Today's wine Wednesday is dedicated to a Rosé I tried last weekend at Vinitaly from Azienda Noventa in Botticino. Botticino is a very small DOC east of Brescia which was started in 1968. There are three areas that make up Botticino: Botticino Mattina – where they used to make wine and quarry marble, Botticino Sera... Continue Reading →
Monday Musings: Which Country Has The Most Organic Wine Producers?
Today I'm wondering which country has the most organic wine producers? I would think it would be France but it's possible that it is New Zealand. I have been searching for the answer but haven't yet found it. If someone has research on this please send it to me. While thinking about this topic, I... Continue Reading →
Reflections on Earth Day – Hooray
On Earth day, together with 15,000 other people, we went to the Bronx Botanical Gardens. It was a perfect day weather wise and fun was had by all. They put out a great huge balloon of the Earth, let people picnic on the grounds which is usually forbidden and generally pulled out the stops for... Continue Reading →
Saturday Sipping: Innocenzo Turco Granaccia from Liguria
Liguria is a small region in terms of its wine production, only about 4.5 million bottles a year but it is home to a wide variety of grapes, including Granaccia from Riviera Ligure di Ponente. This is the same grape that is seen in France and Spain but under the names Grenache and Garnacha, respectively.... Continue Reading →
Picpoul de Pinet – A Refreshing White from the Languedoc – April #Winophiles
One cold day in March this year, Spring came to my house in the form of two bottles of Picpoul de Pinet. They were sent as part of the April #Winophiles group from Benson Marketing and for that I am very thankful. I first heard of Picpoul about 10 years ago from a friend who... Continue Reading →
Italian Indigenous Varieties: Nasco from Sardinia
This week's Italian indigenous variety hails from Sardinia and is called Nasco. I have never had a bottle of Nasco which is often but not always seen in a sweet wine version. Apparently this white grape is very ancient and was perhaps even well-known in Roman times. It used to grow in more areas of... Continue Reading →
Wednesday Musing: Wine World Connections
Just off the plane from Vinitaly in Verona, I'm trying to wrap my head around all there is to do as a follow up to the trip but taking a moment to reflect on my conversations last night leaving the fair. I met an Austrian importer who comes from the same town as the former... Continue Reading →
Argentina, Malbec and me. April 17th #worldmalbecday
Today is #worldmalbecday, April 17th. I’m reposting a piece I wrote a number of years ago about Argentina and Malbec with tango mixed in. As any tango dancer worth their salt knows, Pablo Varron starred in the 1997 movie The Tango Lesson directed by Sally Potter as well as many other famous shows. That movie... Continue Reading →
Vinitaly Day 2: Sparkling Wines Abound
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 →