Monthly Archives: June 2015

Sultanas, White Chocolate, Eminem and Beaujolais Blanc

Posted on June 28, 2015 by intoxreport

Q:  Why can’t pilots take Viagra? A:  I know you thought that was a lead-in to a punch line, but the fact is, pilots are forbidden to fly within six hours of taking a boner bolus because it may affect their … Continue reading →

Posted in Beaujolais, FRANCE | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Rebel With a Clause

Posted on June 26, 2015 by intoxreport

(On Sept. 15, 2015, at precisely 3:17:23 PM EST, this column will return to wine, but will only be visible in the Northern Hemisphere and parts of Kenya.) The other night in a candid interview about gun violence and race, … Continue reading →

Posted in GENERAL | Tagged | 1 Comment

Lyrical Lirac: Rhône’s Sleeping Beauty

Posted on June 25, 2015 by intoxreport

What do Lirac and Châteauneuf-du-Pape have in common?  Other than grapes, climate, tradition and soil structure, not much. And other than price, just about everything. Rodolphe de Pins, winemaker at Château de Montfaucon, in town to accentuate the positive, made … Continue reading →

Posted in FRANCE, Rhône | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Hybrids on the Down Low

Posted on June 23, 2015 by intoxreport

The vines to Tony’s Ciccone’s left are producing some flop sweat, but not many grapes.  The rows are showing unmistakable signs of desperation.  The trellises are in DEFCON 3, as though the hassles, deadlines and frustrations of producing commercial quantities of … Continue reading →

Posted in Leelanau Peninsula, Michigan | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

Wine and Vegan Soul Food

Posted on June 21, 2015 by intoxreport

Let me take a brief pause from not writing about wine in my wine blog and instead, avoid writing about wine in the context of wine. Are you with me? Wine pairing columns are legion, but they tend not to … Continue reading →

Posted in GENERAL | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

There’s A Boner-Jam of Sommeliers… And Nobody Can Pronounce The Word

Posted on June 16, 2015 by intoxreport

We all have our pet peeves, don’t we?  Whether it is people talking on cell phones at checkout counters, forms you have to fill out that don’t give you enough room to answer the questions, duck-face selfies and/or people who … Continue reading →

Posted in GENERAL | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

The Funnel Of Snobbery: Here’s How It Works

Posted on June 10, 2015 by intoxreport

In order to simplify elaborate concepts, certain ‘wine blogs’ rely on fancy graphics and colorful charts and educational posters and shit, and that’s just coolaballoolies: If you need life distilled to a See Dick Run picture book before you can … Continue reading →

Posted in GENERAL | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

What’s Wrong With New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc?

Posted on June 4, 2015 by intoxreport

Same thing that’s wrong with Napa Chardonnay.  Nothing—except that it isn’t French. I know, I know; Oz Clarke once said, “New Zealand Sauvignon blanc is arguably the best in the world.”  But that merely underscores my point while highlighting the … Continue reading →

Posted in Marlborough, NEW ZEALAND | Tagged , | 1 Comment

The News For Wine Bloggers Is Even Gooder Than Great

Posted on June 1, 2015 by intoxreport

Finally, some good news arises from the Wine Bloggers Conference people. I’m not talking about the conference itself—that’s pretty much standardized, annual good news, like the swallows returning to Capistrano or the onset of Christmas decorations in September or some … Continue reading →

Posted in GENERAL | Tagged , | 1 Comment