The Team Sport of Trained Sensory Tasting

Erika Szymanski
Features
8 min read
[box] (and why electronic tongues are cool, but insufficient)[/box] Proteins in saliva bind tannins. Tannins are molecules responsible for astringency (and some bitterness) in red wine. When tannins bind with salivary proteins, which ordinarily keep your mouth feeling nice and slippery, your saliva becomes less viscous – dry-feeling – while

Tempranillo: Australia’s Next Shiraz, only better?

Lisa Johnston
Feature Stories
5 min read
To many, Australia is the producer of bold shiraz, fruity chardonnay and soft-drinking blends. Which is totally understandable when internationally, not much else features on the shelves. However, even some Australians are still oblivious to the fact that Australia is producing some exceedingly good wines from varietals that have only

Soave and Sophisticated

Patricia Guy
Feature Stories
3 min read
“When people visit Soave Classico for the first time they always say things like ‘I didn’t realize how beautiful it is here’,” said winery owner Meri Tessari, as we took the ten minute drive up the hill from the Medieval walled town of Soave to the tiny hamlet of Fittá,

Wondering What To Drink? Ask a Winemaker

David White
Features
2 min read
Imagine if BMW’s design chief admitted that Ford produces some of his favorite cars. Or if the CEO of Coca-Cola confessed that every now and then, he craves a Pepsi. Pure fantasy, of course. But with wine, such admissions happen daily. And now, a website has launched -- WinemakersRecommend.com --

3 Things You Cannot Miss in Western Sicily

Elisabetta Tosi
Features
4 min read
Sicily is a cornucopia of beauty, art, history, landscape, delightful food and wine. It's almost impossible to list all of them in a few lines. However, there are at least three things you absolutely cannot miss, if you are going to travel in Western Sicily, between Marsala and Menfi. I discovered

What I Learned Inside the CIA

Meg Houston Maker
Features
11 min read
No, not that CIA—the other one, in Hyde Park, New York: the Culinary Institute of America. I’m an experienced cook. I’ve done my 10,000 hours in the kitchen, maybe even 10,000 hours chopping onions. I know about mise en place. I know how to mince a shallot. I have decent