Convinced he could open my eyes to a new frontier of American wine, Josh Niernberg, chef and owner of Bin 707 Foodbar in Grand Junction, Colorado, sent me a box of vinos from his home state. And after crushing each unique bottle, I said to myself again and again, “Hot damn—this is from . . . Colorado?”
Read MoreWith standards of beer education and connoisseurship at all-time highs, a drinker can be made to feel like he or she must possess a Master Cicerone certification to appreciate a craft brew. (Is a “horse blanket” aroma a good or bad thing?) Fortunately, we have a network of knowledgeable friends who can help keep you afloat: After consulting some of the beer world’s leading experts, we’ve compiled a cheat sheet with their best insider secrets.
Read MoreBy now, it's no secret North Carolina is a culinary destination to be reckoned with. Cities like Charlotte, Asheville, Raleigh and Durham have all come into their own over the last decade, offering some of the best and most innovative food and drink to be found in the South. But I've been hearing murmurs of a scene beyond the scene: a growing number of restaurants, breweries, bakeries and farms cropping up miles outside city limits in previously uncharted pockets throughout the state. So my wife, Debbie, and I decided it was time to head down to NC to explore the spots most tourists don't know about. And through some intensive research—i.e., irresponsibly devouring everything in our way—I've determined the best off-the-beaten-path food-and-drink destinations in North Carolina.
Read MoreDespite the country's reputation for fantastic coffee, it's nearly impossible to get a good cup of joe in Colombia. The second largest coffee exporter on earth sent $2.6 billion worth of beans to other countries around the world last year, forcing locals in most Colombian cities to brew imported beans from far-off places like Vietnam. But one man is not only bringing Colombian coffee back to Colombia—he's elevating coffee culture throughout the entire world. With rare devices and odd gadgets (hello, popcorn machine and blowtorch), David Arzayus roasts, grinds and brews dozens of varieties of local and international beans at Café del Mural, opened early last year on a little-traversed Cartagena side street. Using historical, traditional and experimental techniques in a makeshift laboratory, he offers customers multi-course tastings that run the gamut from the conventional to the bizarre.
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