Today's Monday musing is about the place of cooperatives in the wine space. The photo above is of the growers at La Clavesana, a cooperative in Piedmont that makes an amazing Dolcetto which I wrote about here. For many years I have pondered cooperatives and their reputation and like many others I have set them... Continue Reading →
Quinta de Santa Eufemia – A Special Visit in the Douro Valley Part 2
At Quinta de Santa Eufemia we were served an incredible homemade lunch. We sat outside overlooking the vineyards. It was delicious, perhaps my favorite of the many long and lovely meals we had in Portugal. One funny moment came when my friend, Tony Lawrence arrived. He came the second day of the trip and I... Continue Reading →
Quinta de Santa Eufemia – A Special Visit in the Douro Valley Part I
I visited Quinta de Santa Eufemia in the fall of 2016 when I was on a press trip to the Douro Valley. In the intervening period of time since my visit, I have had the occasion to meet the owners at various Portuguese tastings in New York City but nothing can compare to my wonderful... Continue Reading →
Today is Holocaust Remembrance Day
Today marks the 73rd anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau. World leaders commemorated this day in various places, including at the Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C. Six million Jews, including many members of my family were among those murdered. Slavs, Roma, people who were Gay, those with disabilities, religious leaders and many others who tried... Continue Reading →
Sunday Sippers: Quinta Do Crasto – A Portuguese Icon
As the weather turns cold, I am thinking about wines I would like to be drinking right now. One of these is from Crasto. I first tried wines from Quinta do Crasto last year in the Douro Valley at a lovely restaurant. It was very modern and somewhat like New York restaurants that serve high-end... Continue Reading →
Women In Wine Fridays: Surprise At Meeting Many Women In Wine Industry In Douro Valley
I just got back from a great trip to the Douro Valley in Portugal. I was thrilled to see the number of women working in the wine industry there. And I admit, surprised. I think Portugal surprised me in general. I had been there on three different occasions but this time I really fell in... Continue Reading →
The Sweet Spot: Taylor Fladgate Vargellas Vinha Velha 2009
I had started to write a weekly column on sweet and fortified wines, a passion of mine but I haven't gotten very far along. Luckily for me, I was given the opportunity to taste one of six vintage ports from Taylor Fladgate's Quinta Vargellas. This Vargellas Vinha Velha port from the 2009 vintage took my... Continue Reading →
Wines from Portugal: A World to Explore For Value and Diversity
I initially wrote this article on wines from Portugal following a tasting organized in early April by my friend Aileen Robbins for Gourmet Retailer. I'm not sure how well the link is working so I thought I would just post the entire article. Unfortunately I didn't take many pictures of that beautiful country. Many years... Continue Reading →
Portugual’s Wines & Wine Tasting Friends
Since my return to the United States from Italy four years ago this December, I have been very lucky to meet lots of new friends with similar interests. You guessed it, wine friends of all colors, strips, ages and most importantly, palates. A font of these new friends have been the schools where I have... Continue Reading →