Category: Ramblings and Rants
Messages In a Bottle: What’s New in The Wine World
The wine world moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss
A Burgundy Winemaker’s Harvest Story
You know how there are some people you wish would just adopt you and drag you along on all their
The Saleswoman and The Critic
Thinking about a career in the wine world? Seems like a lot of people are interested in getting out from
It’s Like the Original Wine But Better
Thanks to a tip from Mark, one of my readers who is obviously more caught up on his wine blog
Tasting Pinot Noir Blind With Robert Parker
Earlier today, Robert M. Parker, Jr. sat in front of a sell-out audience of 100 at the Culinary Institute of
Kicking Them While They’re Down
After you’ve added insult to injury, what is your next step? Do you pile on ridicule? I almost don’t even
Where do Those Bubbles Come From?
I’ve always been a bit bemused when confronted with the phrase “food science.” There’s just something….hokey about it. I can’t
The Cat Is Out of The Bag
Well, I wasn’t about to go announcing this anytime soon, but as some recent blog posts have spilled the beans,
You Can’t Call Your Wine That Anymore
We live in a world dominated by brands, a marketplace where name and image can make the difference between stunning
Messages In a Bottle: Wine Over Time
We all have times of silent reflection, meditation or prayer in which we voice to ourselves things both profound and
Extortion in Oregon Wine Tasting Rooms
I just got back from a lovely three day weekend of wine tasting and eating around the Willamette Valley and
The Names Keep Getting Worse
It’s hardly imaginable that the human race will ever run out of good ideas. On the other hand it’s quite
No Wine Allowed in This Taxicab
It’s all well and good to talk about religious pluralism. Freedom of speech. Multicultural society. As cocktail talk, or late
Happy Sake Day!
Today, October first, is Sake Day, or Nihonshu no Hi as designated by the Japanese sake brewing industry. Of course,
Wine on eBay: Buyer Beware
There’s buying wine at auction, and then there’s buying wine at auction. Professionally run wine auctions by established companies that
How Would You Score That Magazine?
My recent rant about a column in the Wine Spectator drew all sorts of responses from readers. As one regular
The First Sommelier Pope
I don’t know about you, but I get spam all the time telling me that my MBA, PHD, or other
What is The Wine Spectator Afraid Of?
Ladies and gentlemen, I would like August 31, 2006 to go down in modern wine publishing history. This is officially
Wine, New York, and Web 2.0
When it comes to the Internet, I’m sandwiched between skeptic and cynic with a little bit of realist included along
