by Morgan Franklin
There is something about the rich and fruity red wine that attracts a lot of fans - both connoisseurs and casual drinkers. As we start to emerge from winter, some will start to leave the red behind in far of a sharp and tangy white wine for summer evenings out in the garden, but those who like a red wine know it’s a drink designed to be enjoyed all year round - not just on chilly winter evenings. Some people like to splash out to buy the very best wines money can buy. They like to spend vast sums of money finding wines that have aged for a long time and those from the very best vineyards. But then there are the rest of us who, either, don’t have the money to shell out for the most exquisite wines, or know you don’t have to spend a fortune to enjoy the very best flavours red wine has...
by Morgan Franklin
There are a handful of countries that are world renowned for their delicious, rich wines. All wine lovers will be able to reel off some of these heavy hitters in quick succession. Have a think. There will be a few that pop into your head straight away. You’ve most likely already thought of France, Italy, and Spain among others. New Zealand and Australia might be up there too. These five are among the titans of global wine making, and for good reason. For the first three in particular, wine is a major export. For example, France produced a whopping 47 million hectolitres in 2014, Italy an equally impressive 45 million, and Spain 43 million. That’s a lot of wine. These country’s wines have gained strong reputations for being the finest wines in the world, and huge amounts of sales hav...
by Bob Ecker
The State of Chardonnay 2019 By Bob Ecker, Feb. 21, 2019 Word Count: 1265 Napa: According to The Nielsen Company which measures such things, Chardonnay continues to be the largest selling varietal by case value and volume on the market, amongst off-premise food and wine stores. With an 18.7 market share in sales as of September 9, 2018, Chardonnay is the most sold and consumed wine in America. In 2017, California reported 93,452 planted acres and crushed 614,000 tons of Chardonnay. That equals a lot of bottles of Chardonnay. Apparently, the people who keep predicting that Chardonnay will go out of favor continue to be mistaken. “It seems like every year I read about this or that trend being on the rise but after 35 plus years in this business what I still see are people who wa...
by Stephanie Parra
In the last couple of years, you’ve probably heard of organic, biodynamic, or natural wine. These buzz-worthy terms may sound conceptually similar, and may even overlap, but mean completely different things. Still, don’t let the possibility of confusion deter you from discovering the perfect wine! Summertime is the best season to explore these wines because they are often lighter, refreshing, and interesting enough to spark a lively conversation in between bites of brie, a fresh Caprese salad, and even cooling oysters. Let’s dispel the flurry on these definitions! Here’s a primer to understand the differences between organic, biodynamic, and natural wines. Organic Wine Organic wine is tricky. At face value, organic wine is made by adhering to the tenets of organic farming: no...
by Sam Hoffman
Cocktails are fun and everybody loves them. Whether you are planning a celebration or a party, gathering your friends for a cocktail party is always a great idea. Preparing a famous cocktail together with your friends can be easy, fun and very affordable. You only need to stock your bar with the basics and a little bit of enthusiasm. Here is your super-cool guide to show off your bartender skills and impress your friends with a fancy cocktail knowledge. The most popular and most loved cocktails of all time are here, simple and easy to prepare. “Copyright: Unsplash/author: Kobby Mendez / I License: CC0 Public Domain” Classic Margarita Done Right This all time favorite cocktail requires good blanco tequila. Mix the tequila with freshly squeezed lime juice and add a little bit ligh...
by Pete Ricci
Showdown at Bourbon Corral! I love this part of my job! Tasting wonderful foods and awesome libations and sharing my experience! This time I had a couple of friends help out with the blind taste test - Chris & Tony. And it's only fair because it's Chris' Bourbon! Pennsylvania Bourbon Resurgent Bourbon 100 Proof Custom Cask Made in the style of Kentucky Bourbons with a few exceptions: One, it's from Pennsylvania, two it is made from virgin oak and three it's white oak. I am happy there is such a nice spirit coming out of The Brandywine Valley. If the bite is something you don't like about bourbon, then you may like this. It has a sweet, berry and almost creamy vanilla finish - replacing the traditional bite. The white oak probably helps and the virgin wood allows the sweetness of ...
by Mark Aselstine
Every industry, has its own set of dirty little secrets. My dad owned an ice cream franchise in a mall, the common drains had to be covered up because the rodent problems were so bad. Gross right? Likewise, I worked at a defense contractor for a summer. Some of the reported successes of their technology, didn’t match what we were seeing. Unfortunately, the wine industry has its own set of issues. Here’s 3 of the dirty little secrets of the wine industry. People Make Nothing. Literally Nothing. You know the tasting room staff that you adore at your favorite major winery? Yeah, they’re making minimum wage. The cellar master that takes care of so much of the day to day operations in the winery itself? Yeah, he (unfortunately it is almost always a he) makes pretty much nothing...
by Mark Aselstine
So one interesting part of Christmas dinner, when compared with say Thanksgiving, is that so many different people eat different things. At Thanksgiving, even if you’ve never met your neighbors, you have a pretty good idea about what’s on the table: turkey, stuffing, gravy, mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce. Sure, the other sides change but over the years, the basics have been remarkably stable. Christmas is an entirely different thing. Some families circle back to turkey. Others have roast beef or ham. Heck, in my house we even mix in tri tip in some years if the weather is nice enough to get the BBQ going. So how can we suggest wine pairings with such a diverse set of foods? The first rule for pairing wine with Christmas meals is simply, to make sure that you’re opening wi...
by Stuart George
On the whole, 2018 was a year to forget. It saw a dreadful accident in Genoa and the ongoing tragedy of Syria. The Skripal poisoning in the usually benign English city of Salisbury caused relations between the British government and the Russian President Vladimir Putin – who was elected for a fourth term – to hit their lowest point in many years. The journalist Jamal Khashoggi went inside the Saudi Arabian consulate in Istanbul and was never seen again. There was an unexpected summit in Singapore. A man widely regarded as a dangerous lunatic who has a nuclear fixation and a terrible haircut met with the North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un. “Peace in our time”, perhaps. November 11th marked the centenary of the end of the Great War. Apparently the sixth in line to the success...
by Porto Planet
The mild sweet climate of fall in Greece is what makes short journeys to the sea and the mountains so tempting. The country’s landscape is in transition, from its summer to its autumn look. Read up on the renown destinations that we gathered just for you and plan your trip to our Greece. Chania As summer in Crete lasts a bit more than anywhere else in Greece, you will enjoy the sea and the wonderful mainland throughout October on this island. An excellent place to choose for your upcoming autumn holiday in Chania. Don’t miss out on: – a stroll around the old Venetian Harbour of the town of Chania with its renown fortress and lighthouse. – a visit to the city’s market and taste the drooling culinary delights of Crete. – canyoning at Samaria Gorge and exploring an impressive ...
