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LOLLY MASON • 51 • Bartender • Meritage at Boston Harbor Hotel • Boston, MA Boston bar icon Lolly Mason is a hardhitting yet deft mixologist. This dynamic, self-taught woman with a deep history in Boston bars, has lots of fans, fine-tuned taste buds; she’s candid, quotable, and both sociologically... Read More

During much of that time, however, inferior or inappropriate grapes were employed in what was too often more an industrial process rather than artisanal winemaking. Only in the last 4O years have high-quality, Champagne-method American sparkling wines made from fit varieties, appropriately grown, become widely available. During much of this... Read More

The Year in ReviewTrends & Projections The mood in the industry, fueled by growing consumer excitement, is upbeat. Having successfully weathered a number of lean years where discretionary spending was down, overall economic confidence weak and unemployment growing, wine has proven its staying power. Put succinctly, a broader array of... Read More

Cognac is a charming city in southwest France, about 9O minutes northeast of Bordeaux. Cognac and the surrounding area remain quintessentially French, largely ignored by tourists and thus offer reasonably priced hotels, restaurants and a wonderful look at authentic French life. It’s a beautiful place to visit, about a five-hour... Read More

AOC law prescribes for Bandol the possibility of making three wines – a red, a rose and a white. Bandol producers, however, have always been defiantly red in the midst of a world conveniently pink. This small Provence appellation perched on the Mediterranean coast specializes in hearty and tannic red... Read More

A large part of the attraction wine holds appears to be the fact that it offers great potential for discovering exciting new taste experiences. Whereas the amazing diversity of products available once appeared to paralyze most of us with indecision, today we are embracing it fully. Not only have more... Read More

When wines from California began to attract attention and gain a following in large east-coast markets 35 years ago, Concannon Vineyard was deemed worthy of respect. Tucked in the Livermore Valley, to the east of San Francisco Bay, alongside of Wente Brothers, it offered an alternative source to the better... Read More

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