Submitted by Larry Leventhal, Jan 24, 2007 17:33

After reading Peter Hellman's wine column for several years now, I have to wonder. Most of his columns will center on a particular event or outing, usually sponsored by one wine company or another. Can't he come up with his own topics? The world of wine is fascinating and multi-faceted, but more often than not, Hellman leaves his choice of subject up to somebody with some kind of commerical interest. This does not serve the reader.

I also wonder about his knowledge and background. Calling Armagnac the "mellower 'cousin'"of Cognac is ridiculous. If anything, most Armagnac is known for being more rustic than Cognac, unless, of course, you're talking about the ultra expensive vintage Armagnacs, which, no doubt, were probably supplied free to Hellman by some importer or another. He also failed to note that Hong Kong is one of the world's biggest consumers of Cognac, and if he spent anytime eating in better Chinatown Cantonese restaurants, he would no doubt notice any number of Chinese diners sipping Cognac with their meals.

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