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Munich’s Oktoberfest — a two-week extravaganza of suds, sausages and singing wrapped in lederhosen pants and dirndl dresses — holds sway as the classic German harvest celebration. And while it is true that Oktoberfest custom forbids serving wine, Germans nevertheless adore and celebrate the pleasures of the grape with a legion of wine festivals. From

For afficionados of pinot noir red wines, looking beyond Bourgogne, France, occasionally makes sense. Bourgogne has been the epicenter of high-quality pinot noir production for over 1,100  years, and it remains so today. But taking the adventurous approach beyond Bourgogne is useful especially when late spring frosts, mid-summer hailstorms and early fall mold and mildew damage Bourgogne’s grapes extensively.

The kids are back in school, yet Autumn’s often glorious afternoons and evenings still offer opportunities for fun backyard barbecues and picnics. Serving easy drinking and inexpensive yet delicious wines can make these days more enjoyable. It may come as a surprise that increasingly exceptional wine values for picnics and cookouts come in boxes, not

Like most small business owners, Deb Mortillaro wears multiple hats at Palate Partners, Pittsburgh’s premier school of wine, spirits and sake. Along with teaching wine classes and hosting Friday tastings, she coordinates deliveries, oversees gifts and corporate events and organizes European trips. She even unloads trucks. In her “spare time,” “The Queen of Quaffing” also achieved a pinnacle

When the Summer Olympic Games take place in Paris, France, between July 24th and August 11th, large crowds will throng at the Eiffel Tower, Louvre Museum, Seine River cruises, and the Versailles Palace. Many well-known restaurants and bistros will be closed for France’s cherished five weeks of vaccanes, i.e., summer vacation. Those eating establishments remaining

Wine drinkers’ ardor for dry rosés continues to grow each year. So much so that navigating the vast seas of pink-hued bottles becomes a challenge. Popular choices such as Caves D’Esclans, “Whispering Angel,” Côtes de Provence Rosé (owned by French luxury titan, LVMH) and La Vieille Ferme Rosé hit international markets in “production line” quantities.