The 12 Days of Christmas have been celebrated in Europe since before the Middle Ages. They begin with Christmas Day and continue until the evening of January 5th, which marks the arrival of the Magi—the… Continue reading
I tasted a lot of great wine in 2020, despite it being one of the worst years imaginable for so many of us. And more than in past years, the pandemic meant I also raided… Continue reading
We see a lot of wine books, accessories, and wine-related gear throughout the year. If you are looking for insider-vetted Best-Bets for making the wine lover in your life smile during this season of giving,… Continue reading
BOOK REVIEW For several years in the 1980s, I was the wine buyer for a hip New York restaurant. Back then in the city, there weren’t many people who called themselves sommeliers. And most of… Continue reading
The following blog is based on a piece originally written in the fall of 2018, and has been revised for this Special Edition of WineSpeed devoted to Oakville, Napa Valley. A recent morning tasting… Continue reading
Anyone who loves food and loves wine, knows that the marriage of the two can be the ethereal equivalent of 1 + 1 = 3. Although, I have to admit, on any given night, I… Continue reading
Reprinted from October 5, 2015 What is it about wine that I hold so deeply? What is this endless attachment? I have always known what it is not. It’s not about scoring or competitive… Continue reading
We’ve all heard it said a hundred times—women are better at tasting wine than men. But can that possibly be true? For most of my professional wine career I, for one, have been skeptical of… Continue reading
About this time of year, some wineries in the Napa Valley, where I live, start heralding cabernet as the perfect wine with chocolate. I know what I think (and will share in a minute), but… Continue reading
It’s been a phenomenal year. Over the course of 52 editions of WineSpeed, we tasted thousands of wines. And so many wines stood out—a phenomenal 2017 Vintage Port (Dow’s), a luscious shiraz (Penfold’s St. Henri),… Continue reading
Guest Blog by Anne-Marie Failla Note from Karen: Anne-Marie Failla, the newest member of our team at Karen MacNeil & Co. takes “research” seriously. Here’s everything you wanted to know about the best egg nog. Oops, I… Continue reading
Guest Blog by Carrie Dyke Note from Karen: Writer Carrie Dykes explores the fascinating new world of vinous ciders in this guest blog. Try one of her recommendations below. A vinous cider is a combination… Continue reading
