Author: Stephen Meuse

Birds gotta fly, vines gotta climb. It’s the way of things, and for most of the history of winemaking, it proved convenient to give domesticated grapevines the opportunity to do what … <span class="entry-title-primary">At the Corner of Elm and Vine</span> <span class="entry-subtitle">Wine doesn't grow on trees. Or does it?</span>Read more

Millions of wine drinkers rely on tasting notes provided by professional critics to guide their wine-buying.  Recently there’s been quite a bit written that’s skeptical about just how reliable such notes … Have We Met?Read more

 Winemakers with property on the steep hillsides that overlook Germany’s Mosel River between Trier and Koblenz enjoy a worldwide market for their cooly aromatic, austerely-structured white wines. The road to success … Marx on WineRead more

The bold adventurers who first landed on the shores of what they thought of as the New World didn’t come alone. The newcomers brought horses and pigs to the Americas, and … <span class="entry-title-primary">The Little Bug That Could . . . and Did</span> <span class="entry-subtitle">Phylloxera and the Great European Vineyard Do-over</span>Read more

The chalkboard that hangs over our wine corner shelves lists a hundred or so lesser-known grapes from which wine is made today. It stands as a tediously hand-lettered warning to those … Why So Many?Read more

Why is there something rather than nothing? Why are you yourself and not someone else? Where do babies come from?  Such good questions!  Thanks to all of you who send these, … Since You AskRead more

What makes one wine better (and more expensive) than another? It’s not the easiest question to answer, but it helps to understand that there are really only a handful of factors … <span class="entry-title-primary">The Quality Question</span> <span class="entry-subtitle">You're paying more, but just what 'more' are you getting?</span>Read more

The few weeks sandwiched between yuletide and the onset of Lent in February may well have been the only time a medieval European could be reasonably sure of enjoying a glass … <span class="entry-title-primary">John Bull’s Bottle</span> <span class="entry-subtitle">Christmas wants claret</span>Read more

It was in shabby but comfy French cafés that I learned that common folk typically took their wine in tumblers – and decided that, since I was common folk myself, I … Glass MenagerieRead more

Oak barrels have been important in winemaking for a very long time, and the spice and vanilla flavors they impart are by now familiar. The drama added by aging in new … Oakus PocusRead more

The answer is yes, I think, so long as you can set the question firmly within a context. The era matters, as does the place. If you lived in an isolated … Does the Ideal Wine Exist?Read more

It’s a question we ask ourselves nearly every day – not so much because we worry about the breadth of our posterior parts (though this is never far from our minds), … Does This Wine Make My Butt Look Big?Read more