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UMBRIA, called the “Green Heart of Italy”, has long been shaded vinously by Tuscany, its immediate neighbor to the northwest.  The white wines of Orvieto were the first to attract outside notice, then Lungarotti’s array from Torgiano.  Now, however, Umbria has conjured up a wine fit to stand with any... Read More

A VERY OLD SAYING WARNS, “Beware of Greeks bearing gifts.”  Perhaps prudent 32OO years ago in ancient Troy, the advice is now seriously out of date, especially pertaining to Giota and Andrea Englisis bearing wine.  Their Athenee Importers Third Annual Road Show recently crossed the US, bearing dozens of tasting... Read More

THERE’S NOTHING QUITE LIKE whiling away a lazy summer afternoon on a boat.  For sailors of all stripes, be they Ralph Lauren nautical or legit Navy blues, the Dark & Stormy is a delightful drink. As with so many great classic cocktail recipes, the origins of the Dark & Stormy... Read More

IT MAY HAVE TAKEN AMERICA a while to catch up with the wine-drinking habits of Europe, but with record-breaking growth in 2O12 and a $34.6 billion dollar industry on our hands, it’s safe to say the US has arrived.  We may be sipping and swirling wine but, as our own... Read More

WINE PUBLICIST Elizabeth Kane Tate of Ekt Communications organized an “intimate” wine tasting in a new setting via Skype.  Tate’s email invitations (not e-vites) hinted that this novel venture will become a practical standard in wine-marketing and communication.  The wines were real, the tasting conducted communally via long-distance.  Tate’s invitation... Read More

ARGENTINE MALBEC CONTINUES TO SOAR on the American market.  What’s surprising to me is that after what appeared to be a slight quality slump a few years ago, there is a renewed energy in the category and an apparent commitment to making more interesting and complex terroir-driven wines – albeit... Read More

What could be more convivial than gathering around a punch bowl as you whet your whistle?  Little do most imbibers know, punch was the predominant way to imbibe for nearly 2OO years – from the 167Os until the 185Os.  Punch got its start in India, where the drink was made... Read More

TROY CLARKE – President of Boston Chapter of the United States Bartender Guild (USBG)Sales Manager at Martignetti Companies • Co-Owner of 1224 Cocktails Bar Bag Troy Clarke is used to juggling a lot of roles at the same time.  With a long career in the hotel business, Clarke has overseen... Read More

Despite the abundance of fine, characterful wines grown around Verona, only lately has there been fading of the stain left by dilute Soave and Valpolicella industrially produced from flat, moist vineyards during the wine boom of the 197Os. Not fair, but memories are long and unforgiving. Many of the most... Read More