My Wine Wednesday is dedicated to Nederburg Chenin Blanc from South Africa which I was lucky enough to taste last week with a friend. I say lucky enough because she brought it to my house. I rarely drink South African wine, not because of any preconceived ideas just they rarely are on my radar, except... Continue Reading →
Italian Indigenous Varieties: Manzoni Bianco
\\ Manzoni Bianco was created by Professor Luigi Manzoni in the years 1930-1935 at the Istituto Tecnico Agrario di Conegliano. It's a cross between Riesling renano and Pinot Bianco. At first it was only found in the area around Treviso but thanks to good results was introduced into the Trentino and eventually into all of... Continue Reading →
Picnic Wines: Memorial Day
While today’s weather doesn’t fit my idea of a picnic, Beaujolais seems like a perfect option on this chilly day in May. It’s also in keeping with my French themed idea about Memorial day. I will happily drink one today in addition to the sparkling wine chilling in the fridge. I do not come from a military family so I am not spending today visiting a cemetery but I am thinking of all those families who have lost people and thank those who made the ultimate sacrifice for the country.
While the weather decides what it wants to do today, I have figured out what I feel like drinking with our picnic later – Beaujolais. Beaujolais made from the gamay grape comes in many different iterations, all of which would work with picnic fare. Beaujolais Nouveau is considered by many to be less than a stellar wine but I think it has a definite place at the picnic table as well. Fresh and friendly it is a wine that works well early in the day with a summer meal. Of course, the Beaujolais village wines are the more prestigious and the ones that can pair better with many of the aromas and flavors that grace any Barbecue worth it’s name. I particularly like Chiroubles but each one of the 10 cru Beaujolais has characteristics that make them great wines. Check out this guide to the Beaujolais crus by the Flatiron…
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Sunday Sparkler: Blanquette di Limoux from Le Berceau
I love sparkling wines of all kinds. I particularly love when I find one made from an indigenous grape. Today's wine is a Blanquette di Limoux made from the Mauzac grape found in Southwestern France. It feels appropriate to drink French wine on Memorial day weekend when so many of the French died fighting in... Continue Reading →
25th Year of Cantine Aperte – May 27-28, 2017 800 Wineries Throughout Italy Are Participating
This weekend, May 27-28, is Cantine Aperte 2017 throughout Italy. It is the premier Wine Tourism event for wine lovers throughout the country. It began in 1993, when member wineries of Movimento Turismo del Vino opened their doors to the public. In the States, most wineries have always looked to be tourist destination but the... Continue Reading →
Women In Wine: An Interview With Maria Elena Jimenez from Pares Balta in Penedes
I didn’t post this on a Friday so I am reposting to keep in line with my women in wine series. Enjoy the holiday weekend and remember to think about what Memorial Day actually means, http://www.history.com/news/8-things-you-may-not-know-about-memorial-day. Say hello and thank you to a sailor if in NYC during Fleet Week.
Today I am posting an online conversation I had with Maria Elena Jimenez, one of the winemakers at Pares Balta.
1. How did you get into the wine business?
Although it may seem sappy, love was the reason for everything. My husband, by then just my boyfriend, was the one to introduce me to wine and make me fall in love with wine along with him. I am a chemical engineer, and in those days working as a consultant, when my husband proposed me to return to the university to study enology in order to work together in the family business.
And all the tiny pieces began to fall in its right place after that, wine , love, family, children, passion till reaching the point where I am nowadays, managing the cellar altogether with Marta
2. What has been the hardest part of the wine business for you in…
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Italian Indigenous Varities: Mammolo Nero from Tuscany
This week's variety hails from Tuscany and is called Mammolo. It tends to be mostly found in the province of Siena, Lucca and Grosseto. When I think of Mammolo, I think of Susanna Crociani, a producer and friend from Montepulciano. She always reminds people that Mammolo is also the name of one of the Seven... Continue Reading →
Wine Wednesday: Domain Pushang Marselan, Ningxia (China)
Last summer I had the good fortune to attend a seminar on wines from Ningxia, China's premier wine region. The seminar was taught by Houghton Lee and Tommy Lam, wine educators. They were fascinating, informative and prepared with a 60-slide presentation. Houghton is the Hong Kong Liaison for the Society of Wine Educators and Tommy... Continue Reading →
Remembering Giovanni Falcone
Every year May 23 is a day that I mark in some way. It is the anniversary of the murder of a famous judge in Italy named Giovanni Falcone. His picture is on my refrigerator along with those of my family and Bruce Springsteen. Falcone was a hero in my world, a crusader for justice.... Continue Reading →
Women In Wine: An Interview With Maria Elena Jimenez from Pares Balta in Penedes
Today I am posting an online conversation I had with Maria Elena Jimenez, one of the winemakers at Pares Balta. 1. How did you get into the wine business? Although it may seem sappy, love was the reason for everything. My husband, by then just my boyfriend, was the one to introduce me to wine... Continue Reading →