WORDS ON WINE.
And other stuff.
The Unpretentious Guide to Portuguese Wine
“The ultimate concise and portable guidebook for travelers, casual wine enthusiasts, aficionados, and professionals.”
NOW AVAILABLE WORLDWIDE!
2025 Content.
Prestige Alcohol Brands Are Difficult to Build — and All Too Easy to Ruin
As Published by VINEPAIR
… Luxury in and of itself often rings hollow, but prestige has soul to it: a sort of timeless essence of cultural meaningfulness … That elevation into the near-universally respected prestige level is an ultimate goal for many alcohol producers and marketers … But cautionary tales abound, and even if smart and lucky enough to hunt down true brand prestige, mucking it all up and squandering the hard-won treasure is far too easy …
March 17, 2025
Long Associated With Sherry, Solera Aging Is Redefining Spirits and Cocktails
As Published by VINEPAIR
… Sherry’s old-school strategy of aging and blending, known as the “solera” system, has trickled its way into all kinds of drinks culture over the past few years as a buzzworthy technique for distillers, mixology pros, and even breweries. And within that cadre, it’s becoming a trendy brand of sorts, a stylistic stamp of solera-club membership. … The intrinsically geeky solera system is slowly inching toward potential (drinks) pop culture status …
March 3, 2025
Can U.S. Supermarket-Branded Wine Follow Europe’s Blueprint for Success?
As Published by VINEPAIR
… The shock experienced by an American when faced with a legitimately lovely bottle of bubbly emblazoned with a supermarket’s logo would probably be lost on the current crop of European residents. … Hell, with zero hint of shame or irony, many are even comfortable bringing the mid-range and posher supermarket bottlings to nice dinner parties. So what is Europe doing so right with its grocery private label wine culture that many outfits in the U.S. haven’t quite figured out? …
February 27, 2025
Is This Once-Iconic Portuguese Wine’s Affordability Now Its Biggest Problem?
As Published by VINEPAIR
… At first glance, with its accessible pricing and seemingly ideal origin location, one might think Moscatel de Setúbal is favorably positioned to once again climb the ranks. But facing a shrinking fortified market, as well as surrounded and outshined by the three most bankable wines of the genre, does the faded star have the slightest chance at pulling off a Cinderella story and regaining its elite fortified status? …
February 17, 2025
This Englishman Put California Wine on the Map Well Before the ‘Judgment of Paris’
As Published by VINEPAIR
… But there’s a forgotten name hidden in the shadows, collecting cultural cobwebs despite its critical importance and prior fame. It’s a name now consistently omitted from the list of those who deserve credit for the overall grand arrival of California wine on the international stage. That name is Harry Waugh, born 1904 just north of London, and lovingly known among his American contemporaries as “the man with the million dollar palate.” …
January 2, 2025
