The news never stops coming, and keeping up with everything is an impossible task. Regrettably, there are too few hours in a day that one can devote to reading, and though I attempt to stay on top of as much as I can, my stacks of newspapers, magazines, and books are always beckoning (and expanding). There’s wine and food, of course, but there’s so much more, from literature and cinema to essays and profiles. Here’s a look at a few things that caught my eye this week.
Wine and its relationship with human health is a topic that has produced words aplenty. Morley Safer’s episode on “60 Minutes” in 1991 has long been cited in this discussion, and more recently the WHO has weighed in, stating in a widely read proclamation that “no level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health.” Dr. Erik Skovenborg, a Danish family medicine doctor who specializes in the health implications of drinking, has weighed in about wine and dementia, and his words make for good reading.
Speaking of wine and health, the CEO of the U.S. Alcohol Policy Alliance, Mike Marshall, says the guidelines issued this month by the U.S. government are “a win for the alcohol industry” (and, I add, its lobbyists). Gone are serving-size regulations; instead, the government advises, “consume less alcohol for better health.” Here is one look at the report.
This year, some of the wines Eric Asimov wants you to drink have “been the victims of stereotypes.” Others have “fallen by the wayside because of evolving tastes, changing attitudes about health, and busier lives.” His 10 genres of wines in this piece , which highlights the “unfashionable, ignored, or dismissed,” includes selections from Bordeaux and Napa, bottles of port and Madeira and sherry, and sweet Rieslings. I approve of his directive.
Natural wine. Should I stop here? I’ve long grown tired of the phrase and all of the accessories and (often) misguided performances that have come to be associated with it. I like good wine, wine that appeals to my palate and makes my food better. I suspect you share my method, though dictated by your palate. Well, no matter. Natural wine has made its impact, and here’s one take on just that.
When’s the last time you opened a bottle of wine hailing from the Snake River Valley AVA? How about the Lewis-Clark Valley AVA or the Eagle Foothills AVA? Idaho’s winemakers want you to get to know their products, and here’s a primer on the state’s viticultural universe.
Jean-Charles Boisset is a busy man. His Boisset Collection oversees Raymond Vineyards, DeLoach, and Buena Vista, not to mention Oakville Grocery. Two actions the Frenchman recently took might free up some of his time: He closed two of his Napa Valley tasting rooms. Mon dieu.
A writers’ festival in Australia has come asunder after its organizers disinvited a Palestinian-Australian author, a decision that writers including Zadie Smith and Percival Everett reacted to by disinviting themselves from Adelaide Writers’ Week. Words matter.
I’ve become a fan of “The Pitt,” and I would wager that many of you are also watching Noah Wyle as Dr. Robby. It is a moving and fast-paced drama full of heart and trauma and personalities; it is great television. Sam Anderson visited the show’s set in Los Angeles for this captivating article.
Staying in Hollywood, Matthew Deller writes that the drinks business could learn a thing or two from cinema. “Wine’s opportunity is to reclaim its place at the center of the table by restoring the social clarity that once defined it,” Deller says. Read the piece here.
I spent the winter holidays in Umbria one year, and fell in love with the land, wines, and cuisine there. A visit to Arnaldo Caprai was for me one of the highlights of the sojourn, and news that the founder of the winery passed away on Jan. 4 saddened me. He was a kind man, and Montefalco and Sagrantino owe him much. Here’s one appreciation of the vintner.
Finally this week, forget Dry January, proclaims Robert Camuto. Instead, “years, loves, and glasses of wine should never be counted.” Here’s Camuto making a grand case for the Italian way of life.
Recent Comments