As I mentioned a few days ago, I was invited to the pre-opening party for a Museum exhibit in Rome on March 16.Unfortunately I will not make it there.It would be hard to justify the trip just for that.With a few visits to wineries, some sightseeing and cheese and food scouting, a trip to Italy could...

Is my palate changing or is it just fun and nice to stray from my usual red wine picks once in a while. I did taste today a couple of whites that really pleased me and could not wait to share with you. For the Consumed to Thrifty, the Ekeos from Fazi Battaglia, 100 percent Verdicchio combines good a...

If you are like me you may trust some book imprints, record labels and varied tastemakers when making new picks.The same thing applies in my case regarding wine. I trust the palate of a number of importers and distributors.The process can be gradual. You buy one wine, then two, then more bearing the...

I did not spend much time catching up with the news yet I did not miss Blind date with recession for the business of romance by Emma Jacobs (FT, February 13)... She notes that even though some financially stretched singles are so far keeping their dating service membership (are they dropping the gym...

Thinking of farms while living in urban centers, we believe we would have to get away from the city, maybe 30 minutes or an hour to experience the country life. Well someone decided to show us that it hasn't got to be so.In Setagaya ,one of Tokyo's 23 Wards, one man, Yukihiko Yoshioka, raises no les...

I cannot remember for sure how I found my way to Berlin Unlike, one thing I know is I like the various flavors this guide for the global traveler has to offer. Their review of Der Goldene Hahn (The Golden Cock), a local Italian eatery and bar makes you wish you could pay the place a visit for a tast...

People often talk about the third rail of politics or business, in Taboo Talk in Green Business: Buy Less Stuff (GreenBiz.com, December 22nd), Joel Makower offers one of his Strategies for the Green Economy (also the title of his book). He notes that "reducing or limiting consumption is antithetical...

I was left scratching my head what the heck 500 Best-Value Wines in the LCBO 2009 meant.OK, it is a book by a fellow named by Rod Phillips, a New Zealander at that who offers the best value that the Liquor Control Board of Ontario has in stock. The wine book combined with A Taste of Canada by Rose M...

I am always interested by creative or should I say smart ideas. The wine world is so compartmentalized with all these niches and a myriad winemakers and distributors that it is hard for anyone to navigate the wine waters. The recently launched Naked Wines offers wine lovers in the UK a chance to buy...

The Citroen 2 CV and the Solex are icons of the 50's and 60's in France and Europe at leastThey would take you from point A to point B in a practical if not luxurious way. The 'Bastille Day' Rendez-Vous kicks off at 10:00 am at Grant's Tomb (Riverside Drive and 122nd St) on July 13 in New York. Chec...