September 13, 2018
Duck into just about any local izakaya pub in Japan, wind through a tight squeeze of boisterous diners, clusters of friends and coworkers reenergizing themselves after a long work day with skewers of grilled yakitori, potato croquettes and platters of... UNFILTERED Archives: News
The Lost World: Pre-Phylloxera Albariño in the Val do Salnés

September 6, 2018
We are very pleased to announce the arrival of the 2017 vintage of ‘A Cruz das Ánimas’, the Albariño from Atalier by Raúl Pérez. While this is the second vintage produced under this label, it should be considered the first... Delightful Diversions and Delicious Drinks – A Labor Day Weekend Tribute!

August 30, 2018
It’s hot, it’s humid, and the air is sticky. The streets are quiet as everyone has retreated to their summer home, their living room in front of the AC unit, or perhaps the movie theater enjoying the free air conditioning.... Back to the Future of Soave (and Valpolicella)!

August 28, 2018
What if we told you that we have a wine in stock that’s made entirely with grapes from organically-farmed 120+-year-old prephylloxera vines planted in volcanic soil, and that it’s widely considered one of Italy’s best wines year in and year... Arlaud’s 2016 Vintage: A Triumph in Times of Trouble

August 14, 2018
It was the evening of Friday, May 27th, 2016, and for the 5th straight day, rain was pouring down on the vineyards of Burgundy. After a devastating frost in April that dropped the potential volume of the vintage by at... The Bitter and the Sweet Side of Liqueurs: A Long-Lived Tipple

July 31, 2018
There are many confusing categories under the broad “spirits” umbrella: amari versus bitter, bourbon versus whisk(e)y, rum versus rhum… the list goes on. One category, however, particularly garners much debate: liqueur. The category is confusing, with good reason. There are... “An Emotional Footprint”: Sara Pérez, René Barbier and Venus La Universal

July 12, 2018
As the children of two of the pioneers of the Priorat D.O., Sara Pérez and René Barbier IV grew up as neighbors, looking on as their fathers, Josep Lluis Pérez of Mas Martinet and René Barbier III of Clos Mogador,... I’m Not A Player – I Just Slush A Lot

July 10, 2018
Last summer, in our post “Boozy Popsicles and Blended Drinks”, we explored options for beating the heat with a variety of ice-cold cocktails. Now, as the season’s inaugural beads of sweat form on our brows, we thought it appropriate to... Save Some Booze for the Sauce

June 26, 2018
For better or worse (mostly better), fermentation and the consumption of potable alcohol is one of the human race’s defining characteristics. Since its discovery, alcohol has been used in, and enjoyed alongside, food for its organoleptic and intoxicating properties. Throughout... “Going to the Woods is Going Home”: Peay Vineyards and the Contemporary American Wine Estate

June 7, 2018
The stories of wine are concerns of proximity. “This glass here,” we might start: “its story begins in a land far away.” And then we step closer. We tightrope borders – those lent to us by millenniums of tectonic undulations,...