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Image © 2012 Leigh Beisch Broad leaves, kiln fired, transmute a weed into an aromatic wonder that has conquered the world. Before it became a scourge, it was sacred to some of the world's earliest peoples. Like many such medicines, tobacco began its life as a gift from the gods, to whom it would return with messages from the living when smoked. From dark pitch to burnt caramel to sweet fruit, and always laced with wood, the smell of cured tobacco makes its way into many wines, most often thanks to wood itself.
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Image © 2012 Leigh Beisch There was a time before lemon and lime, when from the far reaches of the East there came fruits of such shapes, colors, and scents that the gods themselves asked for a taste. Ganesh, in his wisdom, chose th... Read Post

Image © 2012 Leigh Beisch Describing the flavor as ancient barely does justice to history. Dried fruits were perhaps the very first prepared food that human beings thought to make or consume. The earliest examples of writing we poss... Read Post

Image © 2012 Leigh Beisch The mystery of the medicine man's pouch. The secret to grandmother's stew. The smell of the apothecary. Sundried leaves, perfectly cured, have long been treasures to be carefully guarded. Dried herbs heal, ... Read Post