by admin | Jul 17, 2019 | Blog
n Some years ago I lent a recording of Bartok’s Concerto for Orchestra to a colleague. We’d been having a series of conversations about classical music that ended in 20th century works. I remember raving about Bartok’s concerto, my favorite 20th century piece. I...
by admin | Jun 22, 2019 | Blog
n ©Leo Cullum – New Yorker Magazine Tasting notes. They’re a blessing or a curse depending on your viewpoint. If you’re in the business, they’re a necessity. For industry pros, a tasting note is a multi-layered memory device. It’s an attempt to record...
by admin | May 23, 2019 | Blog
n ©Leo Cullum – New Yorker Magazine Recently I had a lengthy phone conversation with a friend who’s not in the wine industry. During our chat he happened to mention how difficult it was to get a good bottle of wine in a restaurant. My reaction was somewhere...
by admin | Apr 23, 2019 | Blog
n Joan Miró – The Sparkling Gold Bird Encircles the Thought of the Poet – 1951 The first time I ever paid for a professional tasting was in the summer of 1987. It was at Singer & Foy, a now-defunct retailer then located just off Washington Square in...
by admin | Mar 5, 2019 | Blog
n Weingut Wittman, Rheinhessen In blind tasting practice and exams there are two sets of grapes that consistently give students nightmares. I call them the “Evil Dwarves.” Each set is populated by grapes easily confused for one other. The first set is made up of...
by admin | Feb 8, 2019 | Blog
n ©1977 Napa County Development Council Summer 1976 and the Paris Tasting. The repeal of prohibition was just 43 years before. Dry table wines had only been outselling fortified sweet jug wines in the U.S. since 1968. For most Americans, fine wine—and fine dining for...
