All posts in February 2013

THE STERN LOOKING FELLOW at left is Epicurus, a Greek philosopher of the early third century BCE. Considering that his name is linked to a way of life that puts a premium on sensual pleasure you might have expected him to look a bit more cheery, or at least a little fleshier. Granted, his facial…

THE COLLECTION of open wine bottles at left was shot in my kitchen this week.  There are usually four to six there at a time.  All are in the process of being nipped at.  Chances are one or two will make their way to the recycle bin soon – either because they’ve been emptied or…

IN MOVIES OF A CERTAIN KIND (the kind I most like) fog plays a prominent role. I’m thinking of films like The Third Man,  Quai des Brumes, and Brief Encounter.  Fog evokes mystery, doubt, and a vague anxiety  – all lovely things when you’re longing to sink into something noirish. Wine and fog have some…

Former Classics professor Michel Bettane may be the most influential writer on wine in France today. With colleague Thierry Desseauve, he publishes Bettane & Desseauve’s Guide to the Wines of France.  Bettane has emerged as a vocal critic of  those who claim that organic certification is any guarantee of quality and has been particularly strident…

THE COLLECTION of open wine bottles at left was shot in my kitchen this week.  There are usually four to six there at a time.  All are in the process of being nipped at. Chances are one or two will make their way to the recycle bin tonight – either because they’ve been emptied or…