Somm's Notes

30 Days of Flavor: D is for Daikon | A Fresh Vegetal Note to Fight Palate Fatigue
30 Days of Flavor: D is for Daikon | A Fresh Vegetal Note to Fight Palate Fatigue
Explore Day 4 of our sensory archive. Learn how the crisp, peppery daikon radish note manifests in high-acid natural white wines, and why it's the ultimate in elevated pairings. Read more...
E is for Eggplant Caviar
le 6 juin --  On a Friday, I sat in an open-air restaurant overlooking the Seine, I was astonished by two things: The first were the Dutch/German children on the bateaux mouches floating by. The second was the dish in front of me.  In order of importance: the children. As a lover of earnest whimsy, and a tendency to roll my eyes at all things blasé, it's a joy to return the waves of the people on the boat tour. They're enjoying their lives, gawking shamelessly, and imagining a life outside their... Read more...
C is for Chinotto
C is for Chinotto
I'm writing today you with a little bit headache, but it’s not from the wine believe it or not...  As much as I wish I were international cool girl, unaffected... Read more...
30 Days of Flavor: C is for Chinotto | The Quintessential Italian Soda
30 Days of Flavor: C is for Chinotto | The Quintessential Italian Soda
Technically, technically, a Chinotto is a ping pong sized fruit. A quick search tells me that the fruit itself originated in China in the 15th or 16th century, and was... Read more...
30 Days of Flavor: B is for Bergamot | A Fresh, Citrus Note for Lover Girls
30 Days of Flavor: B is for Bergamot | A Fresh, Citrus Note for Lover Girls
While I had never personally never concisely encountered Bergamot outside of a Bed Bath and Beyond, it was abundantly popular in 18th century France. At a time when perfumed face... Read more...
30 Days of Flavor: A is for Amarena | A Medicinal, Cherry Note to Override Overwhelm
30 Days of Flavor: A is for Amarena | A Medicinal, Cherry Note to Override Overwhelm
Pistache, fragola, framboise, millefeuille, gianduja, amarena, bacio, tiramisu, zabaione. Vanille.  It is the job of the parfumer, the vigneron, the ice cream maker to organize flavors into something spectacular. But... Read more...
There Will Be No Robert Craig this Year
There Will Be No Robert Craig this Year
For those of you who have heard my joke that Robert Craig is my boyfriend: no, I've never met him, yes the wines are l o v e l y. ... Read more...
Cheers to Yellowstone?
A story about sublime beauty, land rights, and the wealthiest land owning families in America. Surely we're talking about wine country?  Taylor Sheridan's hit series Yellowstone follows the powerful landowning mafia -- I mean family -- the Duttons, and their ranch in Montana. John Dutton's control over his family, local politics, and a massive cattle ranch paint a beautiful picture of life in the American west. But what looks like beauty from a distance is, up close, a series of decisions about survival and legacy.   "When you look at... Read more...
Wine Night: The French Edit
Aux Deux Amis 11 | Rouge ou Blanc 6 | Early June 9 | Le Barav 3 | Petard 11 | Pepites | 228 L 9 | Le Baratin 20 | Bon Georges 9 | Eels 10 | Etna | Deviant! | Le Mary Celeste 3 | Substance | Vantre 11 | Willis | Frenchie 9 |  ROSA BONHEUR (BUTTES-CHAUMONT, PARIS 19) “Bonheur” translates to happiness, but Marie Rosalie Bonheur was also a painter in the 19th century. She wore pants with pockets, never married and was awarded a Legion D’honeur for her... Read more...
Why is Bordeaux so dang expensive?
We have Joan of Arc to thank. Bordeaux, some of the most expensive wine in the world, was at one point a part of the British Empire! Situated at a major estuary, Bordeaux of Acquitaine was both a port town and a strategic military location. When the British invaded in 1415, they used the mostly self-sufficient town as a bargaining chip. Export to England created a taste for this particular style with France's wealthy neighbor, and the trade relationship would continue long Joan of Arc turned the tides of the... Read more...
Our Senators aren't drinking nearly enough wine in session, and it's bad for democracy
Our Senators aren't drinking nearly enough wine in session, and it's bad for democracy
Imagine, for a moment, that you are a humble citizen of Athens in 500BCE, invited to a democratic assembly. Pericles is President and citizen-leader (yes, President, not Emperor!, elected and... Read more...
Take it from the Girl Who Brings the Wine to the Potluck
As a wine buyer, I rely heavily the insight of my Wine Reps. In North Carolina’s tightly regulated alcohol sales system, wine distributors have a lot of influence over what wines make it to retail shelves. As brokers, they manage producer portfolios, statewide placements, and the delicate logistics of moving large amounts of wine accurately and without damage, all while working within margins so tight that a few cents per ounce can be the difference between selling a palate a month, and selling nothing at all. We work together to... Read more...
Wine Reps Share their 2025 Thanksgiving Picks!
Wine sales representatives take a break to share with us their Thanksgiving Picks for 2025. Read more...
The Art of Wine Tasting: A Beginner's Guide to Discovering Your Palate
Learn the fundamentals of wine tasting with our beginner's guide. Discover the five S's of wine tasting and start developing your palate today. Read more...
Malborough Magic
New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc is having more than just a moment; it’s firmly taken root on wine lists across the world. Aromatic and zippy, sometimes with notes of grass or bell pepper, and bursting with citrus and tropical fruits, it’s the number one requested wine in my shop, by name, followed California Cab and Italian Reds. Photo from @terroir_matters. But the interesting thing about NZ Savvy — and I pinky promise I am not judging! - is that for all of the people asking for it, very can tell me why it... Read more...
Mar 24, today in good spirits: In the Case of Rhum
Last week I discussed the importance of heritage in product premiumization. Which poses the question: What, then, is the difference between Volcan and Eminente in the Moët Hennessy portfolio? Eminente, another beautiful brand with a story rooted in Cuban heritage, faces very different market conditions. The rum market is much more saturated in Europe than tequila, meaning that while a great story and beautiful packaging matter, they will not be enough to stand apart from other rhum brands. To emphasize its unique features, quality, and exclusivity, Eminente should be focusing... Read more...
Mar 18, Today in Good Spirits: Tequila’s Sunrise
In an uncertain market, many brands turn to premiumization, the process of enhancing the features of a brand that make it unique and appealing. This can happen for an existing brand, but it call also happen for an entire product segment, as is the case of Tequila in recent months. Moët Hennessy has started its first tequila brand, Volcan, and paired this fresh story with an iconic look in the XA bottle. Brand elements feature the farmers and the AOP of Jalisco, acknowledging the historical knowledge, the rich heritage of... Read more...
Nov 28, this week in Good Spirits: Woauh, comme c'est Beaujolais Nouveau!
November is here, which means the freshly bottled Beaujolais is in the process of being bottled and sent down the nearest river, straight to your doorstep. Each November, the annual Beaujolais festivals celebrate the fresh bottling of this unpretentious wine and the rich history of the region. Beaujolais boasting wines that have been around since the reign of Julius Cesar and was bottled by monks. It is also known for sporting many innovations in wine making, including strategies for protecting the vines from phylloxera and new sprays to protect vines... Read more...
October 29, this week in Good Spirits: Bees
While the fields go dormant in Champagne, Spring begins in South Africa, just in time for Inverrouche Gin to provide a new home for Solitary Bees, the most important pollinator in South Africa. The Inveroche Bee & Bee serves double duty as an extension of packaging life and an awareness campaign in support of this endangered species. Chateau Galoupet, in Provence, also paid tribute to the bee with guests from Observatoire François d'Apidologie (OFA). The wine maison emphasized the dangers of the shrinking bee population and the impacts of biodiversity... Read more...
Oct 22, this week in Good Spirits: Celebrating Champagne
Two brands are offering eco-friendly champagne options to help you celebrate Champagne Day, the last Friday of October. Champagne Telmont, a Rémy Cointreau brand, has announced they will trade the clear bottles for a lighter, recycled bottle alternative and no longer package their bottles in a gift box, reducing packaging waste and lessening shipping weights. The commitment reflects their “In the Name of Mother Nature” commitment to cutting down carbon emissions by 50% before 2030. Ruinart, a maison in the LVMH group, announced a different packaging solution this time last... Read more...