Cheers, Nashua – it’s been a tasty ride, Senel signs off

Over the course of the last year, I’ve had the opportunity to take my passion for wine to the next level. From the day I started writing about wine and local wine experiences for The …

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Mass. gives residents the business; NH gets it

Massachusetts has been lovingly or hatefully referred to as “Taxachusetts” for a while, depending on which side of the border you live. Ever since the years of Gov. Michael Dukakis, the state government has levied …

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Feds looking to deal wine lovers a huge blow

A while back, I wrote on my blog about how nothing good comes of government intervention in wine. At that time, I was merely speaking of how Alabama’s banning of Cycles Gladiator’s awful wines because …

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

A few restaurant wine list pitfalls to avoid

Few things irk me more than restaurants that mislead their patrons about their wine offerings. Whether they do it intentionally or not isn’t the issue. Wine shouldn’t be a compromise, and you should get what …

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

2009 Bordeaux full of promise for the future

Throughout the last year, I’ve been watching with a keen eye on any news regarding the quality of 2009 Bordeaux, especially the release and pricing of the 2009 futures. During this time, I’ve seen countless …

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Thoughtful choices at new Wine Not

The idea of helping someone pick out a quality bottle of wine to celebrate a special moment, pair perfectly with dinner or just lounge around on a rainy spring afternoon is what we wine professionals …

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

It takes a sharp eye to pair wines, cheeses

When we’re young, our palates are obviously less developed and become accustomed to simpler foods. The most dramatically misrepresented food category in my life was cheese. In fact, my idea of cheese was limited to …

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

French burgundy of 2008 a miracle vintage

Back in 2007, my wife and I were honeymooning in Paris, and the weather could not have been any more beautiful. As a wine lover, I thought to myself, “What a terrific way to head …

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

What’s up with this swirling, sniffing of wine?

During the last few weeks, I’ve put on a number of wine tastings and served countless bottles of wine while working at the Stonehedge Inn. It was just recently that I started to think, why …

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Wallace: In search of his red violin in a sea of fraud

Over the course of the past few years, there has been one issue that has been publicly forced to the forefront of the wine world. However, this problem is nothing new, as it has been …

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

A closer look at a lot of wine

When you think about the most memorable places that you have visited, there is often a point during which one may think “I would love to live here” or “I would love to work here.” …

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Keep a few things in mind before aging wine

Ever since beginning my wine endeavor, I have been asked one question repeatedly: How do you know which wines to age? To answer that, you must first ask yourself whether you prefer young wines or …

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Date night: Check out Cucina Toscana’s Italian wines

My first exposure to Nashua’s Italian gem Cucina Toscana was very early on in my relationship with my wife (girlfriend at the time), and it has since been a very consistent culinary destination. When we …

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Get quality for less with Bordeaux seconds

For most of us, times have been tough, and a bottle of one of the best Bordeaux wines is too steep to even dream about, let alone consider buying! Most people cannot even begin to …

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Thanksgiving recommendations from the experts

“Wine, to me, is passion. It’s family and friends. It’s warmth of heart and generosity of spirit.” When I think about these words uttered by Robert Mondavi, I cannot help but imagine him speaking about …

Wednesday, November 18, 2009