Expo Conquered
Especially when the New England winter punishes our world with snow, wind and piercing cold, it makes me wonder what those Pilgrims were thinking. Surely there was someone on board the Mayflower shouting, “Left! Turn left!” but to no avail. For 15 years now, the happiest sight of winter has... Read More
Riesling Revisisted
As I was packing to leave on a summer tour of the vineyards and wineries of the Rhine in Germany, I struggled with the weighty issues we all struggle with. Am I bringing too many clothes? What kind of shoes? Sandals? No, not sandals, not to efficient, practical Germany; pack... Read More
Wine Cellar 101
A story in the Wine Spectator a couple of years ago makes me chuckle every time I think about it. It concerns Joe the Wine Geek, his wife and their wine cellar. After a few incidents involving his wife when Joe wasn’t around, like when she opened a $3OO bottle... Read More
Dellie Rexed
Candor, humor and persistence mark Dellie Rex’s style over her distinguished career in Boston’s wine world. Ms. Rex’s wide-ranging experience includes wholesale (Classic), sales rep (Racke USA, Dreyfus Ashby), entrepreneur (her own Wine Experiences and Rex Associates), consulting (Wines of Spain, Trade Commission of Portugal, Geerlings & Wade, United Liquors),... Read More
Pinot Uprighted
The Pinot Noir story is a remarkable one. It’s amazing what “the movie”, whatever you happen to think of it, has wrought in the wine business. What’s more amazing is how long wine professionals have been patiently sniffing, tasting, talking and writing about their pet grape variety to virtually zero... Read More
New Zealand Cloudy Bay
Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc was the first wine from New Zealand I ever tasted. And the second and the third. Talk about starting at the top! Not that I’d heard of the now iconic winery or even that I could differentiate anything more about New Zealand as a winemaking country... Read More
Wine 2005 Examined
The Year in ReviewTrends & Projections The mood in the industry, fueled by growing consumer excitement, is upbeat. Having successfully weathered a number of lean years where discretionary spending was down, overall economic confidence weak and unemployment growing, wine has proven its staying power. Put succinctly, a broader array of... Read More
Nebbiolo Outed
Recipe for a Madman’s Winter Repast Select a winter evening so cold that your sneezes turn into snowflakes. Stoke a fire in the fireplace until it crackles louder than you can talk. Slice open and roast some chestnuts. Set them on a metal pan near the fire where they can... Read More
Alcohol Diagnosed
A mountain of evidence based upon sound medical science indicates that abstinence can be considered a health risk, that heavy drinking dangerously damages health and shortens life, and that moderate drinking improves health and lengthens life. The J-shaped curve rules. It illustrates that moderate drinking is associated with a lower... Read More
Divas Uncorked
I‘m having a pleasant tete-Ã -tete luncheon with Karen Holmes Ward in the popular Kenmore Square “ristro” Le Petit Robert, with some personal attention from chef Luc Le Gillec. We’re talking about Divas Uncorked, the women’s wine education group of which Ward is a founding member. Divas Uncorked is a Boston-based... Read More