Philip Kampe
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Recent Articles:
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Exploring Spectacular Biltmore (Wine Included) Front Page
Vanderbilt's Chateau Near Asheville
By: - Oct 27th, 2018The Biltmore Estate, near Asheville, North Carolina, is a 250 room mansion that opened on Christmas Eve, 1895. The Vanderbilts lived there until 1930, when the property was opened to the public. Presently, it is the state's top tourist attraction and home to a vineyard and winery that produces close to a million bottles a year.
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Primitivo Di Manduria: Puglia's Wine Front Page
The Land And Sea Of Puglia
By: - Oct 21st, 2018Primitivo di Puglia is a deep red wine from the heel or better known as the boot of Italy. The area is hot and dry, but fortunately has 325 miles of coastline. The varietal, Primitivo, grows on rather flat land that slopes into the sea. The result is a thick skinned grape that is full of fruit and high alcohol. It is known as Zinfandel in America. The root and distance cousin of Primitivo came from Croatia.
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Hancock Shaker Village Newest Shaker, Paul Muldoon Front Page
The Pulitzer Prize Winning Poet Wrote And Performed A Shaker Poem
By: - Oct 08th, 2018Paul Muldoon, a 67 year old New Yorker, originally from Northern Ireland, recited his poetry while the band, Rogue Olifant, played accompanying music. The evening at Hancock Shaker Village emulated a 1960s scene from my past.
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Feel The Heel of Puglia Front Page
Primitivo di Manduria
By: - Oct 08th, 2018Puglia is referred to as the 'boot or heel' of Italy. It is located easternmost on the bottom of Italy and has 325 miles of coastline, whch helps enhance the grapes from the province. The wines are interesting and kin to American Zinfandel, a varietal dominant in the northwest.
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Splendor In The Fresh Grass Front Page
Awards Day
By: - Sep 17th, 2018(At press time, I didn't have a list of winners that were announced at the Fresh Grass Festival's banjo and band awards) Nonetheless, the Fresh Grass Festival 2018 vesion has come to an end.
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More Fresh Grass Bluegrass Festival Front Page
Rhiannon Giddens Steals The Show
By: - Sep 16th, 2018Today is Sunday and the last day of the Fresh Grass Festival. With four stages, wonderful cuisine and an enthusiastic young crowd, why not drive to North Adams, Massachusetts and enjoy the nation's best museum themed bluegrass festival. Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder headline today at 5:50pm.
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Fresh Acts At Fresh Grass Front Page
The Three Day Festival Is In Full Swing
By: - Sep 15th, 2018The Fresh Grass Festival,which takes place in a wide array of venues at Mass MoCA, in North Adams,Massachusetts, offers bluegrass music that is both traditional and cutting edge. There are four stages, three outdoors and one indoors that cater to the musicians and the family friendly audience. Workshops abound in the galleries with members of the bluegrass community sharing knowledge with their fans.
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A Gewurztraminer From Alsace Worth Buying Front Page
A Thriving Family Business
By: - Sep 10th, 2018Since the early 1800's, the Baur family from near Colmar, in France's Alsacian region, has owned several plots of land in this rich, limestone and clay soil area, known for Gewurztraminer (white wine). The family started bottling the wine in 1950 and now thrives with great grandson, Arnaud running the operation.
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Do Bourbon Barrels And Zinfandel Mix Front Page
Nice Nuance
By: - Sep 07th, 2018A new group of wine drinkers prefer their Zinfandel aged in bourbon barrels. It's the small nuances of charred vanilla on the palate that makes the difference. To achieve that consistantly, makes me want to jump on the bandwagon.
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The Knights Perform Candide Front Page
Bernstein's Zany Comedic Operetta
By: - Aug 23rd, 2018Leonard Bernstein's 'Candide' came to light at Ozawa Hall. The packed house and crowded lawn were recipients of a night of comedic opera, performed by The Knights with special guests. Skits jammed in-between tenor and soprano leads. The mockery led the way to this dumbfounded comedy, which reminds one of the Marx Brothers.
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As You Like It by William Shakespeare Front Page
Charming Comedy in a Perfect Setting
By: - Aug 22nd, 2018In the magical setting of the Roman Garden Theatre, Shakespeare & Company smartly sets this play in the Roaring Twenties, a time of possibilities. With excellent direction by Allyn Burrows, and superb performances, this production is proof of its most famous line: "All the World's a Stage, and All the Men and Women Merely Players." It brings alive its characters, and makes the audience feel they are in the Forest of Arden, witnessing hilarious role-playing that results in love conquering all.
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A Twofer at Berkshire Theatre Group Front Page
Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All For You and The Actor's Nightmare
By: - Aug 21st, 2018An evening with Christopher Durang is never boring. These two one-act plays are hilarious and different. The first, The Actor's Nightmare, reminds us all of what it feels like to be lost - uncomfortable - amid many laughs and great performances. The second, Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All For Us, is a scathing, hilarious and extreme indictment of the force of any fundamentalist, controlling dogma. In this case, the Catholic Church and Sister Mary are its targets. All the performances are stellar.
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Highwood's Ghost Haunts Leonard Bernstein Front Page
John Williams World Premiere Composition
By: - Aug 20th, 2018The packed audience at Tanglewood on a most beautiful day waited anxiously to hear the world premiere of a new composition from John Williams, in honor of Leonard Bernstein's ongoing 100th Year Celebration. The anticipated piece, 'Highwood's Ghost' featured Yo Yo Ma.
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The Fresh Grass 2018 Festival Front Page
Three Days Of Bluegrass Music
By: - Aug 17th, 2018MASS MoCA, in North Adams, Massachusetts, prepares for its annual bluegrass festival, Fresh Grass. This years, three day event takes place from the 14th to 16th of September, on the grounds where art, music, dance and film thrive. .
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Amarone Loves Corvina Front Page
Dried, Pressed Grapes
By: - Aug 07th, 2018Certain grape varietals dominate the consistency of certain wines. The marriage of the Corvina grape, after drying for four months, then pressed, create a wine that is full of depth, flavor and unlike other wines. That wine is Amarone.The grape, Corvina, is what makes Amarone special. This article deals with that.
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Joshua Bell And Conductor Dima Slobodeniouk Front Page
Popular Concert at Tanglewood
By: - Aug 06th, 2018A cool Joshua Bell entertained the large crowd at Tanglewood on a warm and sunny summer's day. Conductor Dima Slobodeniouk made his debut at Tanglewood with a forty-five minute Prokofiev Symphony No. 5 in B-flat, Opus 100. The first half of the show was all Joshua Bell, but, after intermission, Conductor Slobodeniouk took over.
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Valpolicella the Whole Story Front Page
The History Of Unique and Affordable Wines
By: - Jul 30th, 2018Valpolicella has always been a favorite wine of mine, probably due to my father. At a very young age, under ten years old, he introduced me to Valpolicella and Cream Sherry. Over fifty years later, my love for both wine varieties still lingers.
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West Side Story at Tanglewood Front Page
Summer Long Bernstein Celebration
By: - Jul 29th, 2018With an up-to-date LED screen and a full house, 'West Side Story' , the movie version, was in synch with conductor David Newman and the Boston Symphony Orchestra at Tanglewood. The score and movie hold their original lure with flawless tour de force.
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Naumkeag Garden Party Front Page
A National Historic Landmak Celebrates
By: - Jul 27th, 2018The historic home of the Choate family, Naumkeag, located in the beautiful Berkshires of Massachusetts hosts their annual Garden Party, this Saturday. With beautiful grounds, a historic 34 room house and tours daily, this gem in Stockbridge is the place to be on July 28th.
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Enrichment At Hancock Shaker Village Front Page
Food For Thought
By: - Jul 22nd, 2018A great day trip that enlightens and enriches the soul is as close as Berkshire county, home of Hancock Shaker Village. Spending a day learning about the Shakers, sharing dinner and thought with Peter Jennings son, Chris Jennings, and attending a concert with members of WILCO and transplanted local troubadour, Johnny Irion, can turn any day into sunshine.
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Valpolicella Is A Summer Wine Front Page
Soft Fruity Best Chilled For 20 Minutes
By: - Jul 20th, 2018Valpolicella, a wine from the Verona area, in the Veneto appellation, exhibits summer drinking potential when chilled for twenty minutes. Like Peosecco and Rose wine, Valpolicella, a red wine, has a soft and fruity profile, one that loves the summer desire, as well as year round.
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Love's Labor's Lost at the Mount Front Page
Enthusiastically Perfomed By a Youthful Cast
By: - Jul 13th, 2018Shakespeare demonstrates how an earnest effort to self impose structure and separation from the world is counter to our real natures. Fun and folly ensue in this perfect setting as we watch love conquer all. Through August 18 Love's Labor's Lost at the Mount.
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$400,000 Raised At S & Co. Gala Front Page
50,000 School Children and Actors Benefit
By: - Jul 06th, 2018For Forty years, Shakespeare & Company have proved to the locals what theater is about. Benefactors, galore, turned out in droves to help the theater company that gives back to the community. An achievement focus about Michael A. Miller was the highlight of the evening that benefited from music from some of the members of the Silkroad Ensemble. A sit-down dinner followed by a local DJ followed.
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James Taylor Is Alive And Kicking Front Page
Another July 4th At Tanglewood
By: - Jul 05th, 2018The traditional James Taylor July 4th Concert was like a high school reunion. Fans returned to see JT and his All-Star Band at Tanglewood. Yet again he was knee high on the Fourth of July and as corny as Kansas in August.
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The Finger Lakes, Gateway To American Wines Front Page
Riesling Rules
By: - Jun 26th, 2018Only hours away from millions of people, the Finger Lakes, located in central New York state, is home to a large wine making population. With over one hundred twenty vineyards, located on or near one of the eleven lakes, the Finger Lakes 'cold climate' wine culture thrives year round, focusing on the Riesling varietal.
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