As an exuberant young student I had been eager to taste the regions I studied, yet the upper-market wines from Piedmont seemed totally out of reach. Tasting Barolo. At a recent tasting of very young Barolos, I identified wines I liked yet have at least a decade to evolve but they are named below. The Grape. The Region. MORE >>

of course impossible to detail all of it here, yet as an exercise (thinking of the final!) One of the most spectacular things about the Languedoc is the dramatic topography and different soils, and we really tasted this in the grapes. You can taste the stone in the wine. very successful first day. I will try. Loup (21.50). MORE >>

He took a break from tasting in Burgundy, where he is now, to respond. It was a fantastic education. Of course, I am also looking for the attributes all great wines share; complexity, length, textural elegance, and in the very finest wines, the capacity to continue to improve over time. His unedited replies follow below. Twice. MORE >>

Only February, and I've been in late January for the Master of Wine educational seminar and just last week, the Symposium for Professional Wine Journalists and the Premiere Napa Valley Barrel Auction. Of course, it was a gorgeous summer day and the reception was held in the delightful garden. Taylor Mason, Resident Chef. link]. MORE >>

For the sake of brevity one of the concerns under the 'economics' platform was to build more luxury hotels and incite Parisian visitors to spend the weekend (and of course their cash) in the businesses in the community. "How theatrical!" 18th century Paris and some modern romantic arty types of pieces (silouttes anyone?) Welcome!" MORE >>