Wine and Global Warning
This February, in Barcelona, Spain, will be the Climate Change & Wine 2OO8 conference. Normally, I try to get people to join me for a conference, but this time I’m hoping someone else attends and reports back to me. Just to define it, “climate” is the average temperature over a... 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
I Love Sonoma!
This past August I spent my vacation in Sonoma, California. It was the first time I’d spent any serious amount of time exploring and tasting in that region. It was also my first vacation with my infant daughter, which was quite an experience, but I won’t go into that here... Read More
Proseccos, Cavas and Cremant deBourgogne
December is certainly the time for festive drinking and Champagne is usually the first pick as a celebratory wine during the holidays. But for some of our clients, Champagne isn’t necessarily an option because of the price tag, and sometimes it just doesn’t work economically for what we as wine... Read More
Designing A Wine List
The wine list is the primary venue for those of us in restaurants to showcase our wares to our clients. And with the evolution of modern technology, the internet has also given retailers the ability to create wine lists as well, via websites or computers kiosks in their stores. With... Read More
Pairing the Unpairable
As restaurateurs and retail proprietors, one of the many questions we are frequently asked by our clients is about food and wine pairings. Many times the questions are about easy pairings that follow the old rules of red wine with meat and white with fish. When this rule was coined,... Read More
Bring Back the After Dinner Drink
AS THE HOLiDAYS NEAR and the New England weather turns to its usual snowy state, ’tis the season for heavier dishes and big red wines to grace our tables and warm our souls. In a bygone era, the end of the meal was when the cigars came out and the... Read More
Tis The Season To Beat The Chill
LOOKING BACK at my recent article about winter and it relationship to big reds and after-dinner drinks got me to thinking about the other beverages of the season. The upcoming holidays present a smorgasbord of traditional drinks and foods on which to build with a creative twist. Who doesn’t love... Read More
Teaching Staff About Wine
Being knowledgeable about wine is more than just knowing the difference between Pinot Gris and Pinot Grigio or who the latest hot cult producer is. Wine, like the rest of the table, is primarily a sensory experience and understanding it begins with the nose. As wine professionals – whether in... Read More