AWM

Portugal is roughly the size of Indiana, but within its borders, you’ll find one of the most geographically varied wine landscapes on the planet. The green, wet northwest is cooled by the Atlantic and feels almost Celtic. Travel south and east, and the terrain transforms dramatically into hot, arid plains baking under the Alentejo sun.…

Some of the most exciting Tuesday Night wines in the shop right now are coming from Portugal. I understand that may sound a little crazy coming from a Francophile like me; however, week after week, it’s been the same thing: these best buys from Portugal are flying off the shelf, and I can hardly keep…

When you examine the traditional path a wine takes from vineyard to glass, you’ll find the moment it leaves the vigneron’s cellar, the clock starts ticking, and the nickels start stacking. It starts with the freight forwarder, who arranges the physical movement of wine from the vigneron to the port. Here, a customs broker handles…

One of the things I love most about wine is the seemingly endless variety of flavors. Some wines taste like you just bit into a perfectly ripe cherry. Others taste more like a warm berry jam or compote. Some can even remind you of sipping cocoa dusted with baking spice. Part four of this series is all about flavor and how you can translate what your taste buds are telling you into words.

Along with selling wine, the most satisfying part of my job is helping people learn about wine. I’ve noticed over the years that most folks aren’t confused about wine because they “can’t taste.” They can taste just fine. They feel lost or confused because tasting notes often sound like a secret language, and nobody has given them the codebook.