These guys know how to party

During an episode reporting on the Rudy K. case, the syndicated television program “Inside Edition” buys an allegedly fake bottle of 1953 Château Pétrus from Park Avenue Liquors in New York City.

The 2012 vintage in Pfalz, Germany is setting up to be “absolutely amazing.” So says Bill Hooper for LarsCarlberg.com.

Nicolas Glumineau, former chief operations officer at Chateau Montrose, is now taking over operating duties at the Roederer-owned Bordeaux estates Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande, Château de Pez, Château Bernadotte and Château Haut Béausejour.

In the New York Times, Eric Pfanner shows some love for Aglianico. It’s a grape frequently ignored for better known Italian varieties such as Nebbiolo or Sangiovese, but it can produce some remarkable, compelling wines in the right soils and hands that are as ageworthy as some top Baroli.

“If you can forgive the schmaltz, these flights of fancy actually yield some scenes of legitimate poignancy.” Keith Levenberg pens the most honest review of the “Drops of God” books yet.

You can’t avoid it this time of year: Thanksgiving wine recommendations! In Bon Appetit, Levi Dalton has a unique perspective on pairing. Eric Asimov also strays from the traditional advice, suggesting a Hudson Valley Tocai Friulano, among others.

In the Wall Street Journal, Will Lyons introduces readers to the charms of Madeira, an under-appreciated fortified sweet wine from a tiny volcanic island off the coast of Morocco.

“There were wooden cases of wine stacked all the way to the ceiling — wines of impeccable pedigree and provenance, but in a bit of a perilous jumble.” Elsewhere in the Journal, Lettie Teague gets a rare peek inside Robert Parker’s 10,000-bottle wine cellar. “Watch the broken glass,” Parker cautioned.

In the Huffington Post, Brad Haskel blames Parker (and Wine Spectator) for “[h]igh alcohol levels, overuse of highly toasted wood barrels, commercial planting of grapes that are not conducive to where they are planted, industrial yeast, [and] sanitizing flavors with winemaking techniques.”

For Eater.com, Talia Baiocchi provides a guide to 22 restaurants with some of the best value wine lists in the country.

Time Magazine has the news that the top U.S. military officer in Europe lost his chance to run the U.S. Navy because he took a military plane to Dijon, France to attend an event sponsored by the Confrérie des Chevaliers du Tastevin, an international society of Burgundy wine enthusiasts. (hat tip: Alder Yarrow)