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by PINK LADY As the decadence of the holiday season subsides, many turn to austerity in this first month of the New Year. While we aren’t about that binge-purge lifestyle, there is certainly something to be said for going back to basics and recalibrating in January. For many, this includes... Read More

by HARVEY FINKEL The reigning Queen of Pinot Noir is abdicating. Merry Edwards, thus dubbed for her array of peerless Pinot Noirs grown in a complex of vineyards in Sonoma’s Russian River Valley, is stepping down as winemaker at Merry Edwards Winery, in favor of Heidi von der Mehden, her... Read More

by ANDY CROUCH If we know one thing in the beer industry it is that consumer interest works like a pendulum, gradually swinging from one direction to another. The swing in recent years has been a rather extended move towards hoppy beers, whether juicy, hazy, or tropical. We are starting... Read More

by HARVEY FINKEL, MD Oh, they try. How they try. Ever since the first report in biblical times of a benefit, much less a health benefit, derived from drinking alcohol, the idea being so repugnant to some a counterreaction immediately started. There are always some who cannot stand the thought... Read More

by SANDY BLOCK, MW Tasting dozens of Pinot Noirs blind, it’s unmistakable how dramatically individual a story each one tells. The grape is a chameleon. Highly reflective of its specific growing conditions, Pinot requires handling with utmost care, both in the vineyard and the winery. Its thin skins bruise easily... Read More

by PINK LADY The sound of a cork popping out of a Champagne bottle is fantastically festive and one we hear often at this time of year. Sparkling wine cocktails are sure to delight at the festivities on your holiday docket, and among these the Bellini is king. The Bellini... Read More

By Kirsten Amann ‘Tis the season for gifts and shameless commerce! The busy shoppers flocking to your store don’t have time to be trolling the web for unique gifts for their wine, cocktail, and beer loving friends – for that matter, neither do you! There’s mulled wine to be sipped... Read More

by HARVEY FINKEL The soul should always stand ajar, ready to welcome the ecstatic experience. -EMILY DICKINSON In the 15th and 16th centuries, Europeans invaded and subjugated what is now called Latin America, not at all benefiting the residents by these trans-Atlantic attentions. Marching alongside the conquistadors were priests, who... Read More

by PINK LADY ‘Tis the season for warm sweaters and full-flavored drinks! It’s roughly ten years since we started penning this column and we can hardly believe we’ve not mentioned the Rusty Nail, the grandpa of all Scotch classic cocktails, and (for some among us) a total dad drink. The... Read More