December 2013 – THE GRAPE BELT

Melbourne, Australia — There’s No Place Like Home

No, Mary and I are not natives of Australia. We are both proud of our Empire State roots in the good ol’ US of A. But when we landed in Australia, after what seemed like a week of living on an airplane, we felt like we were back home in America. An America where all […]

by Tom Riley

Making Sense Of Champagne

After four-plus days in Burgundy, it was time to continue our wine education and drive north to Champagne, specifically the town of Verzy, where we planned to stay with Yvonne and Jiles Halling. Yvonne is the operator of the popular B&B Les Molyneaux, and her husband, Jiles, a former executive with Moet & Chandon, is […]

by Tom Riley

Spreading Holiday Cheer With An International Flair

One of the best ways to share the good cheer of the holiday season is through gifts of wine. And while shopping at this time of year is sometimes a challenge, finding the right bottle for a family member, close friend, or colleague gets easier every year as the world of wine grows more bountiful. […]

by Tom Riley

Burgundy — C’est Tres Beaune!

A few days after our visits to wineries in the Côte de Nuits, my wife and I met up with Stephen Liney, a veteran of the Burgundy wine scene, for another round of meeting winemakers, tasting their wares, and learning as much I could about the Côte de Beaune in eight hours. Our scurrying around […]