English Pale Ale, Blandford Fly, Badger Brewery, Hall and Woodhouse, Dorset, England (5.2% Alc) In the small, sleepy town of Blandford Forum in southern England, a tiny predator lurks at the banks of the River Stour. Rumors abound as to its actual size; some claim it is mere millimeters, while others claim it is the […]

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Cabernet Sauvignon, Cape Winemakers Guild, Kanonkop, 1997, Stellenbosch (14% Alc) What if Yoda made wine?  And what if instead of focusing on intergalactic peace, the Jedis gathered to taste through barrels of Pinotage and hammer out the intricacies of pruning and soil characteristics? And what if after hours of intense debate, they chose their favorite […]

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Pineau d’Aunis, Adonis, La Grapperie, 2005, Loire Valley (13% Alc) I’ve always liked the freaks, the misfits, those that are labeled “quirky”.  They’re not easily categorized and usually take some time to understand. As wine consumers, we swim in a sea of decently made, yet entirely forgettable wine.  But sometimes a wine grabs you by […]

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Bourgueil (100% Cabernet Franc), Les Galichets, C&P Breton, 2007, Loire Valley (12% alc) I found myself sipping on this wine last week and was reminded how hypnotic Cabernet Franc can be.  Fragrant and juicy with crisp acidity, it is often blended with Cabernet Sauvignon in other wine regions, but in Bourgueil (pronounced “boor-geye”) it is […]

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Seattle rules.  For an NYC boy like me to get to see more than a sliver of the sky at a time, it’s a pleasure, but to see the entire sky at once was beyond therapeutic.  And the sheer amount of art?  Whoa.  I thought the East Village was artsy, but its got nothing on […]

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Ploussard, La Chamade, A&P Bornard, Arbois, France, 2006 (13.5% Alc) Barton Fink is one of my favorite movies.  I first saw it when I was fifteen, and remember it vividly.  It was like no other movie I’d ever seen: complex, dark, and quirky with strange characters (a neurotic NY playwright who moves to LA to […]

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Providencia (100% Monastrell), Bellum, Yecla, Spain, 2005

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Riesling Auslese, Erdener Treppchen, C.H. Berres, 1996, Mosel, Germany (8.0% alc) You want complexity?  You want range of flavor?  You want your tongue slapped around like a rag doll and taken on a journey?  Then you want some Riesling.  The noblest of the nobles that many still haven’t discovered, Rieslings can range from bone dry […]

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IPA, “Hoptical Illusion”, Bluepoint Brewing Company, Patchogue, New York (6.8% Alc) I’m feeling the hops.  Like mad feeling the hops.  I dream of immersing myself in a McDonalds Playland where the balls have been replaced with barrels are barrels of hops.  And there must be some freak out there whose managed to stuff their pillows […]

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Blanc de Blanc Sparkling, “Sofia”, Francis Ford Coppola Estate, 2007, Monterey County (12.6% abv) Michael My father went back, only this time with Luca Brasi. Within an hour, he had a signed release for a certified check of $1000. Kay Adams How did he do that? Michael My father made him an offer he couldn’t […]

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Old Ale, Theakston, Old Peculiar The Legend, Masham, North Yorkshire, UK (5.6% Alc abv) Brewed with Fuggle hops and from a long tradition, Theakston’s Old Peculier Ale “The Legend” is a little deceiving. It’s dark, squat brown bottle sits like a tank looking back at me. Its steely eyes watching my every move. The beer […]

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