Becky Sue Epstein

3 min read

Why does someone start a bourbon brand named Penelope Bourbon? Are you sitting at home in New Jersey, thrilled that you and your wife are going to finally have a baby, talking with your childhood best friend, and the subject of bourbon just happens to come up? Perhaps. And if Read More

How Did the “Tokay” Grape Disappear?

Becky Sue Epstein

Wine Spotlight

2 min read

Twenty years ago, there were three different, fairly well-known European grapes commonly referred to as “tokay” (with various spellings); today there is only one. These three grapes came from three separate countries: Italy, France and Hungary. With the launch of the European Union in the mid-1990s, grape names have been Read More

An Unexpected Italian White Wine: Friulano

Becky Sue Epstein

Features

2 min read

From the organic Aquila del Torre Winery in the extreme northeastern region of Italy Imagine a wine that is layered and deep, echoing the soil and the hillside terroir where it is grown. And this is a white wine – perhaps not exactly what you might be expecting, since more Read More

2019 Los Vascos Cromas Carmenère Gran Reserva

Becky Sue Epstein

Reviews

1 min read

You’re going to need a bigger glass. Not just because you’ll want to drink more of this wine, but because it shows much better in a glass with a large bowl. Though the carmenère grape in this Chilean wine originally came from Bordeaux (as does the parent wine company, Barons Read More

WHAT IS DRY JANUARY – And Why Doesn’t It Work?

Becky Sue Epstein

Features

3 min read

Dry January is a convenient concept. It allows us to assuage the guilt we have about over-indulging during the Holidays – and during the rest of the year, for that matter. Every January, many people suddenly attempt to drink no alcohol at all for a whole month. For a variety Read More

Champagne Updated: Celebrating a Sustainable Region

Becky Sue Epstein

Features

3 min read

CHAMPAGNE IN HISTORY For centuries, Champagne producers were focused on one thing: inspiring us to drink Champagne. Then they were forced to change. A few decades ago, the world shifted, and instead of being concerned about their one little corner of the earth, Champagne producers became aware that every aspect Read More

Wines of the Past and Future in Alsace (Alsace – Part 5)

Becky Sue Epstein

Features

3 min read

(Click here to read Alsace – Part 1) (Click here to read Alsace – Part 2) (Click here to read Alsace – Part 3) (Click here to read Alsace – Part 4) Domaine Jean-Luc Mader in Alsace, France What is it like to grow up in a winemaking family? Do Read More

A Traditional-Style Small Farmer – That’s What Winemaker Agathe Bursin Would Call Herself (Alsace – Day 4)

Becky Sue Epstein

Features

3 min read

(Click here to read Alsace – Part 1) (Click here to read Alsace – Part 2) (Click here to read Alsace – Part 3) Here is someone who has known what they wanted to be since the age of three: Agathe Bursin, winemaker of The Agathe Bursin Winery, in Alsace, Read More

Author Becky Sue Epstein