Featured Articles

Sophie Larmandier (Champagne Larmandier-Bernier), of Vertus in the southern end of the Cote des Blancs, and her husband, Pierre, have taken a biodynamic course as a way to nurse their land back to health. Pointing down at the ground in her vineyard, she exclaimed, “This soil is alive again. Pierre’s... Read More

To me wine is seasonal primarily to the extent that I’m drawn to certain dishes at different points on the calendar. To complement the lighter, fresher fare that makes up a large part of my diet during the warmer months, I’ll often choose wines that are lower in alcohol, un-oaked,... Read More

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

The 24th annual Great American Beer Festival (GABF), the largest event yet for the Brewers Association, offered beer lovers an unparalleled sampling opportunity and contained a number of surprises for brewers as well. The awards ceremony itself took more than two hours to complete, a perhaps unwanted record for the... Read More

ERIK JOHNSON • 37 • Beverage Manager/Sommelier • L’Espalier and Sel de la Terre • Boston Sel de la Terre, located opposite the Aquarium T-stop, is admirably positioned to do a booming lunch trade and tourist business for its Mediterranean cuisine. L’Espalier, tucked in toney Back Bay, enters its third... Read More

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

Dean Martin was a star in his own right, a well-paid singer and actor. But when Frank Sinatra was in the room, Martin was eclipsed, and he knew it. It Was a Very Good Year So it is with the Titan from Tennessee. Jack Daniel’s is the best-selling whiskey in... Read More

Anyone holding a license to serve alcohol in Massachusetts may soon face tougher and more costly regulatory requirements. A home rule petition now pending in the state legislature would require all licensees to run criminal background checks on all employees involved with admitting patrons. This includes door staff and anyone... Read More

While Santorini is well-known for its spectacular panoramas, its wine industry remains relatively undiscovered. Vines dot the slopes and plains that skirt down from the crater. The soil is a powdery gray volcanic ash peppered with chunks of pumice stone and black lava. The strong winds which are typical to... Read More

Ladybugs, now becoming a threat to our wine supply, were commonplace when I was a small boy in Brooklyn, even in that urban setting. We naively called them “potato bugs”. I don’t know why. They congregated on the large leaves of the small trees we called, with perfect logic, “potato-bug... Read More