Archive for the ‘Writings’ Category
Why We Have Wine Regulation: A Counterfeiter’s Guide
February 26th, 2010 by Tom Johnson
This is a recipe from Wine and Spirit Adulterators Unmasked, published in England in 1829. It documents how counterfeiters would put together quantities of ersatz Sherry for sale through unscrupulous public houses. The author chose to remain anonymous, fearing his disclosure of the counterfeit wine and spirits market might “excite the rancour of the Advertisers [...]
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The Necessary Delusion of Winter Wine
January 20th, 2010 by Tom Johnson
There are people who revel in Winter. They look forward to snow the way caribou look forward to the rut. They don parkas and boots and mittens to frolic in the cold. They take joy in rosy cheeks, giggle when Jack Frost nips at their noses and seem to feel that there is no level [...]
Tags: Sparkling Wine
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Beaujolais Nouveau: Harbinger of Doom
November 17th, 2009 by Tom Johnson
The third Thursday of November, Beaujolais Nouveau is released. That’s two days from now, at which time Nouveau becomes the first vintage 2009 wine to be publicly poured and enjoyed. If history is any guide, the quality of the wines will be unremarkable, because the quality of the wines isn’t the point. The point is [...]
Tags: France, wine
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The Volstead Act
October 28th, 2009 by Tom Johnson
Poor Kenneth, An Almanack reminds me that today is the anniversary of the passage of the Volstead Act, which turned the new 18th Amendment to the Constitution into a set of laws that came to be known as Prohibition. What’s lost to the fog of memory is the societal condition that made Prohibition into [...]
Tags: History, prohibition, wine
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The Question Came Up…
October 8th, 2009 by Tom Johnson
The other night, in discussing Kendall-Jackson, someone asked, “Whatever happened to Kendall?”
We know, of course, that Jess Jackson is a billionaire who has built one of the largest quality wine empires in the world, and who has spent more than $200 million getting into the thoroughbred business. We know he’s an attorney with the capability [...]
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Wine Writing I Enjoy: James Bond Edition
August 13th, 2009 by Tom Johnson
Metroactive columnist Daedalus Howell visits the patio at Gloria Ferrer in Carneros — which, as it happens, I have visited as well. He notes the large number of female employees and visitors — which, as it happens, I noted as well. And he says:
I entertained the passing notion that the winery might be some sort [...]
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My World Comes Apart
June 10th, 2009 by Tom Johnson
I know what kind of wine drinker I am. I’m a drinker of manly reds, a collector of offbeat appellations and seeker of value. My secret fantasy is that someone would look at my basement filled with wine and describe my collection as “smart.” I am, at the same time, the kind of wine drinker [...]
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