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The first time I tasted through a line up of Turley Zinfandels was in the late 199Os and my palate was almost literally blown away. It was a hot summer day, I was tasting barrel samples outdoors in the sun with winemaker Ehren Jordan, and the massive extract and alcohol... Read More

Now the center of an immense circle of distinguished wine production, Verona was also a focus of Shakespeare’s attention. The region was a favored playground of five of the works, Verona in particular was the setting of “Romeo and Juliet” and the “Two Gentlemen”  – one can see why. It... Read More

Their clothes are weird, their music sucks, and they drink malternatives.And now you tell me they probably don’t think Sierra Nevada is cool?This is what the passage of years does to you: it makes everyone around you more stupid. That pithy bit of bile was the result of a discussion... Read More

“It’s better thanit’s ever been.There’s never been better bourbon made than right now.”-Wayne Rose Mr. Rose, Group Brand Director, Brown-Forman, isn’t talking about his brand, Woodford Reserve, or even the whole Brown-Forman portfolio.  He’s talking about bourbon, about American straight whiskey, an entire category that has benefited from the same... Read More

The Scoff Law COCKTALE Prohibition beget some decidedly unsavory things in the United States: racketeering, a black market economy regulated with violence, the rise of organized crime, the death of a burgeoning wine industry.  Fortunately, it also spawned some delicious cocktails, such as the Scoff Law. The Scoff Law was... Read More

In the beginning, there was rye. The early colonists made it – particularly around Pennsylvania and Virginia – because rye was a bountiful crop. Even George Washington distilled it when he wrapped up his presidency and settled at Mount Vernon. His still house was completed on the vast property in... Read More

PROFILE: JOY SPENCEMaster BlenderAppleton Estate Thirteen years ago, Jamaican-born Joy Spence was appointed Master Blender at Appleton Estate, making her the first female Master Blender in the spirits industry.  A hot, heady summer night found Spence in Boston introducing her premium rums to a small audience of the press.  Rum... Read More

RAIMUND PRÜM  6OS.A. Prüm Owner/WinemakerMosel, Germany The winemaker from the Mosel’s distinguished Prüm family is known as “Raimund the Red”.  As his flaming scarlet hair is a beckoning beacon of fine Riesling, friends affectionately nicknamed him “Der Specht” or “Il Pico” – the woodpecker!  Prüm has slowly grown his father’s... Read More

In my fortified wine classes at Boston University, Marsala rarely gets more than a mention or a sip. Hardly any can be found in retail shops beyond the inexpensive Marsala Fine category usually purchased for cooking rather than drinking. Marsala wine was born in the port of Marsala on Sicily’s... Read More