Celebrating an American success story
byJoseph Carr has arrived: I was recently invited to a media dinner hosted by Carr, creator of Josh Cellars Wines, at David Bouley’s Bouley…
FOOD & SPIRITS
Accent on Aussie wines
byThere’s something about an Australian accent that makes me smile. It’s not only the melodic rhythm and the tempo of the talk but also…
Méthode (Ancestrale) acting
byIn southern France there is everything. There are small metro areas complete with tall buildings and trolley systems. There are charming micro villages brimming…
Hungary. Fine wine. Who knew?
bySo what flavors do you get when you plant Furmint grape vines in the varied, volcanic soils of Hungary? Sweet, savory and unctuous, with…
All wineries big and boutique
byWhen I was a kid, my parents and my considerably older siblings would drink gallon-size bottles of Gallo or Almaden or Inglenook on ski…
Trans-Port-ed by an after-dinner wine
byIn the last couple of years I have had the good fortune of being invited to two epic vertical wine experiences in New York…
The Tuscany you don’t know
byAs will happen when land prices escalate, acreage becomes scarce and suitable grape planting areas are tapped out, wine producers start to explore other…
Hold the bubbles?
bySo, there’s a battle raging in northern Portugal, or, should I say, gently and pleasantly simmering. Vinho Verde describes a winemaking style and a…
A vintner’s eco-minded approach yields results
byLike most wine entrepreneurs around the globe, Christine Hanna, president of Hanna Winery, is paying a lot of attention to her environment and its…
Choose a label, choose a cause
byPaul Newman once said of Newman’s Own, his charitable food service organization, “It started as a joke and got out of control.” Newman’s Own…
Grapes and soul under the cork
byDo you ever wonder why some high achievers would still be high achievers if their chosen direction was no longer an option? How a…
Finding the fun in the work of a wine columnist
byMy long marriage ended in divorce, which was more or less finalized a year ago. Most people we knew or met thought us to…
A hearty welcome to unusual food and wine pairings
byOne of the most wonderful rituals found in virtually all cultures is the household welcome. Around the world, when a guest is invited into…
The world in a wine glass
byA lifetime ago, or so it seems, I tended bar at the White Elephant, an iconic resort hotel on the island of Nantucket. This…
The days of wine (Rosé) and roses
bySeveral years ago, I was asked to pick some wines for a New Year’s celebration. I picked out some delicious dinner wines and a…
Château Mouton Rothschild
bySo, what’s in a label, specifically a wine label that tempts a shopper to pick it up off its shelf, read a bit from…
To decant or not to decant? That is the question
byTo decant or not to decant is always the question. And there are no hard lines drawn. There are those who believe every bottle…
Waiting to inhale – Cognac and thou for Valentine’s Day
byWell, it’s February again. The air is cold, snow is on the ground, Valentine’s Day is on people’s minds and all the wine stories…
A vintage trail
bySo you want to be a wine writer. I’ve written before that if you love wine, there is no better time to be alive…
Make mine Champagne
byIn my world, little else compares to the pop of a bottle of sparkling wine being opened. In one glorious pop, or more properly,…