I have been absent very often from this blog and fear that the next few weeks will be much of the same as I travel around Chile, reading books by Bruce Chatwin and Isabel Allende, drinking Cabernet and other great Chilean wines. I’m super excited for the trip.

I have tried numerous wines over the past few weeks but only a few really stood out. One was La Segreta 2006 from Planeta. This Sicilian IGT is an easy drinking wine which works well with food without overpowering it.

I had brought a bottle of Cavas de Weinert Malbec 2000 home for the holiday meal but it was corked, alas alak. I had tasted it in Argentina last year and it was fabulous. Needless to say, I was disappointed.

That said, in addition to great wine and food, the holiday season means many things to me including the Holiday Train Show at the Bronx Botanical Gardens and Alvin Ailey, gospel music at Mount Moriah on 126th streeet in Manhattan and carols at St. John the Divine. A true New York holiday season. This one was particularly special.