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Get out of your beer rut! While the money that pays most of your bills still comes from moving those pallets, there are some real opportunities for fun – and profit – in beer these days. Heineken Premium Light has put new spark in the light beer market, Mexican beer... Read More

Since I had already waited so long to finally try my first taste of Guinness, I figured why not wait just a little bit longer and go straight to the source. Next stop: Dublin, Ireland’s Guinness Storehouse, located on the expansive 64-acre grounds of the St. James’s Gate Brewery. It... Read More

Those are the opening lines from the first article I wrote on organic beer, over ten years ago. How things have changed. “Organic beer” doesn’t sound funny at all any more, any more than “organic carrots” or “organic coffee” does. The Amish, well . . . we assume that hasn’t... Read More

It should surprise nobody in the trade that Cambridge be the quietly self-designated hotbed of a pop in the still small niche explosion of biodynamic wines. Where but in that socio-political cauldron of Cantabrigia could such extremism grip sommeliers’ and diners’ imaginations? Violette Imports’ eclectic and discerning portfolio has played... Read More

It’s growing slowly, but organic spirits success seems to be well on track. By year’s end, the Massachusetts market will probably have nearly a dozen organically made spirits. “Organic’s all the rage right now. I know the category is growing by the interest from distributors that are looking at it.... Read More

BOB McGINN • 58 • New York and New England Sales Manager • Ferrari-Carano Winery, Napa Loyalty, familiarity, experienced, known quantity . . . 2O years with one team like Carl Yastrzemski. Solid citizen, loyal soldier. McGinn has been professionally linked, one on one, with the prestigious Ferrari-Carano label, being... Read More

Once, if one were asked to name a fine Californian winery, Louis M. Martini would be on most lips. Venerable and respected, it stood at the peak, along with Beaulieu, Inglenook and Charles Krug. But then, for reasons both clear and obscure, it fell below the radar. “Martini” would more... Read More

It’s a shame that the St. Emilion Grand Cru Classe Classification was suspended this past April. It was challenged, as I understand it, because of a problem with the people administrating it, not the classification itself. And not so surprising, it was the Chateaux that were demoted that were responsible... Read More

Conceivably, but there’s hardly enough to go around. This, however, shouldn’t prove a major deterrent to the true Pinot devotee. Anywhere in the world that it grows the finest examples of this now ultra-trendy wine are produced in limited quantities. Longtime fans have come to accept the concept of rarity... Read More