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There is a legend about the last words of Peter the Great, the brilliant yet half-mad emperor who brought Russia out of the dark ages of backwards isolation. Peter made Russia a European nation, largely on his own energetic efforts, and he built St. Petersburg, his “Window on the West”,... Read More

It was nothing short of a summons and it was reasonably straightforward. An email proclaimed: “Leading professionals all agree a bachelor in vodkaology is the best way to advance your career. Join us at the 42 Below campus for tuition with the professor of vodkaology himself.” Granted, when you see... Read More

PETER FIUMARA • 35 • Owner • Good Life Bar & Vodka Lounge • Boston, MA Boston’s downtown and our state’s vodka segment both have undergone recent revitalizations, and The Good Life is in the middle of the action.  The Fiumara Brothers bought the cozy corner spot on low-rise Kingston... Read More

Many journalists believe that this well known Italian consulting enologist is captivated by international-styled wines using the Merlot grape variety. Indeed, the calling card of the Falesco winery, co-owned by Riccardo and brother Renzo, is Montiano, a 1OO% Merlot wine matured in small French barrels. Falesco is located in Montefiascone,... Read More

Dalton hardly seems a likely name for an Israeli winery, but, accent on the second syllable, it is the place – Ramat (“heights”) Dalton – where lies the winery in the mountainous Upper Galilee near the Lebanese border. It is a respected member of the new wave, the Israeli wine... Read More

A recent wall street journal article noted some possibly alarming content about the economy in the coming years. The article was titled “Stocks Tarnished by Lost Decade”. According to the article, stocks have traditionally been one of the best investments. Conventional wisdom, according to the article, has been to invest... Read More

What a difference a decade makes.For craft brewers, the not-so-distant past signified a time when many would-be entrepreneurs wondered about whether their new businesses would survive.  America’s initial flirtations with the colorful new characters on the beer scene quickly soured and things looked dire.  Fast forward ten years and craft... Read More

Retailers, restaurateurs or wholesalers wedded to the notion that wine and spirits sell themselves could be losing a lot of money. Gone are the days when all you needed to do was stock products and wait for customers to come in and buy them. Now, every product category – from... Read More

Celebrating its centennial in 2OO6, V. Cirace & Son is by far Boston’s oldest family-owned bottle shop. (The store’s State License, WD2, is Boston’s second oldest.) Jeff and Lisa Cirace, grandchildren of founder Ernesto, have complemented each other’s creative styles for over 3O years. Under their loving guidance, V. Cirace... Read More