Lighten Up!
If you have any solid answers, there are some very large brewers who want to meet you. They have a problem that is defined by these questions. Two of the world’s largest brewers think they may have found some answers already: Heineken and Anheuser-Busch. They’re making major moves into the... Read More
Terroir
I studied for the Master of Wine exam during the early 199Os. At that time, the concept of terroir seemed to be a flash point for all sorts of discussions. As a fledgling blind taster, I desperately wanted to know more about the connection between a wine’s organoleptic profile and... Read More
Reviving Greece
Jupiter created the Earth and, in an afterthought, He threw the leftover handful of pebbles over His shoulder into the sea – thus forming Greece and its 15OO-island archipelagos. ‘Was last least?’ some Greeks grumbled. It’s been a rocky ride historically for the Greek people – devastation, subjugation, holocaust, rapacious... Read More
The Great Dane
How did that happen? Carlsberg is currently the fifth-largest brewing group in the world, and Carlsberg beer is sold in 154 countries. They are the brewers that put brewing on a true scientific basis, and who continue to contribute to brewing science on a high level. The rest of the... Read More
What’s In Store?
A voter initiative proposed for November’s ballot could radically change how wine is sold in Massachusetts by expanding the number of wine retail outlets by as many as 2OOO – about double the number of outlets now licensed to sell wine. The proposal, sponsored by the Massachusetts Food Association, would... Read More
Muy Caliente!
Spanish wines are on fire, and the hottest new restaurant in town is also Spanish. It’s true that wines from all over Spain are better than ever, but that reflects a gradual process. They are, subject to Euro-inflation, no longer so cheap as to engender guilt in the purchasing consumer.... Read More
Doug French
Doug French • 51 • Mezcalero, Scorpion Mezcal & Marketer, Caballeros Inc. • Oaxaca, Mexico PROFILE Born in Bronxville, NY, mezcalero Doug French grew up in Beaumont, TX, Guadalajara, Mexico, and Europe. His double major in business administration/Latin-American studies from U. Pacific helped him import hand-woven textiles and run his... Read More
A Grand Cru From Hershey?
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
Garden of Robert Eden
Robert Eden paid us a visit, bearing his tasty wines and his biodynamic viticultural beliefs. The wines are produced at Eden’s garden, Chateau Maris, in the Minervois La Liviniere appellation of ancient Languedoc in Mediterranean southwestern France. This is beautiful country, once known for prolific production of bulk wines, now... Read More