Described by one friend as, “a champion of leisure,” there is nothing Justin loves more than eating, drinking, and spreading joy to all those he encounters. Most days you can find him on the retail floor of The Chopping Block, offering wine and platonic high fives to guests.
Recent Posts
Under the Influence (of Oak)
I was talking with some of my fellow bloggers the other day, and I said something very stupid. We were discussing our May blogs and I said, “I think I'll do a blog about oak,” as though that were a ...
I had never even heard of Malbec when I started working at The Chopping Block, but I could tell that whatever it was, people sure seemed to like it. In fact, as I've learned more, it strikes me as ...
One of the most frequent questions I'm asked while tasting wine to customers is which wine is my favorite. I don't know if I have a single favorite wine or style of wine, but I definitely have wines ...
My birthday was last month, which means I got a lot of Facebook notifications from people I rarely speak to wishing me a “Happy Birthday.” Some of them went so far as to say, “Happy Birthday, ...
Everything You Need to Know About Chianti Classico
I was tasting out a bottle of Chianti before a pasta class when a guest asked me to explain the difference between Chianti and Chianti Classico. It was a deer in headlights moment for me, as I didn't ...
We just wrapped up the One of a Kind Show at the Merchandise Mart, and I spent the weekend sampling wine or hot chocolate to nearly everyone who walked through our doors. A select few got a taste of ...
The first time I saw a wine labeled as “vegan” I laughed out loud. I thought it was a marketing ploy. I mean, it's just fermented grape juice, right? Those of you who follow The Chopping Blog or come ...
As baseball season is coming to a close, basketball, football, and hockey are getting started, but the only season I really care about is the growing season and it has been a rough one. Back in ...
I moved to the city just in time to get swept up in the Cubs' victory last year. I don't think it was possible to be in Chicago and not feel that energy. So, while I'm not the biggest baseball fan, I ...
Imagine a grape. Seriously. Do it. We all know what a grape looks like, just picture one hanging on the vine. Now, tell me about it. Is the skin dark or light? How ripe is it? Is the vine row on a ...
