Sometimes your first love is never really too far from your heart, especially when you see them again in all their glory. I will always love Paris...
We’ll Always Have Paris
Italian Indigenous Varieties: Bussanello Bianco
Now there's a grape I had never heard of, right? This one hails from the Veneto and was created in the 1930s by an enologist named Professor Giovanni Dalmasso from a cross between Riesling Italico and Furmint. I'm shocked to say that there are some producers who make wines from this grape including the very... Continue Reading →
Italy News: Vinitaly Adds New Section On Biodyamic Wines
I've been so busy follow the incredible news out of Italy that I didn't write about another really interesting development that I discovered on Friday. Vinitaly will have a new section dedicated to biodynamic wines, Italian and Foreign. The first floor of the Palaexpo, right when you walk in, will be given over to wineries... Continue Reading →
Dolcetto di Dogliani: A Old Favorite
My first wine from Piedmont was a Dolcetto di Dogliani from the Podere Luigi Einaudi winery. I remember the wine because it was delicious but also because it came from the winery owned by the family that gave Italy it's first prime minister, Luigi Einaudi. Einaudi led Italy from 1948-1955, a difficult time for the... Continue Reading →
Berlusconi Resigns – Time For A New Era
Silvio Berlusconi resigned this evening from his post as Prime Minister of Italy. I am actually shocked that it really came to pass. Even though it has been in the works all week, I was a bit of a sceptic, it's actually happened. I feel joy for Italy, for the start of a new era... Continue Reading →
Italian Indigenous Varieties: Brachetto Nero
It's been a while since my last indigenous grape variety post but I'm back and writing about Brachetto Nero, a red grape that is used to make the well-known dessert wine, Brachetto d'Acqui DOCG The grape is native to Piedmont, in particular to the provinces of Asti and Alessandria. Brachetto d'Acqui produces both sparkling and... Continue Reading →
Wine Wednesday: Older Bordeaux Wines
Today is Wine Wednesday and I'm finally thinking about and desire to write about wine rather than the Italian crises. I got an email from Snooth this morning which mentioned a new website for Bordeaux. A friend from Bordeaux was in town recently and as always I was reminded how charming the French and their... Continue Reading →
Berlusconi Meets Italian President To Discuss Resignation
Come gather 'round people Wherever you roam And admit that the waters Around you have grown And accept it that soon You'll be drenched to the bone If your time to you Is worth savin' Then you better start swimmin' Or you'll sink like a stone For the times they are a-changin'. Reports are that... Continue Reading →
Italy, Va’ Pensiero & Looking Forward
I'm somewhat without words today thinking that this could be the end of an era. It seems almost possible that Berlusconi might be forced out of power. I say that really cautiously because he has always seemed to be able to make a deal at the last minute to hold onto his seat. It would... Continue Reading →
Italy in Oklahoma, Go Sooners!!!
I just came back from three days in Oklahoma where I was participating in "Italy Week 2011." Italy week consisted of a number of wonderful events including a gala dinner where I did a Tuscan wine tasting paired with Italian cheeses. The cheese monger, Bailey Schreier of Forward Foods, made me want to move to... Continue Reading →
