This blog began as a record of taking the WSET Diploma, during which I studied and explored wines and spirits made all around the world. Having passed the Diploma and become a WSET Certified Educator, the blog has become much more: a continual outlet for my passion for the culture of wine, spirits, and beer.
I aim to educate in an informal, enlightening, and engaging manner. As well as maintaining this blog to track my latest enthusiasms, I provide educational tastings for restaurants and for private groups. Details can be found on the website, and collaborations are welcome.
Wine is my primary interest and area of expertise and this blog aims to immerse the reader in the history of wine, to understand why wine tastes like it does, and to explore all the latest news. At the same time, beer and spirits will never be ignored.
For the drinker, whether casual or professional, today is a good time to be alive.
All tagged new york
Interview with Alex Rosanelli of Hound's Tree Winery on Long Island, New York. We talk about Long Island's climate, the challenges that come with it, and the grape varieties best suited to the moderate temperatures and the Atlantic growing conditions, particularly Cabernet Franc and Merlot. Long Island is a young and exciting wine region—listen and learn
New York State is becoming more and more associated with quality winemaking, even if hybrids still dominate plantings. It has an extreme climate: inland it's cool continental, while on Long Island it's maritime with hurricanes a hazard. However, ambitious producers are learning to work with the conditions to produce extremely interesting wines from Riesling, Cabernet Franc, and Gamay. Definitely a wine region to keep an eye on.
The history of US wine goes back to the Puritans landing in 1620. But attempts at winemaking were often hit by both natural and human forces. Since the 1970s, though, the USA has emerged as the fourth largest producer of wine in the world, with California central for both quantity and quality. This episode looks at how California in particular got to where it is today.
