Posts tagged Food & Wine
4 Must-Visit Winemakers of Barolo and Barbaresco
4 Must-Visit Winemakers of Barolo and Barbaresco

AS PUBLISHED BY FOOD & WINE

Fickle Nebbiolo is perfect for expressing subtle differences in terroir—especially in the Langhe subregion of Piedmont, where soils and microclimates can differ greatly within a few footsteps. In fact, as in Burgundy, a single Langhe plot might be divided up amongst multiple vineyards. Thus, growing the grape in Barbaresco or Barolo will produce very different wines—even though the two famous DOCGs are only fifteen miles apart.

These four wineries not only represent some of the best Piedmont has to offer—they also help illustrate the greatest differences between Barolo and Barbaresco, and the range of unique qualities one can find within each.

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WineEthan FixellFood & Wine, Barolo, Barbaresco, Italy
Whiskey Lovers, Here's Why You Should Be Drinking Cognac Instead
Whiskey Lovers, Here's Why You Should Be Drinking Cognac Instead

As published by Food & Wine

I fell in love with Cognac not only for its similarities to barrel-aged whiskey, but also for the importance its provenance contributes to its identity. It’s a craft product that can be imitated, but not replicated anywhere else in the world. If you’re as intrigued as I was, check out the following tips – and product suggestions – for enjoying your Cognac like a well-informed pro.

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SpiritsEthan FixellCognac, Brandy, Whiskey, Food & Wine
A Cheap Person's Guide to Fancy French Wine
A Cheap Person's Guide to Fancy French Wine

As published by Food & Wine

We all want to drink like we’ve got Zuckerberg money. But the truth is, expensive wine doesn’t even taste as good as we think it does. According to science, we should be paying less attention to the price of each bottle, and more attention to what’s on the label. Fortunately, your friendly neighborhood Master Sommelier not only knows how to read a wine label—he or she can tell the difference between good stuff and total plonk. And as the guy or gal buying wine for your favorite restaurant or retail store, an M.S. also knows a thing or two about value. So I’ve asked four well-respected Master Somms from around the country to target some of the best wine steals in the seven most prestigious wine regions of France.

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WineEthan FixellFrance, Food & Wine, Buyer's Guide
The Hidden (Affordable!) Gems of Burgundy
The Hidden (Affordable!) Gems of Burgundy

As published by Food & Wine

While Burgundy gets most of its notoriety—both in price and quality—from its Premier Cru and Grand Cru classified wines, these bottles only make up a combined total of less than 20 percent of the region’s output. The real value can be found in Village wine (about 36 percent of all production), which is less refined than cru wine made from grapes grown on specifically designated plots of land, but generally more complex than regional Bourgogne (about half of all production). Of course, you can’t just pick any old village at random, as some present a very inconsistent range of quality. But a few appellations in particular reliably offer excellent wines that won’t require you to declare bankruptcy on your way home from shopping. Here's what you need to seek out, from north to south.

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WineEthan FixellBurgundy, Food & Wine, France
4 Master Sommeliers on the Reality of the Job Today
4 Master Sommeliers on the Reality of the Job Today

As published by Food & Wine

"Four Master Sommeliers walk into a bar" sounds like the setup to a joke your wine-geek uncle would tell— but it did in fact happen on a chilly afternoon in January at New York's Lupulo. To lubricate discussion, I asked each of the four to bring their favorite affordable (under $30) bottle of wine of the moment. Together, over the course of 90 minutes—during which tasty Portuguese cuisine, accessible wine, and even (gasp!) refreshing beer was consumed—the five of us dissected what it means to be a Master Sommelier today.

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WineEthan FixellSommeliers, Restaurants, Food & Wine, Master Somms
Number of the Yeast: The Rise of Heavy Metal Brewers
Number of the Yeast: The Rise of Heavy Metal Brewers

As published by Food & Wine

Usually when people talk about metal's effect on beer, it's in the context of discussing canning versus bottling. And while some of you out there are surely turned on by "under lid gassing" and "seam calibration," there's another metal influencing the brews we drink that most will find much more interesting than aluminum. All around the country, brewers are finding inspiration from and collaborating with legendary metal musicians – and the results are often exceptional.

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Music, BeerEthan FixellMetal, Brewers, Food & Wine