Recent Articles

Baseball and Wine: Atlanta Braves

What's an appropriate wine to serve at a Atlanta Braves themed party? What wine would be a good gift for a hard core Braves fan?

The Atlanta Braves' history dates back to the very beginnings of Major League Baseball. The team actually predates Major League Baseball by a few years, joining the National League as the Boston Red Stockings in 1876, five years after its founding. The Braves and Cubs share the honor of being the oldest teams in the National League. The team has played under a variety of names, including the Boston Beaneaters (1883), the Boston Doves (1907) and the Boston Braves (1912). The team won its first World Series in 1914 as the Boston Braves. In 1936 the team changed its name to the Boston Bees, but reverted to its former name in 1941.

The Braves moved to Milwaukee in 1953 and the team won its second World Series four years later, in 1957. In 1966, the team moved again, this time to Atlanta, where it has remained ever since. The Braves began to attract a lot of attention when media mogul Ted Turner bought the team in 1976, showcasing games on his television station and thus bringing Braves baseball into homes across the country. Of course, the team's winning ways and strong rosters helped ratings, especially when the Braves won 14 division titles, five National League pennants and the 1995 World Series in the years between 1991 and 2005.

How Much Does a Wine's Vintage Matter?

by Loren Sonkin

In the last few weeks, I have been asked whether the vintage of a wine truly matters. My initial reaction was “of course”. Then, I started to question whether it was true or whether it was just a knee-jerk reaction based on historical precedent or even worse – wine snobbery. We can all envision the wine snob sitting down in a restaurant and refusing a bottle of wine because it’s the wrong vintage. Yikes. I have done that myself.

Was I being a wine snob? Was I just trying to impress my dinner companions? Or, does vintage matter? Nothing like a bit of self-reflection when ordering a bottle of wine. Oh well, at least it’s cheaper than a therapist.

Q&A with Karen MacNeil, Wine Educator and Author of the Best Selling, The Wine Bible

by Michael Cervin

Karen MacNeil, one of the foremost wine experts in the United States, has had a long and creative career in wine as an educator, consultant, television host, and writer. She is the author of the award-winning book, The Wine Bible, and host of Emmy-award winning Wine, Food & Friends with Karen MacNeil; the first television series on wine in the United States. Karen is the creator and Chairman of the Rudd Center for Professional Wine Studies at the Culinary Institute of America in the Napa Valley. She conducts customized wine education seminars nationwide for individuals and corporations including American Express, Lexus, Merrill Lynch, General Electric, Time Inc., and NBC, among others. In 2008, the International Wine and Spirits Competition awarded Karen the “Oscar” of wine: Communicator of the Year. In a full page profile featured in Time Magazine, Karen was described as America’s “Missionary of the Vine.”

Q&A with Hugh Davies, President and CEO of Schramsberg Vineyards

by Michael Cervin

Hugh Davies was born in 1965, the year his parents, Jack and Jamie Davies, revived the historic Schramsberg Vineyards property in Napa Valley. Forty years later, he was named president and CEO of the then 40-year-old sparkling wine house. At Schramsberg, Hugh has led the ongoing effort to fine-tune winemaking and grape-growing techniques, building upon the winery's track record of producing award-winning sparkling wines. He was instrumental in replanting the winery's historic hillside vineyards to Bordeaux varietals. He holds a master's degree in enology from the University of California, Davis, and has his undergraduate degree from Bowdoin College in Maine.

Q&A with Cristina Mariani-May, proprietor of Castello Banfi

by Michael Cervin

Cristina Mariani-May is the family proprietor of Castello Banfi vineyard estate in Montalcino, Tuscany, (founded in 1919), and co-CEO of Banfi Vintners, a leading U.S. importer of fine wines with over 30 labels. Castello Banfi wines are currently sold in 85 countries. Of Italy’s 45 nationally approved clones for Sangiovese, six are from Castello Banfi. In 2006 Castello Banfi became the only winery in the world to achieve ISO 14001, ISO 9001 and SA 8000 certification.

Q&A with Greg V. Jones, Holistic Climatologist

by Michael Cervin

Greg Jones is a climatologist, and Professor of Geography at the Department of Environmental Studies at Southern Oregon University who conducts applied research for the wine industry. He was named One of the Top 50 Most Influential People in the Wine World by Decanter magazine for his global ability to present climate change to wineries. Now he consults with wineries around the world on the relationship between climate change and grapes, and lectures internationally.

Wines to Go Buy This Week: Three Wines to Serve on Valentine's Day

by Brad Prescott

Valentine's Day is right around the corner which means lovers across the globe will be seeking out the right wine to romance their dates with for the evening. With this in mind, I bring you the IntoWine guide to Valentine's Day wine:

First let's handle the issue of chocolate. Despite popular opinion, wine and chocolate are actually quite difficult to pair as either the sweetness of the chocolate overwhelms the wine or, in the case of sweet wines like Port or dessert wine, the sweetness of the wine overwhelms the chocolate. So what do you serve? I find champagne to be the ideal wine pairing for chocolate as it offers a distinct contrast to the sweet chocolate in both taste and texture. Plus the bubbles can only serve to enhance your Valentine's Day mood. My recommendation: Try the Taittinger "La Francaise" Brut Champagne. An authentic, quality champagne but, at approx $35, not so expensive you'll break the bank either.

So what if you aren't seeking a wine to pair with chocolate and instead just want the right wine to sip by the fire while you romance your date? I have two suggestions for you:

Valentines Day Food & Wine Pairings to Impress Your Date

by Dave Beaulieu

Knowing how to cook pays off well throughout the year, but biggest win may come on Valentines day. First you get to avoid, expensive, overcrowded restaurants that frankly “dumb down” the food for the night, and second (and perhaps more important) you get the chance “to be excellent” in front of women. Of course the recipes and wines below can just as easily and expertly be prepared by the female cooks out there, but let’s face, it’s the guys that really need to step up on Valentines day. These are a few of my favorites as the food and wines are great, they are easy to prepare, and they are sure to impress. Hope you enjoy them!