A wine blog by Susannah Gold
Today's Italian indigenous variety post is about Nerello Cappuccio. This grape often flanks Nerello Mascalese in blends from Faro and is rarely seen on it's own as a monovarietal wine. The name of the grape comes from the fact that the canopy develops like a cape above the grape vine if it's not controlled. It... Continue Reading →
This week's variety hails from the Valle d'Aosta. It's called Neyret Nero. Many thought it came from France or Switzerland but apparently it is indigenous to this interesting particular region of Italy. I love the wines from the Valle d'Aosta. I've never had one that contained Neyret, at least not that I know of. As... Continue Reading →
This week's indigenous variety hails from Latina in Lazio, specifically from the town of Cori. It is usually used in blends and adds a good dose of color to the wines. This red grape can be seen in the Cori Rosso DOC where it must be 50% of the blend. There is also a Cori... Continue Reading →
I recently had this wine at a celebratory lunch for my birthday. Rather than choose a fancy restaurant I decided to go with a family haunt and choose a wine that reminded me of days of old. I was surprised by how light and refreshingly zippy the wine was. It was floral with white flower... Continue Reading →
This month's #ItalianFWT is all about Vermentino. It's title is Benvenuto Vermentino, the name of a festival held in the principal growing regions in Italy in June. I've tried to go to the event over the years but with little success, thus far. This year the event takes place in Liguria on June 10-12. There... Continue Reading →
As Vinitaly moved into its second day, I searched for bubbles from all areas of the peninsula. While Prosecco, Franciacorta and Trento DOC all have their obvious allure, I’m interested in tasting all kinds of sparklers from indigneous varieties and international ones or blends from the various regions. There are no shortage of bubbles to... Continue Reading →
This is my 11th Vinitaly with my friend Susanna Crociani who owns a winery in Montepulciano and makes wonderful Nobile di Montepulciano using traditional grape varieties. We get to the fair early, set up and go in our own directions. I always learn something new from Susanna. She’s very creative and always thinking of new... Continue Reading →
OperaWine, the Wine Spectator presentation of their selection of the best Italian wines is in its 6th year I believe. I've been to every one of them and now it is the beginning of Vinitaly to me, every year I see producers I know whose wines I love and others that I only read about.... Continue Reading →
Just as some flowers are the first signs of Spring, such as these mimosas in the picture, Verdicchio to me sings of springtime. This wonderful grape from Le Marche is a beautiful way to invite spring into your life even when it’s snowing in April in New York. I first tried Verdicchio on a vacation... Continue Reading →
