Today's Women in Wine chat is with Linda King, a winemaker I met earlier this month at the American Wine Society conference in Buffalo. Linda generously agreed to respond to my emailed questions about her experiences in the United States. How did you get into the wine business? I had been a very serious amateur... Continue Reading →
Spanish Thursdays: Vivanco Rosé from Rioja
I received this refreshing rosé as a sample from the lovely Li Valentine of The Wining Hour. This wine from Rioja is a blend of 75% Tempranillo and Garnacha with a touch of Garnacha Blanca. The addition of Garnacha blanc is new. Vivanco has recently added the white grape to the blend. They note on... Continue Reading →
Wine Wednesday: Cremant D’Alsace Gustave Lorentz Brut Rosé
Today's Wine Wednesday is about a Cremant D'Alsace Gustave Lorentz Brut Rosé that I received as a sample as part of the French #winophiles group. I had the wine last week with my second Thanksgiving dinner and it was a perfect pairing for my Mom's turkey, stuffing and relish. Made with Pinot Noir it was... Continue Reading →
Italian Indigenous Varieties: Nigra – A Cross Created by Italo Cosmo At Conegliano
This week's indigenous variety is called Nigra and is a cross between Merlot and Barbera created by Italo Cosmo in the 1960s in Conegliano. The idea was to increase the acidity in Merlot which at times has a lack of it. It is only grown on some hectares around the city of Treviso. It is... Continue Reading →
Monday Musings: Tawny Port
Today's Monday musings concern Tawny ports. I am thinking about them not only because I love them but because Eric Asimov wrote an article about them this week for the New York Times. I wrote about this topic here about a year ago. At that time, I wondered if there is any data about how... Continue Reading →
Thanksgiving Wines: New World Sparkler, Pinot Noir & Port
I had fun re-reading what I wrote last year about the wines for the Thanksgiving feast. This year, I tried some of the same wines but added others.
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 ‘Bubbles’ Ferreira believes firmly in making quality sparkling wines. This traditional method sparkler was perfect with the hors d’oeuvre and would have been perfect with the turkey and sides as well but I had brought home another bottle to share from my summer trip to Oregon.
I visited the Dobbes family tasting room this summer as part of the Society of Wine Educators tour to local wineries.
The Dobbes Family story is very American with Joe, the winemaker, who has created an empire from his desire and persistence. He has different lines that are…
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San Casciano Classico Association Created
I got a press release a few days ago about the formation of the San Casciano Classico Association. It was created to promote the wineries in the area of San Casciano in Val di Pesa, in the Chianti Classico production. It got my attention because I always loved that area near Florence. There were many amazing restaurants... Continue Reading →
Holiday Season is Upon Us, Let’s Toast With Sparkling Wines
Christmas season has officially begun for me. While I haven’t yet seen this gorgeous tree at the Met this year or Handel’s Messiah at Carnegie Hall, a tradition for a number of years, New York is filled with Christmas decorations. I am looking forward to toasting with sparkling wine. I love sparkling wine in all... Continue Reading →
Thanksgiving Wine Pick: 2016 Botonero Terrazze Retiche di Sondrio I.G.T.
My Thanksgiving wine hails from the Valtellina, a part of Lombardy famous for its Nebbiolo which they call Chiavennasca and its heroic mountain viticulture. Valtellina which I have visited, is beautiful and the wines can be sublime and rival their more famous counterparts in Piedmont. There are 44 producers who are part of the Consorzio... Continue Reading →