Review: 2019 Fort Ross Winery Sea Slopes Chardonnay and Pinot Noir
Sea Slopes is a second label for Fort Ross Winery, which can be found in the far western coastal reaches of Sonoma County. The pinots and chardonnays under this label are more widely available — and more affordable. We recently tried two from the newly released 2019 vintage. Let’s dig in. 2019 Fort Ross Winery…
Review: Wines of Stone Castle, 2021 Releases
Stone Castle is a winery from a region that’s new to me: Kosovo. The Balkan operation has been producing wines here in the Rahovec Valley since 1953, though many of its varietal choices tend to run toward offerings that American drinkers may find quite familiar. Let’s taste three new releases. 2018 Stone Castle Chardonnay Reserve…
Review: Poli Marconi 42 Gin
Most folks’ first pass with Italian genius Guglielmo Marconi came courtesy of a rather inane (but singable) lyric by Starship, located in the pre-chorus of the band’s hit “We Built This City.” The scientist is largely considered to be the founding father of the radio telegraph, winning him the Nobel prize for Physics. Marconi street…
Review: Hendrick’s Gin and Katz’s Delicatessen Gin-Inspired Pickled Cucumbers
In April of this year, Hendrick’s posted an Instagram prank advertising Hendrick’s-branded pickles. Clever, but not an earth-shattering level of jokery, really. Only now the pickles are real, courtesy of a collaboration with iconic Katz’s Delicatessen in New York, where they are available in store and for nationwide shipping, for a limited time. They’re made…
Review: Wines of Southwest Michigan, 2021 Releases
Southwestern Michigan is a region commonly associated with several high-quality beers and breweries dotting the map. Quality wine was to be found only within the northern Traverse Bay and very few other places. The last several years has found the southwest area quietly making a case to claim the throne. We were lucky enough to…
Review: WhistlePig RoadStock Rye and FarmStock Beyond Bonded Rye and Bourbon
WhistlePig has been on an absolute tear lately, firing out new expressions left and right to the point where it’s hard to keep up. Today we’re looking at three new releases from the Vermont operation, including a unique rye and a matched pair of 101-proof whiskeys, one rye and one bourbon (bourbon! from WhistlePig!). Let’s…
Review: NV G.H. Mumm Grand Corton Rosé
Mumm is a well-recognized Champagne house. Located in Reims, one of the key towns in the Champagne region in France, it traces its history to the early 1800s. The nonvintage G.H. Mumm Grand Corton Rosé is a sparkling wine mainly made from Pinot Noir, however the two other traditional Champagne grapes of Pinot Meunier and…
Review: 2017 Mascota Vineyards Unanime Malbec
The front page of the Mascota Vineyards website reminds the reader that “pleasure is a treasure.” However well-intended, the sentiment bears resemblance to something displayed in cursive lettering, carved into wood while hanging in the waiting area of a rural Midwestern beauty salon. Enough on taglines, on to brass tacks: Mascota’s vineyards lie at the…
