Welcome to the exclusive online destination for all things related to wines, cocktails, spirits, and more. Whether you’re a seasoned connoisseur or just beginning your journey into the world of beverages, you’ve arrived at the perfect place to explore the rich history, intricate craftsmanship, and delightful nuances of these libations. My articles bring you expert insights into the fascinating stories behind your favorite drinks, the meticulous art of their production, and invaluable tasting notes and recommendations. Join me on a captivating voyage through the world of beverages, where every sip is a celebration of tradition, innovation, and exquisite flavors.
These 150+ articles are organized by types of drinks: wine, cocktails, spirits, and beer, cider, sake, and other drinks.
In addition, you can easily find articles using the keyword index below.
Context matters!
Please pay attention to notes in italics as they highlight the specific usage of the keywords. For example, “Tokaj” refers to the wine, not the region, whereas “Chablis” denotes the wine district, not the
Continue reading Welcome to the exclusive online destination for all things related to wines, cocktails, spirits, and more.
“Wine and Waters of France” Languedoc tour, October 2-9
Space for 3 person left on our “Wine and Waters of France” tour, October 2-9!
Embark on a week-long boat journey through the picturesque Languedoc region of Southern France, travelling from Argenes to Carcassonne and back along the Canal du Midi.
Our trip begins on October 2nd in Argenes, in the early afternoon, and concludes on October 9th, welcoming the morning.
The voyage promises a blend of leisurely cruising, wine immersion, and exploration of historical and natural marvels.
Discover more about life on board a boat.
With an average of about 3.5 hours on the water each day, we’ll have ample time to delve into the intricacies of the region’s viticulture and bask in the allure of its historical and natural wonders. As we glide along, the landscape will unfold in true Mediterranean splendor, adorned with vineyards, cypress trees, pine groves, and vibrant autumn colors.
The narrative of history resonates profoundly here. Some
Continue reading “Wine and Waters of France” Languedoc tour, October 2-9
Hop and Malt. Introduction to brewing. 
The genesis of this article can be traced back to the uncorking of a bottle of Belgian ale—a rich, robust, and aromatic concoction, skillfully brewed with a trio of hop varieties. The effervescent sip of hop-laden ale stirred a cascade of memories, guiding my musings toward the sanctum of brewing. Herein lies the foundational essence of the brewing process.
Continue reading Hop and Malt. Introduction to brewing.
Sake 
October 1st marks World Sake Day, a celebration of this revered Japanese libation. This introductory article endeavors to unveil the technological intricacies of sake production and shed light on the valuable information concealed within the sake bottle’s label.
Continue reading Sake
Albariño 
August 1st marks World Albariño Day, a delightful occasion to pay homage to this beautiful grape variety that gives us light, refreshing, and highly aromatic wines, perfect for the summer season.
Continue reading Albariño
Mimosa and Buck’s Fizz 
The Mimosa is a well-known and popular cocktail listed in the IBA. It’s delightfully simple: just orange juice and Champagne.
Continue reading Mimosa and Buck’s Fizz
Tequila 
Every great spirit finds its essence in the raw material from which it is crafted. For brandy, it is grape wine; for rum, sugar cane; and for tequila, the blue agave, also known as agave azul or Agave tequilana. The domesticated variety of blue agave used specifically for tequila production is known as Agave tequilana Weber Azul.
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Golden Chenin Blanc 
Chenin blanc – a noble grape of remarkable potential. Sadly, this grape variety is often underappreciated, perhaps due to the challenges it presents to winemakers. Crafting exceptional wines from Chenin requires knowledge, skill, and dedication; without these, the results may be discouraging.
Continue reading Golden Chenin Blanc
Dandelion Wine 
“Dandelion wine. The words were summer on the tongue. The wine was summer caught and stoppered…. Hold summer in your hand, pour summer in a glass, a tiny glass of course, the smallest tingling sip for children; change the season in your veins by raising glass to lip and tilting summer in.”
Continue reading Dandelion Wine
Tannat 
April 14 marks Tannat Day, an occasion that beckons aficionados of robust, full-bodied, and weighty red wines to turn their attention to the Tannat grape. Noteworthy is its gradual yet steadfast ascent in the global wine market over the past two decades.
Continue reading Tannat
Riesling 
Riesling stands as one of the most globally esteemed grape varieties, enjoying widespread favor among wine enthusiasts until the mid-20th century. Germany, heralded as the birthplace of Riesling, ascended to viticultural fame on the strength of this exceptional grape. The intrinsic connection between Riesling and Germany is underscored by the fact that Riesling constitutes the largest portion among grape varieties cultivated in the country, firmly establishing itself as the quintessential German varietal.
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Open That Bottle Night
The last Saturday of February is Open That Bottle Night.
You keep The Bottle of good wine for a wedding, solar eclipse, end of a big project, a marathon of two hours, alien to the president, or any other important for you event. But this has still not even happened. Or it happened, but you separated with your bottle at this moment. Don’t wait until this bottle will be open o your funeral. It is symbolic, but you want to try his wine yourself. And almost any wine wouldn’t survive so long.
The last Saturday of February is a perfect time to open such a bottle.
My bottle for tonight is The Boss of Kontos Cellar from Walla Walla Washington state. Bordeaux blend 2015. I visited this winery in 2019, the same time I bought this bottle. It was the exclusive vantage, only for club members, but I had an excellent talk with
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Syrah 
Syrah, undeniably one of the grape world’s cornerstones, commands a distinguished place among the dozen most favored varieties, flourishing in vineyards across the globe. Originating from the Rhône Valley in France, Syrah reigns supreme as the primary grape in the production of North Rhône red wines.
Continue reading Syrah
Weekend trip to Oregon for pino noir (coming soon)
Weekend trip to Walla-Walla
in addition the trips could be extended to breweries of eastern or southern WA (coming soon)
One day visit to Woodinville Woodinville, a suburb of Seattle, has a cluster of many wine tasting rooms (coming soon)
in addition the trips could be extended to WA breweries (coming soon)
you might also like weekend trips to Walla-Walla, WA wineries (coming soon)
weekend trips to Oregon for pino noir (coming soon)
you might also like week or even longer trips to France on a boat
Wines and Waters of France
I am offering a uniquely designed program called “Wines and Waters of France.” It is a beautiful way to experience French viniculture in a leisurely and relaxed manner, with one- or two-week trips by boat on the rivers and canals of famous French wine regions.
We will navigate along, admiring medieval towns and villages, pastoral landscapes, and the unique nature of the place.
Every day, I will share my knowledge of local viniculture, liberally exemplifying the theory with practical samples. We will visit the most representative wineries, which I have carefully chosen.
We will also study the gastronomic peculiarities of every place, because there is no place in France that cannot offer something to even the pickiest of gourmets. Dinners in local cuisine restaurants, farmer’s markets, cheese shops, boulangeries, and other tasty places await us.
We will also have time for historical sites, architecture, and biking along picturesque trails.
You can choose the region
Continue reading Wines and Waters of France
in addition The boat trips could be extended to interesting places that are not on the waterways we boat.
– Bordeau
– Chablis
– Voiron (Chartreuse)
Furmint 
On February 1st, wine enthusiasts unite to celebrate International Furmint Day, shining a spotlight on a grape variety that might be familiar in essence but perhaps not yet by name.
Continue reading Furmint
you might also consider I can plan and set the similar trips on a boat in some other European countries, such as Germany, Italy, Holland and Ireland
Washington Wineries. Red Mountain AVA, 2022
Red Mountain Is a small, but interesting AVA located on the southwest slopes of Red Mountain, accordingly. Plenty of suns during days, and long warm autumn provide ideal conditions for high-tannic varieties, that require long ripening. Result – rich, but soft tannins. Cold nights keep necessary acidity; low precipitation and constant winds provide small berry size, and, accordingly, a high concentration of aromatic components.
Several years ago, among the vineyards of Red Mountain, I found a fantastic small family winery Tapteil. They grew mainly Cabernet sav and Merlot and made beautiful wines – pure-varietal and Bordeaux-style. When I drop by this winery in the fall of 2021, the owners had sold out wines, retired and sold the vineyard. It was so pitiful because they made one of the best Washington wines that I ever tried. In 2022 the winery has been under the sign of new owners – Avennia. It is a medium
Continue reading Washington Wineries. Red Mountain AVA, 2022
Colter’s Creek Winery, Idaho
What comes to your mind first, that Idaho is mentioned? Most people think about potatoes. I did too. However, potatoes are not the only thing that Idaho can be proud of.
Every (every!) state of the US produces wine for better or worse. However, except for California, Washington, Oregon, and New York more often for worse than for better.
In Hawaii, they grow a small plot of Pinot noir as high as they can (still it is too hot for grapes, and it feels bad), and bring some grapes from California. Wine isn’t worth a good word, but, still, they produce wine om Hawaii.
So, I realized that Idaho state should produce some wine, but never thought about it.
This summer I worked in eastern Washington, a few miles from Moscow, Idaho. One day, my friend took me to her favourite Moscow tasting room. I thought it belonged to some Washington winery (although
Continue reading Colter’s Creek Winery, Idaho
Calendar for Cocktail Lovers 2023
The calendar for the next year is ready.
12 new cocktails with the recipes.
12”×12” (305mm×305mm) close
12”×24” (305mm×610mm) open
Glossy quality paper
Wire bound
The calendar has two new features:
OR-code on each page leads to my articles about the corresponding cocktail. If you would like to know more about cocktail history, peculiarities of preparation and so on, you can easily find it.
Wine/Spirits/Cocktails Days are marked, so you can easier choose the drink for the current evening (morning or day:).
35 USD (+ mailing, if needed)
You can buy directly from me.
Monthly:
Continue reading Calendar for Cocktail Lovers 2023
Winter Pleasure
Winter is not just coming, winter is already here.
And it is not even December yet.
It is snowing the whole day, and the snow even doesn’t melt.
Trying to find the positive side of this sad situation, I remembered, that my supplies of Chartreuse (about Chartreuse) are not only restocked, but also expanded, and the box of perfect cacao powder is waiting in the wings.
That means that I can make a cup of hot chocolate with Chartreuse, the favourite winter drink in the Alps and their foothills.
Perfect. Recommend.
Only make chocolate in European style, not American – rich, heavy, and not too sweet.
Walla Walla. September visit.
At the end of September, we traditionally visited East Washington to try something new.
В Walla Walla we tried three wineries.
Moonbase Cellar
Small family winery. Laine and Drew Pauk founded it only in 2017. Before they did completely different things, but fell in love with viniculture, moved to Washington, and founded the winery. They don’t have their own vineyard yet and buy grapes from the vineyards of Walla Walla AVA and two small unique AVAs.
The tasting room is operated by the owner, and it was very interesting to talk with him. Well, mainly to listen to him only, because as soon as we started to talk, the big and bold company appeared and requested all his attention. So, normal dialogue became impossible, but we heard his inspiring vinicultural speech. He is a fan of wine education and always tries to bring more info to the clients. He uploaded his short educational movie
Continue reading Walla Walla. September visit.
Introduction to Spirits 
Cognac, tequila, gin, vodka, whisky, rum…. an entire selection of bottles of various shapes and colors that rest on shelves behind the barman and that are generally called spirits. The common property of all spirits is relatively high alcohol content that’s usually achieved by distillation.
Let’s talk about spirits in general: about their origins, history, technology and the basis of their variety.
Continue reading Introduction to Spirits
Walla Walla. April visit.
About once a year I make a visit to the wineries of East Washington, tasting the production of the local winemakers. Some of them I love so much that re-visit them from time to time, especially to introduce them to my friends, but usually, I love to try something new considering the huge amount of wineries in this place. My preference is small wineries which wines can be bought only via the winery itself, because wines of big wineries can be found in any huge liquor store in the state, so don’t worth so long ride. A couple of weeks ago we spent a day in Walla Walla, one of the most famous AVA of Washington. About AVA and US wine law you can read here.
This time we visited four new (for me) wineries.
First on our way was Waterbrook, the biggest and most glamorous among them. The huge
Continue reading Walla Walla. April visit.
Spring Feeling 
Spring has graced us with its presence once more, and as the trees burst into bloom, it’s time to unveil a new mini-series of spring cocktails.
Continue reading Spring Feeling
My experience with wineries Europe
Greece France USA
Washington Oregon
Washington Wineries. Red Mountain AVA, 2022
Red Mountain is a small, but interesting AVA located on the southwest slopes of Red Mountain, accordingly. In September I visited some wineries of this AVA. Read about my impression here.
Colter’s Creek Winery. Idaho
This summer I discovered that not only famous potatoes can be found in the great spaces of Idaho, but also some interesting wines. Read about my experience with Colter’s Creek Winery here.
Walla Walla. September visit
At the end of September, we traditionally visited East Washington to try something new. Read my impression about three wineries in Walla Walla here.
Walla Walla. April visit
About once a year I make a visit to the wineries of East Washington, tasting the production
Continue reading My experience with wineries
Wines Winemaking White Grapes Red Grapes Geography
Learn to Read Labels. USA.
The benefits of knowing how to read wine labels and understanding wine law common for the EU are discussed in the article “Learn to Read Labels. Europe.” Here, I am talking about US wine laws and helpful information that can be found on labels.
Wines for the sweet tooth
Let’s talk about naturally sweet wines, the method of their production, the importance of a long, warm sunny fall, and about useful mould.
World of Magic Bubbles 
In the article about Champagne I talk in detail about the history of the foremother of all sparkling wines, about Champagne’s styles and technology. However, the world of magic bubbles doesn’t restrict to Champagne; it is wide, deep, diverse, and very interesting.
Continue reading World of Magic Bubbles
Calendar for Cocktail Lovers 2022
I made a new Calendar for Cocktail Lovers.
12 new cocktails with the recipes.
12”×12” (305mm×305mm)
Glossy quality paper
Wire bound
It can be bought directly from me (if we know each othere it is possibly the best option) or on Etsy.
Details:
January – Moose Milk
February – Orange Blossom
March – Bee’s Knees
April – Sakura Martini
May – Maiden’s Blush
June – Paper Plane
July – Lunar Shadow
August – Clover Club
September – White Lady
October – Casino
November – Feuerzangenbowle
December – Ornamentini
Continue reading Calendar for Cocktail Lovers 2022
Bee’s Knee 
The phrase “Bee’s Knee” made its debut in the 18th century, serving as a whimsical synonym for something exceedingly small. After all, bees do indeed sport rather petite knees, making the expression quite fitting.
Continue reading Bee’s Knee
International Tempranillo Day
Today! Second Thursday of November.
So, don’t forget to open a Rioha bottle with dinner or/and pour a glass of Porto after.
Happy Tempranillo Day!
Champagne Cobbler 
This Champagne Cobbler is a special dedication to my dear friend Rouslan, an ardent admirer of this classic libation. His passionate enthusiasm prompted me to break my prolonged silence on this delightful subject, and I present this concoction with sheer astonishment.
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International Beer Day
Right now, August 6.
Don’t forget to pour a glass of your favorite beer!
Cognac
It is time to talk about cognac.
Technically, cognac is a brandy (a spirit made by wine distillation) produced in French region Cognac according to the Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée rules (about EU and French wine laws read here and here ). However, cognac is not just brandy with geographical identification, it is the name, the history, the pride, and the worldwide recognition of France (and its income source, more than 90% of cognac production is exported, and every second, five bottles of cognac are sold in the world).
Continue reading Cognac
Gin 
Gin is a strong alcoholic drink made from distilled spirit by re-distillation with aromatic botanicals, the most important of which is juniper.
Continue reading Gin
Calendar for Cocktail Lovers 2021
I made a Calendar for Cocktail Lovers.
12 cocktails with the recipes.
12”×12” (305mm×305mm)
Glossy quality paper
Wire bound
It can be bought on Etsy or directly from me.
Details:
Continue reading Calendar for Cocktail Lovers 2021
Aviation 
Aviation is a forgotten and reborn American classic.
Continue reading Aviation
Grog 
Grog, a libation that emerged from the annals of the Royal Navy, stands as a testament to the symbiotic relationship between alcohol and maritime history.
Continue reading Grog
Learn to Read Labels. USA.
Unfortunately for wine lovers, USA does not have similar to EU requirements for winemakers. Labels on US wines provide little to nothing information, nonetheless some of it can still be helpful.
Even though European immigrants brought grape vines to American continent long time ago, reasonable winemakery developed in the US only in the mid-twentieth century. Prior to that, usual troubles, such as phylloxera, Prohibition and others occurred on a regular basis. Then it had gradually diminished. At last, currently, the US winemakery is on the ascent (as most of the other wine world). Nowadays, all 50 American states, including Alaska, produce wine. As a matter of fact, some of them use different fruits more often than grape, or they buy grape from other states; it is a fact, that wine produced in any state can now be found on the market. Yet, only four states: California, Washington, Oregon, and New York, represent valid
Continue reading Learn to Read Labels. USA.
Calvados. The spirit of an apple. 
Autumn is everywhere: days became shorter; air is filled with a smell of fallen leaves; and cold rains remind about warming fireplace. Again I return to the apples in our glasses. If sunny August days were perfect for light sparkling cider, then now is time for supplies of sun and warmth, time for Calvados.
Continue reading Calvados. The spirit of an apple.
Apples in a glass Summer past its peak; rather-ripe apples appeared on a market, so it’s time to talk about cider, about fresh sparkling apple cider. This beverage has been pleasing humankind for many centuries. Cider, technologically, is an apple wine. In fact, Germans, straightforwardly call their version of cider – Apfelwein. North Americans like to assign old European names to irrelevant things, and then give new names to objects which names were borrowed. Thus, in North America, unfiltered apple juice is called cider, and cider itself is called hard cider.
It’s hard to say when people started making cider. Evidently the drink provokes the invention if you live among apple gardens. However, “Geography,” written by the Greek historian and geographer Strabo (ending of BC – beginning of AC), and “Natural History,” written by the Roman author Pliny the Elder (beginning of AC), are considered the first evidence of cider production. Pliny reports about the production of
Continue reading Apples in a glass
Chartreuse. The Elixir of Longevity with Four Hundred Years of History. 
During my visit to Lyon last autumn, I couldn’t resist spending a day in the birthplace of my favorite liqueur, exploring the fascinating world of the original Elixir Vegetal de la Grande-Chartreuse, discovering the home of the Carthusian monks who created it, and delving into the captivating history and present-day allure of this enigmatic elixir.
Continue reading Chartreuse. The Elixir of Longevity with Four Hundred Years of History.
Chateau Beau Joubert. South Africa on the American Market South Africa has been growing grape and making wine since the middle of the XVII century, from times when first Dutch colonists came to the continent of Africa. French Huguenots arrived after Dutch and brought their homeland vines and winemaking experience with them. In XVIII – XIX centuries, South Africa exported perfectly good wines to Europe. However, the country’s winemaking was almost ruined in the XX century. Phylloxera, Anglo-Boer Wars, apartheid and its economic consequences undermined the wine industry. Fine wine production was set aside; grape was mostly used for distillation and in fruit juice industry. Fortunately, latter years of the XX century were marked by changes in politics, economic recovery and restitution of winemaking. South African wines increased their presence on the American market in recent years, and it’s definitely worth to pay closer attention to them.
My favorite shop, Arista Wine Cellar, had recently arranged a tasting of wines from South African Winery,
Continue reading Chateau Beau Joubert. South Africa on the American Market
Isenhower Cellars. Aroma of Northern Rhône in the cellars of the American Northwest. Sometime ago, while looking for a few missing wines to complete my lecture, I found a little wine shop called Arista Wine Cellars in Edmonds, WA. The shop has an interesting wine choice and a friendly staff, and there are thematic wine tastings held there on Saturdays. The week that I happened to visit, they happened were tasting wines from Isenhower Cellars, a winery in Walla Walla, WA. The shop offered seven wines for the tasting. The first glass I was handed had white wine and was said to be: “77% Marsanne with Roussanne and some Viognie”. I was a bit confused as I estimated the distance between Walla Walla and the traditional place for Marsanne with Roussanne. All things considered, my glass contained a smooth rich wine with a Northern Rhone aroma.
I should explain. Marsanne, Roussanne and Viognie are classics of the Northern Rhone white wines. While Viognie is spread widely throughout the
Continue reading Isenhower Cellars. Aroma of Northern Rhône in the cellars of the American Northwest.
Wines for the sweet tooth Let’s talk about naturally sweet wines, about the method of their production, about importance of a long, warm sunny fall, and about useful mold.
Naturally sweet wines are wines that are made by natural fermentation, without fortification.
Broadly speaking, the process of conversion of grape juice into wine can be described as transformation of sugar from juice into alcohol by yeast. For dry wine, yeast simply convert all of the sugar into alcohol and die from hunger afterwards. The amount of alcohol depends on the amount of sugar. There is no sugar left into the wine.
How to make wine with presence of both components, alcohol and sugar?
There are several different approaches to make sweet wine.
1. Stop fermentation before all of the sugar is eaten. It is common knowledge that fermentation can be stopped by alcohol supplementation. Although yeast produces alcohol themselves, a large concentration of alcohol is toxic for them. Most strains
Continue reading Wines for the sweet tooth
Themed wine appreciation sessions “Taste and Learn” I bring to your attention stories about wines combined by variety, geography or type of production. “Rieslings of the World: Taste of Sugar and Age”, “Sparkling Wines”, “Pinot Noir: white, rose and red wines from the same vine”, “Jerez”, “Wines of New Zealand”, “Chardonnay: taste of climate and oak”, “Wines of Spain”, “Sake” and many others, the wine world is endless. Each story would be accompanied by tasting wines that perfectly reflect the subject. “Taste and Learn” session takes about 1.5-2 hours, and I will offer 5-7 wines to compare and enjoy.
Have you ever wondered how the white champagne Grand Anne from Bollinger and red Burgone are made from the same grape variety? Isn’t it interesting how aging changes the taste of Riesling? What does oak bring to the taste of Chardonnay? Why can’t anybody tell you the exact age of Jerez in your glass? If you find yourself in New Zealand, would you
Continue reading Themed wine appreciation sessions “Taste and Learn”
My services Themed wine appreciation session “Taste and Learn”
I bring to your attention stories about wines combined by variety, geography or type of production. “Rieslings of the World: Taste of Sugar and Age”, ”Sparkling Wines”, “Pinot Noir: white, rose and red wines from the same vine”, “Jerez”, “Wines of New Zealand”, “Chardonnay: taste of climate and oak”, “Wines of Spain”, “Sake” and many others, the wine world is endless. Each story would be accompanied by tasting wines that perfectly reflect the subject. “Taste and Learn” takes about 1.5-2 hours, and 5-6 different wines will be offered for tasting. A more detailed description of some talks can be found here.
Such tastings can be offered individually with the subject of your choice or by series (examples of series: “Wines of France by regions”, “Most Popular White wine by varietals”, “Fortified wines”, and so on.
For wine stores: wines would be chosen from your inventory.
Continue reading My services
in addition Such tastings can be offered individually with the subject of your choice or by series (examples of series: “Wines of France by regions”, “Most Popular White wine by varietals”, “Fortified wines”, and so on.
For wine stores: wines would be chosen from your inventory.
Training for Themed wine appreciation session “Taste and Learn”
If you would like to run the themed wine appreciation session “Taste and Learn” with your own staff, I will select wines for your chosen topic and train your staff.
Program for Themed wine appreciation session “Taste and Learn”
I will develop the program according to your preferences and provide a detailed text for each session. Wines for each talk can be suggested as examples, or I can help choose them from your inventory.
you might also like day trips to Woodenville, WA (coming soon)
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