Blog

2017 Guastaferro “Memini” Algianico, Irpinia

March 19, 2023

Aglianico is a native, red varietal from the south of Italy in Campania. It produces some of the most undervalued wines and is virtually unknown outside of wine cognoscenti. I have long hailed the amazingness of this grape in countless social media posts, so it should surprise no one that I am at it again.… Read More
2020 Beckmen Vineyards TLB Red Wine, Los Olivos

March 17, 2023

Tasting another Beckmen from our 2020 futures shipment. The wine is named for the founder of the winery, Thomas Lawrence Beckmen, who purchased his first property in Los Olivos in 1994. In the ensuing years, Tom transformed the property into the destination winery that it is today. In honor of his contributions, this wine is… Read More
The Lost Bottle

March 12, 2023

Ten years ago, the first Lost Bottle tasting was held and our intrepid guests were rewarded with a flight of wonderfully intriguing wines. Out of sixteen wines, there were only two that had long passed, with the rest showing that wine can be timeless. With this installment of the Lost Bottle we opened twelve wines… Read More
2014 Titignano Tenuta di Salviano Solideo Lago di Corbara Rosso, Umbria, Italy

June 23, 2020

When I teach about Italian wine, I often speak about the breadth and diversity of wine found in Italy. Wine is synonymous with Italy and vice-versa. It would take a lifetime to taste the abundance and diversity of wine regions, a challenge I have been working on for nearly 37 years. On a trip to… Read More
1919 Cocktail

May 1, 2020

Boston is a city rich in history. Whether it is related to tea being dumped in the harbor, or something more modern, Boston is, in the words of author Stephen Puleo, A City So Grand. Interestingly enough, today’s cocktail is based on a topic that first introduced me to the easy writing style of Mr.… Read More
Charleston Light Dragoon Punch

April 27, 2020

Punch… I have written before about the history and tradition of Punch in the vernacular of American drinking tradition. Preceding the very founding of this nation, the Punch habit was not only practiced in taverns throughout colonial America, but the military was particularly fond of Punch. The convivial nature of a shared Punch bowl was… Read More