Surfin in da USA

Okay, okay, okay... we were surfing for FUN food and wine sites and happened upon several. There's a lot of mojo stirring in the online world of food and wine, and perhaps coolest of all is that most of it is being served up w/ ample helpings of attitude.

So, even though you'll see most of this on the main SJ site in November's issue, here's your sneak peak.

First site we saw was the dynamo that is Dinosaur Bar-B-Q. Three restaurants in the fine southern reaches of NY State. The Dino mixes in lots of good music with their awesome recipes. They also showcase a swap market for bike parts (we ain't talkin Schwinn here) and some fun links.

The Austin Spice Company site reveals the fun and fixins this group has mixed up since 1995. ASC has won over 100 national and regional awards, and makes mesquite-roasted salsa naturally and w/ no liquid smoke or flavor additives. Looks like some good buys and good flavor for your food.

Wine X Magazine Online is billed as "Wine, food and an intelligent slice of vice..." and we agree heartily. It's a good read for folks pressed for time and tired of pretentious wine commentary. They have a wine club and subscriptions to the magazine. Very nice!


Wine on the Web
WOW is a unique Internet publication.  It is an independent magazine with audio and is constantly updated. It aims to be the wine consumer's friend by recommending wine for most budgets. Your computer may not cooperate w/ the audio feeds but it's worth a try as the writers and commentators have good things to say.

Wine Country Getaways
They say this site is "The ultimate resource for those visiting the California wine country. Discover wine trails in the top wine regions of California, including Napa, Sonoma, Santa Barbara, & Paso Robles." We say it's obvious they've spent some time coordinating wine trail trips, profiles of wineries and accumulating lots of helpful links for all things wine. A great resource.

And, as we discover more and more about new technologies available to us, we enter the world of the Podcasting.. Here you can here quasi-regular reports, news, advice and reviews of the world of wine. It sometimes sounds like a SNL parody, but can offer cool insights into the people and products making a difference in the wine stratosphere.

Wine Cast
Each week, Tim Elliott produces one or two podcasts that focus on a wine region or grape variety with tasting notes for these wines along with wine product reviews, tasting tips and other wine-related subjects.

Grape Radio
One or two shows are produced on a weekly basis. These shows consist of the three hosts sharing their opinions and experiences with the audience.

The Oz Wine Show
An Australian wine podcast featuring news, reviews and interviews with Mick (the expert) and Hugo (the novice) as they talk about everything in between.

So, surf's up dudes and dudettes. Have some fun and by all means report in those cool links you happen upon to the rest of the SJ Nation...