We will be chatting about wines for the Christmas feast tomorrow, Saturday, December 2th at 11 am ET. If you’d like to weigh in on your favorite wines or simply want to listen in, join us on Twitter at the appointed time, using #ItalianFWT and making sure to add it to all of your tweets.... Continue Reading →
Monday Musings: Can Pinot Grigio Be Taken Seriously?
Can Pinot Grigio be taken seriously is the title of this post and something I have thought about for a long time. I think the answer is a resounding yes. Though often considered an easy-sell wine with little personality this grape, if grown on optimal terroirs at higher elevations, and handled properly, can yield compelling,... Continue Reading →
Sunday Sippers: Quinta Do Crasto – A Portuguese Icon
As the weather turns cold, I am thinking about wines I would like to be drinking right now. One of these is from Crasto. I first tried wines from Quinta do Crasto last year in the Douro Valley at a lovely restaurant. It was very modern and somewhat like New York restaurants that serve high-end... Continue Reading →
Thanksgiving Wines: New World Sparkler, Pinot Noir & Port
We started our Thanksgiving feast with this Brut Rosé bubbly from Graham Beck. I loved its salmon hue and fruity notes together with a nice perlage, structure and length. It's a blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from their properties in Robertson and Stellenbosch. The wine is made using whole cluster pressing. The winemaker Pieter... Continue Reading →
Wine Wednesday: 2013 Laurene from Domaine Drouhin Oregon, Perfect Thanksgiving Wine
Today's wine of the week and Wine Wednesday post is dedicated to Domaine Drouhin Oregon wine, Laurene. I tasted this extraordinary Pinot Noir at the New York Wine Experience in October, held by the Wine Spectator. While I had been in Oregon for the first time last summer, I did not get to visit this... Continue Reading →
Italian Indigenous Varieties: Monica from Sardinia
This photo was taken in Sardinia in 2015. I was lucky enough to go on a brief trip to the island, my fourth. I have never, however, visited Sassari or any of the capital towns on the island. This week's variety, Monica, originally is thought to have come to Sardinia from Spain, though is has... Continue Reading →
Monday Musings: Can Cava Compete With More Popular Sparkling Wines?
Today's topic is Cava. As we move into the holiday season and everyone begins to discuss sparkling wines, I am musing about Cava and whether or not it gets the billing it should. I love sparkling wines, everyday of the week and at every meal. So do a lot of other people but how many... Continue Reading →
Hello Grappa, Nice To Meet You, Again
Hello Grappa. That is the name of a group that is working together to promote Grappa around the world. Grappa is an Italian spirit that usually brings to mind older men in the Veneto having a glass after dinner or in their morning coffee. But no more. This limited vision of the use of Grappa... Continue Reading →
Italian Indigenous Varieties: Molinara Nera from the Veneto
This week's variety is from the Veneto and can be used in Bardolino DOC, Garda Orientale DOC, Valadige-Schiava and of course, Valpolicella. It is rarely seen vinified in purezza or as a mono-varietal wine. Usually blended with other Veneto varieties such as Corvina and Rondinella, among others. Molinara comes from the name mulina or mill.... Continue Reading →
Le Beaujolais Nouveau est Arrivé
Today is Beaujolais Nouveau Day, the third Thursday in November. Today's wine was the first Beaujolais I had this year. According to French law, this wine made from Gamay grapes can be released at 12:01 a.m., quite soon after the harvest. Many are quite critical of Beaujolais Nouveau and it's fresh, fruity style. I am... Continue Reading →