Category: Recent Columns

New Year’s Eve is called “amateur drunk” night because folks who do not regularly consume alcohol decide they might as well join the “oh-be-joyous” fest on the last night of the year. Continue reading →

’Tis the season to be bubbly. December is the hottest month for sparkling wine. Festive, fun, special. People who don’t drink wine, drink sparkling as we endure the darkest days of winter and toast the dawn of a new year. Continue reading →

This being the month of lavish giving and celebration, expensive wine may be on your agenda. Here are some things to look for, and a cautionary note, too. Continue reading →

Holidays can be prime time for vino blunders. Be your better self. This is a time for joy and bonhomie, so pass on these unwholesome wine gaffes: Continue reading →

At its heart, winemaking is farming. And, at its heart, farming is an inconstant, ever-challenging enterprise. The year 2021 is a case in point. Continue reading →

Happy Thanksgiving tomorrow. At this late date, it is likely your wine for the great American harvest feast is set. Some notes about serving it. Continue reading →

Wine bottle weight is a weighty issue in the wine world. On one hand, there is the expense, waste, and carbon footprint of heavy bottles. On the other hand, bodacious bottles have a clear marketing and psychological impact. Continue reading →

You face a wine store’s walls of wines. You need to pick some for upcoming Thanksgiving. There are too many choices. Your head hurts. Continue reading →

Minerality is an imprecise, controversial wine descriptor. Does it mean anything? Does it mean whatever someone wants it to mean? Continue reading →

Halloween can be a frightful challenge for a wine writer. Continue reading →