Posts in Wine
Fino Sherry, Explained Through Food
Fino Sherry, Explained Through Food

As published by Vinepair

No matter how I may describe it with words, the key to actually understanding sherry is to simply pair it with food. I discovered this for myself at a small Jerez joint called Méson Don Paco, where I crushed cold Tio Pepe alongside a dish of green olives (I was there on a trip sponsored by Gonzalez Byass, Tio Pepe’s parent company). When a server, noting my excitement, brought over some salty, rich, fatty Iberico ham, I thought I had died and gone to Spanish heaven.

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WineEthan FixellSherry, Vinepair
4 Master Sommeliers on the Reality of the Job Today
4 Master Sommeliers on the Reality of the Job Today

As published by Food & Wine

"Four Master Sommeliers walk into a bar" sounds like the setup to a joke your wine-geek uncle would tell— but it did in fact happen on a chilly afternoon in January at New York's Lupulo. To lubricate discussion, I asked each of the four to bring their favorite affordable (under $30) bottle of wine of the moment. Together, over the course of 90 minutes—during which tasty Portuguese cuisine, accessible wine, and even (gasp!) refreshing beer was consumed—the five of us dissected what it means to be a Master Sommelier today.

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WineEthan FixellSommeliers, Restaurants, Food & Wine, Master Somms
The secret to a seriously good bottle of Champagne? Not taking it too seriously
The secret to a seriously good bottle of Champagne? Not taking it too seriously

As published by Quartz

Pierre-Emmanuel Taittinger is just as passionate about Champagne as he is about the condition of the grounds that facilitate its production (including its lavatories). It may seem ironic that a producer of the classiest beverage on earth is obsessed with bathroom accommodations, but to this, Pierre-Emmanuel just shrugs and offers up his life motto: “Be serious. But don’t take it seriously.”

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WineEthan FixellChampagne, Taittinger, Quartz
Comedian Lewis Black’s Secret Passion: Wine
Comedian Lewis Black’s Secret Passion: Wine

As published by Vanity Fair

Lewis Black arrives at Brooklyn Winery a little after two P.M. on a Tuesday. I introduce myself and explain that we’ll taste a flight of some of the urban winery’s best products, get his thoughts on each, and perhaps learn a thing or two about him in the process. “Yeah, you’ll learn that it’s too early for me to be drinking,” he mutters as he removes his coat. “And that spitting thing is bullshit.” The Grammy Award–winning comedian, New York Times best-selling author, and Daily Show contributor has one résumé credit few are aware of: amateur wine connoisseur.

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Comedy, WineEthan FixellLewis Black, Brooklyn Winery, Vanity Fair