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The madness is over. The shamrocks are falling off the walls. The green has been worn, Erin go bragh is Erin bragh gone. And the spike in Irish whiskey sales is over.  It’s March again, and we’ve got an Irish whiskey story for you . . . again. But what... Read More

They say Irish whiskey is the fastest growing spirits category in the US these days, which is great news.  The category sure has seen its share of dark days. No one knows the full story, but Celtic monks are the likely fathers of Irish whiskey.  Whiskey-making was popular enough among... Read More

There was a time when “experimental bourbon” would have sounded like an oxymoron. Bourbon, after all, is bound by law that defines it as “bourbon”. But every law has loopholes, so to speak. Of course, traditional bourbon as it’s been made since the latter half of the last century will... Read More

Let’s begin with the conclusion. Wine contains only one potential toxin, alcohol, but it is harmful only in wretched excess. When consumed in moderation, alcohol, in combination with the polyphenolic compounds found in wine, enhances health and well-being and may contribute to extending life span. The question of allergic reactions... Read More

Preliminary figures for 2O1O indicate that both the dollar value and the case volume of New Zealand wine exports to the US are up close to 2O% over 2OO9. New Zealand has now established itself as our sixth most important source of imported wine by value, and seventh largest supplier... Read More

new york From the hills north of Verona, sheltered from arctic winds by the Alps, climate tempered by nearby Lake Garda, came one of Italy’s iconic wines, Amarone, a specialty of the Veneto, to one of the elegant, spacious halls of the New York Public Library in the fall. Members... Read More

As the global consolidation of the beverage alcohol industry continues, from mega-brewers to mega-distillers, there seems in recent years to be a bit less emphasis placed on the St. Patrick’s selling holiday. And that’s pretty understandable. When you’re run by a Belgo-Brazilian outfit, dressing up Bud Light bottles in green... Read More

Argentina remained the shining success story among exporters of wine to the US in 2O1O. Another year of substantial double digit growth has pushed the fashionable South American country’s export total here to 6.5 million 9 liter cases, representing a 2O% surge in volume over 2OO9. Even more impressive is... Read More

I am a reasonably earth-conscious consumer. My family belongs to a community-supported agriculture (CSA) program and gets boxes of great organic produce eight months a year. We drive advanced technology diesel cars that get better than 4Ompg. We compost yard trash. As they blow out, we’re replacing our incandescent bulbs... Read More