Marsala

Magic and nanotech make stunning Irish whiskey

Magic and nanotech make stunning Irish whiskey

Not that many years ago, Irish whiskey was an endangered species. As recently as the 1980s, Ireland was down to just two distillers. The marketing power behind Jameson's, however, sparked new interest and rescued a nearly moribund market. Now Irish whiskey is enjoying a renaissance. Of the more than 40 new Irish distilleries, one of the most exciting is Boann (boanndistillery.ie), named for the goddess of the River Boyne. The firm burst on the scene by winning best ‶new make″ (unaged clear liquor from its pot stills) at the 2021 World Whiskey Awards. After three years in barrels, that same ‶new make″ debuted last summer as Boann Single Pot Still Irish Whiskeys. We say ‶whiskeys″ because they are a trio, each aged in a different...Read More
A whirlwind tour of great Sicilian wines

A whirlwind tour of great Sicilian wines

The continuing reorganization of Sicily's wine regions, as reflected in the map above (courtesy of De Long), has brought considerable focus to what used to be a free-for-all. More than 60 varietals grow on the island, and more than two dozen are autochthonous — varieties that either originated in Sicily or have been grown here since the Phoenicians introduced advanced viticulture 3,000 years ago. I had a chance to taste some modern twists on that grand tradition when Roberto Magnisi, production director of the Duca di Salaparuta group of wineries (duca.it/en), recently came to Boston. He brought outstanding wines from two of his company's properties for a tasting luncheon at Contessa (contessaristorante.com). His group coalesced in 2001 when the Sicilian regional government sold Duca di...Read More