Champagne sales pop every December as party hosts stock up for New Year’s. This isn’t surprising, of course. There’s nothing like popping the cork on a bottle of bubbly when the clock strikes midnight. As the big night approaches, it’s worth learning the differences between sparkling wines to figure out
Palate Press has selected our top ten stories from 2012 and will publish a 2012 Redux article each weekday until January 4, 2013. These stories highlight our featured columnists, widely recognized contributors, and most popular works published through the year. The Palate Press editorial board hopes you enjoy these highlights
Walk through vineyards in the region of Cognac in the fall, and you will experience vast hillsides filled with nearly ripe grape clusters just a few short weeks from harvest, typical of most wine producing regions in the northern hemisphere. Walk through a cognac production facility, however, you will experience
I know a few people who don’t drink red wine, and a few who don’t drink white. But I don’t know anyone who doesn’t drink sparkling. Maybe that’s because sparkling wine isn’t just a beverage, it’s a drop of luxury in a glass, a high-spirited companion to our celebrations, a
Red, warm, velvety, full bodied: this is, generally speaking, the identity card of Amarone della Valpolicella, one of the most esteemed Italian wines in the world. As Amarone lovers know, this wine comes from an area called Valpolicella, near the romantic city of Verona, where another famous wine is made:
by Gary Thomas and David Honig A Palate Press editorial about copyright infringement by wine critic and author Natalie MacLean has unearthed new allegations of unethical behavior by the well-known wine writer. Winery proprietors described a pay-for-play system for wine reviews. The Palate Press editorial called the publisher of Nat Decants to task for republishing
This tale isn't yet 1000 years old. But it has kings, crusades, the cult of the Virgin, poverty, drunk clerics, extinct grapes, the Devil and the world's biggest wine bottle. And the irony is, the winery it's about is one of the most forward-thinking in France. You might think the
Natalie MacLean is a well-known wine writer who self-publishes a subscription newsletter at NatalieMacLean.com, who proudly proclaims she was named the “World’s Best Wine Writer” at the World Food Media Awards. Unfortunately, Ms. MacLean appears to be building her reputation, and her business, on the work of others. Her website