Author: Stephen Meuse

The great French actor Jean Gabin (above) is one of many to have played Georges Simenon’s beloved Paris police inspector Jules Maigret on the big screen, and is, for us, the … Maigret and the Pet NatsRead more

Red and white might as well be the north and south poles of wine, reliably serving as stable orientation hubs on the vast and often confusing surface of planet Vino. Wine … The Red and White of ItRead more

It may have been France’s Master of Wine Isabelle Legeron who, in an attempt to provide a short, easily-grasped phrase that captured the essence of natural wine described it as “wine … No Bright LineRead more

Here in the Wine Corner, we like to think we know a thing or two about wine and do our best to pass along what we’ve learned to those who may … You Can’t Do It. But Super Somms Can.Read more

Why have wine bottles assumed the shapes we see today? As you might guess, it was largely a practical matter, a compromise between ease of manufacture (and thus cost) and the … The Shape of ThingsRead more

Next time you’re in a restaurant where the wine list is taken seriously, eavesdrop on what the sommelier has to say as she moves from table to table. The word you’ll … Rocks in Our Wine … Or Just in Our Heads?Read more

Note: Discovered during routine morning coffee and celebrity news crawl: the following report of a pair of holiday notables tying the knot. ROVANIEMI, Finland, Dec 18 — In one of the … Silver BellsRead more

For many people, the notion of how wine is made boils down to something like this: there exists a discrete plot of vines from which an individual winemaker annually harvests a … One Good IdeaRead 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, … We Get MailRead more

How did particular wines take the shape they did? Some say that the possibilities are necessarily limited by the various atmospheric conditions, soil types and topographies that obtain in the vineyards … Sure, It’s Tasty. But Is It Navigable?Read more

Human beings are marvelously equipped to enjoy the broad spectrum of sensations brought to them by their food and drink. Yet, science maintains that taste involves nothing more than a mere … Wine and the BitterverseRead more