El Dorado is worth searching for

W. Blake Gray
Features
5 min read
The divide in California wine seems simple: the coasts are cool, the interior is not. But then there's El Dorado. El Dorado doesn't neatly fit into any category. It's much cooler than most of California's interior because it's so far above sea level. In fact, the Fair Play subappellation, which

What We’re Drinking – Papa’s Pilar Blonde Rum

David Honig
Wine Reviews
1 min read
Papa's Pilar Blonde Rum, like the Dark Rum, is sourced from Florida, Central America, and the Caribbean. It is column distilled, then solera aged through a series of different used barrels, first American Bourbon, then a mix of American Bourbon and Port, and then Port. Finally, it is blended and finished in Spanish

What We’re Drinking – Papa’s Pilar Dark Rum

David Honig
Wine Reviews
1 min read
This is a truly unique rum, from production to flavor. Rums from Florida, Central America, and the Caribbean, some pot distilled and some column distilled, are solera aged through a series of different barrels. First they are aged in American Bourbon barrels. It goes next into a mix of Bourbon and Port

From grape to grain in Greece

Simon J Woolf
Beer Reviews
3 min read
When it comes to 21st century microbrewers, I have a certain image in my head, probably heavily based around the world's most famous “Gypsy brewer” Mikkel Borg Bjergsø. Hailing from Scandinavia and sporting a resplendent fisherman's beard, Bjergsø is a defining figure in today's dynamic microbrewing world. Sophocles Panagiotou, master brewer

What do you really think of that wine? Ask your brain.

Erika Szymanski
Features
6 min read
Surely we've all met someone, or been the someone, who asks whether that expert really discerns purple peaches and cassis in that merlot-cabernet blend. Even if we trust in someone's sincerity, are they really feeling it or have they just convinced themselves? Then we layer the imprecisions of language on

For Lovers of Aged Bordeaux, an Opening

Evan Dawson
Feature Stories
5 min read
But is it a door, or just a window? Modern winemaking can do all kinds of neat tricks. Soften the tannins and make even Barolo more approachable in its relative youth? We can do that. Manipulate the acids to save a white wine that would otherwise taste like an electric

What We’re Drinking – Turasan Emir

David Honig
Wine Reviews
1 min read
Turasan was established in 1943 and produces 2,000,000 litres per year. This wine is made from emir, the only grape exclusive to the Turkish region of Cappadocia. The color is light and bright, with a slight green tint. White florals waft up from the glass along with pear. The palate