This week's grape variety is Falanghina. I'm going back to the beginning of the "F" series because I skipped over this variety as I was looking for something particular related to it. Falanghina as we know hails from Campania and was first mentioned in 1825. In the past this vine was attached to spikes which... Continue Reading →
Austrian/German Varietals Grown in Lodi, CA – Mokelumne Glen Vineyards
I am endlessly interested in indigenous grape varieties and also why vineyards in certain areas decide to plant grape vines that are not indigenous to their area. California is rife with these stories whether it be Tempranillo or Nebbiolo, it seems that someone somewhere is planting it in California. Years ago at the Society of... Continue Reading →
Growing Grapes on Linosa – A Project by the Istituto Regionale Vini e Oli
I'm lucky enough to attend various seminars throughout the year, some on a specific appellation or grape variety or a particular wine region, others on topics more about some aspect of the wine trade. Still others on experimentation. Last year at VinoVip Cortina I was able to participate in one on a host of interesting... Continue Reading →
Women in Wine: Donnafugata – Lighea, A Burst of Summer
Donnafugata, a winery near Marsala, is extremely well known on the international market. Usually, I try to shy away from these types of wineries and prefer to try something from a smaller producer however I am an unbashed fan of most of Donnafugata’s wines. Whether it is their Tancredi made from Nero d’Avola and Cabernet... Continue Reading →
Wine of the Week: Valferana, Gattinara D.O.C.G. 2005
This week's wine of the week is from Piedmont, from the winery Nervi. I had the pleasure of sitting next to Enrico Fileppo, the oenologist from the winery who has worked there since 1984, last year at a dinner during VinoVip 2013 in Cortina. I had never had the pleasure of tasting this exquisite wine... Continue Reading →
Italian Indigenous Varieties: Franconia Nera & Fubiano Bianco
I have a goal for this month's indigenous varieties series: I need to reach the end of the "F" varieties by the end of August. This is to explain why I am jumping around a bit this month instead of going strictly in order. Back to our weekly grape varieties, Franconia Nera is a grape... Continue Reading →
Italian Indigenous Varieties: Fortana Nera (Emilia) & Francavidda Bianca (Puglia)
One of this week's varieties hails from Emilia Romagna. It's called Fortana Nera and is originally from France, specifically from the Cote d'Or. In fact it is also sometimes referred to as Uva d'Oro, even though is a red grape. It is only used in conjunction with other red varieties and can be part of... Continue Reading →
Happy Bastille Day: Remembering A Toast With Pierre Peters
I have been fortunate enough to celebrate La Fête Nationale Francaise - Le Quatorze Juillet, a holiday marking the anniversary of the fall on July 14, 1789 of the Bastille, in Paris on a number of occasions. As readers of this blog know, I was a Francophile in my early life and majored in French... Continue Reading →
Chianti Colli Fiorentini D.O.C.G.: Always The Bridesmaid Never The Bride
The denomination Chianti Colli Fiorentini Denominazione d'Origine Controllata e Garantita (D.O.C.G.) is just like someone who is always a bridesmaid and never a bride. While not the least mentioned of the seven sub-zones of Chianti D.O.C.G., it is rarely talked about and I think that's a shame. This production zone is located in and around... Continue Reading →
Wine of the Week: Termes 2010 from Bodega Numanthia
This week's wine of the week comes from the DO of Toro in Spain in the province of Zamora, located in the west of the region of Castilla y León. It is from the well-known winery Numanthia. While a tad less famous than Numanthia and Termanthia, I also find it more affordable and approachable. Retailing... Continue Reading →