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The idea even seems a bit quaint. Having recently sat on a blind tasting panel composed mainly of sommeliers from around the world, I can report that it’s not a popular grape among many of the young guns in the field. Not that anyone comes out and actually says they... Read More

Ask a brewer in New England for a Ray McNeill story and prepare to either be uplifted or appalled. On one hand, stories abound of his generosity to other brewers, with heaping contributions of freely given technical advice or much needed raw ingredients donated in a pinch. On the other,... Read More

Yet styles have evolved demonstrably in both regions over the last generation, due to economic constraints as well as contemporary taste evolution. Since the wine industry’s watershed 199Os, certain vintners are sidestepping traditional austerity seeking for an easier complaisance. Moreover, the millennium vintage of Barolo, as elsewhere throughout Europe, was... Read More

Less chic, less compact, it sprawls over a much larger area of bewilderingly diverse terroirs, which, when properly fit with grape variety and growing methods, yield wines as fine as anywhere. Sonoma County, now with more than a dozen appellations, can offer cool sites suitable for sparkling wines and delicate... Read More

Vermentino is Italy’s best shot for an indigenous variety that could go international. Years ago, some journalists wagged their fingers at producers warning them that the name “Vermentino” could be confused for a diminutive term for “vermin”. But the trade and the public has, either mercifully or by chance, chosen... Read More

There are new mergers to get used to, new beers from large and small brewers both foreign and domestic, new regulations from the government, new attacks from the anti-alcohol folks, and new growth in wine and spirits. But it looks like the only new growth you might see is in... Read More

What happened? Hard to say. Promotions remained big, there were no blows to consumer loyalty. The beer market in the US overall was weak, but that never slowed the overseas brigade before. There is a possibility that things just reached a natural ceiling, but that doesn’t seem likely. A likely... Read More

Those words mean something to people. Whether it’s because of L.L. Bean’s solid reputation for good craftsmanship and standing behind their products, the quirky natural toothpastes from Tom’s of Maine, or just the love of lobsters, Maine has a great reputation in New England and beyond. “The further away you... Read More