Thinking About Drinking
The truth about what the Pilgrims were actually drinking in 1621 Every November, we’re all out here carefully selecting the perfect wines to pair with turkey, debating whether to go red or white, and strategizing our Thanksgiving wine lineup. But…
Remember that wine tariff saga I wrote about back in October? The one where a small NYC wine importer challenged Trump’s tariffs on European wine imports and actually won in lower courts? Well, last week the story reached its biggest…
Ever wonder why champagne at fancy events always seems to come in those impressive oversized bottles? Turns out, it’s not just for the Instagram moment (though let’s be real, that’s a major perk). Magnums—those 1.5-liter bottles that are basically the…
Ever taken a sip of wine and felt your mouth instantly water like you just bit into a lemon? Or maybe you’ve noticed some wines feel crisp and zippy while others are soft and mellow? Welcome to the wonderful world…
Everything you need to know about cooking with wine—from which bottles to buy to whether that fancy Burgundy is actually worth pouring in your pasta sauce We’ve all been there: standing in the kitchen, recipe calling for “1/2 cup dry…
Just a few degrees might not sound like much, but in the grape-growing world, it's the difference between picking early with underripe fruit and hanging on until peak flavor and structure. That 2-4°F cushion from Seneca Lake? It can make or break a vintage.
Ever wondered why your rosé is pink, your orange wine is orange, and your Cabernet is deep purple? It's all about the skin contact, baby! Think of it like a makeup routine: no contact gives you that fresh-faced look, a little gives you that 'no-makeup makeup' vibe, and full contact is your full glam moment. Here's the thing most people don't realize: all grape juice starts out clear—yes, even from red grapes!
The Chartreuse shortage isn't due to supply chain issues or production problems—it's because the Carthusian monks made a conscious decision in 2021 to cap production at roughly 1.2 million bottles per year. Their reasoning? 'Making millions of cases does not make any sense in today's environmental context and will have a negative impact on the planet in the very short term.' The monks also wanted to 'protect their monastic life and devote their time to solitude and prayer' rather than scale up production to meet growing demand from the craft cocktail world.
A liqueur is essentially a sweetened spirit that's been infused with flavors—fruits, herbs, spices, or even chocolate. Unlike wine (fermented grapes) or straight spirits (pure distilled alcohol), liqueurs get their character from this flavor infusion process. In the US, liqueurs must contain at least 2.5% sugar by weight and have minimum 15% ABV to qualify legally.