I'm starting a new series on this blog, not an exhaustive one, but a smattering of information about the 20 regions of Italy. To start, naturally I am looking to the smallest region in the North, the Valle d'Aosta. The tag line they use is "Un Cuore di Natura." Anyone who has ever been to... Continue Reading →
Sunset on Cape Cod – Finger Lake Wines & Seafood
I haven't written in a bit because I'm on a family vacation on Cape Cod, a place I love. This year I brought wines that I bought in the Finger Lakes at the Society of Wine Educators conference, thinking I would pair them with the seafood that the Cape offers and that the sweetness I... Continue Reading →
Wine Wednesday: Valtènesi Chiaretto DOC, Il Chiaretto from Azienda Agricola Pasini San Giovanni
Today's wine Wednesday is dedicated to Il Chiaretto from the Azienda Agricola Pasini San Giovanni. The wine is made from a blend of indigenous varieties: Groppello, Marzemino, Barbera and Sangiovese. To be a Valtènesi some 50% of the blend must be from Groppello (either Gentile and/or Mocasina). As a grape, Groppello has a thin skin... Continue Reading →
Molise: Underrated Wine Regions of Italy
Have you ever noticed that wines from Molise just don't there fair shake? I know I have. Molise may not have any DOCG wines, a list which has seen its members swell exponentially in recent years but it does have three DOC wines that should be on your radar: Biferno DOC made around Campobasso, Pentro... Continue Reading →
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 →
Italian Indigenous Varieties: Malvasia Rosa from Piacenza
This is my 16th and last post in the series on Malvasie. It has been very interesting to see just how many variations there are of this grape from the Malvasia family. This week's variety is Malvasia Rosa which is a mutation of Malvasia di Candia which I wrote about here. This Malvasia can be... Continue Reading →
Wine Wednesday: Petite Arvine from Ottin (Valle d’Aosta)
This week’s blizzard has really made me miss ife on the slopes, all of it. I always remember the panini with speck and asiago cheese that I would eat when skiing in Italy and the desire to drink Vin Brule but the knowledge that too much of it would make me a worse skier. Hopefully,... Continue Reading →
Italian Indigenous Varieties: Fumin from the Valle d’Aosta
This week's grape variety is Fumin. It is the last variety that starts with the letter "F." Amazing to me to note, but I have written 111 of these sorts of posts through the years. Italy has such an endless number of grape varieties, there is always something new to learn. Fumin is a variety... Continue Reading →
Wines from the Loire Valley: A Welcome Summer Treat
After today's soccer defeat for the Azzurri, I think I will be rooting for France to win the World Cup and thus writing a lot about French wines this summer. All kidding aside, as readers of this blog know, I was a Francophile before Italy stole my heart years ago and still have a long... Continue Reading →
Wine of the Week: Solagi from Caparra & Siciliani – Calabria
Last week was a busy one for the Italian wine world in New York City. Two major events took place,the Vinitaly/Slow Wine tour on February 3, 2014 and Tre Bicchieri on February 6, 2014. I was lucky enough to be able to attend both events where I saw many old friends among the US wine... Continue Reading →