Posted in Wine on Aug 27th, 2010
Screw summering in the Hamptons. I want to fly my personal jet to Piedmont. Instead of craning my neck to get a glimpse of the latest bimbo from the Real Housewives of New Jersey gallavanting by on horseback, I want to get lost in the vineyards, dine on Braised Rabbit and sip endless [...]
Posted in Wine on Aug 9th, 2010
Home to the longest, uninterrupted stretch of quality vineyards in Europe, the Mosel River is home to Rieslings on such a level of spectacularness that I often place a bib on myself to prevent the drool from soiling my shirt. The Mosel flows for 150 miles through Germany and, along most of it’s length, is [...]
Posted in Beer, NYC Events, Reviews, Spirits, Wine on Aug 6th, 2010
Dearest readers, I am stoked to share some exciting news with you. In addition to my vinous, brewish and libatious duties here at Grapes & Grains, I am pleased to announce that I will be expanding my reach further into the realm of the blogosphere… I have been invited to join the staff of the New [...]
Posted in NYC Events, Wine on Jul 14th, 2010
$30 (Includes 4 glasses of Riesling) $15 (Music only) Prepare yourselves for an event that will change lives, hearts and minds. Four amazing bands chosen for their high acidity, elegant concentration of fruit and incredible sense of place. The Bands: (Click their names to hear why you don’t wanna miss this):
Posted in NYC Events, Wine on Jul 8th, 2010
Well, looky looky, we’ve got ourselves a good ol’ bar crawl. That’s right, folks, we (the lunatics of Terroir Wine Bar) have cooked up a new venture for this year’s Summer of Riesling and brought along some of our Riesling-loving friends. Get in on the action and all-hail the greatest wine grape known to man. [...]
Posted in Beer, G&G Videos, NYC Events, Spirits, Wine on Jun 25th, 2010
North Williamsburg. On a rather desolate block, a mini-Mecca for libation lovers awaits in two-story glory. Be you beer geek, cocktail purist or refined wino, this is your place. All under one gloriously designed roof and with a level of hospitality that will warm any NY’ers heart. The Counting Room, at 44 Barry Street in Brooklyn, plays [...]
Posted in Beer, NYC Events, Spirits, Wine on Jun 8th, 2010
Well, hip to the hop to the hippity hop. Looks like I got me a wee bit of press last week. Maggie Hoffman, of Serious Eats, interviewed me about my job and, among other things, my thoughts on beer lists in restaurants. (Mom will be proud to hear her son raving about craft beer, walking [...]
Blanc de Franc (100% Cabernet Franc), Couly-Dutheil, NV (but really 2008), Loire Valley The magicians at Couly-Dutheil have performed a trick that baffles the eye. They pulled back their cloak, placed a bunch of red Cabernet Franc grapes behind it, said an incantation to the spirits of the Loire, and, walla kazaam, a le vini, [...]
Posted in Wine on May 20th, 2010
It was the shot heard round the world. Yesterday, Eric Asimov of the NY Times wrote an article that sent shock waves through Bordeaux. The message: you’re soon to be on life support. I feel inclined to write as Paul Grieco, our fearless leader, was pictured in the piece and our wine programs at Hearth [...]
Posted in Beer, NYC Events, Spirits, Wine on May 7th, 2010
On Monday, Lincoln Center was descended upon by the food & beverage community who harbored an insatiable hunger and thirst. Between the number of kegs cashed, martinis housed, Champagne guzzled and bites of food gobbled up, if one were to convert the ounces of alcohol and butter consumed to kilowatts, you could have lit the [...]
Posted in G&G Videos, NYC Events, Wine on Apr 29th, 2010
Year: 2050 “Grandpa, what’s that?” “Well, that’s a wine bottle, honey” “A what?”
Posted in Wine on Apr 19th, 2010
There goes one! Stop it from procreating! That fucking moth could be the end of us all! Napa Valley is under siege. And I don’t mean from gas-guzzling Escalades zipping up and down Highway 29 or from elite Parisian special forces who’ve been sent to steal trade secrets from Mondavi. No, my friends, by a [...]
Posted in Beer, NYC Events, Wine on Apr 16th, 2010
After countless months of planning, dreaming and scheaming, the doors have opened at Terroir | Tribeca. She’s a stunning belle of the highest caliber. And she’s gonna take NYC by force. A force built on passion, irreverence and a commitment to bone-numbingly high standards. The beer list is my baby. A collection of my international [...]
Posted in Wine on Apr 7th, 2010
Leflaive. Palacios. Joly. DRC. The list of heavy-hitter winemakers who’ve embraced Biodynamic farming goes on and on. In fact, if I had an ever-ticking stopwatch like the one at Union Square, it just might accurately reflect the number of biodynamic wineries popping up each day. I recently had a piece published on Palate Press entitled, [...]
Posted in Wine on Feb 19th, 2010
Well, its now official. The twelve crafty wine fakers have gotten the French gavel and its off to prison for some and hefty fines for others. As I wrote last week, E&J Gallo was sold a ridiculous amount of fake Pinot which was passed off on the world as Red Bicyclette Pinot Noir, which was [...]
