On a recent trip to the wine store, I was tempted from my standard of big French reds to their shelf of ecological wines. I picked up one bottle after the other, flipping them over and trying to learn what I could from the labels. There were the usual notes on origin and grape, as well as declarations of environmental credentials – organic, biodynamic or natural. After peppering the staff with questions, I settled on a biodynamic bottle of Mas de Gourgonnier les Baux de Provence, but resolved to find out exactly what separates this new wine from my beloved French Margaux.
Steve McQueen and Neile Adams Taking Sulphur Bath, Los Angeles, June 1963, Photo by John Dominis
Beer Brewing
The Babylonians had been brewing beer since at least 4300 years before Jesus was born. Ancient Egyptians served it to royalty, used it to treat ailments, and buried their dead with large vessels of beer for a more tipsy afterlife. The fame and pleasures of beer spread from the Middle East to Europe, and by the dawn of the medieval era, beer brewing had evolved out of the home kitchen and into a professional trade.
READ MORE…