Michael Madrigale hadn't really intended to bid on the six-liter bottle of 1991 Olivier Leflaive Montrachet, but as he looked around the room at the Acker Merrall & Condit auction, he couldn't find a single paddle in the air. How was this possible? The minutes trudged by, awkwardly, and Madrigale
Something curious happens when you taste 200 wines over the course of two days. I don’t mean the physical fatigue, although that’s considerable. I mean something more subtle—and far more valuable. It happened to me again during the judging of the Fifth Annual Palate Press Grand Tasting, as I sat
Did you know that the Kir Royale was named for a French resistance fighter? Or that the South American classic, the Pisco Sour, was invented by a bartender from Utah (!) who was working in Peru? These and other titivating tidbits are artfully presented in cocktail historian Erica Duecy's new
“Here we are,” I thought when I got off the bus at Dinastia Vivanco Wine Museum in Rioja, Spain. “Exactly like six years ago, when everything started...” No, wait, that’s not precisely true. At that time, here in Logroño there were maybe 50 of us from a handful of countries,
"Artistic expression is the window to a person's soul. Since I began making wine in 2005, La Fenêtre -- French for 'The Window' -- has been the expression of my art: winemaking." -- Wine back-label copy Is wine art? Is it always art? Or is it nothing more than craft
John Wm. Macy's CheeseSticks, CheeseCrisps, and SweetSticks are, in just one word, amazing. But they deserve more than just one word. These light, crisp, flavorful snacks are delicious, and would complement many different wines in a casual cocktail party style wine tasting or event. We received several different boxes, and
From high-tech wine bars to newly restored châteaux, Bordeaux is ready and eager to receive tourists. Downtown, much of the shift has been attributed to the city’s charismatic mayor, Alain Juppé, as modern trams speed quietly along crime-free streets, carrying commuters and visitors alike. But the classic wines, formal estates
"When I wrote the book," explained wine merchant Kermit Lynch, "I thought the oenologists were going to take over." We were chatting about Adventures on the Wine Route, Lynch's seminal tour of France that can be found on every wine enthusiast's bookshelf. When the book was released in 1988, Lynch