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April 7, 2013
Don Melchor's Swing Coach

Whether you are Tiger Woods or Enrique Tirado, if you're going to be the best, it helps to have someone who will tell you what you can do better.

Chile makes some of the world’s best Cabernet Sauvignons, both actually and potentially, and one of its iconic ones is Concha y Toro’s Don Melchor.  Since 1997, Enrique Tirado has been responsible for making Don Melchor, and, like every other winemaker in the world, he is a good son who first gives praise to the virtues of Mother Vineyard, where, as legend and faith have it, every great wi

February 4, 2013
Wines from Portugal are Coming

Watch for more Portuguese wine on the shelves in the coming year,  as well as major promotional events featuring them.
 

Portugal is making great efforts to increase the awareness of her quality dry wines in the United States from all major regions, including Alentejo , Minho/Vinho Verde, Lisbon/Estremadura, Bairrada, Dao, Setubal, and Algarve, as well as Douro, from which Port comes.  Douro has already made inroads for some of its dry wines, with Douro Boys portfolio as an example.

December 18, 2012
Europe's Wine Fairs 2013

Now is the time to start planning your attendance at next year's wine trade fairs in France, Italy, Germany and England.

With the buying public once again opening its wine wallets, and with the euro more of a bargain that it has been in recent times, 2013 might be an ideal year to consider attending Vinexpo, Vinitaly or one of the other European wine trade fairs.

The key dates are:

November 4, 2012
Keeping Up with the Masters

“The most important lesson I learned when I passed the Master of Wine exam is that wine can never truly be mastered.”

For many years now, whenever I see a particular gentleman who is one of the most respected and well-known Master Sommeliers in the country, he quickly gets around to asking me the same question: “What’s new?” Early on, I would always think, “Why is he asking me this? Is this a test to see how smart I am?

August 3, 2012
Lambrusco with a Grain of Sugar

In our rush to embrace dry Lambruscos, let's not get too fizzy-headed.

Sometimes we writers let our biases get in the way of our objectivity.

March 22, 2012
Why this whole "balance" issue is a crock

Why this whole "balance" issue is a crock:  At first, when word started getting around about a year or two ago, it was easy to dismiss:  the notion that wines over 14% alcohol, or else picked “overripe,” are somehow inferior...

March 10, 2012
So Many New Wines. . .

 Never has the world produced so many quality wines in so many different countries. Consequently, a beverage director/sommelier has more options to choose from than ever before.

 Never has the world produced so many quality wines in so many different countries. Consequently, a beverage director/sommelier has more options to choose from than ever before.

March 3, 2012
Look at old-world wines through new-world eyes.

Today’s emerging wine consumers do not follow yesterday’s guidelines or taste preferences.

Recently I was moderating a wine-and-food seminar when the topic turned to how many wine drinkers are bucking well-established trends of buying “old-world” wines and embracing extremely low-cost “new-world” wines.

June 21, 2011
Are your guests being served wine properly?

Good wine service techniques are universal, whether the restaurant’s style is formal white table cloth or casual bistro.

Perhaps they’re only being half-served, or poorly served.

Basic aspects of wine service are often slaughtered, regardless of the level and reputation of the restaurant.

May 5, 2011
Screw Caps: Friend or Foe?

Are you screw-happy or screw-crappy?

Are screw caps an improvement?

April 8, 2011
White with Seafood, Red with Meat....

Few restaurants train beyond vague pairing platitudes such as “white with seafood, red with meat” and generally provide pairings to memorize. Teaching how wine and food 

March 31, 2011
What Makes Washington Wine Unique?

Washington State’s star is rising. Awards flood in from Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate, the Wine Spectator and many other publications. But what’s distinctive about the region’s wine? Is there a style or flavor profile th

March 26, 2011
Blandy’s 200th Year Anniversary Tasting, NYC

What an opportunity to try some wines I’ve never experienced!  Blandy’s Madeira celebrates its 200th Anniversary this year, and is hosting a series of tasting events to share their history and wine, including some older vintage

Blandy’s 200th  Year Anniversary Tasting, NYC

March 24, 2011
Wineries, learn how to partner with restaurants!

For a restaurant the ideal relationship with a winery is as a “partner” rather than just a supplier—someone who provides the goods and services with an understanding of our needs, our concept, and our ambitions. Here is some a

February 28, 2011
Thoughts on Open That Bottle Night

An annual wine celebration highlights the differences in how people who drink a lot - professionally or as learned amateurs - prefer to enjoy and evaluate their wines.

February 17, 2011
Screw it Up!

Over the course of my travels, I chat with restaurateurs and hear the latest hot industry topics. Recently, much of the talk has been about screw caps and how to deal with them. Part 1 addresses the presentation of screw-capped wines on the lis

February 11, 2011
Taylor Fladgate's 1855 Port

Before the American Civil War, before phylloxera wiped out the vineyards of Europe, before Darwin published his "On the Origin of the Species," a winegrower in the Douro Valley laid down a few barrels of his 1855 vintage.  Last y

February 11, 2011
Why not take a Goldilocks approach to wine portions?

 

 

 

January 26, 2011
Creative Wine Buying in a Down Market

We all know that the image of a restaurant with patrons enjoying the open bottles of wine on their table sends a message that you are at a wine destination.