A wine blog by Susannah Gold
This sandwich is famous in New Orleans, the Muffaletta. This is one of the lovely things I think about when I go to New Orleans. That together with great coffee, beignets, river boats, beads and of course, Mardi Gras. I've been to New Orleans four times. Each time I have had a unique experience. Very... Continue Reading →
This summer I will be hosting a seminar on the Wines of Lombardy at the Society of Wine Educators conference in Portland, Oregon. I’m very excited to speak about this region that is so close to my heart after having spent 10 years there. I think people will be surprised by many of the varieties that they taste. I certainly hope so.
As I mentioned yesterday, I am going to be writing about wines from Lombardy all week. One friend was perplexed that I said I didn’t know the wines of Lombardy that well. What I meant and was perhaps misunderstood is that I don’t know all of the wines of Lombardy as well as I might like to, although some I know quite well and have worked with in the past, visited the regions or am currently working with as we speak.
Today I want to mention an area of Lombardy that I love, Bergamo and its wines from the Valcalepio, still quite unknown in the US but also in many parts of Italy. The Consorzio Tutela Valcalepio was founded in 1977 by 22 members. Today, the consortium has 85 members, or about 98% of the producers of Valcalepio. The area is in the province of Bergamo and has two main…
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As I think about all the news this Monday morning, a question keeps coming to mind. How important is writing about wine at this moment when so much of the world is in turmoil. I don't have a fully formed answer yet and I am wondering what other bloggers/journalists/critics think at this point in time.... Continue Reading →
I had the opportunity to taste through the Cos wines last month at the Domaine Select tasting. One was better then the next. I loved all of them but today will just mention the ones in the picture. My favorite was their Pithos Rosso DOC. Made from a blend of Frappato and Nero d'Avola, it... Continue Reading →
This week's wine of the week is from a wine called Caiarossa. I first discovered this winery last year at Vinitaly. I was attracted to their labels with the enigmatic bust on them and the esoteric names of their wines. The winery is owned by a Frenchman and the grapes grown are mostly international or... Continue Reading →
This week's grape variety is called Malvasia del Lazio. It as you can imagine, grows primarily in the southern Italian region of Lazio, of which Rome is the capital. It is sometimes also referred to as Malvasia puntinata because of the small dots on the grape. Usually this grape is blended with other varieties, Trebbiano... Continue Reading →
I just saw Diego last week and had the opportunity to try Alta Mora Etna Bianco 2014 that won the Tre Bicchieri Award from Gambero Rosso. Made from Carricante grown at 600 above sea level, it had great acidity and minerality. It was fresh and engaging with great white fruit aromas and flavors and floral hints as well on the attack. It was full bodied and enveloping and to me it sang of Sicily and on the frigid day of the event last week, it really made me long for some Sicilian warmth.
I seem to be fixated on Sicily this summer and with good reason. A beautiful part Italy, I have spent a bit of time there during past summers and look forward to my next viaggio. When I can’t travel physically, I can always travel thanks to the wines I drink and write about. This post is no different. Today’s winery of the week is Sicilian, Cusumano. I met Diego in 2010 during Vinitaly when I was doing some translation work for a wine magazine meeting with numerous producers. I remember his warm and friendly smile and I have seen him at numerous tastings throughout the years.
Thanks to Tony Didio, I finally had the good fortune to sit down with Diego and discuss his family winery a bit more in depth and to sample different wines although the one in the picture above remains a favorite from this winery…
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Today is the anniversary of a dear friend's passing. She died nine years ago of cancer at the age of 37. Every time I hear a certain song, eat a particular food or hear a deeply Tuscan accent, I think of her. She was a wonderful, artistic, creative soul who suffered an awful early death... Continue Reading →
This week's indigenous variety is Malvasia Bianca Lunga. This one hails first and foremost from Tuscany but can also be found in many other Italian regions including the Veneto, Puglia and Lazio. It was used in the first traditional blend for Chianti set forth by the Baron Bettino Ricasoli. Baron Bettino Ricasoli invented the Chianti... Continue Reading →
