Today is the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. It is widely celebrated in Italy and is a public holiday. The day commemorates when Mary, the mother of Jesus, was graced by God to lead a life “free of sin” according to Catholic belief but yet gets pregnant with Baby Jesus on this day. Nowhere is... Continue Reading →
Italian Indigenous Varieties: Nero Buono
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 →
Verdicchio Sings Of Spring – April #ItalianFWT
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 →
Spending Time In Rome During Easter
I have had the pleasure of spending Easter in Rome a number of times. The city is very crowded with tourists and often school children. “La Settimana Santa” or the Holy Week is considered a perfect time to visit the Eternal City. Many hope to see the Pope who is in residence and gives Mass... Continue Reading →
Italian Indigenous Varieties: Moscato di Terracina from Lazio
Today's Moscato grape hails from Terracina in Lazio. This grape variety was used in the past mostly for vinification purposed but today is often consumed as a table grape. I found a couple of producers making wines using this grape variety including the Cantina Santandrea. The wine can be made into a number of different... Continue Reading →
Wine Wednesday: Falesia Chardonnay from D’Amico Winery
This week's wine Wednesday is dedicated to one I tasted a while back but have not been able to forget. It's the Falesia chardonnay from D'Amico Winery located at the confluence of Umbria/Lazio/Tuscany. I met the couple during a lunch in New York at Marea organized by the lovely Tony DiDio. I had never heard... Continue Reading →
Easter Traditions In Rome
I have had the pleasure of spending Easter in Rome a number of times. The city is very crowded with tourists and often school children. "La Settimana Santa" or the Holy Week is considered a perfect time to visit the Eternal City. Many hope to see the Pope who is in residence and gives Mass... Continue Reading →
Italian Indigenous Varieties: Malvasia del Lazio
This week's grape variety is called Malvasia del Lazio. It as you can imagine, grows primarily in the southern Italian region of Lazio, of which Rome is the capital. It is sometimes also referred to as Malvasia puntinata because of the small dots on the grape. Usually this grape is blended with other varieties, Trebbiano... Continue Reading →
Italian Indigenous Varieties: Malvasia Bianca di Candia (Lazio)
This week's variety is another Malvasia. It is called Malvasia Bianca di Candia. It's grows primarily in Lazio but also in Emilia Romagna, Le Marche, Umbria, Tuscany and Liguria. It is also sometimes called Malvasia Rossa because of the color the buds take on. However it must be distinguished from Malvasia di Candia. It likes... Continue Reading →
Wine of the Week: Macchia Sacra IGT from Cantina Castello di Torre in Pietra
Today's wine of the week is Macchia Sacra IGT from Cantina Castello di Torre in Pietra from Lazio. I tried this wine while searching the halls of Vinitaly for a client that I couldn't locate and I stayed a while to chat with the owners. I'm a fan of wines from Lazio, albeit they aren't... Continue Reading →