I haven’t visited Calabria in many years and the last time I was in Calabria was 2003. I went to see two beautiful men, the Bronzi di Riace, in Reggio Calabria, took a local train to Tropea, a lovely town on the coast, and went swimming in the cleanest water I have ever seen at... Continue Reading →
Wine Wednesday: Coimbra De Mattos 1858 Port Valriz
Coimbra De Mattos was one of the older estates I visited during my trip to the Douro Valley in September. The family has 55 hectares and produces port wines and still wines from a host of indigenous grape varieties. The sell their port wines under the brand Valriz while their still wines are sold under... Continue Reading →
Thinking Of Milan & Christmases Past
As we approach Christmas Eve, Christmas day and the holidays, I am thinking about Milan and all of the Christmases I have spent there. As visions of Christmas dance in my head I read thew news that a police trainee in Sesto San Giovanni was able to stop the man who was allegedly responsible for... Continue Reading →
Quinta Do Beijo: Kisses from Douro Valley
All of the wineries that I visited on my September trip to the Douro Valley were family owned concerns except for one, Caves Santa Marta, a cooperative. Today's post is about Quinta Do Beijo located in Celeiró do Douro. The winery owns 15 hectares of vineyards and olive trees. They make a range of port... Continue Reading →
Wine Wednesday: Vecchia Modena Cleto Chiarli
Today's wine of the week is a Lambrusco that I had last week at Aldo Sohm's Winebar in Midtown. The occasion was to celebrate the success of a Spanish campaign I work on with some colleagues under her brand but I have been writing so much about Lambrusco these last weeks that I requested we... Continue Reading →
Italian Indigenous Varieties: Maceratino Bianco
This week's grape variety is Maceratino bianco from Le Marche, an incredible region that has been hard hit by the recent earthquakes in Central Italy. This variety grows in the provinces of Macerata, Ancona and Ascoli Piceno and can be used in Bianco Piceno and Bianco dei Colli Maceratesi. The grape variety is thought to... Continue Reading →
Women In Wine Fridays: Meet Meg Houston Maker of Makerstable.com
This week's piece on women in wine focuses on Meg Houston Maker of Makerstable.com. I met Meg some years ago at a conference in New York and have followed her writing as she travels around the globe. One of the things I like about her writing is her use of language. She is very precise... Continue Reading →
Holiday Jaunts In New York City & California Wine
I like to see the Christmas lights and go to all of New York's museums and attractions around the holiday season. Today I added another New York landmark to my roster, the Mount Vernon Hotel from 1799. Hidden on East 61 Street in the shade of a tall building stands this historic landmark. It was... Continue Reading →
Wine Wednesday: Tocai Friulano from Millbrook Vineyards & Winery
My wine of the week is from Millbrook Winery in the Hudson Valley. Their Tocai Friulano appealed to me when I tried it for the first time many years ago and still holds my interest. Fruity but dry with nice mineral notes and crisp acidity, I thoroughly enjoy this wine. I love the Hudson Valley... Continue Reading →
Italian Indigenous Varieties: Lambrusco Salamino di Santa Croce
This is the last of the Lambrusco varieties I am going to write about in this indigenous varieties series, Lambrusco Salamino di Santa Croce. There are over 60 varieties of Lambrusco that are known, perhaps even more, but only six or seven of them are considered the more prestigious ones. Salamino, is named for its... Continue Reading →