I ventured out into the Chicago slush last weekend to celebrate a milestone birthday with a longtime girlfriend whose life motto is “Celebrate everyday with Champagne,” which has to be one of the ...
Riesling is a hard sell. In the time I've worked at The Chopping Block, I've seen two types of Riesling drinkers come through the store: wine novices and wine experts, but there's a whole sea of ...
Just in Time for the Holidays: Mother Recipe for Cocktails
I don’t know about you, but I am so very thrilled at the comeback of handcrafted cocktails. There is something romantic and celebratory about a well-made cocktail, it adds an extra special something ...
It's that time of year, when all the stores are decorated with winter trees and blinking lights as Bing Crosby croons through overhead speakers, that's right, Thanksgiving is coming. It's around this ...
Not long ago, the only cheese in America was sliced onto rye, melted into macaroni or spritzed from an aerosol can. Today, artisan cheeses are tended by trained cheese mongers at specialty shops; ...
A customer walks into the store looking for a bottle of wine, they go to the wine wall, look up, and freeze like a deer in the headlights of an oncoming vehicle. I see this every day and we only ...
Our staff has some pretty strong opinions on wine, and that's never been more evident than when we begin to change up the wine list. I'm no exception to this of course, and I do plenty of grumbling ...
Once upon a time, you’d pour a bubbly – from France, Spain or parts beyond - and folks would exclaim, “Oh goodie, Champagne!” Now, when any anonymous bubbly flows, folks respond, “Oh goodie, ...
If you never know what wine to serve when hosting a dinner party, you aren't alone. Lots of students tell us they spend a lot of time and money on building an amazing meal with layers of flavor and ...
