A Bouquet of Rosés For Mom

Salute to Moms By Jeffrey M. Kralik, Ph.D. www.thedrunkencyclist.com – There was never so much as a drop of alcohol in my house growing up in the Midwest. Sure, my father drank the occasional beer, but that was rare, and when he did, it was something regrettable like Red, White, and Blue (Pabst Blue...

Getting Brunch Right

By Jeffrey M. Kralik, Ph.D. www.thedrunkencyclist.com Easter is next weekend, and many people are likely already planning a brunch.  If you are like me, you know that brunch gives one license to start drinking before noon, and that’s a good thing. Unfortunately, for many people, their idea of day...

Will You Be My Wine for Valentine’s

Normally, I actually love fielding questions about wine, from “what is better, Cabernet or Pinot?” to “what’s the best cheap wine?” I normally welcome them all, as long as you are also willing to possibly be served a side dose of sarcasm. But, there is one question that comes up this time of...

Wine Resolutions

This is the time of year for many to make resolutions. Whether to quit smoking, lose some weight or become more organized, most New Year’s Resolutions involve breaking old habits, and therefore, they are usually not successful! I would love to lose a bit of weight, but making that happen does not involve...

20 Sparkling Wines to Light Up the Season

By Jeffrey M. Kralik, Ph.D.     www.thedrunkencyclist.com As promised, I am back this month with my top sparkling wines to help you enjoy the holiday season. The first step in choosing the right sparkling wine for an event is to assess what kind of party is it? Based on my experience, how much you spend...

The Key to Bringing the Right Wine? Know Your Audience

By Jeffrey M. Kralik, Ph.D. www.thedrunkencyclist.com – Now that Halloween is now in our rearview mirror, albeit only slightly, the holiday season is beginning and will carry us all the way through the end on the year. Office parties, neighborhood celebrations, family visits, they all get started in...

A Quick Tour of the Loire Valley

The Drunken Cyclist By Jeffrey M. Kralik, Ph.D. www.thedrunkencyclist.com – Understanding French wine is not easy. Sure, there are regions like Burgundy where it is rather straight forward: red is Pinot Noir and white is Chardonnay. But then there are regions like, say, Châteauneuf-du-Pape where there...

Bringing the House Wine Home

The Drunken Cyclist By Jeffrey M. Kralik, Ph.D. www.thedrunkencyclist.com – Most of the month of August, I spent in France, split between perusing the capital, Paris and pedaling my way through the vineyards of the Loire Valley. There are a few elements about being in France I find particularly...