Author: Stephen Meuse

There’s plenty of mystery about what’s mainly responsible for the expression of individual character in wine, but lend an ear to wine’s chattering classes right now, and you would think the matter has been … Geology is Destiny. Isn’t it?Read more

Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off was a George and Ira Gershwin hit that made its debut in the 1937 film Shall We Dance?, sung by another incomparable duo, Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers (watch the scene here). … You Say Naughty, I Say NattyRead more

Planet wine is a heavily regulated old orb. Few people, I think, are aware that in addition to being subject to laws that govern the sale and consumption of alcohol, there are very … The Name’s the Same. – and Other Wine ConfusismsRead more

It’s a truism — perhaps by now a cliché — that wine is made in the vineyard. It’s a way of saying that winemakers who start with ripe, healthy fruit have most … Hanging in there. Or not.<br><br>Read more

How mysterious is taste? Let’s begin by observing that by time-honored consensus, there’s no accounting for it. Meaning, as we take it, that there’s no way to demonstrate conclusively why one … The Taste of OthersRead more

The last time I saw the stunning Italian actress Virna Lisi on screen, she was having a wonderful time vamping it up as a reptilian Queen Catherine de Medici in the … <span class="entry-title-primary">A Toast to the Toast</span> <span class="entry-subtitle">What's really happening when we raise a glass?</span>Read more

Since my job is essentially to meet and chat with guests  and answer their questions about wine, I have a pretty good idea of what’s on their minds.  What follows are the five questions I field most often, and how I respond to them.

Assigning numerical scores on the 100 point scale has emerged as a standard tool for navigating the complicated world of wine. The intent to simplify may originally have been legitimate and … <span class="entry-title-primary">Do Numbers Point the Way to Better Wine?</span> <span class="entry-subtitle">Don't Count On It</span>Read more

Wine has a long history, replete with fact and fancy. Over the centuries, its enthusiasts have wrapped it in a cloud of myths, tropes and what today we call memes. One of … <span class="entry-title-primary">The Guessing Game</span> <span class="entry-subtitle">The reliable markers used to identify wine are blurring</span>Read more

Judging from the questions we field in the Formaggio Kitchen wine corner and what we hear in the classes we regularly conduct (if you haven’t been to one, you’re missing out), the … The Pairing PuzzleRead more

When the exotic beverage known as coffee first appeared in Europe in the second half of the seventeenth century, inns, taverns, alehouses, pubs and caterers of every description were already well-entrenched. … Meet Me at the CaféRead more

The first order of business for the Biblical patriarch Noah — once the ark came to rest on Mt. Ararat and he and the fam set their sandals down on dry land … The Mother VineRead more