Philly Uncorked: Pinot Grigio
Philly Uncorked was a series of videos developed, written, and co-produced by Keith Wallace and Banyon Productions for Philly.com. Eventually, the underwriter, the PLCB, wanted to monetize the show with product …
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The Phoenix: Wine, Wit and Wisdom
The festivities began with a sponsors’ reception, and featured speaker Keith Wallace, owner of The Wine School of Philadelphia. “We do charity events all of the time because they are fun,” said Wallace. “The people in Phoenixville are open-minded, and it was an honor to be here.”
Wallace said that people are becoming more and more curious about wine. “I like that so I can give them more information about wine,” he said. “They are enthusiastic and have a lot of good questions.”
Wallace had 125 bottles of wine in tow, and said he usually brings 25 percent more just in case. “We opened almost all of them,” he said. “We try to bring a half a bottle per person, which equals three glasses total. It’s about keeping everyone happy so they can drive home.”
City Paper: NYE Toasts Uncorked
The story was originally published by the Philadelphia City Paper on December 27, 2006. NYE Toasts UncorkedAuthor: Amy Strauss1 Chimay Cinq Cents. Home Sweet Homebrew owner George Hummel recommends toasting with a bottle of …
Tara Nurin Named 2012 Writer of the Year
The ContestEpikur Writer of the Year is a new event that seeks to honor the best food and booze writing in Philadelphia. It is to be an annual contest and is …
Associated Press: Taking wine as gift shouldn’t be a chore
It’s a look wine shop clerks know well. That overwhelmed, glassy-eyed stare that afflicts people as they wade through aisle after aisle of wine in search of the right bottle to bring to a party.
But arming yourself with a little advice and doing a bit of planning can make it easy to break out of the wine shop stupor and get the right wine for the right event for the right price.
Step 1: Relax. It’s just wine. And most shops are jammed with great $10 bottles, so it’s hard to make an awful choice.
Philly Uncorked: Austrian Whites
Philly Uncorked was a series of videos developed, written, and co-produced by Keith Wallace and Banyon Productions for Philly.com. Eventually, the underwriter, the PLCB, wanted to monetize the show with product …
Philadelphia Inquirer: Former LCB chief comes out in favor of privatizing State Stores
The story was originally published by the Philadelphia Inquirer on August 03, 2011. The article is reprinted solely for educational purposes. It is intended to offer insight into the history of Wine …
Philadelphia Inquirer: Not all are toasting changes uncorked by LCB
It is a case of vintage revenge. Wine merchants in Delaware and South Jersey are now clearing shelf space for their old nemesis: Jonathan Newman, former chairman of the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board.
The “xChairman Selections,” as one shop calls them, are the discounted wines that Newman’s new company will introduce in Pennsylvania border states this month.
Newman had risen to the unlikely status of folk hero among Pennsylvania wine lovers, partly because of his celebrated Chairman’s Selection specials. But one year ago, he resigned in protest after Gov. Rendell’s controversial appointment of Joe Conti as chief executive officer of the LCB.
While Newman’s entry into the private sector is intriguing the sip-and-swirl crowd, it also casts a spotlight back on the LCB. The $1.69 billion-a-year agency has been the subject of skepticism and upheaval since Newman left.
Philadelphia Daily News: NECTAR OF THE GODS
The story was originally published by the Philadelphia Daily News on July 20, 2007. The article is reprinted solely for educational purposes. It is intended to offer insight into the history of …
Associated Press: Wine vending machines make their debut
Numerous attempts at reform have been turned back by special interests intent on keeping their slice of the pie. So simply stocking Chianti and cabernet on supermarket shelves is not an option under the state’s post-Prohibition liquor laws. The liquor board has tried to be more consumer-friendly in recent years, including opening 19 full-service state stores in supermarkets. The board touts the kiosks as another step toward modernization – “an added level of convenience in today’s busy society,” liquor board Chairman Patrick Stapleton said in a statement.
Not everyone is swallowing that line. Craig Wolf, president and CEO of the Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America, questioned the machines’ efficacy in preventing sales to minors.
Keith Wallace, president and founder of The Wine School of Philadelphia, described the kiosks as well-intentioned failures with limited selections and overtones of Big Brother. “The process is cumbersome and assumes the worst in Pennsylvania’s wine consumers – that we are a bunch of conniving underage drunks,” Wallace wrote in an e-mail to The Associated Press. “(Liquor board) members are clearly detached from reality if they think these machines offer any value to the consumer.”
Associated Press: The perfect drink for the Super Bowl
During Superbowl season, beer and football almost seem like synonyms. But what if you or your crowd prefer wine?
Since most foods served on Superbowl Sunday – the usual array of chili, ribs, chips and dip – are salty, David Snyder, a wine instructor at the Wine School of Philadelphia, suggest high acid wines such as Champagne or sauvignon blanc.
“Champagne with potato chips goes perfectly,” he says. “High acid wine goes with salty foods because it’s going to moderate the saltiness. It’s a fantastic combination.”
But be careful when it comes to chili or ribs, especially if they’re hot and spicy. Low-acid whites, such as chardonnay, or high-tannin reds, such as cabernet sauvignon, react poorly with the heat.
“It will override the natural flavors and the food will end up tasting terrible,” Snyder says.
Philadelphia City Paper: Gary Vaynerchuk at the Wine School
Wine guru Gary Vaynerchuk will be at the Wine School of Philadelphia today, June 12, to promote his new book — Gary Vaynerchuk’s 101 Wines: Guaranteed to Inspire, Delight and Bring Thunder to Your World (Rodale Books, $19.95). Vaynerchuk– or Gary V, as his followers, the “Vayniacs,” call him — is the director of operations for Springfield, N.J.’s Wine Library, but he’s best-known for his high-energy video podcast on tv.winelibrary.com, where he moves away from stuffy wine practices by using terms like “sniffy sniff” and asking whether a bottle “brings the thunder” when he reviews them. The Internet celebrity has appeared on Ellen and Late Night with Conan O’Brien, and he’s been featured in print in places like The Wall Street Journal, GQ and Time.