Happy Friday! Welcome to your Friday pairing. As you'll read, I had an oenologically exciting week that I'm looking forward to sharing with you. Next week there won't be a pairing in your inbox, but rather some questions for you on how you're enjoying J&J and how I can make things even better. I'll be excited to get your thoughts! In the meantime... Juice Wineâs origins are ancient and humble â I mean, in old times it was safer to drink than water, and even as a non-hygienically motivated...
22 days ago â˘Â 2 min read
Happy Friday! Couldn't resist sharing a picture from Monday night -- it was a joyful, musically expansive night at Dizzy's, and so great to see those of you who made it out. Onto the pairing... Juice For some reason, rosĂŠ is a category that sometimes struggles to be taken seriously -- perhaps it's the easy style, it's usually being youthful, perhaps the color (as some kind of subtle aversion to the feminine? I wouldn't wonder...) Most rosĂŠs are fresh, easy sippers -- but that doesn't make...
29 days ago â˘Â 1 min read
Happy Friday! And happy August! This week's song pairing came out of my listening research for Monday's tunes I'm singing with the Ted Nash Big Band at Dizzy's -- for those of you who can't come, I'll explain next week after it's all gone down.:) Enjoy and cheers! Juice mon Dieu! It seems odd to recommend something based on what it isnât, or what hasnât been done to it. But I suppose in wine, as in art, whatâs left out is as important as whatâs in. This weekâs wine is a stunner because the...
about 1 month ago â˘Â 2 min read
Happy Friday! Hope you're looking forward to a great weekend. I've been working on the tunes for August 5th, tending to a sunburn and working on some new songs...but onto what I've been sipping on and listening to! Juice There is no discovery, really, in matters of wine. If somethingâs made by humans itâs already been some combination of discovered and created. However that doesnât stop me from feeling a sense of satisfaction, victory even, when I encounter something new and seemingly away...
about 1 month ago â˘Â 2 min read
Happy Friday! Hope you're looking forward to a great weekend. Oh, I'm too excited about singing with Ted Nash's Big Band at Dizzy's Club on August 5th not to remind you about it! Onto your weekly pairing... Juice Greatness in just about anything over time requires a paradoxical balance: that of persistence and consistency matched with innovation and reinvigoration. Too much of the former, things get a little stale; too much of the latter and things become unfocused and diffuse. Rioja is one...
about 2 months ago â˘Â 2 min read
Happy Friday! Before I get to this week's pairing, I wanted to let you know I'll be singing a few songs each set with Ted Nash's Big Band at Dizzy's Club on August 5th -- the band couldn't be better, and the theme is "Jazz Meets Pop." It's going to be a great time -- hope to see you there. Onto your weekly pairing! Juice Gemischter Satz is the name Vienna has given its signature melange of white grapes â maybe more important that than what grapes it contains (riesling, grĂźner, etc.) is the...
about 2 months ago â˘Â 2 min read
Greetings and Welcome! 7.5.24 Hope those of you in north america are enjoying a post 4th lull, and everyone else your Friday. On to the pairing... Juice đ The movie "Sideways" didn't get everything right (merlot is awesome), but Giamatti's monologue about pinot noir ever rings true. It's a finicky grape that requires a lot of care, and I generally avoid any under $20 -- the math doesn't support the likelihood of success in winemaking given the care required. But this is not a usual Friday,...
2 months ago â˘Â 1 min read
Happy Friday! 6.28.24 Hope you're looking forward to a beautiful weekend. Special thanks to Jeb Patton for this week's music recommendation, passingly mentioned in a rehearsal together. Oh, and check him out with Adam Birnbaum (who I paired with Bordeaux a few weeks back) and Aaron Diehl at the 92nd Street Y on July 25th in person or streaming -- I know I'll be there.:) Juice extra extra La Felce's "Felcebianco" 2022 is a wine I enjoyed immensely. It is just so good -- when I studied up on...
2 months ago â˘Â 2 min read
6.21.24 Happy Friday! Greetings from a sweltering New York City! I hope you find some time to chill wherever you are, and this pairing helps the process.:) Juice a lil' luli I love the grignolino grape. I mean, I might not get a tattoo, but I would buy a t-shirt⌠Itâs usually an herbaceous, lean red that has just enough structure to keep things interesting, and takes a chill well â a secret weapon for the summer al fresco pasta feast of my fantasies. I have never liked a grignolino better...
3 months ago â˘Â 2 min read