The Spirit World

After a full meal of turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce and everything else that makes up our holiday table traditions, we don’t really need to eat another bite. But, sooner or later, most of us crave something sweet to end our meal. This year, instead of being seduced by the siren call of those perennial favorites […]

Bordeaux wines demystified in our webchat with winemakers
Chat date: Tuesday 16th September Chat time: 1.00pm
You might love French wines, but chances are you’ve found them labelled in such a way that it’s hard to know which one to choose, or even to remember which one you bought last time you went to the supermarket. Well […]

My latest artist pick (groovy wines under $10) comes from one of the oldest estates in the Jumilla region of southern Spain- - Finca Luzon — founded by the Gil family in 1916.
LUZON VERDE 2006 at the great price of $ 8.99 is certified organic and made from 100% Monastrell (a varietal also known as […]

Imagine strolling through a field of lavender in Provence then being whisked
off on a high speed train to Languedoc. That’s how I would describe my first impression of Corbières “Fontanilles” Domaine des Deux Anes 2005. At the exceptionally reasonable price of $ 10, this artist pick is a winner. Dark, rich and smoky with […]

A new, online wine store - Israeli Wine Direct - has just opened its virtual doors. The company focuses on hand-selected, artisanal, mostly non-kosher wines from Israel. Did you know that Israel is home to over 150 wineries? We see little in the UK apart from a handful of Kosher wines in certain areas, so […]

Think of wines from Italy and what springs to mind? Chianti or Amarone maybe?, Lambrusco or Asti or maybe a Nero d’Avola from Sicily?. Having spent a week on holiday on Lake Garda in the north of the country names such as Chiaretto, Bardolino and Lugana are uppermost in my mind.
This area illustrates the complexity […]

Tuscany is known the world over for its wines, the most famous probably being Chianti. Chianti comes from within a strictly delimited zone within the region, with bottles of Chianti Classico being instantly recognisable as they bear the black rooster logo.
It is not sufficient simply for Chianti Classico wines to be produced within the Chianti […]

The warm days of summer are almost upon us — time to break out the white wine. Versatile as an aperitif and food-friendly, Sauvignon Blanc is as varied in style and complexity as are completely different varietals.
At a recent gathering of starving artists, the 2006 Baron D’Aliénor Bordeaux Sauvignon was a real crowd pleaser. Made […]

If you’re not a captain of industry or you don’t have celebrity status, then you might want to check out my Artists Picks, great moderately priced wines under $10. I’ll be reviewing a different wine in each post, describing the terroir, region and providing tasting notes.
The Douro Valley in Portugal is a spectacular landscape of […]

An Organic and Biodynamic Wine Cellar Created by Scott Pactor of West Chelsea’s Appellation Wine & Spirits
Bright, Modern, and white, it’s exterior wall of glass, Appellation Wine & Spirits – in eco chic, delightfully designed West Chelsea, is the first Biodynamic Wine Boutique in New York City.
Opened in September 2005, Appellation has established itself as […]