Virginie Boone

What You Should Know About Chartreuse

Virginie Boone — Thu, 17 Apr 2025 15:24:00 GMT

Chartreuse is an ancient, elusive elixir that has been made for centuries by French monks. Throughout its history, it has been a digestif, a popular cocktail ingredient, and the inspiration for naming a color between yellow and green. In recent years...(read more)

Pairings Beyond Wine

Virginie Boone — Mon, 23 Dec 2024 15:00:00 GMT

For much of recent history, fine drink in the context of fine food has meant wine, and many a tome have been written about the right and wrong ways to pair the two. But these ideas about right and wrong are evolving and expanding. Increasingly, peopl...(read more)

California’s Trellising Systems Adapt with the Times

Virginie Boone — Wed, 03 Jul 2024 13:52:00 GMT

While wine grape varieties in California often change to reflect what is in or out of vogue with winemakers and consumers, the types and styles of wines that are made are also affected by trellising choices in the vineyard, which can significantly im...(read more)

An Introduction to Rhum Agricole

Virginie Boone — Fri, 05 Apr 2024 15:31:00 GMT

Rum has a long and storied history. The origins of rum and other sugarcane spirits can be traced to the Americas, but rum can be made anywhere that sugarcane is grown, and half of the countries in the world grow sugarcane today, according to Tristan ...(read more)

What You Need to Know about Tequila, Mezcal, Sotol, and Raicilla

Virginie Boone — Sat, 20 Jan 2024 19:05:00 GMT

Tequila and mezcal, agave-based spirits made in Mexico, are showing unprecedented growth in both sales and reputation across the world. A wider audience of spirits drinkers and cocktail aficionados is increasingly recognizing that agave-based spirits...(read more)

The Diversity of Oak Knoll: One of Napa Valley’s Great Appellations

Virginie Boone — Fri, 05 May 2023 15:29:00 GMT

Napa Valley often gets unduly painted as a monolith of Cabernet Sauvignon, and, indeed, it grows a lot of it, with Cabernet making up 40% of the region’s total wine production and 55% of its value. But despite Cab’s powerful presence, div...(read more)