It is that time of year, once again. You have probably muttered to yourself a few times and shared it out loud with your friends, “This year went by so fast!” This week marks the mad dash to Christmas. But before you start making shopping plans for black Friday, take
The informal yet quality-driven wine bar is a concept that is gaining traction with thirsty locals in Boston. Having spent the last few years immersed in the New York City wine scene I had become reliant upon places that offer large by-the-glass lists. Places where the idea is to learn
Turkish wines are historic, interesting and in many cases pretty good. And the Islamic ruling party would be happy for you to take more of them away from the country. Turkey is a fascinating place for wine researchers because it appears to be the birthplace of wine. The center of
The history of enology in Italy is rich in fairy-tale-like stories like this one. Once upon a time, there was a young Italian nobleman who loved two things: racehorses and French wines. His name was Marquis Mario Incisa della Rocchetta. In 1929 he was finishing his degree in agriculture at
“Well,” I said, slapping my hand playfully on the side of a brand new American oak barrel in the heart of Silver Oak’s nearly-as-new Napa Valley barrel room, the thump resonating through a state-of-the-art stone and steel structure that’s been built to withstand movement from California’s not-infrequent seismic events; “this
Last month the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists issued a 53-page report on freedom of the press in Turkey. According to the group, the government of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan had 76 journalists in prison as of September 1, 2012 – more, the CPJ reports, than those imprisoned
Wine Spectator's Top 100 Wines of the Year will soon be unveiled, serving to make good wines unavailable or, if they're available, unaffordable. It's the time of year when interesting wines dry up for the average consumer. Am I right? Isn't this annoying? The 2012 list will wreak havoc on
Legend has it that a renowned British wine taster was once presented with a flight of wines while wearing a blindfold. He nailed each wine, correctly identifying the grape and the region in which it was grown. Toward the end of the challenge was a glass of water. Upon smelling