Pull Corks
LATEST POSTS
The Trouble with Trepats
With the end of summer, comes the end of vacations, the redoubling of efforts and a nose-to-the-grindstone march towards Christmas and the next set of holidays. For myself, it also brings new responsibilities and a new title. I am now ‘Wine Director’ at a small liquor store here in Buffalo. This is exactly the kind [...]
Into the Ordinary
In a world that is obsessed with pushing boundaries and shining lights into the darkest, most obscure corners, it’s easy to forget about the brilliance in the everyday. I am guilty of this, in my surge to expose the weird and wonderful, I often ignore the well-worn and ordinary. Lately, I’ve been trying to push [...]
I’ll Never Be Your Bête De Somme
Right now, there’s not a ton of stuff going on in my life, so even the smallest events are celebrated. For example, I just had some business cards printed up (in hopes of remedying said lack of stuff) and don’t think I didn’t make a big deal about it. Seeing the ‘sommelier’ title on my [...]
A Bright Future for Ontario Reds at Riverview Cellars
“Ontario cannot make big reds…” those words rang hollow in my head as I finished up my tasting at Riverview Cellars. I was there as a guest for their Past, Present and Future Tasting event one mild December afternoon. I pulled into the parking lot expecting Rieslings and Pinot Noirs, but what I had instead [...]
Getting to the Points
So I am working at a small wine shop down in the US for the foreseeable future. There are a lot of things that are different (prices! products) and a lot of things that are the same (rambly, weird customers). One of the biggest differences that I am noticing is that a lot of people [...]
Features
“Ontario cannot make big reds…” those words rang hollow in my head as I finished up my tasting at Riverview Cellars. I was there as a guest for their Past, Present and Future Tasting event one mild December afternoon. I pulled into the parking lot expecting Rieslings and Pinot Noirs, but what I had instead [...]
Nestled amongst the orchards, vineyards and farmlands of Beamsville, Ontario is the Good Earth Food and Wine Company, a destination that’s a bit different from the rest. Unlike many Niagara wineries that started out making wine and then opened restaurants, Good Earth made food first and the wine came after. This approach to food and wine is what makes this [...]
Today is an important day! Not only is it Georgian (the country not the state) Independence Day and Mother’s Day in Poland but it is also the one-year anniversary of Pull Corks. My little baby is all grown up, sort of. The website looks a lot different from when I first thrust Pull Corks out into [...]
Well I didn’t write home about it because family wouldn’t care and probably just feign interest because they have to. Instead I shall write to you of it. Apologies in advance. I write like I think (with lots of parentheses!)? Firstly, some scientific heehaw on grape ripening: From the time of fruit set (berries start [...]
The cruellest irony is that nothing dulls the pain of slim bank account like a glass (or bottle) of wine.
Updates
- I went through a phase of reading a bunch of wine books, mostly some old rich guy puttering around the world and hobnobbing with the greats of wine-making. Some were better than others to be honest, but I recently read The Billionaire's Vinegar by Benjamin Wallace, and really enjoyed it. The book is basically an investigation into the provenance of some bottles of wine that showed up in auction that purportedly belonged to Thomas Jefferson. One of them ended up selling for over $150,000. Wallace examines the whole controversy surrounding the bottles and describes some truly astonishing cellars. It's a fascinating read for anyone interested in wine, I would even venture to say that the story of international intrigue and skulduggery is an interesting read for all. Amazon.com: The Billionaire's Vinegar: The Mystery of the World's Most Expensive Bottle of Wine (9780307338785): Benjamin Wallace: Books. #
Welcome to Pull Corks
Pull Corks is the rantings and ravings of a professional cork jockey. Stories from the industry, sorties in wine country and just staying up too late with a good bottle of wine, that's about what we do.
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