Champagne Guide: Ring in the New Year with Some Bubbly

New Year's Eve is champagne's time to shine.

Maryland Heights residents will soon be ringing in the New Year, a time when champagnes and sparkling wines rule the drink menu. Choices of these great sparklers can be overwhelming, so let's review which ones may be best for your New Year's Eve dinner or celebration.  Generally speaking, people refer to all sparkling wines as champagne. Actually, the only wines that can be called champagne are the ones that are produced in the Champagne region of France, hence the name.  Wines produced outside this region of France are called by different names. The primary grapes used to produce champagne are Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier. There are now only five family-owned champagne houses in France, and Laurent-Perrier is the largest of …

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Patch Picks

Five Romantic Places for Valentine's Day Dinner

These five restaurants boast special menus, drinks and desserts to help you romance your Valentine.

Forget the roses and boxes of chocolates. The best way to celebrate Valentine’s Day is to share a romantic dinner with the one who stole your heart. This week’s Patch Picks features the five best places to savor the holiday. All of these restaurants are offering their special menus throughout the entire weekend. 1. The Melting Pot of University City Nothing says romance like dipping fruit into a fondue pot of chocolate as you share this special dessert together. But before the dessert, the four-course dinner starts with a choice of three cheese fondues. For the second course, choose from a variety of salads. The entrée course includes six items from lobster tail and filet mignon to ravioli, shrimp and pork. The fourth course is a choice of…

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