Archive for the ‘Personal’ Category

Dec 19, 2005

The Top 10

What’s happened to the good ‘ol "Top 10" list? This time of year you’d expect to see scads of them on every subject, including wine. So far, the only wine Top 10 list I can find is Mike Duffy’s Top Ten Winery Websites, a brilliant project that has gotten lots of attention. Sure, there’s the Spectator’s Top 100 and the Wine Enthusiast’s Top 100. But the "Top 100" doesn’t have the same urgency as the "Top 10". I’m a fan…

Dec 18, 2005

Sunday Morning Cigars and Old Vine Truths

In my world few solitary activities offer more pleasure than a Sunday morning with a cigar, a brandy and coffee and the day’s hulking newspapers strewn about me. This morning was spent with that simple liquid mix, the New York Times, the Press Democrat and the San Francisco Chronicle and a Dominican of the lonsdale variety that was turned down by Jack and Alder last night after a fantastic meal that included wonderful food and wines and great conversation. It…

Dec 10, 2005

The Right Champagne for Tim & Rach’s Wedding

Later today I’ll be watching my brother-in-law marry a beautiful, lovely girl from Tennessee. It’s a very good thing. There are some weddings where, upon thinking about it, you are prompted to lean over to your neighbor in the seat next to you and say, "I give it 3 years." Not these two. They are the type of couple where things add up to a comment along the lines of, "I give them 50 years." Tim is a Video Game…

Dec 9, 2005

FERMENTATION in Print…Kinda

Looks like I’ll be writing a wine column for INDUSTRY magazine, a lifestyle print publication. INDUSTRY is a pretty unique publication/business. Different issues appear in various different markets across the country and hold both local as well as national editorial. The publication sells franchises in different markets. The national headquarters sells "national" ads that find their way into all the franchise publications, while the franchise sell the local advertising. This should be a great gig, giving me the chance to…

Dec 8, 2005

Christmas Morning Booze

I don’t know about your house, but if there is not a special drink that goes with that early Christmas morning gift opening session, there really ought to be. Frankly, without one the whole spectacle can seem a bit overwhelming. Something is needed to take off the edge. But what? What is the proper Christmas morning Gift Opening Drink? The drink must meet a certain criteria 1. Easy To MakeLet’s face it, you don’t want to me making a complex…