HOME

by SANDY BLOCK, MW There was a time, and not so long ago really, when wholesalers and retailers were adamantly against stocking Rosé in their warehouses or having much if any left on their shelves, after Labor Day weekend. “Rosé Season” ended abruptly in the fall, and perhaps it was... Read More

MAY DE LENCQUESAING FOUNDS GLENELLY ESTATE AFTER LEADING CHÂTEAU PICHON LALANDE by HARVEY FINKEL May-Eliane de Lencquesaing, in 2OO3, followed the path of the French Huguenots upon the revocation of the Edict of Nantes in 1685, though with less urgency. They had been given two weeks by Louis XIV to... Read More

by PINK LADY When I got into this game, the Old Fashioned cocktail was ordered so infrequently that I clearly remember the first time I saw one made. I watched from the host stand at the high-end restaurant where I worked in college as the bartender tossed a sugar cube,... Read More

by ANDY CROUCH Maine has long been one of America’s great brewing states, with a beer culture as distinctive as its craggy coastline, unspoiled lake expanses, and rugged, rocky lands. The state supports a growing number of impressive craft breweries, with most concentrated around Portland but also ranging throughout New... Read More

by HARVEY FINKEL Slow Wine is a part of the Slow Food movement ignited in 1986 by a demonstration against the proposed construction of a McDonald’s at Rome’s beloved Spanish Steps. Carlo Petrini and colleagues notched it up afterwards, so that following its official establishment in Paris in 1989, Slow... Read More

by PPINK LADY While we were in quarantine, we noticed even greater attention being paid than usual to “national” drinks holidays. A new cocktail seemed to pop into our newsfeed every week, encouraging celebration via stylized photos and socially distant happy hours: National Daiquiri Day (July 19), National Whiskey Sour... Read More

by HARVEY FINKEL I don’t remember the name of the village, and I don’t remember the name of the girl, but the wine was Chambertin. HILAIRE BELLOC Toponymy, the study of place names, is fascinating and instructive, nowhere more than among the vineyards of Burgundy’s Côte d’Or. The unraveling of... Read More

by SANDY BLOCK, MW Despite the rise of so many formerly unfamiliar varieties and delicious blends, Cabernet Sauvignon remains king of red wine. It’s got a bold character by nature, with some rough edges, and therefore not everyone’s first choice, but that’s the reason so many of us to continue... Read More

by KIRSTEN AMANN In the beverage alcohol business, where deals are developed face to face and closed with a firm handshake, can a decision about who distributes your products in your biggest market be reached in a socially distant way? For Burke Distributing Corporation and Mass Bay Brewing Company, the... Read More