Posted in NYC Events, Wine on Feb 17th, 2011
At 9 am, I entered the restaurant to prepare for the trade tasting. By 10 am, the stage was set. 17 guests, 10 wines each. Without nary a cup of coffee in me, I banged out 170 tasting-size pours in about 20 minutes, maneuvering the decanters and the bottles through the maze of glassware à […]
Posted in Wine on Feb 14th, 2011
Ilkka Sirén is one hilarious dude. Although he lives across the globe in Finland, after watching his videos and experiencing his sense of humor, I now consider him kin. Perhaps my mother spent some time in the Norwegian countries before meeting my father? But I guess that would make Ilkka more than 40 years old…hmm…okay, […]
Forget wine. Forget beer. They’re mere newbies in the world of fermented beverages. Mead is the patriarch, the original, the granddaddy that launched the human fascination with alcohol. But, strangely enough, it’s fallen out of fashion. How could this be? This was the drink of Aristotle and the Ancient Greeks; the drink of the brave […]
Pinot Gris, Prophet’s Rock, 2009, Central Otago (13.2% abv) The orcs are moving in on you. You can hear their gnarled grunts approaching the perimeter of your camp like a fast-moving plague. The ringwraiths were spotted yesterday on the horizon, their ghostlike, ethereal figures barely visible through the fog. You’re being hunted. And the enemy […]
Contra, Bonny Doon Vineyard, 2009, Contra Costa County (13.5% abv) At the mouth of Big Thompson Canyon in Northern Colorado, lies a small store that sells Black Bing Cherries. Juices, ciders, jams, you name it. The store itself was unmissable; a large red roof over a white building from which hung hundreds of red juice […]
Posted in Wine on Nov 13th, 2010
We live in a wild world here in the city, and it’s all to easy to overlook what’s right at our doorstep. The state of New York is a powerhouse in the world of wine; to the over 8 million people living in the city, though, the vineyards are far out of mind. When I […]
Posted in Wine on Oct 31st, 2010
Happy Halloween, my libation-loving friends. As the streets are filled with sugar-craving, maniacal little beasties going door-to-door begging for the sweet stuff, the end of October unofficially marks the end of prime time for the 2010 harvest. While there are still certainly some grapes a-hanging on the vine, for the majority of North American and European […]
Posted in Wine on Oct 17th, 2010
In the luxury world of Champagne, a small rip has appeared in the king’s frock. There has been a descension in the ranks. And this thread may unravel to reveal the true beauty that lies underneath the polished exterior. After centuries of domination, the massive Champagne houses are now seeing small renegades rising out of […]
Posted in NYC Events, Wine on Sep 19th, 2010
Herr Paul Grieco touted the wines for this tasting as “the greatest Riesling from the greatest Riesling vineyard in all of Germany”. And, I may be mistaken, but I believe he silently wept numerous times throughout (no doubt with at least 5 grams of acid and 10 grams of residual sugar per tear, because that’s […]
La Lettre à Élise (100% Chenin Blanc), Domaine Mosse, NV, Loire Valley (13.5 % abv) I’m a ridiculously huge fan of the whites from the Loire Valley. Just as Pavlov’s dogs salivate at the sound of his bell, simply saying the words “white” and “Loire” in the same sentence around me will cause feverish sweats […]
Posted in Wine on Aug 27th, 2010
Screw summering in the Hamptons. I want to fly my personal jet to Piedmont. Instead of craning my neck to get a glimpse of the latest bimbo from the Real Housewives of New Jersey gallavanting by on horseback, I want to get lost in the vineyards, dine on Braised Rabbit and sip endless […]
Posted in Wine on Aug 9th, 2010
Home to the longest, uninterrupted stretch of quality vineyards in Europe, the Mosel River is home to Rieslings on such a level of spectacularness that I often place a bib on myself to prevent the drool from soiling my shirt. The Mosel flows for 150 miles through Germany and, along most of it’s length, is […]
Posted in Beer, NYC Events, Reviews, Spirits, Wine on Aug 6th, 2010
Dearest readers, I am stoked to share some exciting news with you. In addition to my vinous, brewish and libatious duties here at Grapes & Grains, I am pleased to announce that I will be expanding my reach further into the realm of the blogosphere… I have been invited to join the staff of the New […]
Posted in NYC Events, Wine on Jul 14th, 2010
$30 (Includes 4 glasses of Riesling) $15 (Music only) Prepare yourselves for an event that will change lives, hearts and minds. Four amazing bands chosen for their high acidity, elegant concentration of fruit and incredible sense of place. The Bands: (Click their names to hear why you don’t wanna miss this):
Posted in NYC Events, Wine on Jul 8th, 2010
Well, looky looky, we’ve got ourselves a good ol’ bar crawl. That’s right, folks, we (the lunatics of Terroir Wine Bar) have cooked up a new venture for this year’s Summer of Riesling and brought along some of our Riesling-loving friends. Get in on the action and all-hail the greatest wine grape known to man. […]
