According to an email I received today, Vinexpo and KEDGE Business School have a new program for the Global Wine Industry. The certificate is called the VINEXPO EDU Wine & Spirits Marketing Certificate. It will be taught in Paris at Kedge in January of 2017 in English. They note that it, "combines worldwide experts’ speeches... Continue Reading →
Memories of Liguria In the Summer
Part of my upcoming trip will also be to Liguria. I can’t wait to hang out on the beach, eat delicious trofie al pesto, foccaccia and the like and of course drink the great wines they have in that region. Check out the Italian Wine and Food group’s posts on Liguria from last month. You can find them on my site under an article I wrote about the unsung wines from this region. Cheers!
July is a special month for me. It’s my birthday month, summer, and one that always reminds me of the years that I lived in Italy and went on holiday in Liguria. I rented a house for a few years with friends in a small town called FinalBorgo.
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It was a very near the larger town of Finale Ligure where we went to the beach. Our little town though only had a couple of cafes, a pizzeria and the main piazza where we ate gelato. We always took long walks up and town the coast as well and bought summer dresses from ladies who came to the beach with multicolored products. The whole experience was slow and relaxing, except for my friend Loredana’s crazy driving on the road down from Milan, smoking a cigarette, singing and texting wildly. Other than that, every weekend was a joy and a discovery…
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Chianti Lovers: Chianti Colli Fiorentini
Very excited for my first stop on the Italy trip, Villa Medicea di Lilliano. Not only do I get to see this beautiful Villa and grounds but I can do it while drinking these lovely wines from the Malenchini family. Looking really forward to it.
The denomination Chianti Colli Fiorentini Denominazione d’Origine Controllata e Garantita (D.O.C.G.) is one of the seven sub-zones of Chianti D.O.C.G. This production zone is located in and around Florence and the Arno river valleys. Like its other six cousins, Chianti Rufina, Chianti Colli Aretini, Chianti Colli Senesi, Chianti Colline Pisane, Chianti Montalbano and Chianti Montespertoli, producers can chose to use the denomination or not. The area was defined in 1932. With DPR 290 of July 2, 1984, the Chianti Colli Fiorentini area was officially granted DOCG recognition; The Chianti Colli Fiorentini Consortium was founded on September 20, 1994.
The wines must be at least 70% Sangiovese. They can also contain Canaiolo and Colorino, as well as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah in small quantities. I was introduced to the Chianti Colli Fiorentini in 2010 by their wonderful PR manager, Stefano. Despite living in Florence for many years, I didn’t know…
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Women In Wine: Susanna Crociani From Crociani Winery in Montepulciano
So looking forward to our trip to Italy and visiting Susanna. Vin Santo awaits!
I have been meaning to write about Susanna Crociani since we first met at Vinitaly 2007. In the interest of transparency, I want to point out that I have spent considerable amounts of time with her and we are good friends. In fact, Susanna was just staying with me for the past week during Vino 2010 and we were speaking together on a panel regarding Social Media on Wednesday together with Alder Yarrow of Vinography, Doug Cook, Head of search at Twitter and founder of Able Grape, Steve Raye of Brand Action and Anthony Dias Blue.
Susanna spoke at length about her experiences writing her wine blog which she began in 2006. To view the panel, please click here.
I have been tasting and drinking Susanna’s wines for about three years now and think they are terrific. My favorite is her Vin Santo. We just opened a…
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BREXIT: Shocking News Calls For Copious Amounts of Alcohol
Like many others, I am shocked by today's news of the win for those in Britain who wanted to leave Europe. I know this is a wine blog but I still am a former news correspondent, international relations graduate and internationalist so it is very hard for me to not to comment. I am shocked... Continue Reading →
Italian Indigenous Varieties: Lambrusca di Alessandria and Lambrusco a Foglia Frastagliata
Lambrusco is one of the most widely discussed and maligned grape varieties grown in Italy, together with Albana and Pinot Grigio. There are many different grapes with Lambrusco as part of their name, mostly grown in Emilia Romagna but not all. It is likely that they are related to a wild grapevine that was already... Continue Reading →
Wine Wednesday: Crios de Susana Balbo Rosé of Malbec
Another one of the rose' wines I had this week, by Susana Balbo from Argentina, was a real treat. This 2015 was made from 100% Malbec in the Uco Valley in Argentina. The vineyards are very high, 1200 meters above sea level here and are hand harvested. While the alcohol was high, 14.5%, I didn't... Continue Reading →
Tuesday Musings: Wine Education At the International Wine Center
As my last post for today, I would like to write about education as I have been doing of late. I can say, unabashedly, that I love the International Wine Center.I still go every year to the dinner celebrating new graduates who have earned the Diploma (DWS). I started studying there when I first moved... Continue Reading →
Rose of the Week: Regaleali Rose from Tasca d’Almerita
I have been drinking more rose' in the past few weeks than ever before. Apparently I am not alone in this phenomenon. I have had roses of all kinds, all grapes and many quality levels but I must say they have made me happy in each and every case. This one from Tasca d'Almerita made with Nerello... Continue Reading →