May 18, 2012
On the eve of two simultaneously scheduled wine fairs dedicated to the proposition that everything old is new again, it’s hard not to admire the enthusiasm of those taken by “natural” wine. It’s hard not to notice the excitement its admirers exhibit. It’s hard not to notice that many of the proponents and champions of these wines revel in the idea that they are part of a revolution that defies a stale status quo. The kind of excitement that is…
May 14, 2012
Some truths are uncomfortable. The Experts Are the Best Sources of Wine Info and RecommendationsThe tendancy to disparage "wine experts" or "wine elite" grows as the role of social media and peer reviews grow. Yet the fact remains that the experts are the best and most reliable source of information on wine. Folks like Eric Asimov, Robert Parker, Jim Laube, Jancis Robinson, Steve Heimoff, Charles Olken, Dan Berger, Lettie Teague, Jon Bonne and other well known experts are the one's…
May 7, 2012
The Wall Street Journal makes a good point. When buying wine online—Buyer Beware! Actually, the WSJ Digital Network made a number of good points in a video featuring Tom Geniesse, owner of New York City's wine shop Bottle Rocket Wine & Spirits, in which advice is given on how to buy wine on-line. I haven't seen a good video primer on how to approach on-line wine buying in some time. This particular video hits a lot of the high notes…
May 1, 2012
Almost all of my wine tasting education has been practical. That is to say, what I know about evaluating wine and how I evaluate wine has resulted from tasting wine a lot. Beyond that, my inquiries into the practice of wine tasting and evaluating wine has been done on a philosophical and aesthetic level. That is to say, I've done a good deal of reading and thinking about the epistemology of wine or what it means to embrace a "position"…
Apr 25, 2012
I love the comments that folks share on this blog. But additionally, I get a good deal of blog-related email. Why some folks choose to send me questions and comments via email, rather than commenting and questioning right on the blog, is something I don't always understand. However, I feel the need to respond. Below are are some of the more recent questions I've recieved via email and my responses. For those of you who asked the questions, you know…