Big Boy’s Holiday Party
Half of last week saw me out at the warehouse for various reasons, and Big Boy happened to be there as well inspecting his most recent acquisitions. Some Christmas cheer was in the air, and Big Boy threw his own impromptu holiday party for the gang. Having just returned from a week in Bordeaux and [...]
Happy New Year!
I always enjoy this time of year: to discover just how ingenious people can be with their cards, emails and other seasonal offerings. So, think of my delight when the latest calendar from the Movimento Turismo del Vino Friuli Venezia Giulia (Italy) came flopping through my postbox.
Since the year 2000 they have organised a competition [...]
Does terroir matter? Apparently not…
Following on from a few contributions in our Forum over at Fine Wine I was prompted to do some additional research and came across a paper - Natural endowments, production technologies and the quality of wines in Bordeaux. Does terroir matter? by two French academics published in August 2005. By taking into account the critical [...]
Tongue, teeth and taste
There has been some talk on the internet of reported interviews with Professor Patrick Mac Leod and in particular two things which seemed astonishing: that the old and much quoted tongue map hypothesis (where different parts of the tongue corresponded to areas where the key elements of taste could be perceived: sweetness, bitterness, acidity etc) [...]
Responsible but not guilty
In signing his name, he thereby wins my esteem… the soi-disant Lionel Lamadon, makes fun of me on one of the French bulletin boards (Iacchos). And I quote:
« Personally, What really makes me laugh in this whole story is the very pompous reference to Thoreau (it’s for us to appreciate the comparison and [...]
Frankly nasty, never happy
In the middle of an avalanche of emails and positive telephone calls, some people and I pity them in as much as I imagine them unhappy, spit out their venom on the Walden project (see HERE). I was expecting it, of course, but the violence and the views taken by some really surprised me. An [...]
Petrus and La Tâche
It was a good week.
This past Thursday, Nashville’s premier collector flew into the Big Apple and took a bite at his favorite chef’s new restaurant, Alto. Scott Conant is the chef, by the way, and his first restaurant is the critically acclaimed L’Impero. Alto is sure to follow in its footsteps, and we had [...]
Return home
The week had announced itself as busy and it had been. Return after midday after four marathon non-stop days, practically a bottle permanently in my hand. OK, a glass too sometimes
Terrific broadcast, to really get it going, with Jean-Pierre Coffe. For those that missed it and would would like to try and listen [...]
People in Wine: Lesson Number One
Frank Swainston (below), in his kitchen at Constantia Uitsig, Cape Town , South Africa.
Our latest podcast People in Wine Special: food and wine matching, is available for download on whichever podcatcher you favour. You can also listen online at our main website - www.finewinepress.com. It is a special year-end edition and hence longer [...]