Worse fates there have been!
The spectrum of wine personalities in the United States encompasses some of the most passionate and deeply knowledgeable individuals to be found in any profession. From compelling wine writers to high-profile sommeliers, from visionary importers to devoted wine cellar advisors, from tireless brand ambassadors to wholesale agents and to those who provide the tools and messaging for […]
It is quite possible that, more than any other profession, the wine industry, whose faithful emissaries passionately extoll the virtues of the irresistibly engaging, historical footprint of the vine that speaks to the essence of the human spirit and its relationship to the natural world, is disproportionately layered with eminent storytellers whose tales have often been […]
It is quite possible that, more than any other profession, the wine industry, whose tireless emissaries passionately extoll the virtues of the vine – the irresistibly engaging history of which speaks to the creativity of the human spirit and its relationship to the natural world – is disproportionately populated with eminent storytellers whose tales have often been forged […]
From childhood, our imaginations are repeatedly stirred by captivating tales of noble forest-dwellers the likes of Robin Hood interspersed with fantastical worlds inhabited by gnomes, fairies, trolls, wolves and the like. As we grow, the forest enchants us through the infinite expanse of places it challenges our minds to explore and discover. Whether scaling one […]
Just north of San Francisco, a dedicated band of engaging entrepreneurs is quietly driving what many think is one of the hottest, most consumer-friendly trends currently lighting up the world of wine – wine on tap. Row upon row of sleek, silver kegs waiting to be filled with premium wines crowd the staging area at […]
Currently featured on SlaveToTheGrape from the French wine press: In the News – take a peek at the new, world-class wine palace coming soon to the city of Bordeaux; A La Une (news en français) – check out what the dames du vin have to say when L’Express magazine goes straight to the source for interviews with three, top sommeliers […]
California’s northwest, with its majestic redwoods, breathtaking coastline and distance from any real population centers nurtures a hearty, self-sufficient individual some of whose forebears, centered around the Mendocino county town of Boonville, even spoke their own, nationally-recognized, linguistic jargon known as Boontling. Vines have been cultivated here since the mid-19th century, yet the great expansion of quality […]
Boris Champy is a soft-spoken winemaker whose focused demeanor speaks of a passion motivated by a singular objective – to seize each opportunity and create world-class wines . He currently directs a team of like-minded individuals at one of Burgundy’s most prestigious domains – the house of Louis Latour. I spoke with him in late March about his career in the industry. (This is […]
The December 4th, 1863 issue of the British publication, Journal of the Society of Arts, reported that while the quality of the wines from the European continent were of a lesser stature than those of the impressive 1862 vintage, there were nonetheless, as with the reds of Burgundy, a handful of districts that produced wines […]
The bishop, the heathen, the soldier, the muse, All legions, collectives, great nations in turn, Through treachery, treaty, industry, ruse, Have nurtured the vine from the earth to the urn; Through wars of attrition, by sweeping decree, Through alliance, betrayal, entreaties, crusade, Republics’ and empires’ hegemony, Gave wings to the vine and a burgeoning trade; […]
Hubert Keller, a native of France's breathtaking, eastern-Alsace region, caught the attention of some of the country's finest chefs at just sixteen. Towering, innovative culinary artisans like Paul Haeberlin, Gaston Lenôtre, Paul Bocuse and Roger Vergé recognized his promise early on, training him in their kitchens and nurturing his talent. When chef Keller and wife Chantal moved to San Francisco … [Read More...]
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