by Ben Bodenstein | Reviews
On or around Saint Patrick’s Day, an Irish friend of ours remarked “that it was more fun playing at being Irish than actually being Irish.” It appears that John Concannon of Concannon vineyards, although three generations removed from his Irish...
by Ben Bodenstein | Reviews
Brandy, in all of its forms, is rapidly gaining in popularity in this country. Unfortunately, many brandy drinkers are unfamiliar with some of the other products of a similar type that are available. Have you ever heard of Armagnac (Arm an yak)? To the uninitiated, it...
by Ben Bodenstein | Reviews
At one time in history, about 100 years ago, Lake County California was earning the reputation as producing “the best wines in the world.†All of this came to a grinding halt in 1919 with the enacting of the 18th Amendment which prohibited the manufacture and sale...
by Ben Bodenstein | Reviews
Just when we think that we have completely covered a subject, something comes up to change all of that. The subject was the Octavin wines and their ingenious container that we believed we had covered thoroughly in last week’s column. Then, lo and behold, Octavin...
by Ben Bodenstein | Reviews
Are you somewhat peeved by the current practice in the food industry of giving smaller product weight at higher prices. Have no fear, all facets of the wine industry are rigorously controlled so there will be no change in the size of wine bottles or its contents;...
by Ben Bodenstein | Reviews
There is somewhat of a mystery about February. The month starts off with Groundhogs Day and that sleepy rodents prediction of our forthcoming weather. This day of prognostication is followed by Super Bowl Sunday; a day of mass sports hysteria when grownups can again...
by Ben Bodenstein | Reviews
We often write that what we are looking for is a five dollar wine that tastes like a fifty dollar wine as we are, very price conscious. We are always looking for quality wines at reasonable prices about which to report to our readers. Alamos is a producer of quality...
by Ben Bodenstein | Reviews
From Australia comes a new series of wines with a wacko name; “Fish Eye.”Come-on, Fish Eye … that name will never go over in the Northeast. When one gets the fish eye from a northeasterner, it ain’t good. It usually is preempted by a finger pulling...
by Ben Bodenstein | Reviews
Have you ever dreamed of owning your own vineyard? There was a commercial recently on television that ridiculed the idea of becoming a vineyardist to augment ones retirement. Well, the possibilities are definitely there to purchase an existing vineyard and get into...
by Ben Bodenstein | Reviews
Destiny, kismet or fate, but it was inevitable that sooner or later the wine industry would become intertwined with the cell phone age, more specifically, texting. The amalgamation finally happened when a winery named TXT Cellars was formed. To finalize their...
by Ben Bodenstein | Reviews
To start the new year off in a really great way, Mirassou vineyards, a California icon, who has been making wines in that state for 150 years, has released its newest vintages and they are a tribute to Mirassou, and the California style of winemaking which they had a...
by Ben Bodenstein | Reviews
The New Year’s celebration is just around the corner, so, as a service to our readers, and because champagnes and sparkling wines are an integral part of the celebration, we thought that we should say a few words about those wines. There are a great many...
by Ben Bodenstein | Reviews
Is your favorite red wine cabernet sauvignon or merlot? If so, you are not alone, these varieties are today, the most popular red wines in the world. There was a time, about 500 years ago, when the only place that grew these grapes was the Bordeaux region of France...
by Ben Bodenstein | Reviews
There is an ancient Japanese saying “take the obvious and reverse it” and that is what we usually try to adhere to, especially when gift giving. We look at the obvious gifts that we give and ask the question “would we want that?” We have...
by Ben Bodenstein | Reviews
There is an ancient Japanese saying “take the obvious and reverse it” and that is what we usually try to adhere to, especially when gift giving. We look at the obvious gifts that we give and ask the question “would we want that?” We have...
by Ben Bodenstein | Reviews
Wine gurus, commentators, writers and even self styled experts have, for years, sneered at the sweet wines and often refer to them as “cheap, gaudy harlots.†These same sweet wine detractors however, all rave and laud the attributes of Port, Bordeaux’s Sauternes...
by Ben Bodenstein | Reviews
Unless you didn’t know it, Thanksgiving is here. This column is to remind our readers of the wine mistakes that can be made at the thanksgiving dinner. The best example is to illustrate a mistake we made several years ago. The third Thursday in November is the time...
by Ben Bodenstein | Reviews
EDITORS NOTE: The eruption of Mount Tambora occurred in 1815 but the effects in the United States and Europe were not felt until the following year, 1816 Well, here we go again with the caveat emptor, “let the buyer beware.†It seems that there is a bit of trouble...
by Ben Bodenstein | Reviews
Many years ago, we learned from a magazine art director that the name of a business should say exactly what the business is or does. We suppose that this will also hold true for wines, so we were somewhat taken aback when we came across a wine labeled “Educated...
by Ben Bodenstein | Reviews
Before Robert Mondavi came on the scene, the direction of California winemaking was simply “let’s all do what the Frenchies do.†American vintners were all trying to emulate French wines. Robert Mondavi, almost single handedly, led the fight for American wines...
by Ben Bodenstein | Reviews
Does the mention of the Ford Edsel bring a lump to your throat? Do you sigh for the passing of the Pontiac? Do you miss black and white television? Well, another classic icon may be next in line for passing into the land of the lost; the wine bottle. One producer, the...
by Ben Bodenstein | Reviews
Argentina is becoming a major player in the world wine market and the newest releases from Bodega Elena De Mendoza are one of the reasons why. Bodega Elena De Mendoza was founded by Italian immigrants during the late 19th century. The family staked out property in...
by Ben Bodenstein | Reviews
Wine glasses are an integral part of the wine experience. That is a pretty strong statement but it is absolutely true. We spent many years scoffing at wine snobs with their special glasses but in truth we were very, very wrong We began our journey into wine glassware...
by Ben Bodenstein | Reviews
There is a new wave of ways to get the best wines for the best price; the internet. By taking to the internet, wineries can offer their wines to the consumer at affordable prices despite the shipping costs. Make no mistake, when you buy a wine in a store, the...
by Ben Bodenstein | Reviews
The acknowledged leaders in the field of sparkling wines are those produced in the Champagne district of France. Whatever the magical factor is, the climate, the soil or just France itself, the wines of Champagne have flavors and nuances that are achieved nowhere else...
High Vacuum Engineer: Senior Technical Adviser and Feature Writer for Modern Photography Magazine (1967-1973), co-founder of Together Vineyards, an experimental vineyard in South Florida which was the southern most registered vineyard in the Continental United States. Co-Author of several books on Home Wine Making, Home Beer Making and Distillation of Spirits. Co-owner of Camera & Video Repair Institute in Sunrise Florida.