New Year's resolutions for this year are about planning and being present in the moment. I find that planning a week's activities or a month or a year makes achieving them that much easier. The same is true of a vineyard. Vineyard activities are planned and take place according to a calendar. Of course, they... Continue Reading →
Taking a Closer Look at Vernaccia di San Gimignano
For this first month of January 2021, I am exploring one of Italy's most underrated white wines, Vernaccia di San Gimignano from Tuscany. Vernaccia di San Gimignano was the first Italian wine to receive a DOC denomination in 1966 as most students of Italian wine know. It was then given its DOCG designation in 1993.... Continue Reading →
Ringing In The New Year With Prosecco
I have been writing about Italian sparkling wine for the past week. I have mentioned Trento Doc, Franciacorta DOCG, Alta Langa DOCG, and Lambrusco. Today I want to write about Prosecco. I work with a Prosecco brand, Val D'Oca, and have worked for the Prosecco DOC Consortium in the past so I rarely write about... Continue Reading →
Wine Wednesday: Donelli Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro DOC
Donelli Continuing with our exploration of sparkling wine, today I am looking at Lambrusco. This week's Wine Wednesday focuses on a wine from Donelli. It's a Lambrusco Amabile is made from 90% Lambrusco Grasparossa and 10% Malbo Gentile. The vines are grown on Calcareous clay. The grapes are hand harvested in September and then taken... Continue Reading →
Alta Langa DOCG: Piedmont Sparklers
Continuing with my exploration of sparkling wines from Italy, today is the turn of Alta Langa DOCG wines which are sparkling wines made in the classical method in Piedmont. These wines are available in the US but are still somewhat hard to find but I predict we will see more of them in 2021. Here... Continue Reading →
Merry Christmas To All And To All A Good Night
Christmas Tree at the Metropolitan Museum Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night. Whatever your feast, I hope you accompanied it with something to celebrate at least. Preferably bubbles to start and other libations to follow, our house was awash in all manner of drink and now I am too tired to... Continue Reading →
Christmas Past: Milan and Berlucchi, Deck The Halls With Franciacorta
This Christmas Eve, I am grateful to be healthy and that my family is all still here even if we can't all get together. As I do every Christmas since moving back from Italy, I reflect on Christmases past and the wonderful traditions I had when I lived there. Top of mind is drinking Franciacorta,... Continue Reading →
Trento DOC: Italy’s Classical Method Sparkler
For this Wine Wednesday, I'm continuing with my exploration of sparkling wine until the end of the year. Today’s post is about Trento Doc which is made using the classical method of secondary fermentation in the bottle. There are about 9 million bottles of Trento DOC made every year. Trentino is an amazing part of Italy... Continue Reading →
Christmas Season Starts Anew: Virtual Handel’s Messiah
Christmas In New York Christmas is upon us and this year more than ever one tries to remember the true meaning of Christmas not all the trappings that go with it. For me and for so many others, Christmas is also about traditions. That is all upended this year because of the pandemic. Reading the... Continue Reading →
Monday Musing: Sparkling Wines Place At The Table
Sparkling Wine Bubbles During the holidays everything comes up bubbles. Newspapers and websites are awash with the great bubbles from around the world to ring in the New Year but I wonder why we aren't drinking bubbles throughout the year and throughout the meal. I recently attended a webinar where we talked about difference styles... Continue Reading →