Author Archives: admin

Wine Basics – Terroir

Posted on April 12, 2019 by admin

I decided to put this in wine basics because the term gets thrown around a lot and it doesn’t have a hard and fast definition. “Terroir” means earth or soil in French. In wine it is a concept that a … Continue reading →

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Upending Assumptions

Posted on October 29, 2018 by admin

It is easy to let your preconceptions go unquestioned but if you do in the wine world you can mis some very good wines. This was recently demonstrated to me when I tasted some wines from Paso Robles, an area … Continue reading →

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Wine Basics – Glasses

Posted on October 26, 2017 by admin

There is a bewildering variety of wine glasses available. The companies marketing the glasses have a vested self interest in convincing people that you need a different kind of glass to properly enjoy each kind of wine. According to some … Continue reading →

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Wine pairing – Sautéed Duck Breast with Tokaji

Posted on October 5, 2017 by admin

It has been a while since I posted a wine pairing but I thought this one was worth writing about. I recently found a long Island Duckling on sale at my local supermarket. I separated the duck into parts, keeping … Continue reading →

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Wine For Cooking

Posted on July 15, 2017 by admin

Most writing on wine doesn’t address wine for cooking. Some cookbooks do and some of them do a pretty good job, others not so much. So here are some thoughts on the subject. There are some recipes that call for … Continue reading →

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Better Know A Varietal – Merlot

Posted on February 1, 2017 by admin

Merlot is a major grape variety though it has been loosing popularity as a single varietal in recent years. It is a large part of the success of the red wines of Bordeaux though often Cabernet Sauvignon gets all the … Continue reading →

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Organic, Natural, and Biodynamic – The Good The Bad and The Ugly

Posted on January 23, 2017 by admin

Organic, natural, and biodynamic are words you increasingly see used for wines and sometimes see on the labels. They can be confusing and confused with each other. Here is a brief primer and some of my thoughts on the subject. … Continue reading →

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What’s That Stuff On The Cork?

Posted on October 26, 2016 by admin

Recently I have talked to a few people who have thought bottles were bad when they found stuff on top of the cork before opening the bottle. The cover over the cork is called the capsule.  It is typically metal … Continue reading →

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To Cork Or Not To Cork? That Is The Question

Posted on August 30, 2016 by admin

Corks have been used to close wine bottles for a long time. They have been pretty much the standard method of closing a bottle since th 18th century. Most wine authorities agree that there are definite benefits to using a … Continue reading →

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Italian Earthquake

Posted on August 24, 2016 by admin

Yesterday a powerful earthquake hit the central Italian regions of Umbria and the Marche.  I have had the good fortune to visit these wonderful areas.  It is very sad to think of the devastation that has occurred.  As more information … Continue reading →

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