Judging from the questions I field every day in the wine department of Formaggio Kitchen in Cambridge and the mail I receive from America’s Test Kitchen Radio listeners, food and wine … <span class="entry-title-primary">A Brine Time Was Had by All: <br/>Choosing the Right Wine for Seafood</span> <span class="entry-subtitle">America's Test Kitchen Radio</span>Read more

Previously, the Cambridge Formaggio Kitchen wine department took care to identify the wines on its shelves that were made from organically or biodynamically farmed grapes and with no — or minimal — … <span class="entry-title-primary">Farewell to the ladybugs</span> <span class="entry-subtitle">If organic and biodynamic certification doesn't guarantee good wine or responsible agriculture, what does?</span>Read more

    It’s a provocative question but not a facetious one.  The thought came to me while having lunch recently with an old friend who was instrumental in making two once-celebrated … <span class="entry-title-primary">Arf!</span> <span class="entry-subtitle">How winemaking resembles dog breeding</span>Read more

A chat with Julia Hallman, general manager at Formaggio Kitchen Cambridge this week about the shelf talkers that I had been busy rewriting.  The time between taking the old ones down and … <span class="entry-title-primary">Confessions of a Shelf Talker</span> <span class="entry-subtitle">How is a wine defined?</span>Read more

I was pouring one white and three red Bordeaux at Central Bottle on  a Friday night a few years ago with the idea of playing a little catch-up on a neglected … <span class="entry-title-primary">Red wine, please.</span> <span class="entry-subtitle">Hold the cream and sugar</span>Read more

I’ll admit to being a little in love with the analytic tool known as the semantic square (aka Boston box).   There’s seduction in the way it gives clarity to certain … How to Speak Wine Bar Now<br/>Read more

“After that we went from one casino to another, not intending to commit any debauchery, but for want of something better to do.”   In the field of playing the field, Giacomo … <span class="entry-title-primary">Memoirs of a wine lover</span> <span class="entry-subtitle">Casanovas aren't what they used to be . . . neither is their wine.</span>Read more

I’m often asked to weigh in on the question of which alcoholic beverage first passed our greedy lips – beer or wine.  Since it’s not a case of needing to have one before you … <span class="entry-title-primary">About that first drink . . .</br></span> <span class="entry-subtitle">Which came first, beer or wine?</span>Read more

  Question to noted wine expert: “Ever mistaken Burgundy for Bordeaux?” Expert’s answer: “Not since lunch.” Along with Champagne, Bordeaux and Burgundy may be the most well-known words in the wine … <span class="entry-title-primary">Ali-Frazier it ain’t</br></span> <span class="entry-subtitle">But the Bordeaux-Burgundy rivalry is one for the ages</span>Read more

From week to week, guests queue up at the Formaggio Kitchen  tasting table to sample a few wines from our shelves, chat about their respective merits and demerits and decide what they … <span class="entry-title-primary">Beyond boo/hurrah</br></span> <span class="entry-subtitle">Is there a better way to talk about wine?</span>Read more

Sauvignon blanc is one of the most popular wine grape varieties in the world. French in origin but widely planted elsewhere, wines made from this varietal display a distinctive profile. It’s … What you can learn from a glass of Sauvignon BlancRead more