I have been writing and speaking about wines and spirits for 20 years. Along the way I became a winemaker, Oregon Pinot Noir; a judge for various international competitions, among them the Irish Whisky Awards and the International Wine and Spirits Competition; wrote a book on Scotch Whisky: Its History, Production and Appreciation and working on one on Tequila. I also earned the Diploma in Wines and Spirits from the WSET. Have tasted a lot of wines and spirits, from 200-year-old ports to centuries old Cognacs to many of the world’s oldest whiskies. I also write about the dusty, forgotten places of the world, the ones that reek of history and whose stories still resonate in the 21st century. The rest of the time I cover international politics. An eclectic combination to be sure, then again, the state of the world would drive anyone to drink. Sláinte