Aperitifs and digestifs are essential elements of a European-style meal, bookending the dining experience with tantalizing and satisfying beverages. Serving an aperitif is like ringing a dinner ...

On a recent evening I handed a friend a glass of a particularly crisp, cold Chablis. “This is a great aperitif,” I said. But what, exactly, did I mean by that term? By labeling the wine as ...