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ERIC BROEGE • 44 • Owner, Buyer • Vintages, West Concord and Belmont Still a painter and musician, Eric Broege is today a discerning buyer for his two small shops, one in formerly dry Belmont Center.  Eric defends his passion for individualistic wines of distinctive terroirs (mainly in Italy, Spain,... Read More

Burgundy is the hardest wine. The effort to understand it, however, can be more than worthwhile, for it can be the most ethereal of wines. The effort requires concentration and firsthand application. As I previous quoted in these pages, in February 2OO7, “buying Burgundy is not a spectator sport, but... Read More

It was the best of deals.It was the worst of deals. Call it what you may. But whether you like the idea or not, the acquisition of Anheuser-Busch by Brazilian/Belgian brewer InBev is the kind of grand combination that changes how markets proceed and do business. It is the kind... Read More

For many brandy “heroes” Cognac is the ultimate brandy.  It’s a drink that has been favored and loved over the centuries by kings, emperors (Napoleon, for one) and European aristocrats.  The image in some parts of the culture is the good life, including hip-hopping around the urban jungle at night,... Read More

I get packages shipped by FedExI get letters and documents carried by DHLI got the computer I’m writing this on delivered by UPS They have imaginative ads, great services, and snappy graphics on their trucks and cargo jets. High-end service, very profitable, a specialist market. But most of the stuff... Read More

That’s a pretty lofty assertion for the Master Distiller of the generously decorated Buffalo Trace distillery to make. These days, most of the bourbons and ryes they produce are so sought after by so many that they’re on allocation – if there’s even any mature enough for the market. Creating... Read More

“It’s the drying smell on Tuesday,” said Obie Kemper matter-of-factly. Obie, who several at the distillery refer to as “the warehouse guy”, is about as much of a fixture at Buffalo Trace as the mash tuns. He’s been working there for 4O years, beginning almost straight out of high school.... Read More

Austrians, however, have totally renovated and moved forward their wine industry, from the low-cost-driven sweet wine industry that prevailed in the 197Os and early 198Os to the dry, mid-priced wines that characterize today’s industry. The pivot point for this change was 1985 when unethical producers adulterated wine with di-ethylene glycol.... Read More

When I first became acquainted with the wines of Shafer Vineyards and met John Shafer – it must have been more than 25 years ago – two impressions engraved themselves on my mind: all the wines tasted so good right from the first; the charm and intelligence of John Shafer.... Read More