by Monte Belmonte | Jan 3, 2020 | Articles, Columns, Featured, Monte Belmonte Wines
Northampton’s soon-to-be-sworn in Ward 1 Councilor also happens to be one of the biggest players in wine in Massachusetts, and I meet with him for lunch over wine at Northampton’s Filo’s Greek Taverna. It’s BYOB. He doesn’t let me pay. Ethics-schmethics. Michael...
by Monte Belmonte | Dec 17, 2019 | Articles, Columns, Featured, Monte Belmonte Wines
We are entering into the year 2020. That year sounds fake. Like a future I never imagined myself seeing. Where is my jetpack? Where is my visiphone? Oh, I have that? Nice! 2020 is, of course, an election year. If you are anything like me, you will be doing a lot of...
by Monte Belmonte | Dec 5, 2019 | Articles, Columns, Featured, Monte Belmonte Wines
Dear Santa, It has been one year since my last confession. I have been a fair to moderately good boy. There has only been the occasional quid pro quo. And even when wine companies have shipped me free wine, I have been unafraid to damn them with faint praise in this...
by Monte Belmonte | Nov 21, 2019 | Articles, Columns, Featured, Monte Belmonte Wines
At age 2, my grandfather emigrated from Bonito, Italy, on the good ship Colombo and docked in Ellis Island in 1922. He became a U.S. citizen the old fashioned way — by waiting in a relatively short line, getting deloused and having his name changed from Crescenzo to...
by Monte Belmonte | Nov 7, 2019 | Articles, Columns, Featured, Monte Belmonte Wines
I don’t know much about the real Johnny Appleseed but his mythology precedes him. I know he was born in Leominster, Mass., near the time of the American Revolution. And I know he was less interested in planting Macintosh to give to teachers as gifts as he was in...