Steve Dolinsky's Audio Podcast

For more than 140 years, Julius Meinl has stood for high-quality coffee and tea, yet the brand was limited to Central Europe. The company has recently expanded with two stores in Chicago, but on a recent trip to Vienna, I met up with the company's third and fourth generation owners, who showed me how the brand is viewed in their home country. From an elegant dinner in the flagship store in Vienna, to a tour of the coffee plant and a private jam tasting, this company does much more than just teach baristas to crank out espresso.  More information about Meinl available at www.meinl.com

Hart Davis Hart is one of the most prestigious wine auction houses in the country. This weekend in Chicago, they'll be holding their largest auction ever, selling off one person's collection, expected to fetch $7-10 million dollars. I spoke with Paul Hart about the auction, and he gave me a little preview of what to expect.  Incidentally, that large Imperial (6 liter) bottle of '98 Lafite-Rothschild in the picture, is expected to fetch between $4500 and $6500.

One of my favorite grape varietals for the past year or so has been gruner veltliner from Austria. I was just in Vienna last week, and had a chance to drive out to the countryside, to meet Michael Martin, owner and winemaker at Martinshof Wines. We talked about the challenges of growing this sought-after grape, and how he's trying to get it sold in America.  More information available at www.martinshof.at

The latest cupcake boutique to open in Chicago is called More. Located in the Gold Coast (1 E. Delaware), they don't open to the public until September 12, but I was able to sneak in for a press preview. They offer both sweet and savory flavors, all designed by Gale Gand, one of the country's top pastry chefs. I spoke with owner Patty Rothman about some of the inspiration behind the new treats.  More information available at www.morecupcakes.com