In The Spirit Archive

It’s that time of year again when restaurants and wine stores see an uptick in their sales of sparkling wine and for good reason as well, since it has become the most festive style of wine worldwide. That is, for the last several centuries at least, since the origins of sparkling wine go back to […]

With the Fall Equinox behind us, it now means that the daylight hours shorten and the nights get longer. As the temperature drops, I’m sure you will find yourself cozying up by a warm fire with a glass of wine pretty quickly. What wine could compliment such a perfect ambiance with family and friends and […]

Right about now, as we start to experience a little cooler temperatures at night and that touch of crisp air that tells us Autumn is marching steadily toward us, in vineyards all across the northern hemisphere, vineyard hands are working feverishly collecting bunches of grapes off the vines under the dutiful watch and organization of […]

Some people will live vicariously through others, even it’s a schlep like me.  For as long as I’ve loved wine and worked with it in our industry, the most common refrain I’ve heard is “Drinking wine for a living!—that must be tough…” in some form or another.  I certainly won’t deny it…YES, sipping wine almost […]

Far be it from me to contradict Nancy Sinatra, but my “summer wine” is not necessarily made from strawberries, cherries and an angel’s kiss in spring….although you’d probably have to have more than a few gray hairs on your head to get the reference, I suppose. And this is not to bash Arbor Mist at […]

In acknowledgement of the theme for this month’s publication, I wanted to say a few words about enjoying great wines while camping during these warm summer months and beyond. Specifically, I am thinking about camping and/or traveling in an RV with the family….possibly on a family vacation to a favorite annual destination, or even traveling […]

With the abundance of spicy sushi rolls, ghost pepper sauce and extreme spice levels of Buffalo wings now-a-days, I keep fielding questions on how to balance wine with the occasional over-the-top spice. So many times you think you have a great pairing, but upon coating your mouth with the spicy food, the wine either gets […]

The weather is warming, the buds are blooming, and the birds are chirping …was Punxsutawney Phil right or what? It really couldn’t make me happier. Spring brings about a lot of great times from cookouts to baseball to outdoor festivals. There always seems to be a common thread with being outdoors during this season and […]

With Valentine’s Day—one of the most important “date nights” of the year approaching—couples both young and old set out with hopes of special evenings of romantic perfection. Whether you choose to dine where the table cloths are white and the waiters don tuxes and tails, a quaint little place with all its charm or a […]

You ever wonder why one wine on the shelf will cost you $10 and another right next to it will cost you $100 or more? I’m imagining you do, judging by the fact that I often get questions precisely about this topic from guests when I do tastings or events. First of all, I think […]