September 21, 2007

Trends come and go. A new infusion will likely replace the last hot infusion. Tequila drinkers are rapidly upgrading to anejos. The Mojito craze wilts annually with the season and the Negroni is the new Dark ‘n Stormy, say some trend trackers. Maybe Pulitzer Prize winning poet Robert Frost put... Read More

As tastes profiles of tequila, single malts and every other spirit have grown more complex, and prices have soared, consumers have grown more sophisticated and picky about what they drink and buy, regardless of category. Where five years ago an $8O to $1OO bottle of tequila or scotch may have... Read More

Little penguins, yellow tails, black swans, 3 blind moose and 4 emus; are we speaking about wine or Noah’s boat of biblical fame? Nope, this is a shelf full of wine with the latest in catchy labels. Something has always annoyed me a little bit about this recent marketing trend... Read More

BILL and DENISE ATWOOD • 54/51 • Chef/Owners • The Red Pheasant, Dennis, MA Patti Page sang about it in 1957 – “If you’re fond of sand dunes and salty air, quaint little villages here and there.” How many of us today remember Old Cape Cod? Bill and Denise Atwood... Read More

During my first pilgrimage to Tain-L’Hermitage in 199O, the smell of chocolate, not wine, filled the air. I learned that Tain was not only home to Hermitage wine, but also to one of France’s most famous chocolate producers, Valrhona. Given the proximity of the Rhone Valley’s most famous cru, it... Read More

New Zealand has it backwards (or is it upside down?), and I’m glad. Grapes are harvested six months early there, in the New Zealand fall, our spring, enabling us to already sample some of the superb 2OO6 vintage. We were recently favored by a visit from the two principals of... Read More

Harpoon’s head brewer, Al Marzi, had a session recently. “I was just over in England for a wedding and had some great cask ales. My wife was drinking a 3.8% bitter, I had a 4.5% ale, and they tasted great. That’s session. If you’re going to sit down in a... Read More

Massachusetts has always known a thing or two about astonishing history-making upsets against seemingly impossible odds. In 1775, it was all about a ragtag militia group of passionate guerilla-like Minutemen routing a mighty and well-trained superior fighting force of British Red Coats from behind the stonewalls of Lexington and Concord,... Read More

According to the results of a 2OO5 study conducted by two wealth management companies, nearly one in 2O Boston-area households is occupied by millionaires and wealth is only surging. Add that to the fact that new super-premium products are unveiled each year – limited edition scotches, anniversary cognacs, boutique aged... Read More

Where status formerly was the overall driving force behind product selection, some industry observers say the “Me” factor has gained considerable clout. That is, more consumers appear to be wondering, “How well-made is this, how enjoyable will it be, and how will it make me feel?” instead of how good... Read More