Gemischter Satz

Chalk drawings on hot asphalt

Hopscotch

A mother’s key tossed

A two-part heart

Acid piercing like an arrow

A bright green popsicle

-two sticks-

melting in its juice.

Maurerberg Gemischter Satz 2008

Read Full Post »

Walla Walla What???

A few weeks ago, I attended “Taste Walla Walla” at City Winery, because I was hoping to find some left coast reds with less residual sugar than a Snickers.  And though I came with some prejudice in my pocket, I also had hope…They can’t all be light-my-fire jam-bombs, I thought.  And round the room I went. First the whites, and then the reds.  The space filled, and as I dodged bullets of noxious perfume fumes (and this was a TRADE tasting!!! HELLO!!!), I found myself fighting for spots at tables with little worth tasting…until I found one, where I was the only one standing.

Read Full Post »

Tuscany, VINO2010-Part III

Tasting my way through “The Italian Wine Masters Grand Tasting: Tuscany & Prosecco” at VINO2010, was like being taken for a tumble by a tumultuous wave.  Flooded by Brunello, like sea and shells; Chianti cherry in lieu of ocean spray.   Dizzy, I pulled myself up from the fall–my teeth purple, my bathing suit bottom full of sand.  Walking towards the shore–bottle upon bottle, sangiovese ruby red; knee deep, it came up from behind and struck me to the ocean floor again.

Read Full Post »

Social Media Decanted-VINO2010-Pt.II

Thursday morning led me back to VINO2010 at the Waldorf for a panel presentation titled, “Virtual Vino, Millenials and Social Media DECANTED!” The room was standing room only, and for weeks, there’d been a twitter buzz about sending questions for the panel–live.  And while some of us (self included) sing-sang for our supper by tweeting (and blogging) about the event, our twitter posts (@VINO2010) did (and do still) run live on their website.  Following in the steps of  Twit & Spit, this social media experiment actually helped generate a sense of community, both online and in-life, and it inspired discussion of what’s happening now and next.

Read Full Post »

VINO2010 NYC-Part I

This past week, VINO2010–Italian Wine Week–descended upon NYC, bringing together wine writers and buyers, importers and makers, educators, distributors,  and noise-makers; together beneath one roof and a million rooms at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel.  There were presentations and guided tastings, meet and greets, and a Grand Tasting with no end in sight.  Apulia, Calabria, Toscana, and Veneto–the Regional Wine Dinners took place on Thursday night; and, of the 300+ participating producers, over 50 were Brunello di Montalcino.

Read Full Post »

VINO2010

Big week for Italian wine in the city! I’ll be at VINO2010 all day long tweeting and tasting and hanging with fabulous wine peeps.  Check out the stream of consciousness at VINO2010 where attendees’ tweets are live.  Blog posts on the event to follow…

Read Full Post »

Bin 71

Squat and squeezed on Columbus between 70th and 71st Streets, Bin 71 gets cozy at night, in a subway-rush-hour kind of way.  It’s dark with a marble top 12-seat bar, and a flat screen TV that glares like a mother’s raised brow from the corner.   Television aside  and there’s a fine 100 bottle selection, though the list of reds emphasizes size, as in these are BIG wines…the whites leave you (or rather, me) with a little more room to breathe.

Read Full Post »