A Good Pour
The Mayne Event
Stay cool, stay local and enjoy an evening at the Mayne Stage and Act One Cafe.More…
A Martini Cherry Picked for Spring
Shake up your cocktail routine with a fresh cherry martini!More…
Goldilocks was on to something…
How the right serving time and temperature can elevate your wine tasting experience.More…
Add a little Sparkle to your Life
Let sparkling wine add some fizz to your cocktail hour. Special occasions not required!More…
An Old Flame Warms Up a Fall Favorite
Re-discovering the appeal of a bold, rich chardonnay.More…
The Soul of a Vineyard
The day my love affair with wine and winemaking took root.More…
Make premium California wine with your friends and neighbors
Crushpad Winery in San Francisco brings together award winning winemakers, grapes sourced from California and Bordeaux’s top vineyards and people who want to learn about winemaking and be involved in the process. I like to say that winemaking is part artistry and alchemy. This year they’ve put together Community Crush, Chicago, which gives us the opportunity to be part of that process from grape to glass!More…
Misunderstood Merlot
What do I mean by misunderstood? Well, it started before the main character in the movie Sideways nearly spit his disdain for Merlot. It was a cheap shot, but sadly, it rang true for some wine drinkers and sent up red flags for others. Why? Because Merlot’s popularity had turned against her. In the late 1980’s and 90’s, Americans, many new to drinking red wines, lapped up Merlot since it was palate friendly and didn’t barrage them with too much tannin before they were ready. This increase in demand drove an explosion of planting, even in areas that were not conducive to the grape. The central valley in California is a good example where the climate is too warm and the soils too fertile for Merlot. She can produce overly generous yields and that dilutes her flavor and quality.More…
Exploring Rum’s Golden Side
Close your eyes. Listen to the palm fronds swishing in the gentle breeze, punctuated by the occasional call of a nearby seagull. Sink your toes into the toasty sand and taste the faint trace of salt dancing in the air over the turquoise waters. If you’re like me, dear neighbors, all you need is a sailboat to get to your happy place, but for now, we’re going to be perched on a Caribbean beach about to enjoy one the area’s signature delights. You may be surprised that we’re not being served rum punch, typically made with light rum and fruit juices, but today our focus is going to be on the golden and premium varieties, the less widely known but richly complex branch of the rum family.More…
Pinot Noir…why all the fuss?
Impressionable, finicky, skittish beauty seeks patient, tender, skillful hands and a Goldilocks environment in which to flourish-not too hot, not too cold. Sound too high maintenance? Well, luckily for us, many intrepid winemakers think she’s worth the trouble and fear not, dear neighbors, she is...More…
About the Author
Carol is an oenophile who also happens to be a writer and photographer. She completed/edited a Civil War novel that her late father wrote but hadn’t finished. She is now trying to get it published. Carol and her husband bought a condo in East Rogers Park in April 2007 because they love being able to walk to the lake and enjoy the rich, cultural mix of our neighborhoods. She is an avid sailor and improv enthusiast who dotes shamelessly on her three (yep, three) cats.
Carol Ludwick
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