Articles written by M.L. Brooke - Page 5

Where Knowledge Rules

What is Helium

About me - M.L. Brooke

I write therefore I am. I also am one of those hated middlemen in the wine business who makes sure your wines are well taken care of and arrive to your favorite haunt relatively unscathed, for a commision of course. But I am a writer, I just sling fermented

+ more bio information

RSS Feed

Food & Drink > Dining Etiquette How to choose the proper wine glass: 1 of 2
Wine glasses have become so specialized that I fear the day will be not too soon in coming where we will have to have a glass for California Pinot, one for Burgundy, and one for Willamette Pinot. But if you do not feel like investing in all of this glassware, you can make do with a few key choices. You should have a large-bo... More..
Autos > Antique Cars Automotive history: Buick Grand National: 1 of 2
The Buick Grand national was a sleeper car if ever there was one. If you didn't pay attention tot eh subtle "GNX" badges on the front and back, you ran the risk of getting seriously clowned at the light when a 275 horsepower Buick from 1987 jumped off and left you ever so far behind. What is interesting about this little car... More..
Food & Drink > Wine Examining wine with your eyes: 1 of 1
Look Into The Glass We talked about the nose an another article entitled "What's That Smell" where we discussed the aroma wheel and the various scents good and bad we can glean from sticking our nose in the glass. But what about even before that? What of the appearance of the wine itself? Let's consider some things to look f... More..
Food & Drink > Wine Pinot Noir wine's continued popularity: 1 of 1
Why Pinot is So Popular The easy answer is Sideways. You remember, the Oscar-winning movie about the morally bankrupt duo you can't help but love, Miles being the one who loves wine and placed Pinot Noir on a pedestal the likes of which no grape has ever seen. And this ruined it for those of us who love the grape. Or did it?... More..
Sports & Recreation > Fly Fishing Fly fishing for bonefish: Tips and tricks: 1 of 1
Assuming you have, if not a proficient guide, at least a kid to pole your skiff around in the flats, here are some tried and true tips for hooking up with one of the fastest bottle rockets of a fish you will ever encounter. Spotting Them - Like most bottom feeding fish, you will easily spot them in the shallows when they "ta... More..
Food & Drink > Wine The pros and cons of wine aging in oak barrels: 1 of 1
There's oak in my wine? Well statistically speaking yes. Almost all red and the vast majority of whites these days are either fermented or aged or both in oak barrels. Why is this important? Because you may be attributing things you "love" about a given wine to the grape when in fact it may be the oak it was aged in that you... More..
Food & Drink > Wine The eventual demise of "regional flavor" in winemaking: 1 of 1
Yeah it sounds like some ambitious thesis, but in fact it is a growing trend we notice across the world of wine. Basically what used to be well-defined borders of taste and style have given way to winemakers chasing reviews and the apaltes of the consumers, thereby leading to a rather innocuous yet positively detrimental phr... More..
Food & Drink > Wine Wine region: Pauillac, Bordeaux, France: 1 of 1
Bordeaux: Pauillac Home of the big boys, or at least to three of the five first growths, is a region steeped in history and almost undeserved sense of entitlement. Almost. If it weren't for the almost automatic production of world class Bordeaux year in and year out, even in vintages that would destroy other wineries, then i... More..
Food & Drink > Wine Wine region: St. Estephe, Bordeaux, France: 1 of 1
Bordeaux: St. Estephe On the left bank of the Gironde Cabernet reigns supreme, and you will notice that from north to south (against the outward flow of the river) the soil gradually shifts from a sandier loam with silt and clay to the more desirable gravel that defines St. Julien and finally Margaux, the southernmost region... More..
Autos > Trucks How to choose the right truck battery: 1 of 1
Above and beyond simply following the manufacturer's guidelines, there are some other factors to consider. If you live in any extremes of climate, be they hot or cold, you will want a battery with a higher cold cranking amp rating. Plus you may want to consider some of the newer longer lasting dry-cell batteries that offer e... More..