Food & Wine Pairing Menu
Chef at the Wine School Part of my job running the Wine School is to create the menus for our food & wine pairing classes. That includes our food and wine …
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Left Hand Brewing Co. Milk Stout Nitro
In another article, we implored you to forgo Guinness and other mass-produced imports for local brews that pack more freshness and flavor. My opinion hasn’t changed, and our local beer scene …
City Paper: Class Act
The story was originally published by the Philadelphia City Paper on April 10, 2007. The article is reprinted solely for educational purposes. It is intended to offer insight into the history of wine …
We Love Bison
I have recently, for the most part, given up beef. I’m not a vegetarian – far from it. I’m not fighting for some political cause. It’s just that, more and more, …
Barbera from the Piemonte
I was always one of those guys unaffected by jetlag, no matter where I was traveling to or returning from. But this most recent trip–my wife and I spent the 10 …
Sicilian Wine Reviews
A recent trip to Persephone’s island allowed tasting dozens of wines made from indigenous varietals, all of which captured Sicily’s sun-drenched, arid landscape and gave evidence of the cultural and ecological …
Future of Australia Wines
What with their over-reliance on mass-marketing lower-end products (damned critter wines!); and, of course, they are relying heavily on those high ratings that Robert Parker so lovingly gave to those big …
Walter Massa’s 2004 “Pertichetti” Bonarda
Let’s set the record straight – Croatina is NOT Bonarda, although, in Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna, that is how it is erroneously identified. Bonarda is a separate varietal that is extensively cultivated …
Casa de la Ermita 2005 Dulce Monastrell
We’ve tried, but it turns out that the adage is true: Man cannot live on Port and Sauternes alone. Luckily, this unexpected sticky from Spain is here to save the (holi)day. …
Fonseca 10 Year Old Tawny Port
You might think of Port as a cold-weather treat, but it’s really appropriate throughout the year. The trick right now is to put the slightest hint of a chill on it. …
Domaine Pierre Usseglio et Fils 2006 Chateauneuf-du-Pape
When we opened the 2004 vintage of this wine in our Advanced France course last winter, it was one of the highlights of Southern Rhone night. 2006 exhibits everything you’d expect …
Argyle 2002 Brut, Willamette Valley
Of course, it only makes sense: A cooler region that excels in the realm of Pinot Noir should produce solid sparklers. And this one is fabulous proof: Its surprising depth and …
Surprising Wines from the Land Down Under
Last night, I taught our once-a-year Top 10 Regions wine class on the wines of Australia, and, just as was the case with the Napa Valley class a month or so …
Monteloro 2007 “Mezzo Braccio” IGT, Toscana
You know the old saying, “If you can’t say something nice, say nothing”? It probably accounts for my rarely holding forth on Pinot Egregious…sorry, Pinot GRIGIO. A grape is often derided …
Jardin 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon, Stellenbosch
A brick-like color leads to a nose of pure graphite and green pepper–quintessential cabernet sauvignon. That green quality follows through on the mid-palate, but it’s softened by some herbal tea and …
The b-day gift
These days all the new wine gadgets I hear about seem to have something to do with using magnets or cosmic rays or something to make cheap wine taste better or …