Today is Wine Wednesday and I am writing about a wine I tasted at a recent seminar on Barbera d'Asti from the Nizza DOCG area specifically. This wine is from Michele Chiarlo. The wines are brought in by Kobrand. I did a few projects for Kobrand years ago and am quite familiar with their amazing... Continue Reading →
Wine Wednesday: 2013 Laurene from Domaine Drouhin Oregon, Perfect Thanksgiving Wine
Today's wine of the week and Wine Wednesday post is dedicated to Domaine Drouhin Oregon wine, Laurene. I tasted this extraordinary Pinot Noir at the New York Wine Experience in October, held by the Wine Spectator. While I had been in Oregon for the first time last summer, I did not get to visit this... Continue Reading →
Wine Wednesday: Trabocchetto from Talamonti from Abruzzo
This week's Wine Wednesday is dedicated to Abruzzo. A region that has seen its fair share of trouble this month with record snow falls, earthquakes, and an avalanche that claimed the lives of guests at a hotel and yesterday, a helicopter crash during a mountain rescue. It has been on my mind all month and... 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 →
Wine Wednesday: Crios de Susana Balbo Rosé of Malbec
Another one of the rose' wines I had this week, by Susana Balbo from Argentina, was a real treat. This 2015 was made from 100% Malbec in the Uco Valley in Argentina. The vineyards are very high, 1200 meters above sea level here and are hand harvested. While the alcohol was high, 14.5%, I didn't... Continue Reading →
Wine Wednesday: 2013 Kolbenhof Gewurztraminer Vigna from J. Hoffstatter
Let me begin by saying that I have never been a huge fan of this grape variety and that this week's wine is one I thought I would not be keen on. However, I have learned to be both humble and have an open mind about the wines I taste and so I tried this... Continue Reading →
Wine Wednesday: Zago Prosecco Doc
Today's wine of the week is the Zago Prosecco DOC. The winery from Taiedo di Chions in Friuli has 8.5 hectares and makes three types of Prosecco using the Glera grape, Extra Dry, Brut Millesimato and Sui Lieviti (on the Lees). It is this last one that is pictured above and which I enjoyed most... Continue Reading →
Wine Wednesday: Centuno From Viticultori Associati Canicatti
Canicatti speaks of Sicily and a hot arid climate. It also brings one to think of the Valle dei Templi. It would not necessarily be the first place where I would think a quality wine would come from. I would be wrong however as two wines that I tasted during Italian wine week showed me.... Continue Reading →
Wine of the Week: Conte Vistarino Sangue di Giuda from Oltrepo’ Pavese (Lombardy)
Friday is the quintessential Italian holiday, Ferragosto. What is Ferragosto you might ask, well according to Wikipedia: “The Catholic Church celebrates this date as a Holy Day of Obligation to commemorate the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary—the actual physical elevation of her sinless soul and incorruptible body into Heaven. Before the Roman Catholic Church... Continue Reading →
Wine of the Week: Valferana, Gattinara D.O.C.G. 2005
This week's wine of the week is from Piedmont, from the winery Nervi. I had the pleasure of sitting next to Enrico Fileppo, the oenologist from the winery who has worked there since 1984, last year at a dinner during VinoVip 2013 in Cortina. I had never had the pleasure of tasting this exquisite wine... Continue Reading →