to some of our favorite wines.
Firestone 2001 Merlot - Central Coast, CA - Quieter than its Syrah cousin, this full-flavored Merlot will please palates of even the most discerning winelover. Haydn's London Symphonies would go well with this selection. |
Iron Horse 2001 Estate Pinot Noir - Green Valley, Sonoma County CA - An interesting Pinot Noir, with characteristicly subtle coloring and flavor. We recommend this one with something soft and slightly pensive, perhaps Mendelssohn? |
Consilience 2001 Syrah - Central Coast, CA - This is an excellent Syrah with a bold, fruit-forward taste. Big, bold, Germanic music is required as a complement - we would recommend Mahler or Beethoven. |
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Here are cookbooks for your reading and dining pleasure. When the spirit strikes, sharing your music and wine through a dinner party with friends is a wonderful way to establish, enjoy, and extend those friendships for a long time!
Silver Palate Cookbook - This is one of the best cookbooks we've ever used. Outstanding recipes. Detailed instructions. And the results are wonderful. |
Silver Palate Good Times Cookbook - A follow-on cookbook written by Rosso and Co. to the same great standards! |
Elegantly Easy Creme Brulee - This book on Creme Brulee has all the basics, how to cook it, a bit of the history, etc. It also has some very cool recipes for variations on the Creme Brulee theme. Flavorings, different toppings, and different presentations are all given. If you love Creme Brulee, or if you've never tried it, this makes an excellent home reference for the sweet dessert. |
The Vineyard Kitchen - This cookbook is organized by the seasons and each section contains an entire meal. What a great idea - you can maximize the amount of fresh and seasonal ingredients that you put into your meal! Maria Helm Sinskey has done a great job with this one - we especially recommend the Coq au Vin. |
Here are a set of downloadable files. Dinner party plans, recipes, and other items of interest can be found here.
Dinner Party for 16 - This archive contains the menu and activities for a dinner party we hosted not too long ago. People had lots of fun, the food was great, and naturally, the wine was wonderful too. Music centered around classical piano - Mozart, Chopin, Mendelssohn, and Beethoven. What a great way to spend an evening with good friends! Each link is available separately to the right or you can download the entire .zip archive above. |
Five Course Dinner Menu plus Aperitif and Hor's d'Oeuvre Selections Between Course Game Recommendation and Scoresheet - put the scoresheet on a 5x8 card - one for each guest or couple Music to go with dinner - here are a set of four piano CDs that go together well and will provide the proper ambience for your dinner party: 1. Beethoven: Piano Sonatas (Moonlight, Pathétique, Appassionata), 2. Mozart: Great Piano Concertos, 3. Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 1 and Violin Concerto in D major, and 4. Lang Lang. The Beethoven is probably the most well-known, followed by the Mozart. Tchaikovsky is stolid Russian composing, and Lang Lang is an interesting up-and-coming pianist with a fresh new style. Enjoy! |
We've even created a forum to permit real-time musings on both wine and classical music. |
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Cedar Rapids Symphony Orchestra - This is our local semiprofessional symphony. Excellent music, a conductor who's at the very top of his game, and with the Paramount Theatre in Cedar Rapids, they have a great location for their performances. Season tickets are reasonably-priced.
Wine and Music Art and Imagery Links - Original art is always best. We love our Dali, and have several local artists well-represented in our home. But isn't it amazing the variety of very cool posters that you can find to brighten your day? Here are some that we have enjoyed - and look great as you listen and sip at the end of a tough work week. We hope you can find something to brighten the walls of your living space as well.
Into Wine is a general wine information site. In enjoying wine we connect with history and with those before us who have participated in one of mankinds earliest and simplest pleasures. Educating ourselves about wine and its proper use can only help us to enjoy it to the fullest, and to make it part of a gracious way of life. On this site you will find how wine is made, how to enjoy wine, wine regions, wine and health, wine and the Bible, Storing wine, wine resources and links and a wine calendar of events.
Wine cellar software - Our cellar book software is a comprehensive cellar management system designed to record your wine purchases, cellaring and consumption. You can easily keep track of cellaring guidelines, wine reviews, tasting notes, food matches and much more. WineBook for Windows and Wine XT for the Mac are wine cellar management software for wine enthusiasts.
The Wrath of Grapes - The Wrath of Grapes is a resource for the Irish wine lover with an emphasis on wines available in Ireland; local prices, local suppliers and local interest, as well as the web's largest collection of quotations about wine.
Music & Vision magazine -
The world's first daily classical music magazine.
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