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WINE DRINKERS with COLORECTAL CANCER LIVE LONGER

by HARVEY FINKEL, MD THE RISKS AND BENEFITS of alcohol consumption vis-à-vis cancer remain murky, confusing, and conflicted.  We all can agree that heavy drinking is unhealthy, and most believe the great weight of scientific evidence developed during the last 3O years strongly suggesting light or moderate drinking is healthful,...
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COOL CLIMATE CHARDONNAYS, CHABLIS and the WILLAMETTE VALLEY

by SANDY BLOCK, MW IT’S NO SECRET that Chardonnay’s growth has stalled and that it’s perceived as losing ground in the market, particularly among younger consumers who profess a preference for Sauvignon Blanc.  Chardonnay, however, is anything but monolithic.  Handled properly it shows subtle differences in soil, climate, weather, and...
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STOCK this STUFF

by KIRSTEN AMANN Love ‘em or hate ‘em, the holidays are here, which means the busiest few weeks of the year are upon us.  We’ve searched far and wide to create this tidy list of gifts items that will appeal to the time-crunched shoppers streaming into your store.  From serious...
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MARQUÉS DE VARGAS

by HARVEY FINKEL PELAYO DE LA MATA, the 13th Marqués de Vargas, wears three vinous hats, heading wine estates in three distinct traditional regions of Spain, each producing notable estate-grown wines in modern wineries.  The three-headed marqués, a youthful and active 71, enlivened my day with a recent visit, bearing...
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THE JAPANESE COCKTAIL

by PINK LADY AS THE COOL WINTER months set in, our thoughts inevitably turn to darker spirits.  Who can resist a little barrel-aged something when hunkering down in front of the fireplace?  The snow may not arrive in full force until January, but as the leaves make their final turn...
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DISCOVERING UNDER-VALUED BEER STYLES for FALL

by ANDY CROUCH FALLS BRINGS US another opportunity to contemplate some under-valued beer styles.  We don’t know whether the India Pale Ale craze may be fad or lasting trend but it dominates the scene at the moment.  The current consumer movement towards hoppy, hazy beers shows no signs of abating...
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BORDEAUX 2O16 A Classic Vintage

by HARVEY FINKEL THERE SEEM to be no dismal vintages any more in Bordeaux, and perhaps surprisingly too many hailed with superlatives. But the latter are, to me, usually over-extracted, dense, and lacking in grace – echoes of wines made with more enthusiasm than finesse in northern California. Now, however,...
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CHÂTEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE

by SANDY BLOCK, MW CHÂTEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE: Prior to visiting the Rhône Valley for the first time in the 198Os this legendary name (“new castle of the Pope”) had me envisioning majestic towers of fortified granite, gleaming marble hallways, and medieval era turrets.  Imagine the shock as I found myself navigating through...
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