Worse fates there have been!
With Beaujolais‘s whimsical fête on the horizon (the third Thursday of November is the official, worldwide release party for Beaujolais Nouveau) not all things Gamay are in party mode. This most recent post translated from the French wine press looks at the challenges of the 2012 harvest and the outlook for Burgundy‘s southern neighbor. For […]
These are exciting times for the Chilean wine industry. A new landscape is emerging. Young, (at times) European-trained wine makers are shaking up convention. Laws are being rebooted to further delineate wine zones, to lend clarity and focus. Chile is poised to redefine its place on the global wine stage. At the recent Wines of […]
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; […]
In 1152, in a pivotal moment of European history, Duchess Eléanor of Aquitaine wedded Henry Plantagenet, Count of Anjou who would later become Henry II, Duke of Normandy and king of England. In a testament to the often convoluted, monarchical alliances of Europe, Henry was at once the sovereign of England and vassal to the […]
“Wine is a book that speaks to the history of a region – to its past and present as well as to its ties to the joys and sorrows of the people with which its shares a common heritage. You have to get to know it. But in order to do so you must listen […]
Valentines Day, like many modern translations of history has not been immune to whimsical adaptations of reality that have transformed its significance from dubious religious rite to that of a full-blown celebration of the affectionate impulses of humankind. It is believed that this most intimate of mid-February observances has its enigmatic roots in late 5th […]
In the Republic of Venice part one, the delightfully expressive wines of the great northern Italian district of Soave took center stage. Yet, in the land of Shakespeare’s Capulets and Montagues there is another dominant voice of the vine that has celebrated the Veneto’s rich wine heritage for centuries – Valpolicella. Flanked to the west by […]
This is the first in a two-part series on the wines of the Veneto. The Republic of Venice, through commerce and conquest, flourished for nearly eleven-hundred years! From the late seventh-century until its collapse in the late eighteenth century the Venetian city-state was one of great power and influence. Its strategic position at the intersection […]
Every individual recalls the moment that they succumbed to wine. It is unique and unforgettable like a first kiss or the sensation of absolute freedom when a bicycle is unshackled from training wheels! Mine came in 1988 in the raucous halls of the Salon de l’Agriculture in Paris – an agricultural extravaganza where every conceivable, […]
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...]
Slave To The Grape 