Recent content by Steven Spielmann

Interesting. Of course there almost surely must be differences. I tend to like mountain wines (albeit most of them on the borders of the Alps); and I also think that higher altitude wines in 'normal' winegrowing regions tend to do better in hot years than their lower-planted cousins. This is...

Oswaldo - what's the cost with mountain wines, do you think?

Le Galopin was really quite excellent. Thanks. Repaire de Cartouche (which caused our hosts almost to come to blows with one another debating its merits!) and Au Passage were alas closed for the season. After finding those two closed we ate another place instead that was OK, very traditional...

Thanks everyone! Now to make a decision...

Hello all! Haven't checked in for a while, but I get one night off in Paris alone with my beloved wife later this week and I suspected that I could get some help here. Where should I take her to dinner? The ideal choice would: - have a great by the glass wine list - be in the 11th, 3rd, or...

It's amusing to say that (about Ike, Nixon, etc.), given that Clinton and Obama are so far to those guys' right, but it's not actually true. There is a big difference between a capitalist economy with high top marginal rates (and there were many deductions available to pay less than that) and a...

I had one a couple of years back and it didn't seem ready, FWIW.

Too bad.

Any hope he'll nationalize the banks a la Mitterand?

It is - not sure I've ever used this as an ingredient in anything before, even sundaes. A teaspoon is a small amount though, it mostly seems to complement the bitters. Not trying to defend my heterodox practice here though. I'll try to regain some geek cred with Botanist/Dolin Gibsons next week.

I don't think distillation process or wood explain Borderies nuttiness or Tenareze hardness for the first several decades, but I might be wrong, since I'm judging this mostly from the drinker's side.

While waiting for proper supplies to be purchased, I cobbled together a couple of Old Fashioneds tonight using a formula loosely derived from Kingsley Amis' recipe from Everyday Drinking. 1 tsp sugar Enough hot water to dissolve said sugar, but no more once that is dissolved, add 1 tsp...

Borderies/Petite Champagne/Grand Champagne in Cognac and Bas Armagnac/Tenareze in Armagnac suggest that there may be some terroir-like features in brandy, at least. I sympathize with Lou though.

I am happy to drink raw milk straight out of a cow or goat. Other than that...

You're right about the Gibson thing, I suppose. It just seems so arbitrary. We should force either the lemon twist or the olive to bear a different name as well. Good recs, thanks, keep them coming if people are so inclined. I can get most of these things one way or another. Yes, bourbon.