One of the truly great places to be at Christmas, if not skiing somewhere exciting, sunning somewhere warm or sailing in the Caribbean, is New York City. The city is festooned with beautiful Christmas lights and alive with wonderful Christmas shows. I love Christmas and all that it brings, including for me, a trip to... Continue Reading →
Italian Indigenous Varieties: Carignano Nero – Sardinia
Carignano Nero is a grape variety that was brought to Sardinia from Spain by way of Corsica and the South of France. A hearty grape variety it produces red wines of considerable weight and alcohol with a relatively dry mouthfeel. It is the principal grape variety in the wines from the Carignano del Sulcis DOC.... Continue Reading →
Women in Wine: Lucia Barzano’ from Il Mosnel
Avvinare started as a blog about Italian women in wine, a subject that has fascinated me for many years. As always happens, you start in one area and end up writing about many other areas as well but my 2013 resolution is to make posts about women in wine one of the main series on... Continue Reading →
Italian Regions: Collina Torinese DOC In Piedmont
One is so used to thinking of important DOCGs from Piedmont that we often neglect to look at the other viticultural denominations from that splended region in Italy. While Nebbiolo may be King of the hill, other red grape varieties are fundamental blocks of Piemontese viticultural history. Collina Torinese DOC is a wine made in... Continue Reading →
Wine of the Week: Monte Rossa Prima Cuvee
This week's pick is Monte Rossa Prima Cuvee from Franciacorta. I've always been a big fan of Franciacorta since I first discovered it in a wine class in Milan in 1997. I had never had this particular one until Sunday evening at an event at Eataly to celebrate Giovanni Soldini, Italy's most famous sailor. Soldini... Continue Reading →
Italian Indigenous Varieties: Caricagiola Nero & Carica L’Asino Bianco
While I have been trying to write this column on Mondays, events overtook me yesterday and I wasn't able to do it so rather than wait another week, I am writing on a Tuesday, a day I usually reserve for the Wine of the Week. The first two varieties, one red and one white, are... Continue Reading →
Italian Regions: Lombardy – San Colombano DOC – St. Ambrogio
Yesterday was a holiday in Milano celebrating their patron Saint, Sant'Ambrogio. I write about this ever year and always remember that today is also the anniversary of Pearl Harbor or the "day that will live in infamy." La Scala opens its' season as well but for that and for opera in general, Fred Plotkin is... Continue Reading →
Wine Wednesday: New World Wines – Truro Chardonnay + Varla Jean Merman
Today was a difficult day which got me thinking about easier times and summer ease so this week's new world wine is a Truro Chardonnay. This is a fresh and light wine. I love Cape Cod and have been going there since I was born so for me, it is a touch of home if... Continue Reading →
Wine of the Week: Pierre Frick Riesling 2000 Vendange Tardives Grand Cru Vorbourg
This week's wine of the week is this delicious riesling vendanges tardives from Pierre Frick in Alsace. I thought this riesling was gorgeous filled with minerality, floral notes and flinty undertones. It was elegant and polished and the perfect end to a lovely dinner to celebrate this year's group of graduates from the WSET Diploma... Continue Reading →
Italian Indigenous Varieties: Canaiolo Rosa, Canina Nera and Cannonau
These first two grapes that I mention in the title of this post are basically extinct except for a few rows grown for private use, the former in Tuscany near the town of Lucca and the latter in Emilia Romagna, near the city of Ravenna. Cannonau by comparison is a very widely grown grape on... Continue Reading →