Sardegna is a magical and mysterious land, I think of it as a place of beaches, crystal blue water, rocks, sun, sheep, silence, Vermentino, Cannonau and Pecorino,. What I didn't know was that it also has the second largest cork factory in Europe after Amorim. I once interviewed the head of that Portuguese company but... Continue Reading →
Spanish Sundays: Bodegas Hildago Amontillado Napoleon
Today I am sipping Bodegas Hildago La Gitana's Amontillado Napoleon. Bodegas Hidalgo La Gitana was founded in 1792. It's been in the same family since that time and now the 8th generation is running the company. The founder was named Don José Pantaleón Hidalgo. They are very well-known for their Manzanilla but I was tasting... Continue Reading →
Spirited Saturdays: Bob Dylan to have Whiskey Line
I read the news today oh boy about a lucky man...for some reason that song is in my head while it should be one of Dylan's. I read really early this morning that Dylan is creating a Whiskey line under the brand name Heaven's Door. According to the article in the New York Times, "The... Continue Reading →
Benvenuto Vermentino. Join Italian Food, Wine & Travel for A Vermentino Exploration on May 5th on Twitter
Join us next Saturday May 5th as Vignetocomm hosts #ItalianFWT with Benvenuto #Vermentino. This is a wonderful versatile grape that grows in Liguria, Tuscany, and Sardinia in Italy, as well as Corsica, France and the United States, among others. Often in Liguria, the vineyards are incredibly steep. This type of heroic viticulture is seen throughout... Continue Reading →
Pignoletto – A Grape To Follow from Emilia-Romagna
Having gone to graduate school in Bologna, I have a soft stop for all that comes from the region. Pignoletto which is genetically similar to Umbria’s Grechetto is an interesting local variety that can be made in different styles. I was happy to try the sparkling version pictured above recently at Vinitaly. This wine was... Continue Reading →
Wine Wednesday: L’Aura from Azienda Noventa in Botticino (Lombardy)
Today's wine Wednesday is dedicated to a Rosé I tried last weekend at Vinitaly from Azienda Noventa in Botticino. Botticino is a very small DOC east of Brescia which was started in 1968. There are three areas that make up Botticino: Botticino Mattina – where they used to make wine and quarry marble, Botticino Sera... Continue Reading →
Monday Musings: Which Country Has The Most Organic Wine Producers?
Today I'm wondering which country has the most organic wine producers? I would think it would be France but it's possible that it is New Zealand. I have been searching for the answer but haven't yet found it. If someone has research on this please send it to me. While thinking about this topic, I... Continue Reading →
Reflections on Earth Day – Hooray
On Earth day, together with 15,000 other people, we went to the Bronx Botanical Gardens. It was a perfect day weather wise and fun was had by all. They put out a great huge balloon of the Earth, let people picnic on the grounds which is usually forbidden and generally pulled out the stops for... Continue Reading →
Saturday Sipping: Innocenzo Turco Granaccia from Liguria
Liguria is a small region in terms of its wine production, only about 4.5 million bottles a year but it is home to a wide variety of grapes, including Granaccia from Riviera Ligure di Ponente. This is the same grape that is seen in France and Spain but under the names Grenache and Garnacha, respectively.... Continue Reading →
Picpoul de Pinet – A Refreshing White from the Languedoc – April #Winophiles
One cold day in March this year, Spring came to my house in the form of two bottles of Picpoul de Pinet. They were sent as part of the April #Winophiles group from Benson Marketing and for that I am very thankful. I first heard of Picpoul about 10 years ago from a friend who... Continue Reading →