There are many places in Manhattan that are cash only. This is something which one becomes accustomed to when living in New York: one happens upon this at coffee shops, dumpling houses, and corner markets; the bill comes, and somebody at the table (usually me) runs to the closest corner deli and uses their ATM (or conveniently, at the establishment that does not accept anything but cash). The other night, on our way home from work we stopped at Lil' Frankie's on First Avenue in the East Village for some dinner. We like it here: the kitchen is open late enough to accomodate diners like us who eat at 1:30am, there is a vibrant scene, it's cozy with dark lighting and exposed-brick walls, the music is loud but fantastic, and the food is consistently good, super affordable, simple Italian. Lil' Frankie's is cash-only, however what astounds me is their wine list.

One of the best things about living in Boulder over the last year and a half has been seeing the launch of David Vogels' Sommelier Journal, a trade magazine for wine professionals. David has a long history as a journalist and publisher, but it was his personal interest in wine that gave him the idea for the magazine. David enrolled in the CIA's Certified Wine Professional course out of his passion for wine, and in the process realized the need for a trade journal specifically for sommeliers. In only a few months of publication, David has tackled everything from Bordeaux-buying strategies to comprehensive Barolo tastings, and I've found many of his articles helpful in my current position at Frasca Food and Wine. This afternoon, I was happy to accept an invitation to sit on a panel tasting two vintages of Austrian Grüner Veltliner for an upcoming issue. It was informative and inspiring, and without a doubt, my wine moment of the week.

I am so predictable.  Working in a restaurant, I am fortunate enough to eat most of my meals here at Babbo.  Before service is Family Meal, where everybody sits down around 4:00 and eats together before the night begins, I always drink water.  Towards the end of service (usually around midnight) a few nights a week I sit down either at the bar or at a table, and eat what we call "Officer Meal", where I am able to have something off the menu.  This gives me a chance to try new dishes and find pairings.  Time and time again, I turn to my trusty friend,

Q: How have Americans reacted to the news of the scandal, adulterated Brunello, and Brunello that does not meet appellation requirements?

A: Honestly, that is a difficult question. Brunello collectors make up about 3% of the wine buyers in the US and in that circle there is a reaction. They don't know what to make of it yet. I believe that because there are 99s, 00s, 01s and a few 02s available, nobody is worried yet. People think that it is an Italian soap opera between Feder Comercio, magistratura de Siena against it Produttori del Brunello.

Or barleywine to be exact. Even after a great week of tasting including some impressive Dal Forno Romano Valpolicella and a Vilmart Cellier dOr, my wine experience of the week came at a Fourth of July gathering where I had the opportunity to taste a bottle of barleywine with its maker, über-brewer Brendan McGinn.

It all started innocently enough, with a warm bottle of Six Sigma and a Penske truck. Last summer my fiance (then-boyfriend) and I were moving from Napa to Manhattan and before I left my job in St. Helena, my boss gave me a parting gift of more than a few bottles of Six Sigma Rose. Hailing from Lake County and made of Tempranillo, it was darkly hued, plush with red fruits, full of zingy lemon, and best of all, we had almost a case to spare: I had met my summer match. 

The wines of Sagrantino Di Montefalco are a true discovery and although this area has a history that is rich in wine the leading producer in this region is a relative newcomer to the region Arnaldo Caprai. In 1971 Arnaldo Caprai, a successful textile businessman, bought the Val di Maggio estate to fulfill his dream of producing his own wine. He started off with only five hectares, but as time went by he believed more and more in the great potential of the local variety Sagrantino and bought more of the surrounding land. In 1988 his son Marco Caprai started managing the winery and with his passion and determination gives the necessary impetus for the production of top quality wines. Since 1991 the Caprai’s have made huge investments into the acquisition of new vineyards, scientific research, technological innovation. Their efforts yielded results almost immediately and in its last six editions the Italian Guide to Wines published by Gambero Rosso and Slow Food Arcigola has awarded the prestigious Three Glasses to Caprai's Sagrantino 25 anni. Many other important recognitions have since been awarded to the winery, including the Super Three stars of Veronelli (awarded to wines that have reached levels of excellence for many years consecutively) and the Oscar of Wine as Best Producer of the Year awarded by the Italian Association of Sommelier. We met, and discuss wines of the world and his particular winemaking skills, by far one of the most adventurer enologist that I ever met from Tuscany south. Using French Oak barriques, his blends are from Sagrantino, Sangiovese, Cilegiolo and Merlot grapes.

I had tasted so few vintages of this "prestige cuvée of prestige cuvées" that it seemed a little beyond my realm of experience to speak about Pol Roger's Sir Winston Churchill at this weekend's Telluride Wine Festival. Fortunately, the great man's wine did all the talking, as the 1998 vintage provided the grande finale of an impressive line-up of Grande Marques in an early morning Champagne tasting. The Winston Churchill stunned the audience with its class and complexity. Bubbles expert Tom Stevenson has called it "...one of the greatest prestige cuvées of modern times..." and the 1998 certainly lived up to that praise. Pol Roger refuses to reveal the composition of the wine, upholding a promise made to the Churchill family when the idea of a wine made in Churchill's honor was first proposed. Since the initial 1975 vintage, little information has emerged about its contents other than its enviable 100% Grand Cru village status.

There is so much diversity in Burgundy's white wines, even though there is only one key grape variety represented.

Burgundy's main white grape variety, Chardonnay, is a bit of a Chameleon in that it adapts and expresses itself brilliantly within different climates and soil types, as well as through various vinification and viticultural methods. It is also affected by other factors such as vintage variations, market influences, and restrictions and limitations within different trade and legal structures.

A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to meet my fellow SOMMS at the Napa Valley Wine Auction. I wanted to learn from them about the hottest new things in San Francisco, Miami, and South Carolina, and they wanted to know from me about the food and wine scene in Denver. I was a little embarrassed because although I've lived in Boulder for over a year, I had not been to most of the top wine and food spots on the Front Range. So, I decided to dedicate a day to discover some of the best in Denver with my wife Elizabeth. Here's some of what we found: