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by PINK LADY IT’S EASY TO FEEL the winter doldrums when February rolls around here in New England, so we recommend a little armchair traveling, courtesy of our favorite cocktail books. And we can hardly imagine a better way to lift the spirits than with Champagne, mixed into a classic... Read More

by HARVEY FINKEL FROM THE HIGHLANDS section of her native Newton, Massachusetts, to California’s Russian River Valley, from infant commoner to dubbed reigning Queen of Pinot Noir, much-honored Meredith Edwards, widely called “Merry,”ù evinces growing confidence and competence through her bottled progeny. We can trace the steppingstones: a teenager cooking... Read More

by SANDY BLOCK, MW THE LEGENDARY 2O12 Joseph Phelps Insignia contains a mere 2% Cabernet Franc. At Far Niente the same vintage of Cabernet Sauvignon is blended with 1% Cabernet Franc. What possible difference can incorporating 1 or 2% of a particular grape variety into a wine make to its... Read More

by HARVEY FINKEL, MD THE SEMINAL WORK of Serge Renaud, R. Curtis Ellison, and many others during the last 3O years has made the health effects of drinking a perennially hot topic, developing the iconic concepts of the French paradox and the J-shaped curve.  Of course, some of our wisest... Read More

by PINK LADY LIVING IN NEW ENGLAND, the birthplace of the Revolution, you can’t swing a cat without hitting something historic, and this is particularly so in Quincy Center.  To get into the spirit, we LUPEC ladies suggest you hop on the Red Line and pop down to the Hancock... Read More

by ANDY CROUCH WHEN CHILLS start to fill the air and daylight slips quicker and quicker from view, I reflexively reach for something to warm and soothe a flagging spirit: Porter.  A product of 18th Century London, the hotly debated origins of the Porter style has long ran out in... Read More

by HARVEY FINKEL CHARLES-CAMILLE HEIDSIECK, the founder of Champagne Charles Heidsieck, introduced Champagne to America, and was rewarded with durance most vile.  He was “Champagne Charlie”: his story and that of the company of which he became the eponym are as much worth retelling as their products are worth drinking.... Read More

by PINK LADY THE FRENCH 75 is a magnificent and iconic Champagne cocktail.  Order one in a bar in these parts and you’ll be served up the gin-based concoction we’ve covered before.  Order one in New Orleans, however, and you’ll be served an entirely different drink made with cognac. Huzzah... Read More

by SANDY BLOCK, MW WHEN SYRAH FINALLY COMES BACK, as anyone serious about wine knows it must, producers worldwide will be ready.  Until then a vast ocean of red wine made from the grape will remain underpriced and undervalued.  I am convinced that only fashion and reputation have kept Syrah... Read More

Often called “America’s Hometown”– although hardly located within a viticultural region of wide renown – Plymouth has a relatively rich vinous history. The town, whose eurocentric past augmented by checkered relations with preceding inhabitants, is approaching 4OO years of age. by Harvey Finkel BACKGROUNDS give perspective and direction, so revisiting... Read More