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Not surprisingly Champagne dominated the 2024 International Wines and Spirits (IWSC) French sparkling wine Gold medalists, winning 10 of the top 12 awards. It’s lesser-known neighbor, Saumur, in the Loire Valley, took the balance of the Gold medals. The top scoring sparkling wine, with 98/100 points, was Champagne Palmer, Solera Rosé Brut NV, Champagne AOP, 12% ABV, 750 ml. The IWSC Judging Panel described the wine as: Elegant, fruity aromatic profile suits the vibrant pink appearance. The palate is restrained with soft cream, pastry and ripe red summer fruits. Fruit intensity continues throughout with lychee showing at the mid-palate. The...

If you live in certain states, wine can be found at the supermarket, which helps trim a stop off your run of errands on a busy day. I mean, we're certainly not skipping the wine, are we? Grocery store wine gets a bad rap for being generic, boring and altogether a bit basic, but that doesn't mean there aren't some goof bottles to be found among the hard iced teas and boozy seltzer. To get the skinny on good grocery store vino, we turned to an expert in the field. "You can find good wine at the grocery store," says...

In case you didn’t know, August 16 is National Rum Day. And honestly, I don’t care. In fact, the best way to not get me to drink a specific spirit is to tell me I’m supposed to drink it on a specific day. Give me a margarita on St. Patrick’s Day, when I’m supposed to be drinking Irish whiskey, but not on Cinco de Mayo, when I may well be drinking... Irish whiskey. You get my drift. And industry-created “days” of unknown origin are even more annoying. So let me be clear, I am not advocating that you drink any...

Whether you prefer a dry martini or a refreshing gin and tonic, your gin of choice defines the cocktail. If you love gin, you know how it can unfold like a story with each sip: Juniper is the main character, while spices, citrus, and other aromatics play the supporting roles. We believe there’s a gin for almost any imbiber, even the folks who think they don’t like it. If you’re turned off by assertive, sprucy gins, we have a pick for you that’s smooth and bright. If you like old pine boxes in dusty attics and want to capture that...

Ryan Wesley Routh, 58, the alleged attempted assassin who authorities apprehended Sunday after trying to kill former President Donald Trump, encouraged Iran to kill Trump in a book about the Ukraine war, according to excerpts circulated on social media. Routh appears aligned with a neocon agenda and often posted about the Ukraine/Russian conflict. He tried to find volunteers to fight Russia. The New York Times interviewed Routh about his efforts to recruit volunteers to travel to Ukraine and fight in the war. Routh appears to have been a Trump supporter in 2016 but turned against him by 2020. “Make Americans...

Tequila is the fastest-growing spirit category in the United States. Here’s a list of the 20 most medaled Blanco Tequila expressions. All of them have won gold or higher awards or scored more than 90 points in at least five international spirit competitions over the last decade. Each is worthy of the Tequila Hall of Fame, and each is a candidate for World’s Best Blanco Tequila. Each entry includes the competitions where they medaled, a brief note on the distillery where they are produced, and a short tasting note.

Vodka is perhaps the spirit with the least personality. It doesn't bring much by way of tasting notes to the table, but when you're looking for a clean, clear liquor to serve a boozy kick without dominating the flavor profile of your drink, vodka is what you want to reach for. Around the world, vodkas are made from grains, potatoes, sugar cane, and even maple sap. There are some pretty cheap ones on the market, leaving you wondering which of them are worth the buy? Bottom shelf is a term that can come with some stigma, but here we use...

Three Brooklyn residents were bound and beaten up by a group of greedy goons in a violent home invasion where thieves stole watches, handbags and $20,000 in cash on Thursday, cops said. The four bullying bandits broke through a front window of a house in Bensonhurst near 20th Avenue and 78th Street then zip-tied three residents and snatched the loot around 4 a.m., according to authorities. A 34-year-old man was pistol-whipped and a 41-year-old man was punched multiple times in the face during the terrifying encounter, police said. The robbers — all wearing dark clothing — also tied up a...

Vice President Kamala Harris surprised many Americans when she announced during the Tuesday's debate that she owned a firearm because of her history of pressing for more gun control. 'Tim Walz and I are both gun owners. We're not taking anybody's guns away. So stop with the continuous lying about this stuff,' she said during the debate with Donald Trump. But Harris actually revealed her gun ownership on the campaign trail in Iowa, during her failed 2020 presidential campaign. 'I am a gun owner, and I own a gun for probably the reason a lot of people do – for...

A European couple who videotaped the subway chokehold death of Jordan Neely could be “incredibly favorable” to ex-Marine Daniel Penny’s defense at his upcoming trial, his lawyers say — but the mystery lovebirds have refused to testify. Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Maxwell Wiley revealed Monday that the two European eyewitnesses have rebuffed prosecutors’ bid to get them to turn over the footage and return to the city for Penny’s trial next month, according to a transcript obtained by The Post. The couple “apparently took a video of the incident, and since that time have declined to testify in the Grand...

Story of Lord Oswald Mosley and his paramour Diana, leaders of English Fascist Party Transcript link below video Three songs in it, first Horst Wessel Lied in English, then also Happy Feet and Wenn die Soldaten

USPS Delivery Confirmation is a service offered by USPS that provides tracking information for packages and letters. You receive a unique tracking number when creating a label with delivery confirmation. This number allows you to track the progress of your shipment as it moves through the postal system. The tracking information includes status events such as: Acceptance/ Pre-Shipment Moving Through Network Preparing for Delivery Out for Delivery Delivered/Delivery Attempted This helps you know where your packages are and what's happening. It adds an extra layer of openness and safety to the shipping process. Add USPS Signature Required If the service...

Bernhard Weiss was the Jewish police chief of Berlin who modernized German law enforcement... He went to law school, and then volunteered for the military and served in World War I, one of only a few Jewish officers in the German army. For his bravery he received the nation’s highest military honor, the Iron Cross First Class. During the years of the Weimar Republic (1918 to 1933) Bernhard led the effort to transform the Berlin police department into an effective and humane “citizens force.” He created the first modern forensics department, using the latest technology in microscopes, polygraphs and hematology....

When Drea de Matteo’s character died on The Sopranos, it was agonizing for everyone — including the actress, herself. In the new documentary Wise Guy: David Chase and The Sopranos, de Matteo, 52, recalled filming the season 5 episode entitled “Long Term Parking,” in which her character Adriana was killed for being an FBI informant. Creator David Chase kept Adriana’s fate under wraps until the very last minute to avoid any possible leaks to the public.

Nixon Azuaje-Perez, 19, and Dixon Azuaje-Perez, 20, were taken into custody by Aurora police for evidence tampering related to the incident at the Nome Street Apartments, one of several properties reportedly under the control of South American criminal organizations. Aurora police confirmed that both Nixon and Dixon posted a $1,000 bond and are no longer in custody.

Bada bing. A new documentary about the making of HBO’s mafia hit, “The Sopranos,” covers how the late star James Gandolfini gave money to his fellow cast members – except one. Now airing on HBO and Max, “Wise Guy: David Chase and The Sopranos” sees series creator David Chase say onscreen about Gandolfini, “He was great to that crew. He made them laugh, and he gave the other cast members $30,000.” This information was also previously reported in the 2021 book, “Tinderbox: HBO’s Ruthless Pursuit of New Frontiers.” According to the book, Gandolfini signed a contract that would pay him...

James Gandolfini’s portrayal of Tony Soprano remains one of the greatest TV performances of the last 25 years, but working on the show day in and day out proved extremely taxing for the gifted actor. James Gandolfini’s portrayal of Tony Soprano remains one of the greatest TV performances of the last 25 years, but working on the show day in and day out proved extremely taxing for the gifted actor. "Every other day, we would go to a bar. We would have the exact same conversation,” Van Zandt explained. “We would get drunk. He’d say, ‘I’m done. I’m not going...

Selling Michael Jordan’s ultra-personalized compound has been anything but a slam dunk. The massive home has remained on the market for 12 years and slash its price twice. Jordan made his mark on the Chicago area estate: His name is painted on the basketball court, flags wave with his Air Jordan logo, and his jersey number adorns the gate, according to the Wall Street Journal. Jordan first listed the mansion at 2700 Point Lane in Highland Park, Illinois for $29 million in 2012, chopping it down to $16 million in 2014, and to $14.9 million in 2015, Compass shows.

Premiumization, another way of saying steadily rising retail prices, has been a feature of the bourbon market over the last decade. Notwithstanding ever-rising bourbon prices, however, there are still outstanding bourbons that retail for extremely attractive prices. Below is a list, along with tasting notes, of ten heavily medaled bourbons that have consistently won in international spirit competitions and still retail on average for around $35 or less. The indicated price is the national retail average and will vary by state.

The International Whisky Competition (IWC) 2024 saw the return of numerous prominent bourbon expressions, each vying for a gold medal in the prestigious contest. There were five sub-categories of ‘Best Bourbon’ in this year’s competition. So, today I thought we would take a look at the winners. With tasting notes, prices, where to buy, and what is behind each expression – here are the best bourbons according to the 2024 International Whisky Competition. Check out more whiskey awards here.