As nights grow cooler and evening breezes soothe away the heat of these warm fall days, our palates are prone to brief episodes of unrest and indecision, barely noticed but in those whose passion it is to punctuate the beginning of autumn-and the day–with wine.
The sense memory of unyielding rays against the skin, reignited momentarily at sunset in a faint echo of the sun’s full effect, seduces the mind into craving cold. If you love wine truly then scratch that itch with cold water within and without after which clear thinking may prevail.
In October the properly quenched mind craves Côtes du Rhône, of cooling minerals that bathe the tongue, earthy fruit (itself the evocation of sunset) borne of blistering hot rocks, cool night skies and water well hidden and hard fought for by sturdy but deep, slender roots. And warmth that accrues in step with the cool creep of night.
And so we offer… Continue reading Domaine de Pierredon Côtes-du-rhône 2012
In the world of beer there is a lot of myth amongst the reality. Sometimes it seems that half-truths are intentionally told in order to keep legends alive, and of course the more mystery, obscurity, and romance involved, the better. The longest-running rumor amongst Belgian beer fans that I’ve been exposed to is that the legendary Westvleteren, brewed in Trappist monasteries by devoted monks and unavailable in the United States, is the same beer as the St Bernardus Abt 12 available on our very shelves. Of course, the Westy is so rare that most beer drinkers never have an opportunity to form an opinion on the issue – but Nicolay and I can now count ourselves among the lucky few. 
