Al Spoler
Host, Cellar Notes and Radio KitchenAl Spoler, well known to WYPR listeners as the wine-loving co-host of "Cellar Notes" has had a long-standing parallel interest in cooking as well. Al has said, the moment he started getting serious about Sunday night dinners was the same moment he started getting serious about wine. Over the years, he has benefited greatly from being a member of the Cork and Fork Society of Baltimore, a gentlemen's dining club that serves black tie meals cooked by the members themselves who are some of Baltimore's most accomplished amateur cooks.
His most rewarding immersion in cooking came through his work as a television director at MPT. Spoler served as off-line editor and assistant director on two series featuring the legendary French chef Pierre Franey. He also worked with Mexican chef Patricia Quintana, and with Bed and Breakfast expert Gail Greco on her series "Country Inn Cooking". Al says traveling all over the US visiting country inns and taping recipes that they prepared in little makeshift television kitchens was an incredible education.
Spoler's tastes in cooking are influenced by regional tradition and contemporary casual French fare. Never slavish to recipes, he is never happier than improvising a Sunday dinner with whatever ingredients come to hand.
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I don’t think I ever get tired of eating chicken. One day it might be fried chicken for lunch, then next it’s a Moroccan chicken and couscous casserole for dinner. But Chef Jerry Pellegrino tell me, good old fashioned store-bought chicken is only the tip of the iceberg. The whole world of poultry is a pretty interesting place. -
Martin Ray Winery in the Russian River Valley is a pioneer in Sonoma County. In recent years they have been producing an outstanding line of wines under the Angeline label. -
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Wines from Portugal are no longer an oddity, but a frequent guest on Cellar Notes. Al takes a look at three reds from Alentejo, a wine region we’ve become quite familiar with. -
With Valentine’s Day rolling around again in a couple of days, like many people I’m going shopping for chocolate for my wife. Standing in front of the counter at Wockenfuss, I’m always amazed by the sheer variety of chocolates available. And as Chef Jerry Pellegrino has suggested, you could say that chocolate is a romance unto itself. -
It’s that time again when we look at one of our favorite themes: strange wines from strange places! And Hugh has just what we’re looking for. -
We’re always on the lookout for new wines from new places, and recently Sardinia has popped up on our radar screen. Al samples some of the best from a leading Sardinian winery. -
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The lively and flavorful wines of the Cotes du Rhone are often a bargain hunter’s paradise. Hugh takes a look at a few CDR’s that are worthy of your attention. -
