Blogs of Note: New York Edition

There are many, many fine wine and food blogs that I read fairly regularly, but there are a few that keep me coming back for more. They’re blogs that compel me to check in on practically a daily basis. It’s amazing how many of them are based out of New York. Actually, given the intense concentration of great restaurants, cultural diversity and higher than average number of good wine shops in and around Manhattan, maybe it’s not really surprising.

Brooklynguy has a beautifully human approach to wine. He’s a good taster and writes thoughtful notes. Though he never dumbs down his topics, he always maintains a sense of humility and freshness that seems to appeal successfully to a wide range of readers. It works for me. His recent piece on the dangers of splurging on wine brought more than a few smiles to my face.

I love Riesling. I drink it regularly, mostly from Germany but also Austria and occasionally even from right here in the US. I recommend it vigorously and constantly at work. But somehow I don’t think I can hold a candle to fellow wine retailer Lyle Fass at Rockss and Fruit. He’s seemingly more Riesling-centric than humanly possible and he always comes back for more. Add to that his no-holds-barred approach to knocking down wine icons and you have one of the most compelling – and most frequently updated – wine blogs around. Not only did he make it to the Keller tasting in New York last Friday (which I sadly missed), he even had dinner with Klaus Peter afterwards, the bum.

Terry Hughes of Mondosapore and Jeremy Parzen of Do Bianchi write two of the most purely entertaining food, wine and cultural blogs out there. Both focus on Italy but swirl into other arenas as their authors see fit. Terry’s blog occasionally blurs the boundaries between fact and fiction, as in his piece on a tasting in Tuscany. Jeremy’s recent rundown on the best pizzas in New York made me jealous – Philly borders on being a pizza wasteland – and seriously hungry.

If you’re not already reading these blogs too, you should be.