Author Archives: intoxreport

John ‘The Guru’ McClelland: Last of the Old Guard

Posted on February 19, 2016 by intoxreport

When the guy in the cartoon panel wants to ask the guru about the meaning of life, he has to climb up the side of some mountain in the Himalayas. When I want to ask John McClelland about the meaning … Continue reading →

Posted in CALIFORNIA, Lodi | Tagged anthony scotto, J. McClelland wine, John McClelland, mitch cosentino, Paul Scotto | Leave a comment

Lodi: I’m Tokay, You’re Tokay

Posted on February 17, 2016 by intoxreport

Introductory chapter to ‘Starstruck In Lodi Again’, set for release August, 2016 Miami bears the burden of an unfortunate nickname: ‘God’s Waiting Room—Where Old Folks Go to Die’. If that’s the case, South School Street is where old folks go … Continue reading →

Posted in CALIFORNIA, Zinfandel | Tagged Flame Seedless, Lodi, Old vine zinfandel, Starstruck in lodi again | 5 Comments

What if Wine Had Won the Tipple War?

Posted on February 9, 2016 by intoxreport

Postscript from ‘Norton Wine: Walking Off To Look For America‘, set for release this June. Whether it’s ‘what if’ scenarios proposed by historians, or the not-entirely-discountable notion that if Britain had won the Revolutionary War slavery would have ended fifty … Continue reading →

Posted in CALIFORNIA | Tagged Norton Wine: Walking off to look for america, What if Prohibition had never happened | Leave a comment

Hamming It Up With Tommy Darden

Posted on February 5, 2016 by intoxreport

A chapter on Virginia ham from ‘Norton Wine: Walking Off To Look For America’, set for publication in June, 2016. When in the advance planning-stages of this trip—which took about twenty minutes including bathroom breaks—I determined to write about some … Continue reading →

Posted in VIRGINIA | Tagged Darden's country store, Smithfield hams, Tommy Darden | 1 Comment

I Am a Master of Bordeaux, 2016

Posted on January 28, 2016 by intoxreport

I may never be able to tack that coveted MW onto my name; I may never wear an MS badge in my lapel and I may never be a Certified Specialist of Wine (which I would have to spell out … Continue reading →

Posted in Bordeaux | Tagged Elie Boudt, Johnny Evans | 1 Comment

Monticello: Uncle Tom’s Mansion

Posted on January 26, 2016 by intoxreport

When you do the math, slavery was legal in Virginia for longer than it has been illegal. The ‘peculiar institution’ was such a defining force in the history of the state that even today, scar tissue is everywhere. The exploitation … Continue reading →

Posted in VIRGINIA | Tagged Monticello, norton grape, Thomas Jefferson wine | Leave a comment

The Jinx Fragment, Chapter 3

Posted on January 24, 2016 by intoxreport

An excerpt from Chapter 3 of ‘The Jinx Fragment’ Follow the link at the end if you want more… Chapter 3: The Jinx Fragment Carmilla struggled past the screen door of the drafty old house on Auden, holding it open … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Chris Kassel, Jesse Kassel, The Jinx Fragment | Leave a comment

Chrysalis Vineyard: Hey, Hey, You, You—Lay Off of McCloud

Posted on January 23, 2016 by intoxreport

Taking a brief sabbatical from my sabbatical, here’s a chapter from ‘Norton Wine: Walking Off To Look For America’… Back stories are the lifeblood of any literary journey, and like Lewis and Clark—whose epic river trek in 1804 was commissioned … Continue reading →

Posted in VIRGINIA | Tagged Chrysalis Vineyards, Jenni McCloud | 1 Comment

‘The Jinx Fragment’: Chapter 2

Posted on January 22, 2016 by intoxreport

…I’m taking a brief sabbatical from Intoxicology Report to write a pair of wine books. ‘Norton Wine: Walking Off To Look For America’, a book about a genuine native American varietal that can, in its best incarnation, rival vitis vinifera. … Continue reading →