One of the highlights of attending En Primeur in Bordeaux this year for me had been the opportunity to taste the new vintage of prestigious, historic Chateau Cheval Blanc, famed for nearly two centuries for its unique terroir. It received the highest rank of Premier Grand Cru Classé (A) status in the Classification [...]

      In his new book Setting the Table, Danny Meyer sets himself up as the king of hospitality. In the real world, does he practice what he preaches? Marisa D’Vari finds out … Rather daring, don’t you think, for a restaurateur to write a book titled Setting The Table: The Transforming Power of [...]

Recently my friend and I were enjoying blind tasting a wine as is a typical practice at dinner. After a few moments of careful examination, it was safe to concluded it was from the Old World, likely a 2007, and a Pinot Noir. Yet what [...]

What better way to spend a summer weekend than by blinding tasting two whites and out of all the whites in the world, analyzing their variety and origin? Of course, this sort of Sherlock Holmes antics is familiar to students in the Master of Wine program. Typically I ask wine retailers that [...]

… So I just had a fabulous lunch at Avra in NYC with Nicholas Miller, whose family owns the Bien Nacido brand (Pinot Noir and Syrah) and Solomon Hills brand (Chardonnay) in Santa Maria, California. “Bien Nacido means ‘born with a silver spoon’ – or some such in Spanish,” says Nicholas. As the [...]

Hello from Marisa D’Vari! If you are between 21 and 32 years old, live in Manhattan, and you are interested in social media I would like to invite you to be part of a focus group I am creating to explore the subject in greater depth. Please email [...]

Crave an exotic island rarely seen by American eyes? My first venture to the Greek island of Santorini revealed neat white houses up the sort of steep hill that later earns pedestrians of either sex complimentary shout-outs about their well-exercised calf muscles.
The trip also introduced the magic of the Santorini Vines. Unlike a vineyard you [...]

  Do you like Greek wines? I do … they come in a variety of styles and price points and pair well with a wide variety of food. Typically they are also a very good value for the money, especially when it comes to reserve wines where you can still get [...]

“I want a wine that tastes like summer,” the chic woman tells the clerk at an upscale wine store. “Something that pairs well with grilled skewers of fresh shrimp and swordfish. What do you recommend?” If you were the clerk, what would you advise? A briny Muscadet? A buttery Chardonnay? Perhaps an exotic Albarino [...]

Chateau Prieuré-Lichine   In March of 2010, several Master of Wine students – myself included – were invited to visit several prestigious Chateaux in Bordeaux. We were each assigned a Chateau to cover, and I had the good fortune of being able [...]

Rosé wine from Provence has been famous for thousands of years, yet many people do not realize that the whites and reds of Provence are refreshing and delicious, with many of the barrel-aged reds worthy of long-term aging.  Though many people think of glitzy jet-set St. Tropez or touristy Marseilles [...]

“Welcome!” exclaims vivacious Remy Devictor (wearing stripes), who with his brother Oliver owns Domaine La Sangliere, just a stone’s throw from the beaches of St. Tropez. With much pride, he shows me around his winery, asking that I not take pictures of the empty spaces were the fermentation tanks once stood (“we’re getting brand [...]

  “Welcome to Domaine de Sulauze,” says handsome owner and winemaker Guillaume Lefevre, looking miraculously fair under the intense summer sun. We are standing outside our gites (room) for the evening, a gorgeously restored apartment with an expansive kitchen and newly remodeled bathrooms inside a structure several hundred years old. [...]

  “Welcome to Abbaye Saint Hilaire,” says fun loving,good-natured owner Philippe Burel, with his characteristic cheerful smile and little laugh. He greets us at the very long driveway of his estate, which includes a winery producing upwards of a half-million bottles of wine a year, 16 gites (a European word used to describe rooms outside [...]

“You must have some fresh Truffles on toast!” says attractive blond Valérie Rousselle-Riboud, looking very glamorous and jet-set [...]

Nathalie showing excellent wine review in Vin magazine
“Welcome!” says Nathalie Vancoillie, a very tanned, toned, attractive woman with sun-streaked hair and an athletic build as she escorts us into her Chateau in Provence, a charming stone structure that dates from the 15th century. Most people think of Provence as St. Tropez, yet Nathalie lives outside [...]

Very lively conversation with Eric about his new grapestories web site.

 
So I am on "Day 2" of the Master of Wine "Forging Links" symposium. Fabulous! The photo is from the first panel featuring Jancis Robinson, Eric LeVine (Cellartracker), Rowan Gormley (Naked Wine) and Michael Linton.

The subject of "Wine on the Web" is good and the information may be new to many in the room. It [...]

“Wow, this party is so fun … and the food is so delicious!” said a woman with long dark hair and Sex in the City high-heeled shoes.

Tuesday June 22 was the date for the annual ‘Summer in the City’ Restaurant tasting and cocktail party, which showcased many of my favorite chefs. [...]

  You know Jules Taylor – of course you do. She is a winemaker from Marlborough, New Zealand, and is here in NYC to showcase her delicous Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir. Today she invited a small collection of writers from Manhattan’s Wine Media [...]