The Wine Idea

How many kinds of wine are there? It’s a question I’m often mulling, in part because the answer always seems so appealingly out of reach. The idea that the query could … PlaythingsRead more

From time to time, winemakers in town to present and talk up their wines will drop by our cellar. We love this, because it gives us an opportunity to get acquainted … The Style IssueRead more

It was 46 years ago this month that the wine world experienced its very own version of The Shot Heard ‘Round the World: the 1976 showdown between Californian and French wines organized … Judgment in ParisRead more

Wander the streets of the northern Italian city of Parma, and you may be struck, as I have been, by the innumerable small food shops, cafes and wine bars that display … Sly, Wry LambruscoRead more

How old is that in dog years? One of the most frequent, and perfectly reasonable questions we’re asked to field in the wine corner from day to day has to do … Ready or NotRead more

What makes a wine good, better or even best? It’s a challenging question and one that admits not only of multiple answers, but of more than one approach to drawing a … Show of HandsRead more

You have a nose and so do we. Some have more nose than others. Cyrano de Bergerac, whose prodigious schnoz was a permanent feature (that’s Gerard Depardieu in the role of … The Nosy SortRead more

Here in the wine corner, we spend our days trying put words to what we sell. It’s not unpleasant work, but it is often challenging. All wine can be (and is, … The Lexicon BanditsRead more

  The signature on a document, work of art or other created thing is a mark of origination: a sign that associates the object in some definitive way with the individual … May I Have Your Autograph?Read more

How did particular wines take the shape they did? One popular argument is that the possibilities are necessarily limited by the various atmospheric conditions, soil types and topographies that obtain in … Sure, it’s Tasty. But is it Navigable?Read 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

The most common actionable fault in wine, by far, is what’s known as cork taint: A condition that announces its presence with an off-putting whiff of wet basement, soggy cardboard, mold, … Corky, or Just Quirky?Read more