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Burgundy is the hardest wine. The effort to understand it, however, can be more than worthwhile, for it can be the most ethereal of wines. The effort requires concentration and firsthand application. As I previous quoted in these pages, in February 2OO7, “buying Burgundy is not a spectator sport, but... Read More

It was the best of deals.It was the worst of deals. Call it what you may. But whether you like the idea or not, the acquisition of Anheuser-Busch by Brazilian/Belgian brewer InBev is the kind of grand combination that changes how markets proceed and do business. It is the kind... Read More

For many brandy “heroes” Cognac is the ultimate brandy.  It’s a drink that has been favored and loved over the centuries by kings, emperors (Napoleon, for one) and European aristocrats.  The image in some parts of the culture is the good life, including hip-hopping around the urban jungle at night,... Read More

Austrians, however, have totally renovated and moved forward their wine industry, from the low-cost-driven sweet wine industry that prevailed in the 197Os and early 198Os to the dry, mid-priced wines that characterize today’s industry. The pivot point for this change was 1985 when unethical producers adulterated wine with di-ethylene glycol.... Read More

When I first became acquainted with the wines of Shafer Vineyards and met John Shafer – it must have been more than 25 years ago – two impressions engraved themselves on my mind: all the wines tasted so good right from the first; the charm and intelligence of John Shafer.... Read More

Craft brewing is a New England tradition that took hold and made major inroads into big brewing. After Sam Adams came – among others – Harpoon, Ipswich, Tremont, and Buzzards Bay in Massachusetts; Geary’s, Shipyard, Sea Dog, and Atlantic in Maine; Catamount, Long Trail, Magic Hat, and Otter Creek in... Read More

Based in the heart of the beautiful Columbia River Gorge, the Full Sail Brewing Company of Hood River, Oregon, is one of America’s oldest craft breweries.  The brewery is an interesting melange of personalities and attitudes, ranging from assertive American-style ale lovers to hard core Germanophiles.  Backed by its powerful... Read More

I get packages shipped by FedExI get letters and documents carried by DHLI got the computer I’m writing this on delivered by UPS They have imaginative ads, great services, and snappy graphics on their trucks and cargo jets. High-end service, very profitable, a specialist market. But most of the stuff... Read More