Author: Stephen Meuse

In a post a couple of weeks ago I mentioned researching the 1967 Chateau Beychevelle that my friend Bernie told me he intended to serve at an upcoming dinner party in … Magnum opusRead more

ISTANBUL, Turkey.   I snapped the photo at left in at the Ancient Orient Museum here – a handsome enclave of buildings hard by Topkapi Palace, but with many fewer visitors. … Museum puzzleRead more

ISTANBUL, Turkey.  Some cities are wrapped in fog or smog; Istanbul is swaddled with antiquity and exoticism. No doubt when the emperor Constantine established this city as a purpose-built Imperial capital … In Istanbul, supermarket wine really is superRead more

ISTANBUL, Turkey — As in any big city you can eat both high and low here, but the sheer number of restaurants per linear foot of sidewalk is unparalleled, at least … In Istanbul, not always room to sitRead more

The tag at left is affixed to the capsule of the 2008 Renato Ratti Nebbiolo d’Alba, a wine I discuss in a column to appear in the Globe Food pages at … Drink down, but smartRead more

THE POLITICAL AND MILITARY conflicts between the Roman Empire and its German antagonists lasted hundreds of years, concluding, as we’ve been told, with the germanification of the Western empire.  But did … Some of us are Romans, some GermansRead more

In addition to putting us in the path of tropical storm Irene, a recent visit to southwestern Vermont put us back in the neighborhood of artisan bread baker Doug Rountree. We … What a crust of (exceptional) bread can teach about wineRead more

No, not that bucket list. We’re talking about the list of red wines we prefer to drink only after they’ve had a good long sit in an ice bucket – enough to … Bucket ListRead more

Giorgio Milos is master barista for the high-end Italian coffee company illycafe of Trieste and maintains a blog at the Atlantic. In his first post there last May, he criticized American … A lesson in winemaking . . . straight from the espresso barRead more

This is (part of) the set up for the by-the-glass wine program at chef Michael Leviton’s spanking new spot, Area Four, on Main St. between Kendall and Central in Cambridge. Except … Not too proud to kegRead more

In a column to appear in next Wednesday’s Food pages, we’ll be highlighting a category we’re calling extreme chardonnay. The common thread is the crisp, dry fruit, shimmering acidity, and mineral interest … Something racy this way comesRead more

A lengthy interview yesterday with Dennis Gilligan who manages the elite estates portfolio at Massachusetts distributor United Liquors. Gilligan was tapped (sorry) by restaurateur Dave Dubois to get a keg program … More on kegsRead more