Category Archives: NYC Events

The Wine Media Guild Does…Cider!

Posted on October 16, 2015 by upstatedowntown

By Christopher Matthews It may sound a bit like “man biting dog”, but at the Wine Media Guild of New York’s (WMG) recent October tasting/lunch, the focus was on…cider! Justifiably so. “Hard” (i.e. alcoholic) cider is one of the hottest beverage … Continue reading →

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An Alsatian April Fools’ (for the Wine Media Guild)

Posted on April 3, 2015 by upstatedowntown

By Christopher Matthews At the Wine Media Guild’s (WMG) recent lunch on April 1, 2015 at Felidia, there was no fooling around: the theme was Alsace, featuring the aromatic, earthy and food-friendly white varietal wines it produces so well — … Continue reading →

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Bordeaux Grand Cru “Blizzard” Hits New York

Posted on February 17, 2015 by upstatedowntown

By Christopher Matthews Monday, January 26, 2015 was the Blizzard That Wasn’t in New York City. While it certainly snowed, and slowed the City down, it was, mercifully, far from the Snowpocalypse breathlessly predicted by media outlets. January 26 was … Continue reading →

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Mountain Wines from Napa and Sonoma

Posted on March 10, 2014 by upstatedowntown

By Christopher Matthews Bacchus amat colles — Bacchus loves the hills. This piece of wisdom comes from antiquity, when the ancient Greeks, then Romans, figured out that hillside vineyards, despite greater degrees of difficulty (challenging topography, labor intensity, erosion, etc.), often produce more compelling wines. … Continue reading →

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Sublime Savennieres: Baumard’s 2001 Clos Du Papillon

Posted on June 28, 2013 by upstatedowntown

By Christopher Matthews Imagine an “Open that Bottle Night” — a dinner where you open a special wine that you’ve been meaning to drink, yet never do. Now imagine: the crowd that has gathered is composed solely of wine writers, serious wine collectors, wine geeks and wine industry folks. It would be an … Continue reading →

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Manhattan Cocktail Classic 2013: In a New York State of Mind

Posted on May 25, 2013 by upstatedowntown

By Christopher Matthews At the opening gala of the fourth annual Manhattan Cocktail Classic (MCC) last week, some 3,000 decked-out cocktail enthusiasts and bar professionals descended on the New York Public Library for four floors worth of creative libations (87 different cocktails in total, mixed by world-renowned bartenders), … Continue reading →

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Healthy Twist for Cocktails: Korean Red Ginseng

Posted on December 13, 2012 by upstatedowntown

By Christopher Matthews Ginseng, with its herbaceous flavor profile and some new, drink-friendly forms — not to mention its purported healthful attributes — could be the next hot bar ingredient. At a launch event last week for Korean Ginseng Corp (KGC), three top … Continue reading →

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Chateau Monbousquet 1995: Aging (and Drinking) Nicely

Posted on June 13, 2012 by upstatedowntown

By Christopher Matthews In our ever faster, more frenetic world, the patience (and pocketbook, for mere mortals) required for stocking a cellar full of age-worthy wines — great Barolo, Burgundy, Brunello or Bordeaux, for example — and then waiting a decade or more for them … Continue reading →

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Cantine Valenti: Stylish Wines from Etna

Posted on February 24, 2012 by upstatedowntown

By Christopher Matthews Few places in the wine world are as exciting as Sicily. An island of vines since antiquity, and a vintner’s sun-drenched terroir dream, it has experienced a remarkable revolution toward quality wines in recent years, leaving behind the reputation of cheap bulk wines that … Continue reading →

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Margaux Meets the (Wine) Press

Posted on January 30, 2012 by upstatedowntown

By Christopher Matthews At its traditional January Bordeaux lunch last week, the Wine Media Guild (WMG) of New York sampled multiple vintages from two estimable Margaux chateaux, Chateau Rauzan-Ségla and Chateau d’Issan, (second and third growths, respectively, in the 1855 Bordeaux Classification). The lunch, organized by … Continue reading →

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