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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

During the mid to late 199Os, the Italian wine industry had never seen it so good. Every year indicated steady growth on all fronts. Fantasy wines with virtual reputations and very real high price tags, waltzed into the marketplace. Producers increased their prices every year causing a domino-effect that ended... Read More

As a recent vertical tasting at the inappropriately named California Wine Experience in Chicago clearly established, the Chateau has over the past twenty odd years produced a series of impeccably structured, absolutely delicious wines which rank among the most thrilling in the world. Expectations at this level, at the pinnacle... Read More

In recent years, we’ve been seeing some encouraging vital signs stirring in the long-struggling vodka-dominated gin market. But no one was quite ready to expect the pulsing upswing of beverage business interest or the extent of new upscale brand investment, successful new brands, growing customer recognition, and downright swellegance that’s... Read More

AS THE HOLiDAYS NEAR and the New England weather turns to its usual snowy state, ’tis the season for heavier dishes and big red wines to grace our tables and warm our souls. In a bygone era, the end of the meal was when the cigars came out and the... 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

A few years ago, large, clear infusion jars started appearing on every self-respecting restaurant bar, filled with bright-colored fruits. Fruits that gradually faded over time – maybe that’s why they disappeared from view. Coffee, chocolate and other flavors seemed to take their place in cocktails. But in this new era... Read More

TIFFANY TAYLOR • 35 • Wine Director & Restaurant Manager • Rialto Restaurant, Charles Hotel, Cambridge, MA Even the elegant places suffer stressful moments; Rialto, the Charles Hotel’s flagship destination dining room – since its 1994 opening the bailiwick of award-winning Chef Jody Adams – has weathered wintry changes. Restaurateuse... Read More