Written by Sheila Swerling-Puritt | 26 April 2011

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It's been a while …

I joined the party in issue #244 in December, 2004. I was working at Sony Music and enrolled in George Brown’s culinary program, studying the Escoffier method of cooking and dabbling in wine. The editor, Aldo Parise, had called me about a jazz CD he hoped to give away to new subscribers. Together we came up with an awesome compilation of Sony jazz icons. With the project nearly finished, I finally worked up the courage to ask Aldo if he would accept a manuscript from a new food writer. Glory be to heaven — he said yes!

With that first article, I felt I had finally arrived at the ball. Tod Stewart was there with a look at the burgeoning new cigar craze. Gurvinder Bhatia was on hand to suggest wine pairings for the Christmas turkey (Zins, Pinot Grigios, Dolcetto D’Albas). And then there was Tony Aspler. I could hardly believe I was in the same magazine as Tony Aspler! I had read his books and dutifully clipped his articles, pressing them between the pages of my Oxford Companion to Wine after committing the salient points to memory. In Tony’s December 2004 column, he grudgingly looked at the emerging trend for outrageous wine names. Some of those wines, like Fat Bastard and Little Penguin have become international juggernauts. Others, like Bad Dog and Big Moose, well … not so much. Tony was bang-on with his early observation — and criticism — of whimsical wine labels. In their zeal to sell wines with loony labels, vintners have forgotten the real value and purpose of the wine label — to educate the buyer about place, time, grape, taste, winemaker and quality. To hint at the terroir of a certain wine. To whisper that a good warm summer was captured in that bottle of Bordeaux. Although my George Brown days are behind me, I am still a student of food and wine. I look forward to every Tidings issue and learn something new each time. From Maverick Chefs to The Next Big Thing, Tidings has been moving towards the 300th mark with grace and élan. Since issue #244, contributing lifestyle editor Rosemary Mantini has joined us and now offers a panoramic view of wine regions in her joyful column "Eat Drink Live: New Zealand". The magazine’s cover shots have become juicier. The pages have grown fatter, with beautiful food, wine and celebration. This is a party that everyone is invited to attend. And we’re very glad you’re here!