The Wine Idea

By definition, etymology and inclination, sediment is just stuff that settles.  Most often, it refers to solid particles suspended in and carried along by a fluid, before they’re drawn inexorably downward … It’s Sedementary, My Dear WatsonRead more

We see that red pencil in your hand, censorious reader, poised to come down hard on some admittedly unorthodox grammar in this week’s headline. But let’s not be hasty, shall we? … Them That Has, GetsRead more

The fresh-squeezed Beaujolais that’s released every third Thursday in November was still ripening on the vine just a couple of months earlier. How, in so short a time, grapes transition into … Yes, We Have No BananasRead more

The kids who wriggled and spun around American Bandstand’s TV dance floor every weekday afternoon at 4pm circa 1957 weren’t necessarily Philadelphia’s most sophisticated or articulate, but they knew what they … It’s Got a Beat and . . .Read more

As caves go it’s not the sort to attract attention: no souvenir shops on the approach and no dramatic lighting within. What can be seen from the outside is a narrow … Wine’s Ghastly OriginsRead more

Today, the buzz word among wine’s chattering classes is minerality. You’ll hear it used to describe a broad range of sensory perceptions met in wine — from loam and humus to … Rocks in Our Wine, or Just in Our Heads?Read more

Some years ago, stranded in Greenfield, Massachusetts by the wrath of hurricane Irene, and eager for some supper and a bit of company, I popped into The People’s Pint, a celebrated … The ExperimentalistRead more

  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 … <span class="entry-title-primary">Do Numbers Point the Way to Better Wine?</span> <span class="entry-subtitle">Don't Bet On It</span>Read more

  We’re not seriously suggesting that Ganymede is the sort to serve as patron saint of anything (putting some clothes on might be a step in the right direction), but if … <span class="entry-title-primary">What’s a Somm To Do?</span> <span class="entry-subtitle">Hint: It's Not Just Storytelling</span>Read more

  My passport says I’m 3 inches high and two inches and a bit across the middle, but as a practical matter, I’m even smaller. That’s because I require margins top … Confessions of a Shelf TalkerRead more

You may be pleased to learn that the never-ending nature/nurture controversy is alive and well in the wine world. Why pleased?  Well, because it’s generally gratifying to be reminded that every … Does the Ground Speak?Read more

It seems we can now add Barcelona to the list of cities being loved to death. Along with Venice and Dubrovnik, Catalunya’s little jewel of a port city is now a place … Must You Love Me So Much?Read more