Category: Ramblings and Rants
Cast Your Vote in the 2009 American Wine Blog Awards
The finalists for the 2009 edition of the American Wine Blog Awards have been announced, and I’m pleased to report
Eric Asimov and the Tyranny of the Tasting Note in American Wine Culture
As many of you know, I spent the last week as a speaker and attendee at the fifth annual Symposium
We Need Another French Revolution
My beloved Gallic friends: you’ve done it once before, and now it is time again to rise up and overthrow
At The Symposium for Professional Wine Writers
This afternoon I again had the honor of joining some of the best wine writers in the world for the
Cocaine is Not a Good Substitute for a Nice Glass of Wine
Listen, wine drinkers. I know times are tough. Everyone has less disposable income these days, and it’s tougher than ever
Winners of the DWR Champagne Chair Contest Announced
Some of you may remember my little piece about one of my favorite holiday traditions, the DWR Champagne Chair contest,
How Your Wine Gets Here, and Goes Bad Along the Way
As Americans we have a reputation for not knowing, or even wanting to know, where our food comes from. It’s
Nominations are Open for the 2009 American Wine Blog Awards
You, dear readers, are here because you “get it.” You most likely understand what is the point of a wine
Messages in a Bottle: What is an Honest Wine?
The other day, in the course of constructing a review, I found myself describing a wine as “honest.” And I
The Science of Scent
How exactly it is that we smell (the verb, not the adjective) continues to be somewhat of a mystery, even
Tough Time to be a Wine Writer
In a contracting economy, the last things you want to sell are goods and services that people consider discretionary luxuries.
Five Years of Vinography
Did you ever forget your birthday was coming up and only realized a few days after the fact that you’d
Good Time to Get on Those Winery Mailing Lists
Buy low, sell high, the saying goes. And don’t forget to take advantage of the downturn if you can. I
Personal Terroir: The Individual Language of Taste
I received an interesting question by e-mail the other day that prompted some interesting thoughts, and with the permission of
The Travesty of Wine and Social Class in America
There are a lot of things that I would like to change about wine in America. I’d love to lower
The Intersection of Wine and Design: The DWR Champagne Chair Contest™
It’s pretty rare for the two halves of my life to intersect. As some of you know, by day I
American and Italian Wine: Movin’ on Up!
I’m a proud papa, though I don’t think myself at all unique in my position. When my little daughter figured
Don’t Try This At Home. At Least Not With Good Wine.
I love the Internet. If only because it never ceases to be a source of moments that leave you scratching
