Wine has a bad reputation of being complex and unapproachable and that's unfortunate. For me though, wine is fun and made to be enjoyed. That's why when I had the chance to combine two of my favorite things in life, I jumped at the opportunity. So today, I've taken five affordable wines and paired them with five different flavors from Jack Link's Jerky.

I love casinos, they are pure marketing and designed to offer experiences that break out of the ordinary limits of good taste and reality. In recent years, signature cocktails and ridiculous culinary concoctions are one of the big ways to draw people's attention so it should be no surprise that our friends at Southern California's San Manuel Casino are once again one-upping the guys in Vegas with their new High Limits lounge and $10,000 signature cocktail the Rare and Fine.

When most guys think of taking a wine weekend getaway their minds shift to Santa Barbara, Sonoma, or Napa but there's another area that I've recently become excited about. Temecula, California is located the perfect distance between Orange County, San Diego, and Los Angeles and is rapidly coming into its own in terms of vinoculture as well as tourism opportunities in general. For years I drove by the area on my way to Vegas but now I can't wait to go back again soon!

For a tiny island, Key West has a lot of stories - some are tales of greatness... others are tales of what might have been. In the case of Pan Am, it is a little bit of both. First In Flight Restaurant & Brewery celebrates this early aviation heritage on the site where Pan Am was born with craft beer and food.

It's that time of year again! That's right... egg nog is back on the menu and while you can grab a box of it from the grocery store and throw any old rum in, we can do better than that. Hemingway's Distillery sent over this recipe that may or may not have been what Papa Hemingway liked to enjoy on winter nights spent writing in Key West.

A drink that is famously paired with brunch (or hangovers), the Bloody Mary has been a staple of our culture for many decades. The Bloody Mary has even earned itself a national day of recognition on January 1st of every year. While the core ingredients of the drink are vodka and tomato juice, there's an endless number of variations that can take the flavor profile to new and interesting places. Here are five unusual variations of the classic Bloody Mary we know and love so well. 

I first enjoyed Murphy Goode a few months ago at a steakhouse in San Diego and was curious to learn more. The wine I had, 2015 Red Blend, paired well well the steak and I appreciated the simple confidence of the bottle and label design. It brings back a feeling that this is ultimately wine made to be enjoyed and not a pretentious expression of wealth and sophistication. The product speaks for itself and since then I've enjoyed several different bottles and appreciate that they are able to deliver an excellent product at a variety of price points from $15 to $45 so you don't have to worry about "picking the wrong one".

Pairing wine with food is something that most people think about when the subject of how to best enjoy wine comes up. Really though, the spectrum is much wider than that. Last week, I got invited to a Maserati and wine tasting event and so I started thinking about what wines pair well with which cars. After all, we tend to refer to both wines and cars in terms of personality. So it got me thinking, which wines would I pair with which Maserati cars? 

It's Halloween time again and while once we prepared to go out and trick or treat collecting candy and other treats... as well as inflicting treats on those who dared to hand out carrots and apple slices, today we're adults. That means it's time to take our treats to the next level and enjoy some spooky Halloween cocktails. Here's our roundup of some of our favorite cocktails for your Halloween party this year!

At first thought, the idea of taking your buddies to France for a wine trip doesn't seem like the most masculine endeavor but it's quite frankly something that I'm dreaming of doing one day. This is especially true of the Rhone Valley region in southeastern France. This region runs from Lyon to Avignon and is composed of several different viticultural areas and is known for some of the world's finest wines. However, it is also full of history ranging from Roman centurions to Medieval castles, as well as a modern food scene that is one of the best in Europe.

I think most of us have heard of a grape stomp - whether it is a memory from an old TV show like I Love Lucy or an email from a local winery inviting you to compete, it's a fun way to spend a late summer or fall afternoon with friends. I attended my first grape stomp as a guest of South Coast Winery in Temecula last week and it was an eye-opening experience. Not just for me - but for many of the competitors too. What seems like an easy task is actually way more complicated... if you want to win!

While conventional history suggests that the wine industry in California is relatively new - the truth is thanks to the Spanish Jesuit missionaries we've been growing grapes in California for more than 300 years! While most Americans think of "California" as a US state, "California" is actually the stretch of land that includes Alta California, Baja California, and Baja California Sur. National boundaries and centuries of politics can make things complicated when it comes to a heritage like this. However, the role that the Catholic church's Mission System played is clear. So let's grab a glass of "missionary wine" and explore some history of wine in California and indeed that of wine production in the New World itself.

David "Merf" Merfeld from Northstar Winery is one of my favorite winemakers. He has an amazing ability to create new innovative wines and The Cosmic Egg Cabernet Sauvignon is one of his recent creations. 

Norwegian Cruise Line gave us a sample of their new Meet the Winemaker cruise series earlier this year while we sailed on Norwegian Joy. It was a fabulous experience and now they are getting ready to roll it out with a wider schedule, across multiple ships this fall. If you love wine and cruising then these cruises are made for you.

Ok, so that's a bit of a click-bait title since the reality is that almost every winery is unique and brings with it a personality and decor that is special in its own way. However, for guys who are looking for the "experience" of doing a Sonoma wine tour rather than the connoisseur looking only to visit their favorite, most technically excellent wineries, there are some vineyards and tasting rooms that are better than others. The sweet spot is when winemakers are able to blend excellent wines with a fun unique experience that guys of all levels will enjoy visiting. Thanks to the folks at the Sonoma Wine Road, for helping put this awesome itinerary together for us. 

So you've probably experimented with whiskey before when preparing BBQ but sometimes the occasion just calls for tequila and so that what we tried. This recipe is a fairly simple smoked brisket recipe with light hints of tequila that help pair it well with a nice full glass of high-quality agave spirits such as our favorite, Don Julio 1942.

I absolutely love Alaska Airlines. They somehow have managed to maintain the small town friendly attitude that has made them an essential part of life for thousands of people on the west coast. They have now started expanding service at Sonoma County / Santa Rosa airport to and from a variety of west coast destinations and a huge perk about flying with Alaska is that wine flies free! That's right, you can check a full case of wine like you would any other bag - except there's no fee if you are a Mileage Plan member (free signup).

It’s a perfect time to be planning a summer or fall getaway to the beautiful California Central Coast wine country and the folks at Bianchi Winery sent over some images to entice me to visit. What do you think? Are you ready to head out to Paso Robles for a romantic wine weekend with great views, hot days, and cool nights sipping some of the best wines in California?

Ok, so unless you are a good looking lady or a guy looking for a cougar, free drinks on a cruise ship is something you've probably always assumed were something impossible. The cruise industry depends on sales of alcohol to cover their bottom line since generally the price of your cruise barely covers the cost of having you onboard. Don't worry though. I'm one cheap SOB and over the years I've found a bunch of different ways to get free drinks on a cruise ship vacation. I'm sure I've missed some so I'd love to have you fill in the blanks for me by commenting below.

There's a lot of advice out there on how to create the perfect charcuterie board for wine tasting, but this is my advice. Take it or leave it, but I like to create a charcuterie platter to complement the wines that I'm about to taste - but also provide a variety of flavors and textures to entertain your palette. Some charcuterie boards are designed specifically to pair with an individual wine but I'm about having fun and exploring flavor combinations. Regardless of your style, there are some core guidelines to follow, so here's my advice on how to create the perfect charcuterie platter for wine tasting.