Essays

The worst wine glass in the world

by  |  22-07-2024 ~ 4 Comments

At the end of the week for Grands Jours de Bourgogne is the tasting of the wines from the Vosne-Romanée village which are some of the most lauded and famous in the world. This takes... more »

Trash Natural

by  |  20-06-2024

Bread made from Rye flour is interesting as it basically makes itself. You just sort of mix it up, let it sit for a while, bake, and that’s it. Ah, but you do need to... more »

Wine Plus+

by  |  22-05-2024

I'm of many minds as to why the closure of Wine & Spirits print magazine didn't get more attention than it did. I feel like people didn't read past the headlines and assumed that they're... more »

These strange times in wine

by  |  02-05-2024

Or how we’ll learn to stop worrying and embrace the change News in wine hasn’t been good as of late as even people who don’t follow the wine scene have probably heard that sales are... more »

Of Bread & Wine

by  |  22-02-2024 ~ 2 Comments

Bread may be a meal, but wine is life and it’s little surprise that we’ve had both for more or less the same amount of human history. We shall never be allowed to forget that... more »

The “balsamics”

by  |  24-01-2024 ~ 8 Comments

So many tasting notes that accompany wines (especially on the back labels) are simply laughable. Somehow it’s believed that, “Fresh, but strong”, “Forward and yet reserved”, or “Very much beef, but not quite cow” actually... more »

The Early History of Bordeaux and Rioja

by  |  09-10-2023

There's a commonly-held belief that starting in the mid- to late-nineteenth century, Bordeaux had a “revolutionary” impact on Rioja wine production. In particular, in the 1860s, the winemaker of Bordeaux’s pioneering Chateau Lanessan, owned by... more »

A call to expel the Russian Sommelier Association from the ASI

by  |  13-09-2023 ~ 1 Comment

Eight Ukrainian champions petitioned The Association de la Sommellerie Internationale to expel the Russian Association for supporting the war. The transparency and anti-corruption issues they raise make their appeal important for the entire wine world.... more »

About that cork taint

by  |  14-08-2023 ~ 6 Comments

In a recent article by Sean P. Sullivan he made mention that the unfortunate chemical compound, 2,4,6-trichloroanisole (AKA TCA or colloquially, 'cork taint') is in theory, on the outs. Sullivan stated that in his experience... more »

“British Sparkling Wine”, a name for all, a name for none?

by  |  10-05-2023 ~ 9 Comments

Given the recent Coronation, it only seemed fitting to take a look at one of the long-unresolved issues for the wines of Great Britain... In the last twenty years, British sparkling wine (or its longer,... more »