Sparkling wine is serious business, but it’s also serious science. The process of making methode champenoise sparklers sparkle, from secondary fermentation in the bottle to the time you take a sip, is governed by the physical laws of how gases behave. Scientists who care about fluid dynamics have written a
Stories of the Wine and Spirits Gadgets We Love and We Hate – plus a Confession With Recommendations
By the Editors of Palate Press. Gift-giving season is upon us, and the Editors and Publisher at Palate Press have been getting bombarded with the annual "what should I get for the wine lover on my list" questions. Here are a few of the wine gadgets we love and some
There will be no more Brunello di Montalcino Soldera until 2019. One of the most renowned producers in Tuscany suffered a serious act of vandalism in recent days. “But I’m not afraid,” said Gianfranco Soldera in an interview to an Italian website: “No intimidation can stop our work. We will go forward
Having known mixologist-historian David Wondrich for a while, it was fun to talk with him recently about cognac, and how he would present this high-toned spirit to wine-oriented people. Wine-drinkers will enjoy knowing that cognac begins as a white wine, before it is distilled, and Wondrich explains, “Cognac is a
Compromise is in the air these days. The rockets have quieted in the Middle East. Republicans are talking about taxes while Democrats entertain cuts in entitlement spending. President Obama is having lunch with Mitt Romney. Even Mark Sanchez, in an act of selfless immolation, decided to distract New Yorkers from
Wine Grapes, the huge new encyclopedic work by Jancis Robinson, Julia Harding, and José Vouillamoz covering 1,368 varieties of grapes used to make wine around the world, is at once full of surprises and unsurprising. It is full of surprises because it is full of information about the secret life
Traditional wassails were—and still are, I suppose—seasonal hot drinks made with wine or beer, sugar, spices, eggs, and bits of toast floating on top. Today, we’re far more likely to find toasty, bready flavors in a more fashionable (and still seasonally appropriate) beverage: methode champenoise sparkling wine. How those characteristic
Comfort food. It's polenta and pasta, roast beef and beef stew, pot pie and Shepherd’s pie and macaroni and cheese. It’s hamburgers, French fries, and toasted cheese sandwiches. It’s Chinese takeout and sushi and Chili con Carne; Osso Buco, Braised Short Ribs, and Fish and Chips. And, of course, bacon.