Editor's Note: Wine and chocolate is a ubiquitous pairing, but are they really meant to be together? Monthly columnist Erika Szymanski explores how the chemical makeup of chocolate means pairing with some wines might not always be the best idea. –Tom Mansell, Science Editor
Palate Press was well-represented among the winners at this year's Louis Roederer International Wine Writers' Awards. Columnist Erika Szymanski was awarded the Emerging Wine Writer of the Year award and columnist Evan Dawson won the International Wine Book of the Year award for his book, Summer in a Glass: The Coming of Age of Winemaking in the Finger Lakes.
Editors' note: To close 2011, Palate Press: The online wine magazine will be featuring some of our top stories from the past year. Our first piece comes from the talented Erika Szymanski, who lends her passion and background for wine science to the screwcap/natural cork debate.
In preparation for Open That Bottle Night (live, only on Palate Press; Saturday, February 26 from 7 pm - 10 pm EST), contributor Erika Szymanski shares some thoughts on the bottle she plans to open for the event.
“It's not stopped raining for the last couple of weeks – I'm very nervous, and the only reason I'm not pulling my hair is because it's also been really cold.”
If you're at all interested in French wine, you've heard that parts of Bordeaux were smashed by multiple severe hail storms this past July, August, and September.